Ashes of guilt, p.16
Ashes of Guilt, page 16
Her face contorted into a twisted smile.
I froze. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t just kill her. The very thought made me shudder. So I kept her talking.
“They knew, didn’t they? Somehow, they all found out.”
The woman gave me a puzzled look.
“Cindy Beckett, Tom Smalls, Ariel Warren…. They all found out, didn’t they? You couldn’t let them live with the knowledge that you killed your own husband. That’s what the list is about. A list of people who knew the truth.”
Rebecca tapped her fingers on the desk, eerily calm for a woman with a gun pointed right at her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I was dead tired of hearing that.
“No, no, Rebecca, I’m here, aren’t I? I’m back in Wakefield. You know who else decided to show up in this pathetic town decades later? Steve Hale. He knew, too. You’re killing us all to protect your little secret! Dr. Hampton he knew about your problems. James would talk about it with him over a few beers at the Golden Eagle. Smalls ended up joining the conversation…”
She simply clenched her jaw and looked out the window.
“You couldn’t afford having the truth reach LTG. You’d lose everything. Your job, your house, your reputation. Killing everyone involved was the only option. Even those I might’ve spoken to about his death. But I didn’t, Rebecca. Because all those goddamn years, you made me believe I was guilty!”
She sighed. “Well, Olivia, you’ve cracked the case. Well done. It means you won’t be surprised when your lovely sister’s dead. I actually couldn’t decide who to do away with first. Her, or you.”
“No!” I shouted. “You can’t!”
I was drowning in panic now. The gun felt heavy in my hand, but I didn’t shoot her. I couldn’t.
“It looks like it’ll be you.”
She slowly stood up, her chair creaking as it moved backward.
“Don’t move,” I said.
“What are you going to do, Olivia? Kill this town’s chief of police? Considering your history, I take it that won’t bode well for you, dear girl.”
“I said don’t move!” But she looked at me curiously while leaning to reach something under her desk.
“What’s it gonna be, little Livy? The flash drive or your life?”
I unlocked the safety of my gun. It didn’t affect her at all. She knew the power she had over me. Over this town. I felt as if I was holding the gun the wrong way, inches away from listening to her and pulling the trigger on myself instead.
“No,” my voice trembled.
“No, what?”
“You’re behind all of this. You should’ve been behind bars twenty years ago! You won’t get away this time; I won’t let you.” I took aim. It was useless, we both knew.
“Time’s ticking away. I’m not hearing an answer.”
“I can’t give it to you. I refuse to let this go on.”
She chuckled, “But you can’t back out now, Olivia. You’re the star of the show! Wakefield’s first-ever high-profile criminal! And don’t worry, you’ll get all the credit. I’ll just be the cop to put you behind bars.”
Something under the desk clicked, and an alarm went off somewhere deep in the building. Rebecca straightened again and watched me with a glimmer in her eyes.
“Too bad you couldn’t just hand it over. You knew I was going to take it anyway. Little Olivia always creating a scene. It’ll only be a few moments before everyone comes crowding around here to see what the fuss is all about.”
“Turn it off!” I shouted. “Turn off the goddamn alarm!”
She raised her hands lightly. “I can’t; it’s already done. Alerts the fire station and all, too. The show is yet to start.”
I lowered my gun. The frantic alarm rang in my chest. I had to get out of here. They’ll–I didn’t know what they’d do to me now.
Slamming the door open, I ran down the flight of stairs and out of the building. From the outside, it looked like it was breathing. Each burst of red was a breath that it took before letting out another split-second shrill.
It was only a matter of time before the others arrived. She was going to frame me as the killer for the whole town to see.
You took trouble home. Just like your boss did.
Ethan Walker whispered over my shoulder, making my ears burn. I shouldn’t have come back here. I walked right into Rebecca’s trap. I was a cornered mouse now, and she was ready to pounce.
I turned to look back at the building before turning the corner, and I saw Rebecca standing right there at the entrance. The image was burned into my memory. She didn’t run after me. She wasn’t scared of my gun. She had…won.
The last thing I saw was her twisted smile.
Some shouting, and I was slammed into the ground. I didn’t even realize that a crowd had formed. Rough hands pulled me to my feet, and before I knew it, I was pushed against the hood of a police car. There was a clink of metal as one of the officers came up to me.
“It’s her!” I shouted. “It’s her we’re after! I’ve got the evidence!”
Someone patted me down and took away the gun and the flash drive.
