Burnington Gaol

F O R T Y - T W O | Adeline

When Billy and I walked into the Visitor's Centre, Frank's easy smile quickly deteriorated.

"Why the long faces?" He asked from behind the glass.

I took the stool opposite Frank and Billy remained standing. Much to my surprise, I felt a deep, dark blue sadness in my gut. It swelled inside me, causing all the tears to run up behind my eyes. Frank went silent for a long moment, eyeing the both of us.

"End of the line?" He asked.

I nodded, looked into his haunted eyes.

"Seth was innocent," I said. "Even if he wasn't, there wouldn't be enough evidence to prove it."

"But what about the blond hair?" He asked. "Or perhaps you could talk to – "

"We've spoken to everyone," Billy interrupted. "Nobody knows anything about anything. Trust us. How do you think we got in to see you?"

Frank looked away from Billy and slumped in his seat.

"You told them you wanted to say your final goodbyes," he reasoned.

The three of us fell silent for a long moment, faces solemn and lifeless.

"I'm so sorry, Frank." I said eventually.

"Ah," he dismissed, waving a hand. "Don't you worry your pretty little head. It was bound to happen. You can't take as many hypothetical lives as I do and get away scot-free."

"You're a good man, Frank," I said sincerely, looking him in the eye. "No matter what anybody says."

"You're very sweet, Adeline. Very sweet. But sorely mistaken. Jimmy was the good one."

The room fell quiet again, but my mind suddenly exploded.

Jimmy.

Of course.

Why hadn't I thought of it earlier?

"Wait," I said, looking up at Billy. "There is an angle we haven't considered yet."

Billy straightened up, looking down at me curiously.

"Jimmy," I said. "At first, we thought Susie might've been killed because of something Frank had done – like steal Vincent Maynard's kid and get away with killing his wife. Then, when we saw Vincent in his grave – "

"Hypothetical grave," Frank interrupted, eyeing a guard – not Tony – standing in the corner.

"Yes, yes. Hypothetical whatever. When we saw he was dead, we thought it might've been someone in Susie's life but what if we were right? What if she was killed as a payback, but what if it wasn't something that Frank did, what if it was something Jimmy did?"

I looked at Frank, a daring hope glistening in my eye.

"Is it possible?"

"Wait, no, you don't understand," Frank said, shifting in his seat. "My brother was normal. Worked nine-to-five. Steady jobs, steady pay. And he was practically a house wife when I brought Susie home."

"But did he have any enemies?" I asked. "Anything he might've done to piss someone off?"

"No, nothing I can think of."

"Come on Frank," Billy said. "Everyone has a skeleton in their closet."

"Not Jimmy," Frank said. "Not – "

Frank paused, fell silent for a long moment.

"What?" I pressed. "What are you thinking?"

Frank's hands, which had been resting comfortably on the metal table, slowly curled together and fell into his lap. He blinked, expression vacant and twitching. Carefully, he swallowed, and his dark, haunted eyes slowly turned up to look at mine.

"Jimmy was a good man."

I frowned, looking at him.

"We know," I said. "But we're just trying to help you. Trying to figure out what really happened to your little girl."

"He was good," Frank said again. "I... I think you should leave now."

"But what about – "

"Get out," Frank snapped.

I flinched, looking into his angry eyes.

"Please," he said, softening. "I'd like to be alone before I face the gallows."

The guard stepped forward and retrieved Frank. I looked up at Billy, and he looked down at me with the same confused expression. I watched him go, his shoulders slumped in defeat and his long legs weak. He knew what had happened. He knew why Susie had been killed – I could see it all in his dark, violent eyes.

So why wouldn't he tell us?

© A.G. Travers 2018