The Other Side Of Fear[1]

Chapter 39

'It just doesn't make sense,' I whispered as Cal and I sat huddled together out on the porch steps.

'It does,' he said as he flicked away the last of his cigarette. 'Archie hated Jared.'

'He did?' I frowned. 'How would you even know that?'

'It was obvious. Jared was the golden boy,' Cal shrugged. 'Archie was jealous. Their father doted on Jared.'

'Yeah,' I nodded. 'Archie told me Jared was the perfect son to their father. It didn't dawn on me that he was jealous, he made it sound like he loved his brother.'

'Of course he did,' Cal sighed. 'Lying is what he does best, right?'

'Yeah, I guess,' I nodded. 'He needs help. Professional help. I mean, coming down here in the middle of night to spray paint that word on the cabin when it was him that did it! That's just crazy!'

'It's crazy alright,' Cal nodded. 'But he had a plan to get you back and making you think I killed his brother was the goal. He knew you were here; he knew you would see it.'

'But he didn't know that you knew the truth, right? That's why he looked so scared when you said those words...because he realised someone knows his secret,' I glanced at him and he nodded.

'And he probably knows that you know too,' Cal said. 'So you need to be careful.'

'I will,' I nodded. 'I'll be staying as far away from him as possible. I've never known such an awful, evil human being in my life.'

'And everyone thinks I'm the bad guy,' he smirked. 'I'm glad you kicked his ass tonight.'

'Me too,' I smiled, softly. 'I am so, so sorry that I didn't listen to you. I turned my back on you and I hate myself.'

'Don't even go there,' he said, nudging me. 'We don't need to get into it, okay?'

I nodded and allowed myself to be comforted by the silence of the night as thoughts wandered through my mind trying to make sense of everything.

'Why didn't you hand that footage into the police, Cal?' I asked.

'I wish I had,' he sighed. 'It's too late now but I did go to hand it in; I really did. But when I got into town Mr Lane and Archie were there handing out fucking missing posters and they saw me and began yelling at me and calling me a killer. I walked away but when I did I heard his father crying and I turned to see Archie holding him as he did so. I just thought, Jared is dead and there's no saving him. Is it right to put that guy through losing two sons when Archie goes to prison? Does he need to suffer again when he finds out one of his sons killed the other?'

'I can see the morality there, Cal, I really can,' I sighed. 'But Archie should have gone to prison.'

'It made sense at the time,' he said. 'Since we are being honest, I also thought it would come in handy if I ever needed something to use against him. Nothing ever came up until you arrived in town but I never got the chance to use it; I was always too busy saving your ass.'

'You knew what he was capable of,' I said softly.

'Yeah,' he nodded. 'When I realised you were dating him, I followed you everywhere.'