Defending Jacob: The Aftermath Book 1

Uncontrollable

I walked to the table in the back corner and I couldn't help myself she was just so beautiful, and she gave me a renewed hope. She stood up we both said hi to each other, I sat down across from her in the booth. She ordered some wine and I ordered a beer. We got some food as well. 

"Mr. Barber, I'm glad we are meeting to talk. I know your son did not kill Ben, nor did Leonard Patz." She said with a smile.

I looked at her smiled. "Please call me  Andy, I believe we can help each other out."

"Oh Ok Mr.- I mean Andy, here's what I know, Ben always headed to school long before the day would start. He would leave his house around 8am, his parents didn't know but Ben liked this girl Sarah." she said.

I looked at her in shock, Jacob would never leave for school that early at all, he'd be lucky to just be getting in the kitchen by than. He would usually leave the house around 8:30am to walk to school.

"Alright, I can agree with you on that, but Jacob didn't do it, Leonard Patz confessed." I told her.

"Andy, you and I both know Leonard Patz didn't kill my nephew. I mean the man who killed Patz is the same man who killed my fiance years ago. He was into some bad things, I didn't know that back than." she replied.

I looked at her eyes still sad for the loss "I'm sorry about that, than tell me who do you think killed Ben?"

"Ben and I talked all the time, he come to me for advice when he wasn't comfortable talking with his mom and dad. Look I know and you know Ben wasn't perfect all the time. I'm sorry he bullied your son." she said touching the top of my hand.

I pulled it away fast, "I know he bullied Jacob and many other kids including Sarah." I responded sharply

"I believe the boy who killed Ben, was Derek Yoo, he and Ben like Sarah and there was issues long before that for years ago with them. Look Ben would always be at school well before 8:30am. What my sister in brother in law never knew was Ben like to hang out with the smokers and put on a tough guy act." She said.

"Jacob said that once, he believed Derek might be involved somehow." I told her. 

She was easy to talk to,  we had the same theories, I knew Billy was involved with Leonard Patz confession, I told her that. She shocked me by saying she knew that, when I asked how. She had told me she was at the Rifkin's house slowly moving back to Newton for the trial. However she wasn't in the courtroom for the case.

"Andy I tried to tell Dan over and over again Jacob couldn't have done this, he was  just was filled with a lot of rage and anger. He believed the rumours on facebook, started by Derek Yoo." She informed me.

I asked her, "is that why Dan pushed me office the case in the beginning?"

"Yes, he was convinced you knew, and where protecting Jacob. We have since talked and he says he believes it was Leonard Patz." she told me.

"I need to ask than, how are we going find all the answers to prove it was Derek, look I know he won't be arrested and I'm sorry for that, but your family needs closure, I need to know the truth to protect my family." I pushed for her answer.

She looked at me smiling "We need to work together on this more, we can meet here regularly, I'm doing some digging on Ben's devices."

"Ok, I can do my best ask around, look at the case file, I have someone I can talk to about information, I'm still on payroll at the DAs office." I told her but something inside me was happy to spend more time with her.

I crushed that thinking immediately. My brain wasn't thinking right. I need to stop the thoughts. But they creeped in, Laurie caused the accident just give it up already. She tried to kill your son. I was getting angry on the inside with the inner battle I was having. It was a war inside of me and I was losing more and more everyday. 

"FUCK" I yelled slamming my beer on the table, and ordered another one. 

"Are you ok? I mean you seem upset and stressed, if you need someone to talk to I'm here I'm a good listener." she said compassionately.

I needed to talk to someone, I couldn't talk to Laurie without fear she would remember about Leonard Patz's dead, or now it seems causing the accident on purpose.

"Look you and I both know Leonard Patz was force to confess for a murder he didn't commit. Laurie found that out to. It changed her, but since the accident she can't remember any of it and she never can again." I pleaded.

"Ok, well in my experience memories have weird ways of creeping back up to the surface. Can I ask why you don't want her memories to come back this much." she said.

"I will not tell a soul Andy, you secrets are safe with me ok, you clearly love your family a lot." she told me.

I let out a huge sigh, "I don't know what happened the day of the accident, I found Jacob's baby book in the garbage, she would never throw that out." I was feeling tears come to the surface.

"Laurie when she found out the truth about Patz, she changed she walked around in numb state, she looked a Jake differently. The night before the accident, we talked I told her she could have her space from us to take time, I said I love you to her, she didn't say it back." I said unloading everything I was holding inside me.

"Look Andy traumas can change people make them different, sometimes they find their way back to themselves, but sadly their still different, they are never fully who they used to be, I know from my own experiences." she told me.

"Just give her time. She does love you, your a good man and good father, just don't lose yourself in all of this, hopefully we will find the truth and you will have your life back." She said this time with her hand on mine, I didn't pull it away.

We said we meet in a few days, after she did some more digging, I would try talking with Duffy a little just normal chat, just see what I could find out on that side of things. We both got up and walk outside of the pub, I was find to drive I reassured her, only 2 beers honestly that was nothing for me. She said thank you for believing her and agreeing to help her. I told her the same, I was hopeful between the two of us we could find the truth out. My family could heal, I felt load of stress off of me. I walked her to her car she turned to me telling me thanks again. She wanted the truth as she loved Ben so much with tears in her eyes. I gave her a hug let her know it will be ok. Something I would do with Laurie over the years. She pulled out of the hug, something came over me I was uncontrollable in that split moment. A wave of temptation came over me, maybe from all the stress of the last year. I grabbed Charlotte on the side of her face, and kissed her passionately something I hadn't felt in along time came over me, I wanted her. She return the kiss for a second, stepping back out of it. She got in her car and left. I went to my car just sat there, realizing I had crossed a huge line and didn't want to back over it.