by L. G. Davis
His laptop. It’s not on the desk. Maybe the cops took it. Like a growing seed, the need to see the video Jared had shown me unfurls to life inside of me.
It’s over. I’m free. But Jared is not yet behind bars. I’m not even sure whether, after he recovers, he will be sent to prison. He’s a dangerous man. If they let him go, I won’t be safe. Any woman who comes into contact with him will be in danger.
I need more evidence to make sure he doesn’t hurt me again. I need to secure my newfound freedom.
I rise from the chair and turn in circles, studying the room that’s no longer as immaculate as it used to be, on days when Jared wasn’t throwing a fit. The cops must have already searched it, shifting things around. Or was it the person who broke in?
What did the person want? When I entered the house, I didn’t notice anything missing.
What if it was Rachel? What if Jared had some kind of evidence that worked against her?
My gut tells me it was her. Maybe she was looking for the video. Did she find it? If not, it might still be inside the house, inside the office.
There’s not much in the room aside from a desk that stands on a black and white rug, a mahogany chest of drawers against the wall next to the window, and an exercise bike.
I start with the desk, yanking open drawers and spilling the contents onto the floor.
Among the bills and other paperwork pertaining to the house, I find nothing that can help me.
I search every surface, every corner. I find nothing that could help nail Jared for good, but inside a small drawer, I come across several dollar bills, coins, crumpled tissues, a restaurant receipt, and a key ring. He must have emptied his pockets into it.
The money will help pay for at least two nights at a motel while I decide what to do and where to go.
The sound of the landline ringing makes me freeze. I shuffle to the living room, my mind trying to guess who the caller is.
The ringing stops before I can answer. I don’t expect the phone to ring again. When it does, I let out a silent gasp of surprise.
I blow out a breath and grab it again before it stops.
“Hello? This is...Kelsey Bloom speaking.”
“You have a collect call from Rosemary White. Would you like to accept?”
Chapter 39
I’ve been sitting across from Rosemary for five minutes, unsure what to say to her. The prison clock is ticking. Our time together will be over soon. But what can I say to the woman who betrayed me? Hearing she was locked up also knocked the wind from my lungs.
She didn’t want to tell me why she was behind bars on the phone. She begged to see me in person. As soon as we came face to face, her eyes landed on my stomach, but she said nothing. Does she know the baby is gone? I’m glad she doesn’t ask. I wouldn’t want to put the pain of losing a baby into words.
I don’t recognize her. Her hair is tangled around her head and the area around her eyes is so swollen, making it hard to look into them.
She finally speaks.
“I’m sorry,” she says in a broken whisper. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Why? Why did you do it? And why are you in prison?”
“I did some terrible things in my life.”
“Start at the beginning,” I say. “I’m tired of being lied to.”
“Jared is my son,” she blurts out.
I stare at her, baffled. “What do you mean he’s your son?”
“He’s...I raised him. He’s my son.”
“You adopted him?” My voice sounds calm, but inside me, my emotions are at war.
Rosemary closes her eyes and takes a breath. “No, I stole him.”
My head snaps back. “You what?”
She meets my gaze again. “I only wanted to help.” A tear trickles down her lined face. “His biological mother was my neighbor. She was not fit to be a mother, and I couldn’t have kids of my own. I was desperate for a child. Adoption was too expensive and complicated.”
“You took him without his mother’s permission?” I bury my hands in my hair. “You stole him? I can’t believe this.”
“I wanted to protect him. That’s all I wanted.” She presses her lips together. “I didn’t know that he...he’s a bad person.”
“Oh, my God.” I had no idea I was caught up in a web more complicated than I could have ever imagined. “Why didn’t you tell me this?”
“He didn’t want anyone to know.” Rosemary bows her head. “He was a tough kid to raise. When he found out what I did, he became even more damaged. He stole from me, lied, and manipulated me every chance he got.” She glances at the guard in the room. “I stuck by him because he was my problem. I brought him into my life. It was my punishment for what I did.”
“Have you always lived here? Does anyone in town know?”
Rosemary shakes her head. “This is my hometown, but I left when I was eighteen to study in New York. After college, I met someone and stayed.”
“You were married?” I’m suddenly curious to know everything about her. Jared did mention to me that his mother was from Sanlow. I could never have guessed it was Rosemary. He told me his parents were dead.
“Yes.” Rosemary folds her hands on the scarred table. “But when my husband found out what I did, he left me. Jared and I left New York because the police were searching for him.”
“Your ex-husband never reported you?”
“When he asked me for a divorce, he said he wouldn’t. But he did say God will punish me for what I did. I guess he was right. Having Jared in my life was like a curse. He caused trouble everywhere. He threw tantrums almost every day and was kicked out of school more times than I can count. We moved a lot.”
“Did he ever lay a hand on you?” When Rosemary speaks about Jared, her gaze darts around the room as if she’s afraid he might show up.