“No, no, no, no,” was all I could mumble. I twisted my head to look up at an apologetic O’Neal clad in jeans instead of her uniform. My eyes followed the USB as it switched hands. Rebecca held it up triumphantly.
“Take her in.”
“No!” I resisted. They almost let me. Seeing O’Neal hesitate, Rebecca signaled for the firefighters to take me back inside the station.
I felt hopeless. It really was over. This time, I didn’t resist. They awkwardly grabbed me by the arms, and we walked the distance I had managed to put between the station and myself.
A crowd had formed by now and surrounded us. Men and women, some in pajamas, some with umbrellas still wet from the rain, all peering in to see me.
“Excuse me! Coming through,” a voice cut through the chatter. A voice I recognized.
Wide-eyed, I turned, forcing the hands on my arms to stop with me.
“Luke! Luke, it’s Rebecca! She’s behind all of this!” I shouted before he even made his way through the throngs of townspeople.
All at once, a buzz erupted among them, and I caught bits and pieces.
She’s out of her mind!
What, Rebecca Lawson?
The little liar!
An officer I didn’t recognize cleared out the crowd. “Get ‘em outta here! Come on! Move it, folks!”
“Uncuff her,” Luke said to O’Neal. She didn’t budge.
“What do you think you’re doing, Reed?”
She held up a hand, preventing the firefighters from letting go of me.
Luke gave Rebecca a blank stare, ignoring her question. “Hey, Jacobs! Come over here, will ya?”
A tall man in plain clothes walked over to where we were. He glanced at me before turning his full attention to Wakefield’s Chief of Police.
“Rebecca Lawson?”
She nodded once.
“You’re under arrest for multiple accounts of murder and conspiracy. Please turn around and put your hands above your head.”
Slowly, we all held our breath. I stood perfectly still, refusing to believe what I heard.
Like a flash of lightning, the crowd erupted in murmurs.
It can’t be!
What’s going on?
Is this some dirty trick?
Another officer stepped forward and reached for her wrist, but she shook him off violently. It didn’t faze him. That’s when I realized these men weren’t from Wakefield.
“Are you out of your mind?” She shouted. “It’s her you’re after! She’s behind all of this! She killed Walker!”
Another hush.
Luke and I shared a glance before he redirected his attention back to her.
“Yeah? We’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, there’s a pen drive with your name all over it. You’re being charged for all seven disappearances and murders—”
“You can’t do that! She’s framing me! This—” she held up the USB “—is fake! It’s all fake! She came in here to threaten me!”
Her eyes, full of rage, turned to me. Once again, the officer reached for her wrist, but this time, he was prepared.
As soon as Rebecca Lawson resisted being handcuffed again, she freed herself and stepped forward.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
The Chief of Police bit down on the little metal USB as hard as she could and spit it out. It fell to the ground some distance away. Dented and battered.
“No!” I shouted.
“You think you can frame me?” She screamed, leaning towards me. I felt her breath on my face. “What are you gonna do now—”
The next second, she was slammed into the hood of the police car. The sound was deafening.
For a split second, I could hear the crickets chirping in the distance.
“Handcuffs!” The officer growled. A pair materialized before him, and there was a metallic clink.
I didn’t blink. I barely realized what was happening. The USB. The files, all the evidence. What was I going to do?
“It’s not over, little Livy,” she whispered to me. Then she was pulled up.
“Take her inside. We’ll leave tomorrow morning.”
The tall man in plain clothes led a group of uniforms back inside the police station. The last thing I heard from Rebecca was in a singsong voice.
“It’s your word against mine!”
The doors shut behind her, and I looked up at the dark sky.
Epilogue
One Week Later
“ And you are positive about this sequence of events?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Detective, can you please explain how you obtained these files and what they contain?”
Detective Lucas Reed cleared his throat and held his head slightly higher. He knew the drill.
“Yes, Your Honor. I first came across the files on a laptop in an abandoned warehouse just outside Wakefield. My partner, Olivia Morgan, and I received a tip regarding the private acquaintance between two victims and the warehouse as their—”
“State their names, please.”
“Cindy Beckett and Tom Smalls,” the Detective glanced at the stenographer before continuing. “The warehouse was their rendezvous point. It was there that we came across a laptop from Lawson and Thompson Global. It had all the files, and Olivia Morgan transferred them to a pen drive, the one I have submitted for this case.”
There was a slight murmur from the jury. Judge Greene held up a hand to silence them.
“Detective, please explain the existence of the second USB drive that was in possession of the defendant before it was damaged.”
