Redemption

by Phil M. Williams

  Kyra was short and voluptuous, with auburn hair to her shoulders. She wore short shorts, a T-shirt without a bra, and no shoes. Kyra turned and walked down the hall toward the bathroom and April. Kyra squinted at April but didn’t recognize her with the mask. Kyra went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

  April went to the open guest bedroom. The bedside lamp provided dim light. Travis lay on the bed, the comforter covering his lower half, his upper body bare, and his hands behind his head. Travis recognized April, his eyes bulging in shock. He inhaled sharply and sat up.

  April pointed at her boyfriend, her finger jabbing with each syllable, and her vision blurry from her tears. “You’re a piece of shit. I never want to see you again.” April ran from the bedroom.

  Travis called to her back. “April, wait.”

  April ran down the stairs, with heavy steps behind her. She ran through the living room to the foyer and out the front door.

  “April, wait,” Travis called out.

  April stopped and turned, standing on the front walkway. Travis walked toward her, wearing jeans and nothing else.

  April held out her hand like a stop sign, glaring at her boyfriend. “Don’t come near me. You might have COVID or fucking herpes.”

  Travis stopped about six feet away, showing his palms. “It’s not what you think. I drank too much, and I went upstairs to take a nap. Kyra came in my room by accident.”

  April sniffled and wiped her eyes with her T-shirt. “I don’t believe you.”

  “I swear to God. Nothing happened.” He stepped closer, but April backed up.

  “Don’t come near me.”

  “Please. I swear I didn’t do anything.”

  “I know what I saw. She wasn’t wearing a bra.”

  Travis ran his hand over his face. “Let me explain.”

  The front door opened, and Kyra appeared behind Travis.

  Travis continued to plead his case, unaware of his audience. “Kyra was hitting on me all night. She got in bed with me, but I told her no. She’s not even that pretty.”

  “Asshole!” Kyra said, her arms crossed over her chest.

  Travis turned around. “Wait, Kyra. That’s not what I meant.”

  Kyra stomped inside, and Travis chased after her, leaving April on the front walkway alone. Becky appeared, wearing a short dress and high heels, the glitter on her face catching the light from the house. She sauntered toward April, vaping marijuana concentrate.

  April backpedaled on the walkway, keeping her distance from the marijuana vapor. She showed her palms. “We shouldn’t get too close.”

  Becky stopped and laughed. “Damn, Princess Perfect. You really are freaked about the ’rona, huh?”

  “I don’t want to give it to my parents or our grandparents.”

  Becky nodded and put her vape pen to her mouth, inhaling. Then she turned her head, exhaling a cloud of marijuana-laced vaper away from April. “What happened with Travis?”

  April shook her head, tears filling her eyes again.

  Becky put her empty hand on her hip. “He’s a little douche. You’re too good for him anyway. Don’t cry over him. He’s not worth it.”

  April wiped her eyes. “You’re right.” April forced a smile under her mask. “Thanks, Becky.”

  Becky winked. “Anytime, Princess Perfect. I should get back to work.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Yeah.”

  April hesitated for a beat. “Did you know that my mom was married before?”

  Becky tilted her head. “What did you say?”

  April took a step back and pulled down her mask. “Did you know that my mom was married before?”

  Becky narrowed her eyes. “I guess you heard Jason’s getting out of prison.”

  April nodded. “Your mom is really mad at my mom.”

  “Susie lost her shit when she found out.” Becky took another hit from her vape pen.

  “What about you? Are you okay?”

  Becky shrugged; her mouth turned down. “It doesn’t matter.”

  April chewed on her bottom lip. “Your mom said I look like him, and she insinuated that he’s my father. My mom said that’s not true, but …”

  “But what?”

  April frowned. “I think there’s a lot I don’t know.”

  Becky took another hit from her vape pen. With vapor still spilling from her mouth, she said, “You might be right.”

  “Is he my father?”

  Becky stared at April, as if deciding whether or not April was ready. “I don’t know.”

  “Do you know what he did?”

  Becky nodded, her gaze downcast.

  “Did he do something to you?”

  Becky raised her gaze. “Yeah. He did. Sometimes I think he’s still doing it.”

  Chapter 75: The Morning After

  Sunlight slipped between the blinds, warming April’s face. A knock came at her door. Her eyes fluttered and opened. She grasped for her phone, knocking it off her bedside table.

  Another knock came. “April? Are you okay?” Michelle called out through the door.

  “I’m fine,” April replied, her voice raspy.

  “Can I come in?”

  “Yes.” April reached over the edge of her bed, grabbing her phone.

  Michelle opened the door and walked to the bedside. April checked her texts, hoping to see an apology from Travis. Nothing. She slapped her phone on the bedside table and lay on her back.

  Michelle squinted, searching April’s face. “It’s almost noon. Are you sick?”

  April sat up, her comforter still covering her lower half. “I couldn’t sleep last night.”

  Michelle sat on the edge of her daughter’s bed. “How come?”

  April swallowed hard. “Travis and I broke up.” She grimaced. “Actually, he didn’t even have the common courtesy to break up with me. He went running after his new girlfriend.”