She gives a small nod. “He was violent. He harmed other kids and animals.” She glances down at her right hand, studying the angry scar carved into her skin. I know now that Jared is responsible for it. “A doctor I took him to said his behavior could be linked to an imbalance in critical brain chemicals. When he left to attend college in New York, I was relieved. I didn’t feel safe with him in the house. I wanted him gone. When he finally left, I opened up the shelter.”
She waits for me to speak, but I’m still reeling from her confession.
“The Rosemary Home was my way of making up for what I did. I should never have taken Jared.” Rosemary is wringing her hands now. I can only imagine how hard it is for her to tell me her story. “When he showed up in town as a man with a different name, I wanted to believe he had changed, but then the threats started again. He threatened to tell the cops that I stole even more babies and sold them to mothers who couldn’t get pregnant. He had always been a good liar. The cops would have believed him.”
My head is ringing from everything I’m hearing. It sickens me to know that Jared was even more evil than I thought.
“I’m sorry you went through all that.” As a normal person, I’m tempted to hold on to my anger, to punish Rosemary for what she did to me, but we both suffered at the hands of Jared.
“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have allowed him to manipulate me into luring you to town.”
“Did you know why he asked you to do it? Did he explain?”
“He said it was none of my business. I was so stupid.” She reaches out to touch my hand, but the guard coughs. She withdraws it again. “I wanted to help you get away from him, but when he found out that you came to me for help, he came to my house and tried to strangle me. He warned that if I meddled in his business again, the next time he would finish the job.”
I wrap a hand around my throat, imagining Jared’s hands around my neck. “Did you know about his former wife?”
“I never knew he was married. During the years he was away, we didn’t have any contact at all. He never even called me for money. But he was a good thief and master manipulator. He must have stolen whatev
er he needed.” Rosemary sighs. “When I told the cops that I raised him, they questioned me about her...the ex-wife. The officer said he’s being accused of murdering her.”
I nod.
“And he hurt you. It’s all my fault.” Rosemary can no longer hold back her tears.
“No,” I say firmly, wishing I could pull her into my arms and comfort her the way she used to comfort me. “It’s not your fault. It’s not my fault. It’s all on Jared.”
“You forgive me?” she asks.
“I...maybe one day.” I peel my gaze from hers. The wounds are still too fresh.
“I wanted to make it up to you. That’s why I called the cops.”
“You were the anonymous caller?” I straighten up.
“One of the times Jared came to see me, the day he tried to strangle me, he got a call from someone named Rachel. He said her name several times.”
“Did you hear anything else?”
“Yes. He was assuring her that no one will find out, and that she should stop going to the lake. He told her to trust him.”
“Rachel was Victor’s wife,” I say.
“I know that now. When I saw her name in the papers, I remembered the phone call and put two and two together.”
“She was arrested for the murder.”
“But that doesn’t mean Jared is innocent. He was involved in some way.” She pauses. “Why else would he have the video?”
“The video?” I lean forward. “What video?”
She averts her gaze. “I was the one who broke into your house. I wanted to find something...anything that would help get Jared arrested. I found his phone inside one of his jacket pockets. When I saw the video, I knew he was involved.”
“Is that why you’re in here?” Surely, it can’t be for kidnapping Jared. There must be some statute of limitations.
She nods. “I turned myself in and handed the phone to the cops. I’m also locked up because Jared did tell the cops that I’m a child kidnapper. He kept his promise. Apparently, he called them the night he tried to set you on fire.”
When I was trapped inside the bathroom, I heard Jared talking. Was he talking to the cops, telling them about Rosemary? I guess he was determined to destroy both of the women in his life.
“I didn’t kidnap any more babies. You have to believe me, Kelsey.”
“I believe you,” I say as the guard signals that our time is up.
“I left money for you,” Rosemary says as she’s taken away. “Contact my lawyer, Aaron Sailor. I hope you’ll forgive me one day.”
I try to say something, but my throat is clogged by tears. Rosemary is taken away, and I’m left to figure out what comes next.
Chapter 40
I’m standing in the Sanlow Cemetery and Rosemary’s casket is being lowered into the ground. Two days after I visited her, I received a call from her lawyer that she had suffered a heart attack. I spent the rest of the day sitting in bed, weeping for the woman she was before I found out that she had betrayed me. I also wept for the woman who had been hurt and betrayed by Jared.
The day the call came in, I had planned to leave town. I had already packed everything, and opened a bank account for the lawyer to transfer the eight thousand dollars Rosemary had gifted me, her way of apologizing.
When it’s my turn to throw a white rose onto the casket, sobs overwhelm me again. All Rosemary wanted was my forgiveness, and I did not give it to her. When I visited her, I was too bruised that it felt right to hold on to the grudge for longer. Now I regret it. I should have said the words.
As soon as she told me about the things Jared did to her, most of the anger I had been harboring toward her melted away. I knew I would forgive her, maybe I already had. Now it’s too late. She will never hear the words she wanted me to say.
My rose hits the casket with a soft thud. I step away, walking into the arms of Phylis, one of the Rosemary Home staff members.