“Yes, Your Honor. The original pen drive was in the plaintiff’s possession as soon as we discovered it. Due to her suspension, she did not immediately bring forward this evidence to the defendant. By that time, I had already expected the defendant’s involvement. So, upon meeting the plaintiff in the hospital, where her sister Vanessa Mitchell was in a coma, I switched the pen drives.”
A delighted gasp erupted from the audience. Judge Greene himself couldn’t stop his bushy eyebrows from rising in surprise. Chicago surely hadn’t seen cases like this.
“I removed the original pen drive with the files from the plaintiff’s pocket and replaced it with the empty one that was later on damaged by the defendant.”
The judge stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Thank you Detective. Now, can you please explain how the defendant is responsible for Ethan Walker’s death? The recording clearly shows the defendant’s surprise at hearing the plaintiff refer to him in the past tense.”
Another murmur erupted. It was obvious Detective Reed didn’t play by the rules at all.
He cleared his throat, his ears slightly red. “Your Honor, Olivia Morgan was being framed. Ethan Walker was the defendant’s accomplice since before our arrival in Wakefield. The purpose of planting the microphone in the defendant’s office was to capture any conversations with Ethan—”
“And did you find any evidence, Detective?”
“Yes, Your Honor. There are several conversations whose meaning has become clear in retrospect. He had been acting as a hitman and then began blackmailing her for money. The defendant then killed him herself and buried his body in the plaintiff’s backyard.
Another hand went up to silence the room.
“Detective Lucas Reed,” the judge’s voice boomed. “Are you aware that you have violated the law and the code of conduct of your profession? You have breached the trust and privacy of your superior officer. This is a serious crime, Detective. How do you plead?”
The man’s ears were burning now. He knew the consequences of his actions. He just didn’t know that the entire country would be watching through their television screens.
“Guilty, Your Honor,” he mumbled.
Judge Greene gazed ahead of him for a moment, stroking his chin absent-mindedly.
“Yes. However, you have acted in the cause of justice. Given the valid reasons for your actions, the nature of the situation, and your previous record, you are sentenced to five months in jail and a probation period of one year later on.”
His ears stopped burning. The judge brought up a thin arm and banged the gavel. It was over.
Isabella Steele, Ashes of Guilt
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I froze. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t just kill her. The very thought made me shudder. So I kept her talking.
“They knew, didn’t they? Somehow, they all found out.”
The woman gave me a puzzled look.
“Cindy Beckett, Tom Smalls, Ariel Warren…. They all found out, didn’t they? You couldn’t let them live with the knowledge that you killed your own husband. That’s what the list is about. A list of people who knew the truth.”
Rebecca tapped her fingers on the desk, eerily calm for a woman with a gun pointed right at her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I was dead tired of hearing that.
“No, no, Rebecca, I’m here, aren’t I? I’m back in Wakefield. You know who else decided to show up in this pathetic town decades later? Steve Hale. He knew, too. You’re killing us all to protect your little secret! Dr. Hampton he knew about your problems. James would talk about it with him over a few beers at the Golden Eagle. Smalls ended up joining the conversation…”
She simply clenched her jaw and looked out the window.
“You couldn’t afford having the truth reach LTG. You’d lose everything. Your job, your house, your reputation. Killing everyone involved was the only option. Even those I might’ve spoken to about his death. But I didn’t, Rebecca. Because all those goddamn years, you made me believe I was guilty!”
She sighed. “Well, Olivia, you’ve cracked the case. Well done. It means you won’t be surprised when your lovely sister’s dead. I actually couldn’t decide who to do away with first. Her, or you.”
“No!” I shouted. “You can’t!”
I was drowning in panic now. The gun felt heavy in my hand, but I didn’t shoot her. I couldn’t.
“It looks like it’ll be you.”
She slowly stood up, her chair creaking as it moved backward.
“Don’t move,” I said.
“What are you going to do, Olivia? Kill this town’s chief of police? Considering your history, I take it that won’t bode well for you, dear girl.”
“I said don’t move!” But she looked at me curiously while leaning to reach something under her desk.
“What’s it gonna be, little Livy? The flash drive or your life?”
I unlocked the safety of my gun. It didn’t affect her at all. She knew the power she had over me. Over this town. I felt as if I was holding the gun the wrong way, inches away from listening to her and pulling the trigger on myself instead.
“No,” my voice trembled.
“No, what?”
