by Lea Coll
“I think it’s time I told you what happened the night of the party.”
Robin closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them and nodding. “I’d like to know.”
“It’s important that you hear this from me. I woke up with Dennis on top of Annabelle. I saw what happened. I fought him off and threatened him. I offered to call the police, but I respected Annabelle’s wishes not to say anything. We were kids who’d been drinking. We were scared. I know she changed her mind later, but by then, I was too terrified to come forward. Maybe you shouldn’t be attacking me but looking at the others in town who said she asked for what happened to her by being drunk. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. If I could go back, I’d do a lot of things differently.”
The fight drained from her eyes. My fear of her broke. I saw past her hatred to the sorrow underneath.
“I know it’s easier to channel your anger at someone. To feel cheated out of a daughter. To feel rage. I get that, but maybe it’s directed at the wrong person and maybe you’re avoiding dealing with your grief by being angry all the time. I hope what I’ve said helps you and I plan to tell everyone later this week on the news. You can be there if you want to be.”
Her voice cracked as she spoke a whisper. “All I’ve ever wanted was the truth.”
Tanner’s hand wrapped around mine. I took a breath to hold back my tears. “I swear to you. That’s the truth.”
She dropped her head in her hands. A quiet sob shook her body. I wanted to hug her to show I understood all the pain she’d masked as anger, but I held back.
Luke appeared behind her in the hallway. His eyes met mine and I tilted my head to motion him forward.
“Aunt Robin?” he asked in a gentle voice as he approached. “Would you like me to see you to your car? I don’t think you should drive. I can take you.”
She lifted her head and locked eyes on mine. I braced myself but saw no more disdain in them. “I’d like to ask you some questions … some other time. Not here.”
I nodded. “That would be okay.”
With a deep sigh, she turned to Luke and let him lead her out.
Tanner swept me into his arms. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I hope she’ll have some peace.” I rested my head against the rough texture of his polo shirt, breathing in his scent.
I tilted my head back to memorize the line of his jaw, the scruff, his blue eyes full of love for me. “You’re amazing.”
My chest radiated with happiness. “I don’t know about that.”
“You are. You’re so brave—for being quiet for so many years, for coming forward now, for standing beside me.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
He kissed me lightly, his hand sifting through my hair. “Let’s get back out there.”
“There you are,” Kristen said as we entered. “Everything go okay with Robin? She looked like she was on a mission.”
“Yeah, I talked to her.”
“I figured you had it handled since Tanner was with you.”
“How are the pledges?” I gestured at the paperwork she held in her hands.
“I can’t believe so many people are here and there are so many pledges. We’re going to exceed our goal.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, and it’s all because of you. You’re the one who thought to have it here and bring in the fire and police departments who must have invited everyone they know.” Kristen smiled at Tanner.
“It’s a big family and neighboring departments are here,” Tanner said, a hint of pride in his voice.
“Well, thank you. Maybe this could be an annual thing,” Kristen said.
I looked around at the kids dancing with the adults and each other. The twinkling lights, the Christmas decorations. Everyone was happy.
“I don’t see why not.” Tanner pulled me into his side and smiled down at me.
It was about getting together, spending time with friends and family. Something I never understood until I met Tanner. I’d been missing out on so many things.
“Why don’t you two dance?” Kristen said with a wink.
“Shall we?” Tanner grabbed my hand and led the way to the dance floor.
I smiled as he pulled me into his arms. I rested my head on his chest as we slowly swayed to the music. I felt the soft, steady thudding of his heart against my ear.
“I love you.” His lips ghosted the hair on the top of my head.
“I love you too.” I tilted my head up to see him.
“My turn!” Rylan interrupted, stepping in between us.
I smiled at Tanner as he took her hands in his, twirling her back and forth the way she liked. Her happy laughter rang out as Tanner caught my eye and mouthed: I love you.
I smiled and mouthed the sentiment back, knowing I’d fight anything and anyone to keep this feeling in my chest—his beautiful eyes on mine—and Rylan between us. I’d do anything.
Sadie
The glaring lights of the studio were warm as I pulled at the stiff collar of my recently dry-cleaned suit, crossed my legs at my ankles, and rested my hands demurely in my lap, fighting my instinct to lace my fingers tightly together. I tried inconspicuously to take a few deep breaths to calm my racing heart. I hadn’t been able to eat this morning from nerves, but now the twisting of my empty stomach was unbearable.
“No different than speaking in court, right, Ms. Cole?” The cheery and polished reporter said as she flitted across the stage and sank into the cushioned chair next to me. They’d filmed the significant news segments of the morning and the weather. At the beginning of this hour, the news slowed down as they did more relaxed human-interest pieces.
“Mmm.” It was all I could manage because it was most definitely not the same thing as speaking in court where my back was to the audience and there were no cameras in my face. The extra make-up the studio added to my face felt heavy, caked-on, making me feel nothing like myself. This whole thing was unnatural—an act—but a necessary one I promised Tanner I’d do for him.
