Sandcastles | Completed

33 | doing it wrong

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Elijah Baker

I never took acting classes, but it looks like I should have. I could've been an actor.

My face remained stoic though I wanted to laugh, do a few backflips.

"He has an alibi." I stated calmly, "He was with his wife and daughter that day."

So far, so good. They couldn't prove that Marc had done anything right now, all they had was a badly decomposed leg. They'd want the rest of the body, to bring the family closure, they'd offer him a reduced sentence, I'd convince him to take it while I worked on an appeal that would never come.

It was a perfect plan.

"The entire day?"

I nodded, "You said it was a Saturday, right? Family day."

"A neighbor was the one who reported that someone was outside digging." He flipped through the call transcript, "Described you to the T."

"Could've been anybody." Marc leaned forward. "Was it Mrs. Johnson? Her vision always been bad– swore a bear was outside her house. Whole time it was a dog. A German Shephard."

I closed my eyes to keep from laughing, "He's right. She's not that much of a credible witness, and if that's all you have...."

"We're getting a warrant for your home security footage– bank statements."

They wouldn't find anything about that day, and Marc knew that. What they would find though, was his mistress in the house, tying him to her even though he'd said he didn't know her.

I knew that because I'd gone through them.

On the bank statements, they'd find his payments for the apartment that he rented for her, and when they combed it looking for traces of her, they'd find hers and Lauren's DNA everywhere.

Like I said, a really perfect plan.

Someone should write a book about my life, I thought, Nobody would believe this shit.

I asked for a moment to speak with Marc in private, waiting until we were alone to lean in, "Gotta take a plea until I find somebody to take ya' charge– think of a basis for an appeal."

He rested his head on the table, "Why would I move the body? Why would I do that?"

Marc drank nearly every night, often to the point of his not remembering what he did, "You tell me."

"God made me do it." He sounded decisive, and when he looked up there were tears in his eyes, "This the time for me to confess my sins before the Lord. All of this was my fault. I can't send Lau to prison for some that I started."

I massaged one of his shoulders, "It won't be that long. Just 'til I find somebody."

"I deserve it– however long it take."

As I told the officer we wanted to make a deal, I thought I'd feel the same relief Lauren mentioned, but I just felt empty.

All the times he told me I was no better than them ran through my mind, and I agreed with him. The only difference was that he was finally accepting his punishment, and I was still avoiding mine.

My phone was vibrating in my pocket, and I knew who it was without looking at it. There wasn't a need to answer it since I was going to their house. I came to a decision on the way there, finding Christian and my mama waiting for me.

They listened to me detail why Marc wasn't making it out, accepting the excuse of him not wanting them to look into Lauren.

Christian nodded, "Good for him. He need some time to get himself together."