All For Not

Page 53

Leaving our father in those orange disasters in that jail left me angered and searing and worst of all Pugsley was losing hope he would see father again, I was more than livid...

"We need to talk."

"How the hell did you get in? Bernice? Bernice!" My head tilted as I watched him become aggravated, "Bernice may or may not have received a call that her tabby cat Swifty is being held for ransom." His face dropped and his arms crossed looking between us, "my father did not kill Garrett Gates."

"Well, I have his signed confession, and he identified the saber he used to do it. Both of which I'm about to deliver to the District Attorney." I frowned, the expression close to becoming a snarl as heat pulled at my toes.

"Don't you find the timing convenient? The coroner kills himself out of remorse for a decades-old murder case the very weekend my father, your prime suspect, deigns to return to town."

"All I see is a guilty man who's finally going to pay for his crime. And cuffing him myself, oh, that was the icing on the cake." Eyeing my sister I spoke up, looking back and into his eyes, "Incorrect, you see a man you hate for being different, someone you personally have a grudge against. A man you deem so beneath you that you'd let a simple framing situation give you the opportunity to put shame on his name and family by arresting him in front of his peers and his children, with a smile on your face."

"Exactly just what are you accusing me of Addams?" My head tilted and as I was fully prepared to truly accuse him of corruption in an impure form Wednesday spoke up before I could, "how are you failing to see that someone is desperately trying to derail my investigation? I found the monster's cave, and I gave you the DNA evidence. Did you even bother to test it?"

He sighed leaning back against his chair, "this may come as a shock, but the world doesn't revolve around you. Here. DNA results. No match. Inconclusive." She seemed disappointed, an inkling telling me she believed they were false reports, "so you truly believe this is all some coincidence? Whoever hurt Eugene also murdered the coroner."

"Unfortunately, someone sabotaged the security camera in the morgue, so we don't know what happened. They stuck bubblegum on the lens." I didn't show any emotions however in my mind I knew Thing had most likely forgotten to remove the concoction the night we broke into the morgue's chambers, "Black bubblegum."

"Maybe I should run DNA on that?" I sighed heavily as Wednesday pressed on about her investigation, the unofficial job having enveloped every crevice of her mind like smoke, "someone is trying to throw me off my game, this is all a distraction."

"No, this is about justice being served. Garrett Gates's family deserves closure, even if none of them are around to take comfort in it." My brows furrowed, "what happened to them? His mother hung herself in the backyard. His father drank himself to an early grave. Even his little sister didn't escape. She was orphaned, sent overseas, ended up drowning. Every last one of them's gone. Your father doesn't just have Garrett's blood on his hands, he's got the whole damn family's."

The snarl appeared on my face, "no, he doesn't. You are the only one who has blood on your hands, we both know it sheriff," his eyes narrowed at me but before he could angrily question me I kept on with my words, "how much risk does this case hold, a lot I presume. It's your favorite by far but just what will happen to your career when everyone finds out you arrested and imprisoned a man of innocence on false evidence. It will practically be over unless it's covered up. How much of a dreadful job you've been doing and your hatred towards my father doesn't give you a right to falsely imprison anyone."

"You should hope my fathers graciousness is extended towards yourself once released, there are many who wouldn't be so nice... Including myself." With that he sat there stunned and angry, his mind going into overdrive as I briskly left, not allowing him a single word in response.