Garden of Evil

Chapter Three

After having sleeping pills in order to get some sleep, I get ready to go see my husband in prison. Poppy and Aster are doing well at their aunts house. Poor things. They have no idea what happened in their own home. I called to see how they are doing. I just dont feel like its safe for them to come home until we find out who killed my little girl. Otherwise, that person could hurt them too. Walking into the prison feels so cold, uncomfortable, and so strange. Every man in this place looks at you so hungrily that it disgusts me. Its not the hunger for food, but the hunger for invading your privacy, destroying you, and feeding on every bit of your soul until you feel nothing with dead inside. There are many women and even men who have experienced this but when you are in the home of those who do it for the fun of it, theres a certain feeling that washes over you as if cutting off all your senses to leave you for dead. We sit in the visitation room, and I get to hold my husbands hand. Finally. As long as the security guards can see that I am not handing him any sharp objects or whatever. (Magnolia): Hi (Senecio): Hi, baby. I missed you. I miss our kids (Magnolia): We miss you too. So much that it hurts A tear runs down my cheek as the tears fill in his. We both know that we would run out of here together if we could but that would only cause more issues than we already have. (Senecio): I didnt do this. I swear on my life (Magnolia): I know you didnt Are you alright? Youve got a mark on your cheek (Senecio): Some guy tried to provoke me. He called me a child-killer and punched me. Then the guards pulled him off me before he could do anything worse, or I could even attempt to defend myself (Magnolia): They had to pull him off of you? Oh my gosh. Are you alright? (Senecio): Never been a fighter but I managed to make a friend or two. They are teaching me to defend myself Sounds like my Senecio. He hasnt ever been a violent man, but someone actually could have killed him. My head feels so heavy. He squeezes my hand for reassurance that everything is fine. (Senecio): Im alright, baby. Are you? How are Poppy and Aster? (Magnolia): Im barely holding onto the edge of things but our twins are doing good. They are safely at their aunt Julias place until we find out who the real killer is and bring you home. Actually, did you see Rose at home by any chance when you got home? (Senecio): I didnt Now that I think about it. The twins were already off to bed and I hadnt seen her. Her bedroom door was closed so I assumed that she put the twins to bed before finishing her homework. Or perhaps went to watch movies at Laurels house That makes sense. Most of the time, if Rose went to Katys place and had to do homework, she would leave her bag at home but take one or two books along with her. If only that actually was what happened. Maybe she would still be alive today. (Magnolia): I asked Katy them. They werent at our home because they assumed that Rose wanted to be alone since her room door was locked. We checked their story and its all true. I even took some time off work so we can figure this out (Senecio): Baby, your work is everything to you. The police will find who did this (Magnolia): They didnt even care enough to see that Roses room door was locked, Senecio. They wont be much help. Im going to find who did this and get you out of here, okay? I love you Visiting hours are officially over so the security guard is telling all of us to leave. Senecio kisses me as quickly as we can, so these guards will back the hell up. (Senecio): I love you too, baby Walking out of there, leaving him in there, and not being able to bring him home it cuts deep like a knife. We couldnt look away from each other until the guards closed the doors. Now Im sitting in my kitchen, at the kitchen island, and feeling so useless. Theres a knock on my door and I just dont have the energy for visitors right now. I open it and its my little sister. Shes got bags with her too. (Flora): Youre not going through this alone, sis. Im helping (Magnolia): Uhm how about, hi? Whats going on? (Flora): Im sorry. Hi, big sis! I saw the news but as soon as I got your message, I booked my first flight here. I know you. If you thought your husband was guilty, you wouldnt have said to me in your message that hes innocent. So, Im going to help prove his innocence and catch the bastards that did this to my little niece (Magnolia): You could have just responded to my messages, you know? (Flora): The minute I read what you told me. I was on my way and packing. It was such a long flight that I could barely use my legs to walk out of the plane once we landed but it was worth it if it means I can help you. Plus, I promise to only annoy you with my presence until we bring Senecio home, okay? I dont like the idea of you sleeping in this big house alone I give her a big hug and tears are running down my cheeks. She lives really far from here so the fact that she flew all this way in order to help me. It means the world to me. I catch her up on everything that we know so far. Its not much but its what we have. I doubt that the police know half of what we do since they were so quick to do an open and shut case. After helping Flora unpack, and having some dinner together, we talk more than we have in a long time. Shes trying to lift my spirits and I appreciate her trying. (Flora): Are you okay? I know that it is probably a rhetorical thing to ask but I can see the hurt on your face, Maggie. Have you seen Senecio since it happened? (Magnolia): I actually saw him today before coming home. He and I both have no idea who could have been the real killer. Seeing them take him away as the visitation time ended and I had to leave I just he just I choke up as tears stream down my cheeks. Its like my heart breaks more and more each day. Theres a brief moment in my mornings where I wake up where I completely forget everything that happened. Then my mind remembers that my husband is in jail for being framed, and that my little girl was murdered in our own home. (Flora): How are the twins doing? I havent seen them since I got here (Magnolia): They are staying with Julia. Im too afraid to have them in this house until the police track down the murderers. For all we know, they could strike again if Poppy and Aster were home Flora holds my hand and squeezes it as she tells me everything is going to work out. Julia was never one to have an emotional or empathetical bone in her body like Flora does, but she was always good at being responsible. Thats why I let my babies stay over there. They have still been going to school and doing their regular routines that we would do at home. At least they are able to do that because they have no understanding that their sister is gone. They are safer with my sister until its all sorted out. (Flora): So, they are safe out of this house, and you are safe enough to stay? When I saw what youd said about your husband and Rose, I had a gut feeling that you would be doing this on your own. You were always better at being independent than the rest of us but you are also bad at asking for help when you need it. So, fill me in. What are the details and how do we smoke out the cockroach that did this? I understand what shes saying is the truth. I know that the home would be safer for my children if they are at their aunts home, but I let myself stay here alone as if I would be safe if the person or people acted once more. There is the fear that they might possibly come back and try to kill me in searching for my children that were remaining. Then there is the anger and anticipation that if they dare show their faces here, that I would bring upon them the most unspeakable and inexplicable pain for taking my first-born baby girl away from me and my family. Then again, she is right about something else as well. As a child, I was already so good at building my independence. However, asking for help was never my strong suit. So, I catch her up on the latest and that we had suspected our neighbours, but they have alibis for that day with proof to back it up. It couldnt have been them and it couldnt have been Senecio. It all happened within the thirty-minute gap of before Laurel gets here and Senecio only got home after that when Laurel had already left. Somebody must have been here the door must have either been accidentally unlocked from when Rose got home or something. Perhaps the twins were already asleep, so the perpetrators didnt hear them in their room, but heard Rose in her room. There are questions that I dont have the answers to, and my blood feels like its boiling the more I question everything without finding the right answers or clues. Every time we call the police to ask for help or ask questions then they say that they had already found the killer based on fingerprints on the murder weapon. Since they already locked him up, they closed the case and are not interested in investigating any further. How lazy or dumb do they have to be to not fully consider all of the facts? Leaving my husband in a place for guilty people when he is innocent and leaving me in a home that has a garden of evil in my backyard.