Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 63139 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63139 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
“Trust me, she won’t,” Riggs tells me. “I promise you that. It’s goin’ to be okay. This is over, Gabby.”
“My father is dead.”
“Yeah, and I’m sorry about that, wasn’t what we had planned.”
I drop my head. “Don’t be sorry, he deserves everything he got.”
Everyone goes silent.
What is there to say to that?
“Get her home, Remy. She needs rest. We won’t hear from the cops until tomorrow at least, but no doubt we’ll all know about it when the truth comes out.”
“What about his house?” I ask, standing.
“What about it?” Remy questions.
“What is going to happen to it? To all that stuff? To his business? Everything?”
“I don’t know,” Remy answers honestly. “The cops will probably go through everything, guessin’ most of it is illegal and will be shut down. The rest, I guess, is yours and Becky’s.”
Oh.
Oh, god.
“I don’t want it,” I say, shaking my head.
“Let’s just see what happens, babe, yeah? Come on.”
Remy directs me out of the room and we go home.
I sleep for the rest of the day and night, my body in a state of exhaustion and shock. I’m only woken the next day because Remy comes in and wakes me up, telling me that Sheryl and Quinn are at the door. I feel sick as I stand, making my way down the stairs. It feels like they’re going to arrest me, take me and just lock me up, throwing away the key.
What if they know?
What if they know everything?
I reach the front door and Sheryl gives me a small smile. “Sorry to wake you, Gabby. Can we talk?”
“Yeah,” I say, rubbing my eyes. “Is everything okay?”
“We received a letter early this morning, and we wanted to discuss it with you. Can you come down to the station?”
I swallow. “Am I in trouble?”
“No, quite the opposite. Your father and brother are missing, and they’ve confessed to everything and done a runner, by the looks. They’ve given us the location to the body. If that checks out, all charges against you will be dropped. But we need to ask a few questions first, just routine.”
“What?” I whisper, hoping it sounds real.
God, I’m a shitty actor.
“Have you heard from your father or brother?” Quinn asks.
“No ... What do you mean they’re missing?”
“We’ll discuss is all further at the station. We’ll wait for you to get dressed.”
I do as they ask, getting dressed quickly, and then Remy and I follow them down to the station. Once we arrive, we go into an interview room and they go over everything. They tell me what the letter said, they tell me about all the information they’ve gathered and then they have me sign a statement, my statement, the one that says I had nothing to do with the disappearance and death of Constance Hayes.
“Well, you’re free to go. Let’s get that thing off you.”
They point to the ankle bracelet, and tears lodge in my throat as it is removed.
“When ... When will you know if they find her body?” I ask.
“We’ve received confirmation already; the body has been found. It will be sent for DNA and an autopsy, but we’re certain it’ll match what your father and brother wrote in that letter,” Quinn tells me.
“Where have they gone?” I ask.
“We’ve got a manhunt out,” Sheryl answers, “but, there is a good chance we’ll not find them. This seems to have been well planned. We’re going to do our best, though, and if we do find them, they’ll go away for a very long time. Rest assured, you’re safe.”
I take a shaky breath in. “And ... Constance’s family? Do they know?”
“They have been informed this morning of the updated news.”
I close my eyes, and a tear rolls down my cheek. Remy reaches for my hand, squeezing it.
I swore I’d do it. I swore I’d make sure that family got their answers.
And today, they did.
Today, they can put their daughter to rest like she deserves.
Rest in peace, Constance.
“FUCK,” RHETT SAYS A few days later when I tell him everything that has gone down in the last few weeks.
I mean, he knew about the prison sentence, but he didn’t know about what went down after it. I tell him how Brad killed my father, and how it was all made to go away so that I could go on and live the life I deserve. I don’t feel like I deserve it, but I do know that I shouldn’t be put away because of something my father did. Still, something about it all feels wrong.
“Yeah, it has been pretty full on.”
“You okay? You know, with your dad and all?”
I exhale. “I guess. I don’t honestly know how I feel about it. He has been nothing but horrible to me, but did I want his blood on my hands? No.”
“Your blood ain’t on his hands, Gab. He did this to himself. He sent Brad to that point and he has done nothin’ but ruin your family since the beginning. You didn’t do fuck all.”