History of the Forgotten

Chapter 25

"I can help but it can't be known," He nodded softly. "If my brother was to find out that I was helping, he will....well it won't be good."

"So you know how they died?" Jessica asked and he nodded. "I was on scene for all of them, yes."

"I can't," Jessica shook her head and stood. "I can't know."

"You don't want to know," He nodded. "Trust me, it haunts me to this day."

"What can you do to help me figure it out?" Annabel asked as she felt a cold touch on her back. She forced herself to know acknowledge it. She knew the guys didn't want her to know but she knew eventually she would have to dig deeper and face the historical facts of what happened to them. She knew it would break her heart, but it was something she had to acknowledge as a historian. Unfortunately, the past was a cruel place to be for people that didn't fit what society deemed as appropriate or normal and they were victims of those dark times. She slipped into professional mode and straightened herself up, locking everything down internally.

"It will take me some time, but I can get you copies of what police records were taken those days as well as autopsy records and such," he said looking at her with dark hurt eyes. "I can also push through the restraining order anonymously and let you know when he has been served. I have to warn you though, my brother has an obsession with Miss Lee and it won't stop him one bit from seeking her out one way or another. He will go to his lawyer and try to contest it now that she has left his company."

"Let him try," Annabel shrugged, "She has done nothing wrong and wants nothing to do with him."

"I understand that, I really do," He nodded, "But he will try anything to have her as his trophy mistress. Can you please get her to understand that? She needs to be on high alert if she leaves this place."

"Are you suggesting that she leave?" Annabel asked curiously. "Does she need to go into hiding?"

"My honest opinion?" He asked standing and she nodded, "Yes, if there is somewhere she can go that he has no idea about, then yes because once he gets served it's going to throw him into overdrive. He will see it as a challenge. What's that saying? You always want what you can't have. The restraining order is just going to tease him that she is off limits and make him want her even more, and honestly this town is just going to turn a blind eye on his antics because of our name and status. For her safety, she needs to leave and not come back for a very long time."

"But wont that just make him want her even more when she does come back?" Annabel asked.

"Honestly, if I were her?" He asked as he headed to the door. "I wouldn't ever come back."

"She has the right to be here and get justice for her family," Annabel frowned, "why should she run just because your brother is a psychopath?"

"I agree she does," He nodded as he walked out the door, "but her life is more important than justice for the deceased. Good day Miss."

"Goodbye," Annabel said shutting the door behind him. She leaned against it and closed her eyes, that was more draining than she thought. She sighed and headed to Owen's office. She listened and heard Jessica in the shower. She cautiously opened the office door and looked around. The gray wallpaper she put up just screamed him and she hesitantly walked in.

She opened the windows just enough for fresh air to seep in but not enough that someone could crawl in. Caution screamed in her mind as she double checked the gap of open windows. She ran her fingers over Owen's desk and moved his chair back enough for her to sit in it if she wanted.

"Get yourself together," She murmured as she cleared her throat and blinked back the tears of images of Owen sitting at the desk looking over papers filled her mind. She headed to the kitchen and grabbed cleaning supplies and oil for the desk. She turned on music and threw herself into cleaning the office then polished the desk.

She opened the middle drawer and gasped, there were the pictures that were described in her dream. She pulled the pictures out and sat on the floor. She took a clean cloth and wiped the dust off them. She started flipping through them when Jessica came in.

"Hey what do you have?" She asked as she came over. Annabel handed them to her and she smiled, "Oh yeah, Gabe and Axel were so proud of those flowers and I remember Nathan teaching me how to sit perfectly still so I wouldn't scare the hummingbirds away." She smiled softly, "hey we should get new ones and redo the maze in the back."

"That sounds perfect," Annabel smiled as she forced herself not to cry and release the secret between those pictures and Owen. "I'll go by a nursery and see what kind of flowers these are and what it would cost to get them planted like these pictures."

"Awesome," Jessica smiled and then asked, "Should I ask what the po-po said after I left?"

"You wont like it," Annabel sighed then told Jessica what he suggested. "What are you thinking?"

"I think he's just as crazy as his brother honestly," She shrugged. "I'm not leaving here, my brothers will protect us if Nelson tries anything. This is my home, and we are safe here. Nothing can hurt us here, not with them here."

"But what about out there?"