𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐒// 𝒋𝒋 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌

²⁵

As the police car rolled to a stop in front of Violet's house, her heart sank. She had just witnessed her friend, John B, being taken away in handcuffs, accused of a crime he didn't commit. The weight of the situation hung heavily on her shoulders, and the adrenaline that had fueled her throughout the ordeal slowly began to ebb away, leaving her feeling vulnerable and lost.

The police officer opened the car door, and Violet stepped out onto the pavement. Her legs felt weak, and she struggled to keep her composure. The officer, sympathetic to her plight, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before quietly making his exit.

As the police car disappeared into the night, Violet's eyes turned toward the familiar silhouette of her house. It stood there, stoic and unassuming, unaware of the storm brewing inside its walls. With a deep breath, she mustered the courage to open the front door, stepping into the dimly lit hallway.

Axel, her father, emerged from the living room, his expression a mix of concern and anger. He had been pacing back and forth, trying to process the news of John B's arrest, while waiting for his daughter's return. The sight of her standing there, visibly shaken, only fueled his emotions further.

"What the hell, Violet? Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into?" Axel's voice crackled with anger as he closed the distance between them.

Violet's eyes filled with tears as she struggled to find the right words. "Dad, please listen to me. John B didn't do it. He's innocent."

Axel scoffed, his frustration evident. "Innocent? Violet, the police have evidence against him. They don't just arrest people for no reason."

"But they got it wrong, Dad! John B didn't kill anyone. We were set up!" Violet pleaded, desperation seeping into her voice.

Axel's eyes narrowed, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Set up? Are you telling me there's some grand conspiracy against this boy?"

Violet took a step forward, her voice trembling with determination. "I know it sounds crazy, but we stumbled upon something big, something dangerous. I can't tell you everything right now, but he didn't do it."

Axel's anger wavered for a moment as he looked into his daughter's eyes. He saw the fire, the unwavering belief, and a flicker of fear. In that moment, he realized that his little girl had grown into a brave young woman, willing to fight for what she believed in.

Taking a deep breath, Axel softened his tone. "Violet, I love you more than anything in this world. If what you're saying is true, then I'll stand by your side. Do you guys have any evidence that he didn't do it?"

A sense of relief washed over Violet as her father's words sank in. She had been afraid that he would dismiss her, that he wouldn't believe her. But here he was, willing to do anything for his daughter. She sat down and started explaining.

"That's exactly what we were doing in Charleston dad. There's this woman that has evidence that will exonerate him, she has a recording of a man that was there that day, saying who had done it." Axel was sat there with his elbows on his thighs and hands in his hair, sighing deeply. Violet rolled the sleeve of the hoodie she had on, she was hot, but she couldn't take it off, he would see the wound, and it will become ugly.

Axel looked up at the ceiling. What has Violet gotten herself into?

"What does she want?"

"How do you know she wants something?" Axel looked at his daughter, with a look that screamed 'this ain't my first fucking rodeo, you dumbass.'

"Cause she's clearly blackmailing you. Does she want money?" Violet shook her head.

"She wants some key. Pope said that he will look into it." Axel nodded his head and stood up. He walked towards the fridge and opened a beer. He looked pissed off, she had finally broken his trust, she kinda hated herself for that but at the same time the thrill of it all was all that pushed her even deeper in these adventures, almost all of them costing her life.

"And who's that woman in Charleston?" Violet looked at him, he was looking at her with narrowed eyebrows, clearly unamused. The teen just shook her head and looked down. She couldn't say, she didn't knew what her dad was going to do.

"The court day's tomorrow. John B will get assigned a public defender, who will most likely be on Ward's side either way. It will probably be Cathrine, they are friends with Rose. Childhood friends. You get my idea." Axel said and Violet nodded her head standing up.

"What about the judge? Do we have a judge on our side?" Axel nodded his head but then shook it.

"He won't make that mistake, believe me. Every single little officer on Killdare Island is his little puppet, do you also get that? I have my connections in the FBI and few big ones in Charleston. But they won't even bother to look at that case and their words mean horse shit here, the only thing that will get him out is evidence and a good lawyer, but the best plan is to get the evidence before the case goes in front of the Great jury." Violet nodded and looked at her dad in awe. She had never seen this side of him, the man knew stuff, a lot of damn stuff.

"Tomorrow in court, I'll come with you guys, let it be known that I'm on your side, and to remind him that I'm the most powerful man on this island, which ones again fighting in court against him. Last time he lost. Let's see how many mistakes he does this time."