I sought his comforting eyes out in the studio filled with cameras, wires, and people who were doing all kinds of busy-looking tasks—whipping the storm brewing inside me higher. My eyes finally rested on Tanner, who stood next to one of the producers, laughing, coffee in hand, looking far more relaxed than I felt. I needed his eyes on mine to reassure me that I was doing the right thing. I needed his support to keep from feeling so alone.
Finally, his eyes flitted to mine as someone crouched in front of me and brushed the lint off my black suit and readjusted the microphone on my collar. “Stop touching your collar.”
I smiled tightly at the small woman with earphones on as she backed off the stage and someone said, “3, 2, 1.”
“Welcome back. We’re here this morning with Sadie Cole on the anniversary of the sexual assault of Annabelle Bray. The assault that rocked our small town ten years ago.”
I barely refrained from flinching at the harsh words sexual assault. Panic coursed through me that I’d have to reveal on live TV that Dennis had attempted to assault me as well. Would people believe me? Or would they think this was a pathetic bid for attention?
“Ms. Cole. Welcome. I’m so glad you could take time out of your busy schedule to talk with us today.”
“Thank you for having me, Linda.” My smile felt forced and stiff. How was I going to pull this off?
“You’ve maintained your silence for a long time. What made you decide to come forward now?”
My eyes sought out Tanner again who was studying me, at his slight nod of encouragement, I opened my mouth to answer. “It was time. Rumors have swirled for years and I couldn’t bear it.” Not another second. “If coming forward could help someone—Annabelle’s mother or someone else facing a similar situation, then I needed to do it.”
“Let’s start with Dennis Moore. Was he your mother’s fiancé?”
“Boyfriend. They’d been dating for several months and I thought they had a goo
d relationship. I thought he might be my stepdad one day. I had no indication that he would ever do something like this.”
We’d discussed that it would be better for me to tell my story all at once than to allow it to come out in bits and pieces in response to her questions. “I had friends over that night. Dennis was supposed to be out at a bar, and he’d said he had no plans of returning. We all drank that night, and most of the kids passed out in the family room, but Annabelle and I were in my room—I slept on the bed and she was on the floor. I woke to Dennis touching me.”
A gasp reverberated through the ordinarily bustling studio. It was eerily silent. I’d discussed this part of the story with Linda ahead of time and we’d agreed to gloss over the details of the assault.
“What did you do?”
“I fought him. I threatened to tell my mom if he didn’t leave me alone. He went back to his bedroom and I tried to stay awake in case he returned, but I must have fallen asleep. When I woke up again, he was on top of Annabelle with a hand over her mouth. I pushed him off of her and he ran out of the house.”
“Why didn’t you call the police at that point?”
“Annabelle asked me not to. She’d lied to her mother about being at the party. We’d been drinking. We were scared. By the time she talked to the police a few days later, I was terrified to talk. Rumors swirled around the school. Kids were calling her a slut and writing slurs on her locker. Annabelle had been head cheerleader and student council president, but that one incident turned people against her.”
“But you maintained your silence for ten years. Why?”
“Dennis was convicted and served his time. Annabelle died shortly after his release. I didn’t see the point in bringing everything up again—when nothing could be done about it.” I paused, wondering if I should be up front about my guilt. I hoped it would make a difference. “I do wonder if his sentence would have been greater had I testified. I’ll have to live with that guilt for the rest of my life.”
“Is there anything else you wanted to add?”
“What Annabelle went through—the questions, the rumors, the name-calling at school—it was awful. I feel horrible for her and her family. I hope they can find peace.”
“What did you hope to gain from coming forward now?”
“That another girl or woman might be watching this—and that my story gives her the courage to come forward.”
Linda turned directly to the camera, and I sighed, relieved my part was over. “We’ve listed sources on our website where victims can get help. We’re all out of time. Thank you for being here, Ms. Cole.”
Linda shook my hand, thanked me, and hurried back behind the large news desk where the make-up assistant dabbed the sweat from her forehead.
I walked off stage during the commercial break to go to the bathroom. I was relieved it was over and I wanted to be alone for a minute. I’d spoken my truth and people could believe it or not. I took my time in the bathroom so that I could calm down and try to steady the nerves of talking on camera. When I stepped out, a male voice said,
“Don’t you want the best for Tanner and Rylan?”
Startled, I turned to find Steve Dabney, Tanner’s attorney leaning against the wall. His stance was relaxed but I could tell every muscle was braced for a confrontation. I’d had cases with him when I worked at Gunner. He only cared about winning. A few assistants walked back and forth speaking into headsets, but no one noticed us.
“Tanner’s too nice. He’ll never tell you that you’re killing his case. But you are. How will you live with yourself if the judge comes down in Bree’s favor? Have you thought about that?”
“Of course I have, but Tanner wants to fight this.”
“You’re an attorney. You know how this works. Tanner doesn’t. I expected you to convince him this was a terrible idea.”
I shook my head, but he was right. “If we don’t fight this, there’s a possibility that we could never be together. That this will come up again. I’d rather get it over with.”