“You’re behind all of this. You should’ve been behind bars twenty years ago! You won’t get away this time; I won’t let you.” I took aim. It was useless, we both knew.
“Time’s ticking away. I’m not hearing an answer.”
“I can’t give it to you. I refuse to let this go on.”
She chuckled, “But you can’t back out now, Olivia. You’re the star of the show! Wakefield’s first-ever high-profile criminal! And don’t worry, you’ll get all the credit. I’ll just be the cop to put you behind bars.”
Something under the desk clicked, and an alarm went off somewhere deep in the building. Rebecca straightened again and watched me with a glimmer in her eyes.
“Too bad you couldn’t just hand it over. You knew I was going to take it anyway. Little Olivia always creating a scene. It’ll only be a few moments before everyone comes crowding around here to see what the fuss is all about.”
“Turn it off!” I shouted. “Turn off the goddamn alarm!”
She raised her hands lightly. “I can’t; it’s already done. Alerts the fire station and all, too. The show is yet to start.”
I lowered my gun. The frantic alarm rang in my chest. I had to get out of here. They’ll–I didn’t know what they’d do to me now.
Slamming the door open, I ran down the flight of stairs and out of the building. From the outside, it looked like it was breathing. Each burst of red was a breath that it took before letting out another split-second shrill.
It was only a matter of time before the others arrived. She was going to frame me as the killer for the whole town to see.
You took trouble home. Just like your boss did.
Ethan Walker whispered over my shoulder, making my ears burn. I shouldn’t have come back here. I walked right into Rebecca’s trap. I was a cornered mouse now, and she was ready to pounce.
I turned to look back at the building before turning the corner, and I saw Rebecca standing right there at the entrance. The image was burned into my memory. She didn’t run after me. She wasn’t scared of my gun. She had…won.
The last thing I saw was her twisted smile.
Some shouting, and I was slammed into the ground. I didn’t even realize that a crowd had formed. Rough hands pulled me to my feet, and before I knew it, I was pushed against the hood of a police car. There was a clink of metal as one of the officers came up to me.
“It’s her!” I shouted. “It’s her we’re after! I’ve got the evidence!”
Someone patted me down and took away the gun and the flash drive.
“No, no, no, no,” was all I could mumble. I twisted my head to look up at an apologetic O’Neal clad in jeans instead of her uniform. My eyes followed the USB as it switched hands. Rebecca held it up triumphantly.
“Take her in.”
“No!” I resisted. They almost let me. Seeing O’Neal hesitate, Rebecca signaled for the firefighters to take me back inside the station.
I felt hopeless. It really was over. This time, I didn’t resist. They awkwardly grabbed me by the arms, and we walked the distance I had managed to put between the station and myself.
A crowd had formed by now and surrounded us. Men and women, some in pajamas, some with umbrellas still wet from the rain, all peering in to see me.
“Excuse me! Coming through,” a voice cut through the chatter. A voice I recognized.
Wide-eyed, I turned, forcing the hands on my arms to stop with me.
“Luke! Luke, it’s Rebecca! She’s behind all of this!” I shouted before he even made his way through the throngs of townspeople.
All at once, a buzz erupted among them, and I caught bits and pieces.
She’s out of her mind!
What, Rebecca Lawson?
The little liar!
An officer I didn’t recognize cleared out the crowd. “Get ‘em outta here! Come on! Move it, folks!”
“Uncuff her,” Luke said to O’Neal. She didn’t budge.
“What do you think you’re doing, Reed?”
She held up a hand, preventing the firefighters from letting go of me.
Luke gave Rebecca a blank stare, ignoring her question. “Hey, Jacobs! Come over here, will ya?”
A tall man in plain clothes walked over to where we were. He glanced at me before turning his full attention to Wakefield’s Chief of Police.
“Rebecca Lawson?”
She nodded once.
“You’re under arrest for multiple accounts of murder and conspiracy. Please turn around and put your hands above your head.”
Slowly, we all held our breath. I stood perfectly still, refusing to believe what I heard.
Like a flash of lightning, the crowd erupted in murmurs.
It can’t be!
What’s going on?
Is this some dirty trick?
Another officer stepped forward and reached for her wrist, but she shook him off violently. It didn’t faze him. That’s when I realized these men weren’t from Wakefield.
“Are you out of your mind?” She shouted. “It’s her you’re after! She’s behind all of this! She killed Walker!”
Another hush.
Luke and I shared a glance before he redirected his attention back to her.
