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“We would like to play a video for Tommy Barrett’s late wife, the wife he claimed to love with all his heart. The one whose death won’t go in vain,” Jackie, the reporter, reads.
The video plays on the screen and everyone is speechless as they watch. Tommy walks into the room, everyone’s eyes glued to him.
He looks at me, crinkling his nose. “What are you doing here?”
His eyes go to the screen and his face pales, his hands shake like leaves.
“Father. You’re going to have to explain to the press and the cops why you lied to the detectives about watching someone murder your wife. Have fun with repairing your image and rot in jail.”
He takes off running in the direction of the elevators, and I use that as my cue to leave after I retrieve the thumb drive. I’m so glad I can finally get the justice my mother deserves.
My phone rings when I get into the car, and I answer. “It’s all over the news, Jasper,” my grandfather says. “TMZ is playing it right now, and it’s on every channel. I called the detective, and they issued an APB on Tommy and Katie.”
“Good, now my mother can get the justice she deserves.”
“I knew he hurt my little girl.” He sniffles through the phone. “I warned her he was going to hurt her, and he did. Just not in the way I thought he would.”
I can’t imagine the pain and fear that was consumed my mom while she took her last breaths. Pain throbs in my chest and I swallow around the huge-ass lump in my throat.
We’re quiet for several seconds before I ask, “Did you know James is my biological father?”
He sighs. “No. She told me she was having an affair with James, but I didn’t know he was your father. If it were up to me, she would have ended up being married to him, but you know that back then, among the wealthy, arranged marriages were common practice. Your grandmother thought Tommy would be a better fit for her at the time.”
“Do you have any idea why James would have kept it from me?”
“I have no idea, but I’m sure he had a good reason. James was an honorable man, despite him falling in love with his brother’s wife.”
We’re silent for several moments. “I’m going to make sure Tommy and Katie don’t ever get out on parole.”
“Same. I’ll let you go, Jasper.”
The phone goes dead, and I press the start button and the engine of my car hums to life before I strap my seat belt over my body.
I’m exhausted and need a nap, but my heart swells in my chest at the thought of my mother getting the justice she deserves.
She can finally rest. And I’m so glad my grandfather reopened the case, otherwise I wouldn’t have known.
Now, the only thing I need to figure out is why James kept it a secret that he was my biological father.
I hope it was for a good reason, because I don’t want to hate the one person that actually loved me as a child after I lost my mother.
Jasper
The next morning, I grab my phone and tuck my wallet into my pocket. Walking past Chance, I head downstairs.
I need to breathe, and I need coffee, and I need time to think about how I’m going to proceed with my grovel plan for Poppy. Each passing day without her makes the heart in my chest bigger and bigger for her.
Once I make it to the coffee shop around the corner, I stand in line while playing on my phone.
I glance down at a girl with brown hair and doe eyes as she clings to her mother. My heart aches because she reminds me so much of Harper. The little girl waves at me and I wave back. It makes me wonder about what Poppy and my child is going to look like when they are born. I keep picturing myself taking him or her to the park, taking them to the doctors, except not as a single parent. Poppy is there. I don’t want my kid to be without me, and I want the whole family life. I want to continue to be married to Poppy and raise our kid together. I never thought I’d want this again, the family life, yet here I am longing for it.
Poppy is my world, I can’t lose her.
The lady in front of me turns and smiles, and my heart nearly drops at the green irises staring back at me.
“G-Gemma,” I stutter.
She does a double take as the line moves along quickly.
