Andy's Addiction

Chapter 10: Coffin

"That's all I needed." I smile, turn around, and start I walk away. Barbara reached for me, but out of sheer timing, I had to move out of someone else's way, and she missed, fumbling forward and falling to the ground.

I look over my shoulder as I open the door to leave. I see Briors standing over her with handcuffs in one hand and his badge in another. He had a large smile on his face. I don't know why Barbara thought Brior wasn't attractive. He was exactly what the stereotype of beauty was for men.

Uniformed officers pass me as I walk out the main door of Mahall's onto the street. Briors's partner, who told me to call her Emily, met me on the sidewalk.

"She normally parks across the street in the parking lot at the park. Follow me."

I lead Emily across the street. Barbara's mirage wasn't hard to find. Just as suspected, there were some damages that matched up with what would be found on the car responsible for the hit and run.

They arranged a tow truck, and I walked back over to the front of Mahall's to watch them walk Barbara out to the cop car with flashing lights on. Kevin was already standing there.

I put my arm around Kevin as I walked up. When they get Barbara to the door and I see her looking directly at me deranged, I kiss Kevin on the cheek. He then turns to me and smiles before he kisses me on the lips. "I love you, Cali. I'm so glad you're safe now." He says loud enough for Barbara to hear.

Barbara screamed and jerked towards us, but the officers held her back. Briors walks out as they shove Barbara into the back of the cop car and drive her off. He walks up to us.

"I almost thought you weren't going to get it. Good job. Now that we've gotten through the easy part, it gets harder. We have to get through the courts. We are expecting to have no issues getting a conviction, but you have to relive what you've gone through. I highly suggest starting therapy as soon as possible." Briors said.

Mati steps out and looks at me. "What the hell, Cali? I haven't played Cleveland in forever, and you come and disrupt my whole set?"

"I'm sorry, Barbara tried to kill me yesterday. I had to find her and get a confession. She was here. You were just collateral damage." I replied bluntly. "You can take it as us finally being even from everything you put me through. If it makes you feel better, my husband didn't want me to do it either."

Mati storms off back into Mahall's. I ignored it and put my attention back to what was going on with Barbara. He continued to explain everything we had to go through.

Briors was right. The next couple of months were hard. When they interrogated Barbara, they wanted me there. They didn't want me in the room, but they wanted me to be able to consult them from another room and to listen to the interrogation.

The trial was set to start about 8 months later, in June. That was the soonest it could be put on the dockets. The trial was going to be big.

I opted for a complete social media blackout. I was traumatized and didn't want to see it all over my news feed every single day. I knew I would. This case was big news. I ended up not even working. I could barely leave my bed.

I wasn't ready to know what happened to Andy. It was Schrödinger's Andy. If I didn't hear he was dead, he could be alive. I blamed myself for what happened.

The first day of the trial, I walk up to the courthouse alone, with my hood up and sunglasses on. Kevin couldn't make it this day, but he'd be there the rest of the trial. I didn't care if he came with me,  I was going every single day of trial.

I was wearing all black, and I planned to the whole trial. It's the only thing I felt was appropriate. I expected to see Andy there if he was alive, or at least I was hoping to. Unfortunately, that morning, I didn't see Andy. I was bombarded by reporters in front of the courthouse as soon as someone recognized me. I was that girl who was with Andy when he got shot. Security rushed out to help me get inside.