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The lump in my throat won’t be swallowed. “I love you.”
“I love you. I’ll see you soon.”
He gives my hand one last squeeze before stepping out into the hall where two officers wait, along with Detective Ramos. He’s cuffed and taken out the front door.
Lowell stays by my side as we follow him out and watch while he’s put into a squad car. He gives me a reluctant smile as the car pulls away, and then he’s gone.
This has to work. This can’t be the last time I get to see him.
I’m not sure why they thought they needed four cars and all these cops, but the remaining officers stand around talking.
Detective Ramos strides up to us. “Just happen to run into him here, Ella?”
Lowell doesn’t give me a chance to say anything, not that I would’ve. “Mr. Stokes contacted Ella and she contacted me immediately to alert the proper authorities. As she was ordered to do. We agreed to meet here for him to surrender.”
Ramos looks me in the eye, doing his best to intimidate me.
I jerk my thumb toward Lowell. “What he said.”
Lowell’s lips turn up in an amused smirk, and Ramos shakes his head. “I’m sure that’s how it went down.”
Lowell puts a hand on my shoulder and walks me away from him and toward my car. “You can head home. I’ll call as soon as I hear anything. Don’t speak to the media. I’m going to give a statement.”
“Thank you. For everything. I know you’ve taken risks to help him too.”
“That’s what I do.”
My first call when I get home is to Milo to let him know what’s happened. We talk briefly about the shop. He assures me everything is under control for the moment and promises to call if that changes.
I’m too keyed up and anxious to sit down so I spend the next couple of hours cleaning and organizing. It helps distract me. The next six days are going to be endless. When I finally wear myself out and flop in front of the TV, it’s to watch the news. Lowell said he’d be making a statement to the press because Alden’s arrest is bound to make the news. He was right.
Alden’s arrest is the top story. They even have a new mugshot taken tonight. The sight of it pulls at my heart. He looks so tired. After the newscaster explains that he’s been arrested and does a quick run down of the charges, she announces, “We’ve reached out to Mr. Stokes’ counsel for comment and this is what he had to say.”
They cut to a video of Lowell that looks like it’s been recorded at his office. “My client surrendered to the police peacefully this afternoon. We maintain that this is a case of mistaken identity. My client has undergone medical testing and when the results are in on Monday, they’ll prove that he is Alden Stokes and that Oliver Stokes, the man accused of these murders, was killed in the commission of the crime. I’m confident charges will be dropped against my client once the results are available and the state realizes what an atrocious mistake has been made. Thank you.”
Now all I can do is wait.
* * *
The racket and voices outside wake me the next morning. Two news trucks sit in front of my house and a small group of people begins to form. What the hell? He’s locked up. We’re waiting on test results. There’s nothing more to tell. Why are they all over me all of a sudden?
A bang on the front door makes me jump. I hurriedly dress and rush down the stairs as they knock again. There’s no way I’m talking to the press right now, but they aren’t giving up.
“Ella! Open up!”
Dad?
I jerk the door open to see my father standing there with a scowl. A reporter hovers behind him. "Dad!” I cry, hugging him and pulling him inside. The reporter starts rattling off questions, and I shake my head. “No comment. Get off my porch.” I close the door in his face while he’s still trying to talk.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, hugging Dad again.
“We saw the news last night and caught an early flight.”
Blinking, I stare at him. “It was on the news in Florida?”
“It’s national news. On every news channel. Yet somehow your mother and I had no idea.”
Of course they didn’t. Neither of them use social media. As far as they knew, Oliver was out on bail with his anklet and everything was fine while we waited for trial. “I didn’t want to worry you. A lot has happened.”