“This little thing you think you feel for him—is it worth more than Rylan? More than her safety? Is it?”
He leaned closer to me, stating each word with more force. I felt the tears forming but I refused to let them fall. I refused to let him see how shaken I was by his words—words that had been filtering through my head since this started. It would be so easy to run away from it. To save Tanner, but is that what I would be doing? Or would I be saving myself?
“You’re his attorney. You’re supposed to listen to what he wants.”
“You know as well as I do that clients don’t always agree with our advice but it’s our job to make them see reason when they’re not acting in their best interest.”
Maybe speaking my piece on TV where everyone would know by the end of the day what happened would be enough for the judge to not care if I was in Rylan’s life. But that was a stretch. Minds were hard to change, and the rumors had been around longer than my truth.
Steve stepped back from me, a smug look on his face. “Do you know who Bree’s attorney is?”
I stiffened. I knew it was my old firm, but I hoped it wasn’t the attorney who’d fired me.
“Richard Gunner.” He waited a beat, allowing the name to settle into my conscience.
The hair lifted on the back of my neck. My old boss. The partner at my last firm who’d discovered my duplicity and fired me. He knew every detail of my poor choices. My hands felt clammy as I balled them into fists, no longer able to fight the tension headache lingering at the base of my neck all morning.
“Think about it. The smart thing to do would be to break up with Tanner—make it convincing—and don’t appear in court for the hearing. I’ll argue that you were a bad decision, but Tanner realized his mistake and won’t associate with you anymore. That his child is more important and will always be more important than some woman.”
A mistake? He was boiling my relationship with Tanner down to a mistake, a poor decision. It hurt even if it wasn’t coming directly from Tanner. Eventually, Tanner would feel the same way if he lost Rylan. Maybe it was selfish, but I couldn’t break up with Tanner. Not after promising him I wouldn’t run. “You don’t know if the judge would have a problem with me. I don’t have any history of abuse or neglect of children. If the judge asks Rylan, I’m sure she’ll say she likes me.”
“She’s too young. The judge won’t ask her, but I know the judge. Allen Boon.” His voice was snide.
My stomach sank. He was older and set in his ways, more likely to yield to public opinion about my situation. He was also strict, gave high criminal sentences, and would have no patience for my decision to remain quiet during a police investigation. Even if it was never mentioned during the custody case, everything I’d done in the past would be at the forefront of his mind.
“I see you’re aware of his reputation and you understand he’ll be aware of yours.”
My mind was reeling with the possibilities—ones I’d tried to keep at bay the last few days. The judge ruling in favor of Bree, of Tanner, losing time with Rylan, visions of Bree driving drunk with Rylan in the car, Bree leaving Rylan somewhere unattended because she forgot about her. If something happened to Tanner, to Rylan—it would be my fault. Just like what happened to Annabelle.
Tanner
A producer stopped me when Sadie finished and walked off stage. He was happy with the interview—I think they were just glad to have a new angle on an old story for the anniversary coverage. As soon as I could get away from him, I tried to find Sadie.
I finally found her backstage down a dark hallway where the restrooms were. She was talking to someone—her forehead wrinkled as she chewed her lip.
As I approached, I noticed the person she was talking to was my attorney. “Steve, what are you doing?”
Steve relaxed and stepped back from her. “I told you I wanted to hear the interview.”
Steve had said he wanted to be here to listen to her interview.
&n
bsp; “Hey, you did great.” I pulled Sadie into my side, but she didn’t sink into me. She held herself stiff and slightly apart from me and I knew she was upset about the interview, about revealing everything she’d kept hidden for so long.
“Thanks,” she said, but her eyes were on Steve, eying him warily.
“I have to get back to the office. Tanner, let’s meet up the day before the hearing to go over what’s going to happen and your testimony again,” Steve said.
“Does Sadie need to be there?” I asked.
Steve barely glanced at her before responding, “No.”
“Are you sure? Isn’t she going to need to testify and know how to respond to questions about her relationship with me?”
“We’re going to downplay any relationship, remember?”
Frustration crept up my already stiff neck and I rubbed it with my hand. “I said I wanted to be up front with the judge.”
“That’s a bad idea,” Steve said.
I opened my mouth to remind him that his instinct as an attorney to create smoke and mirrors was not how I wanted to play this, but Sadie placed a hand on my chest. “Let’s listen to Steve, okay? He knows what he’s doing.”
I wanted to ask what happened to fighting together, but her eyes were shuttered and I didn’t want to argue in front of Steve. “I’ll call to schedule an appointment.”
Steve nodded.
I guided Sadie out of the studio to where my cruiser was parked next to her car. My shift started in thirty minutes, but I had to talk her before I left. “What did he say to you?”
Sadie shrugged but wouldn’t look at me. “Nothing, really. He talked about the judge we have for the hearing.”
“He’s not a good one?”
“Probably not. He’s been on the bench longer—he’s tough on crime—more jaded. Less likely to be persuaded by my interview.”
“Okay. That’s not great but—”
“I’m going to head into work. I’ll talk to you later.”