“Yeah? We’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, there’s a pen drive with your name all over it. You’re being charged for all seven disappearances and murders—”
“You can’t do that! She’s framing me! This—” she held up the USB “—is fake! It’s all fake! She came in here to threaten me!”
Her eyes, full of rage, turned to me. Once again, the officer reached for her wrist, but this time, he was prepared.
As soon as Rebecca Lawson resisted being handcuffed again, she freed herself and stepped forward.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
The Chief of Police bit down on the little metal USB as hard as she could and spit it out. It fell to the ground some distance away. Dented and battered.
“No!” I shouted.
“You think you can frame me?” She screamed, leaning towards me. I felt her breath on my face. “What are you gonna do now—”
The next second, she was slammed into the hood of the police car. The sound was deafening.
For a split second, I could hear the crickets chirping in the distance.
“Handcuffs!” The officer growled. A pair materialized before him, and there was a metallic clink.
I didn’t blink. I barely realized what was happening. The USB. The files, all the evidence. What was I going to do?
“It’s not over, little Livy,” she whispered to me. Then she was pulled up.
“Take her inside. We’ll leave tomorrow morning.”
The tall man in plain clothes led a group of uniforms back inside the police station. The last thing I heard from Rebecca was in a singsong voice.
“It’s your word against mine!”
The doors shut behind her, and I looked up at the dark sky.
Epilogue
One Week Later
“ And you are positive about this sequence of events?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Detective, can you please explain how you obtained these files and what they contain?”
Detective Lucas Reed cleared his throat and held his head slightly higher. He knew the drill.
“Yes, Your Honor. I first came across the files on a laptop in an abandoned warehouse just outside Wakefield. My partner, Olivia Morgan, and I received a tip regarding the private acquaintance between two victims and the warehouse as their—”
“State their names, please.”
“Cindy Beckett and Tom Smalls,” the Detective glanced at the stenographer before continuing. “The warehouse was their rendezvous point. It was there that we came across a laptop from Lawson and Thompson Global. It had all the files, and Olivia Morgan transferred them to a pen drive, the one I have submitted for this case.”
There was a slight murmur from the jury. Judge Greene held up a hand to silence them.
“Detective, please explain the existence of the second USB drive that was in possession of the defendant before it was damaged.”
“Yes, Your Honor. The original pen drive was in the plaintiff’s possession as soon as we discovered it. Due to her suspension, she did not immediately bring forward this evidence to the defendant. By that time, I had already expected the defendant’s involvement. So, upon meeting the plaintiff in the hospital, where her sister Vanessa Mitchell was in a coma, I switched the pen drives.”
A delighted gasp erupted from the audience. Judge Greene himself couldn’t stop his bushy eyebrows from rising in surprise. Chicago surely hadn’t seen cases like this.
“I removed the original pen drive with the files from the plaintiff’s pocket and replaced it with the empty one that was later on damaged by the defendant.”
The judge stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Thank you Detective. Now, can you please explain how the defendant is responsible for Ethan Walker’s death? The recording clearly shows the defendant’s surprise at hearing the plaintiff refer to him in the past tense.”
Another murmur erupted. It was obvious Detective Reed didn’t play by the rules at all.
He cleared his throat, his ears slightly red. “Your Honor, Olivia Morgan was being framed. Ethan Walker was the defendant’s accomplice since before our arrival in Wakefield. The purpose of planting the microphone in the defendant’s office was to capture any conversations with Ethan—”
“And did you find any evidence, Detective?”
“Yes, Your Honor. There are several conversations whose meaning has become clear in retrospect. He had been acting as a hitman and then began blackmailing her for money. The defendant then killed him herself and buried his body in the plaintiff’s backyard.
Another hand went up to silence the room.
“Detective Lucas Reed,” the judge’s voice boomed. “Are you aware that you have violated the law and the code of conduct of your profession? You have breached the trust and privacy of your superior officer. This is a serious crime, Detective. How do you plead?”
The man’s ears were burning now. He knew the consequences of his actions. He just didn’t know that the entire country would be watching through their television screens.
“Guilty, Your Honor,” he mumbled.
Judge Greene gazed ahead of him for a moment, stroking his chin absent-mindedly.
“Yes. However, you have acted in the cause of justice. Given the valid reasons for your actions, the nature of the situation, and your previous record, you are sentenced to five months in jail and a probation period of one year later on.”
His ears stopped burning. The judge brought up a thin arm and banged the gavel. It was over.
Isabella Steele, Ashes of Guilt