  Michelle took April’s hand in hers. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. Is there something I can do?”

  April shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes.

  Michelle leaned forward and hugged her daughter. April sobbed, her face buried in her mother’s shoulder. Michelle rocked her daughter, rubbing her back.

  After a long moment, they separated. April sniffled. Michelle grabbed the box of tissues from the bedside table and handed it to her daughter. April took three tissues and wiped her face.

  April eyed her mother and asked, “Have you ever been cheated on?”

  “Yes.”

  April’s eyes widened. “Dad?”

  Michelle broke eye contact for a split second. “No.”

  “Jason?”

  “It doesn’t matter. I know how you feel. It’ll pass. You’ll meet someone wonderful, who treats you the way you deserve to be treated.”

  April pulled her knees to her chest. “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  April forced a small smile.

  “You must be hungry. Would you like some lunch? I could make breakfast for lunch. Blueberry pancakes? We have fresh blueberries.”

  “I love you, Mom.”

  Michelle beamed. “I love you too, sweetie.” She stood from the bed. “I’ll call you when brunch is ready.”

  “Can I ask you something about Jason?” April asked.

  Michelle’s body stiffened. Her smile evaporated. “I’d rather not talk about him.”

  “I know. It’s just …” April pursed her lips. “What did he do before he was arrested? What was his job?”

  Michelle exhaled and replied, “He was in finance.”

  “Is that where Susie and Becky got all their money?”

  Michelle nodded. “There was a civil trial and a settlement, after he was convicted and sent to prison.”

  “How much money did they get?”

  Michelle scowled. “Not enough for what he did. Please let this go. It was a terrible time for everyone. I’d rather not revisit it.” Michelle left April’s be
droom.

  April sat on her bed, thinking about her mother’s reluctance to talk about Jason. This only fueled her curiosity. April grabbed her phone and sent a text to her aunt Susie.

  April: I need to talk to you. Can I come over?

  Chapter 76: Creep

  After brunch, April drove to Sylvan Heights, the same fancy neighborhood where she had found Travis the night before. Aunt Susie’s brick McMansion was built into the hillside. April drove up her driveway—which wrapped around the back of the house—parking in front of her three-car garage. April grabbed her hand sanitizer, put on her mask, and exited her car. The oaks provided a dappled shade, muting the summer sun.

  April went to the back door and knocked. A minute later, Susie’s face appeared in the sidelight window.

  Susie opened the back door, wearing yoga pants and a tank top. “Come on in.”

  April stepped inside, the back door opening to the kitchen. A pile of unread mail sat on the kitchen counter. Unwashed dishes packed the sink. The smell of cigarettes hung in the air. Talk-show television blared from the living room.

  Susie stared at April for a beat. “You don’t need to wear that thing. I was around you yesterday.”

  April pulled down her mask. “I know. I’m just trying to be careful.”

  Susie went to the fridge, inspecting the contents. “You want something to drink? I have some orange juice and milk.” She picked up the milk carton, inspecting the date. “I think the milk’s bad.” She put it back in the fridge and turned to April. “I have beer and wine too.”

  April showed her palms. “I’m not thirsty.”

  Susie shut the fridge and walked toward April. Susie used to be prettier than April’s mother, but smoking had given Susie wrinkles, especially around her mouth. Drinking had made her puffy and her skin splotchy. Susie gestured to the kitchen table. “Have a seat.”

  April sat at the round table.

  Susie sat across from her. She picked up the open pack of cigarettes, retrieving a single cigarette. “What’s this about?”

  April took a deep breath. “I heard about Jason.”

  Susie grabbed the lighter from the table, flicking it several times, her hand unsteady, before finally lighting her cigarette. She inhaled deeply, turned her head, and blew the smoke away from April. “What about him?”

  April hesitated. “Is he … my biological father?”

  Susie arched her eyebrows. “What makes you think that?” Susie took another drag from her cigarette.

  “I heard you say that I look like him.”

  Susie glared at April. “You were listening to my conversation with your mother?”

  April dipped her head. “I’m sorry.”

  Susie tapped ash from her cigarette into the ashtray. “Did you ask your mother?”

  April raised her gaze. “She said he’s not my biological father.”

  Susie took a drag from her cigarette, exhaling the smoke away from April again. “She’s right. He isn’t.”

  “Then why did you say I look like him?”

  Susie shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I was mad at your mom.” Susie tapped more ash into the ashtray. “Sometimes your mother acts like she’s perfect, and I’m the fuckup in the family. There was a little overlap between Jason and your father. I was just reminding her that she’s not always perfect.”

  April furrowed her brow. “What do you mean by overlap? Was my mom still married to Jason when she got together with my father?”

  “You’ll have to ask your mother about that but don’t bring my name into it.”

  April nodded. “Did you know Jason?”

  “Yes.” Susie took another drag from her cigarette.

  “What was he like?”

  Susie crushed her cigarette in the ashtray, smoke spewing from her mouth. “He’s a fucking creep. That’s all you need to know.”