“She loved you,” Phylis says, smoothing my hair. “Never forget that.”
I pull back and give her a sad smile. “I loved her too.” Even though we were manipulated into crossing each other’s paths, she was the mother I never had.
“Will you come with us to the shelter?” Phylis asks as we walk to our cars. “We’re having a small lunch only for the staff.”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry, I can’t. I’m actually leaving town right now.”
“That’s a shame.” She stops and hugs me again. “I wish you all the best, Kelsey. You deserve to be happy now. Stop by for a visit if you’re ever in town.”
“I will,” I say even though I don’t see myself returning to Sanlow.
I wave goodbye to everyone and get behind the wheel of my car.
I told Phylis that I’ll be leaving town immediately, but I don’t. Instead, I make a quick stop at the hospital.
I never want to see Jared again, but I need some kind of closure so I can move forward with my life.
My knees are weak as I’m escorted to his room, where two cops I have never met before are standing. I introduce myself to them and they let me enter.
The man I once knew is no longer there, only a bundle wrapped in bandages. Most of his body is covered in white including his face. But his eyes and mouth are visible and that’s enough for me.
He doesn’t open his eyes until I approach his bed and look down at him.
The green in his eyes has dimmed. They look almost lifeless.
As our eyes meet, his tongue slides from his mouth to wet his lips, which move apart slightly as if he wants to say something. Nothing comes out.
“Your mother was buried today,” I say. “Rosemary may not have been your biological mother, but she raised you. She put up with your nonsense, and what did you do? You hurt her. You’re responsible for her death.” My gaze sweeps across his body. “I wish you a quick recovery, Jared. The sooner you heal, the sooner you can go to prison where you belong. You will never hurt anyone again.”
I spoke to Officer Rogers the day I visited Rosemary. He said enough evidence was found on Jared’s laptop to charge him for the murder of his ex-wife in addition to the attempted murder.
His lips part again. This time he croaks out three words. “Go to hell.”
“No, that’s not part of my plans. I’m leaving town to start a new life as a free woman. You, on the other hand, will soon be given a one-way ticket to hell. Goodbye, Jared.”
When I walk out of the building, it feels like a heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders. But there’s still something else I need to do.
Inside my car, I pull a letter from my new purse and smooth it out on my lap. Linda gave it to me when I had coffee with her this morning.
Dear Kelsey,
I called you several times. I was hoping you would visit me so we can speak in person, but I understand why you refuse to see me again.
I don’t expect you to forgive me after the things I did to you.
The only good thing about being inside a jail cell is that I have enough time to think. I’ve spent many hours thinking about you.
My ego hates to admit this, but you were right and I was wrong. My husband hurt you and I blamed you for it. It was wrong. I see that now. I was so angry with Victor that I took it out on you. For that, I’m terribly sorry.
The day he raped you, we had a huge fight and he walked out. He said he needed some air. After a while, I followed him in the hopes that we could make up. I was ovulating. I needed us to make peace so we could try again to make a baby. Then I saw the things he was doing to you. I recorded it all because I actually wanted to report him to the cops, but then my anger got out of control. After you hit him and ran away, I went to him.
I don’t remember how it happened. I just remember holding a bloody stone in my hand. I panicked and felt for a pulse, but he was gone. I killed my own husband, not you. I didn’t know what to do, so I called Jared. He promised to help me if I never told anyone what happened that day.
But it was hard to f
orget. Every time I saw you, I saw my husband raping you. I made myself believe it was your fault. You were a stripper—not a prostitute—at one point in your life. I found that out while going through some of Victor’s stuff. He had a whole folder on you. He must have had some sick obsession with you.
I sent you all those notes and the text messages because I wanted you gone, especially after I found out about the pregnancy. I saw you buy the pregnancy test. I knew it was Victor’s. Victor told me once that Jared can’t have kids. You cannot even imagine how much it hurt to see your stomach growing with my husband’s baby.
I thought if you left town, it would be easier for me to forget what happened. But Jared brought you back. At the time, I didn’t understand why he would want you. In my eyes, you were tainted. I now know that he was obsessed with you in his own twisted way.
I’m sorry I didn’t help you when I heard your screams. As a woman, I’m ashamed of myself.
You don’t have to forgive me, but please understand that I was not myself. I was drowning in too much pain.
I’m going to prison for murder, but I think I deserve to be punished for so much more, for the things I did to you.
Linda told me you’re leaving town. I hope you find a better life wherever you’re going.
Goodbye, Kelsey.
Rachel
P.S. For all it’s worth, I never told the cops about you being in prison before. I hope they never find out.
When I finish reading, I fold the letter up again and push it into my purse.
I’m a free woman now. I’m free from Jared, Victor, and even Garry. According to Rosemary’s lawyer, who I told about my past, Garry is back behind bars where he belongs. After looking into my case, the lawyer also confirmed my innocence. I did not kill my grandmother.
With tears of gratitude in my eyes, I drive out of Sanlow to search for my own version of a perfect life.
THE END
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