  Chapter 77: More to the Story

  After visiting with Aunt Susie, April returned to her bedroom and sat at her desk. She opened her laptop and waited for her computer to load. While she waited, she glanced at the picture of her and Travis, smiling, their arms around each other. She opened the frame, removed the picture, balled it up, and tossed it in the trash can. The icons appeared on her computer. She double-clicked the Google icon and typed Loganville Pennsylvania child molester Jason 2000 into the search bar. She was guessing on the date, based on what her mother had said about the timing of her relationship with Jason and her father, using her likely conception date as an estimate.

  A slew of articles appeared, featuring child molester cases from Pennsylvania. The most prevalent articles featured a story from 2016 when the Pennsylvania attorney general announced that a statewide grand jury had determined that at least fifty “predator priests” had been involved in sexual abuses of hundreds of children.

  April scanned ten pages of molestation articles, but none of them featured a Jason in Loganville from 1999 or 2000, and the farther down in the search she ventured, the less relevant the articles became.

  April went back to Google and typed how to find old newspaper articles. One of the suggestions she found was to go to the local library. So, she grabbed her keys and her purse, left her house, and drove to the Loganville Public Library.

  The library was a two-story square building with a flat roof. If not for the windows and stone on the first floor, the metal building resembled a warehouse. April parked in the mostly empty lot, put on her mask, and slipped her hand sanitizer in her pocket. She walked across the hot macadam to the front door. She entered the library, immediately sanitizing her hands after touching the door. Despite the industrial exterior, the interior was inviting, with neatly arranged bookshelves, cushy couches, and local art decorating the walls.

  April approached the front desk.

  A female librarian, wearing a mask, asked, “Can I help you?”

  “I’m looking for information about a child molestation case in Loganville from late 1999 or early 2000,” April said.

  “Do you know the name of the defendant?”

  “Only his first name. Jason.”

  “That’ll be tough. The internet was still pretty young then. Unless it was a case that had nationwide coverage, it’s probably not something you can simply search on Google or Bing or even the Library of Congress’s searchable database.”

  April frowned. “What about going to the courthouse?”

  “You could try that, but I’m nearly certain you’ll need more information than you have to obtain the court records. We do keep a paper archive of the Loganville Times from that time frame. It might be time-consuming, but you could search through the papers.”

  April nodded. “I’ll try that. Could you show me where they are?”

  The librarian led April upstairs to the newspaper section. Physical newspapers were stacked and arranged on shelves by publication and date. The librarian showed April the Loganville Times from 1999 through 2000.

  Based on what her mother and her aunt had said, April believed that Jason and her mother broke up because Jason had molested Becky. Shortly after or even before they broke up, her mother had gotten together with her father. April was born on September 18, 2000. April had used a conception date calculator to figure out she was likely conceived around Christmastime 1999, which made sense because the family would’ve been together, and Jason would’ve had access to Becky during that time. If the crime happened then, April figured the trial had to be at least a few months after that. So, she started her search in February of 2000.

  April searched for several hours, scouring the daily paper for articles relating to sexual assault or child abuse or molestation or rape. If she saw any headlines that resembled what she was searching for, she read the first sentence or two to rule it out. When she hit April Fool’s Day of 2000, she gaped at the headline on the front page.

  Child Rapist Found Guilty

  By: Harold Swanson

  Saturday, April 1, 2000

  After a brief deliberation
by jurors, Jason Lewis of Villanova, PA, has been found guilty of two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child and two counts of aggravated indecent assault of a child. According to the Loganville County District Attorney’s Office he will serve up to 120 years in a state correctional institution.

  District Attorney Greg Elliot said, “The only way to keep our children safe from Jason Lewis is to put him in prison for life. The jury did their part today. Now it’s up to Judge Ames to finish the job.”

  Defense Attorney Norman Tuttle said, “I’m disappointed by the verdict. The physical evidence was likely contaminated, and Mr. Lewis has no prior arrests. It’s a grave miscarriage of justice. I hope that Judge Ames will consider the facts of the case at sentencing.”

  Sentencing is scheduled for Monday morning, April 3rd.

  The article was accompanied by a mugshot of Jason Lewis, scowling for the camera. April stared at the image, searching his dark eyes for clues. She did look a little like him, but it certainly wasn’t definitive. They shared the same hair color, and the shape of their noses were similar, except his was pointier. April actually looked more like her mother than Jason Lewis.

  April removed her phone from her purse. She went to Google and typed Jason Lewis Child Rapist Villanova PA. She tapped on the top article in the search. It was from three days ago.

  Villanova Man Freed Amid Prison Scandal

  By: Rod Melville

  July 2, 2020

  A Villanova man who had been convicted in 2001 for voluntary manslaughter had his conviction overturned by a judge.

  Jason Lewis, 56, had been incarcerated at The State Correctional Institution at Mill Creek in 2000 for involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child and aggravated indecent assault of a child. In 2001, during an altercation with three inmates, Lewis stabbed two of the inmates. Duane Griffith died from the stabbing. Mr. Lewis was subsequently convicted of voluntary manslaughter and twenty-five years were added to his existing twenty-year sentence.