“And look at that painting hanging on the wall there. It looks like your daughter painted herself in a cage.” Melinda’s hand moved to cover her mouth as more tears fell. “It stuck with her. Traumatized her. It’s almost like she was trying to reenact her own kidnapping to move past it. Regain her power. The power someone else stole from her.” Amelia pulled out a third photo. That of the board.
“My husband,” Melinda hissed, hatred in her words. “See, that board is all about my husband! Emma did this because he hurt her! Hurt me. It was his actions that led her to this. I always told him how much he hurt Emma, but he never listened. I always told him he needed to be kinder, a better father, stop dabbling in the darkest pits of the world when we had the brightest angel as our daughter.”
“We have evidence he contributed,” Amelia nodded. “There’s no denying that, and he will feel the repercussions. But we found another photo at the scene.” Amelia pulled out that crinkled photo and Melinda’s cheeks went pale. Eyes wide.
“Interestingly enough, when we compared this man to the description your daughter and the other victim gave as their captor, it matched right up. We believe he kidnapped them. That he contributed to traumatizing Emma so greatly that she resorted to this. Melinda, who is this man?”
“Patrick,” she whispered as she clutched the photograph. “Patrick Beckley.”
Amelia nodded to Trent, who left immediately. With a name, they’d hopefully be able to find him. Amelia and Emma would get the justice they deserved decades ago.
“Melinda,” Amelia hissed just above a whisper. The woman looked up at her, and Amelia tried to soften herself, to appear non-threatening, a friend. Melinda was vulnerable now. With just the right pressure in the right places, Amelia knew she could finally get her to crack. “I want to know more about this man and what part you played in this. Emma deserves for the truth to be told.”
Melinda tensed for a moment, and Amelia worried she had pushed a little too hard on a spot that might be a bit too sore. It looked like Melinda would fight back. But then her shoulders dropped, her broken heart fell to the floor. She nodded.
“Yes, I suppose it’s only right after all that’s happened. After what she’s done, because I know it’s because of me.” She looked up and met Amelia’s eyes. She saw only desperation there. A gaping wound that would never heal. Perhaps they were all permanently damaged. “You have to understand that I never meant for any of this to happen.”
“My husband was awful, even though I loved him with all of my heart. Even though I still love him. Emma was a love child of his by another woman. She had twins and Brett took one for us and she kept one. I saw it in his eyes how much he loved her. Though I’m sure he would’ve cheated on her, too. So, with Brett there, they were the proper family. The family I knew he preferred to ours, and I could never make him love us like that. I could never make him stay.”
Her eyes flickered closed for a moment as her hands shook. More tears crept out, smudging her makeup. Graying hair fell over soft wrinkles as she aged a decade in a day.
“It hurt me, and it hurt Emma. The last straw was knowing that he took Emma to visit this woman after I specifically forbid him to. The last straw was finding out that Emma liked her, too. I was so afraid that my own daughter would prefer her over me, it made me crazy. I had to get this woman out of my life or…or get my husband out of my life. So, I turned to Patrick, this man who had loved me since college. I knew I could get him to do most anything and in time, I thought I might be able to love him, too. If it came to that. I convinced him to kidnap both girls, and I know what you’re thinking! But you’re wrong. Patrick wouldn’t harm them, I knew that. Sure, they didn’t know that, and they were scared, but I was doing this for them. So, we could all have better lives. I didn’t think it would stick with Emma after all this time. She was so young, I thought she’d just forget about it.”
Amelia almost came out of her seat but instead tugged that mask more firmly into place. How selfish! How narcissistic did a woman have to be to believe being abducted and held captive wouldn’t affect children? Amelia didn’t understand how Emma had still loved her. How this whole family seemed devoted to those who had treated them so poorly.
So was Emma right? Was Amelia her downfall? What if Amelia’s mother had chosen Emma instead? What if Amelia had grown in this?
She would’ve been different, she was sure of it. She would’ve never been a killer. But would Emma have been a killer if she’d grown up with Emily instead?
“I was never going to harm them,” Melinda continued. Amelia wanted to laugh out of pure frustration. How could she not see that kidnapping was harmful in itself? “I just was going to keep them to send Brett a message to devote himself to our family. I was going to take the two girls with me, along with the ransom money. We’d start a new life elsewhere with Patrick and let those two miserable betrayers rot together. I didn’t think it would hurt as much if I had the children, if I knew that my husband and his lover would be miserable forever. We’d go to an island. I thought all three of us would be happier. It almost worked, too, even without the escape. Brett was getting closer to me. The ransom call was made. Money was being gathered. I had all the options, a bright future ahead of me. For once, I was in control. But that bitch Emily just had to cut in yet again!” Her voice raised as tears evaporated under the heat of anger. Any sympathy Amelia felt was dashed as she saw the true nature of this woman that Emma hadn’t ever truly understood.
Her mother had done something terribly wrong, but her mistake wasn’t in keeping in touch with Brett and Emma. It was giving Emma to this woman who could never truly love her, because she loved herself far too much.
“If she had just left our family alone, everything would’ve been perfect! Her other daughter would’ve been much happier with us. But if she wanted her, fine. Just take her elsewhere. This is all her fault! Brett’s downfall, Emma’s death, the kidnapping. None of this would’ve happened if it wasn’t for that bitch who couldn’t mind her own fucking business!”
Amelia stood, shaking and tense. She wanted to punch her. Wanted to kill Brett and Melinda for all the horrible things they’d ever done.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a business card. Tossed it to Melinda whose eyes widened as she picked up. She looked at Amelia with such hate.
“You’re her daughter?” she whispered.
“I am,” Amelia said. “I’m the lucky one. And I hope you and Brett rot in hell for what you did to her and Emma. That’s true justice.”
She left without another word, and, as the door closed, she felt a peace fall over her she had never felt before.
Chapter Forty
Closure. Such a vague concept. A difficult thing to grasp. Amelia thought she found closure after Melinda’s confession, but it turns out she was just getting started.
It had been almost two months since that day, and she hadn’t returned to work. She wasn’t sure that she ever would. She had called Brenda’s therapist friend, though. Brenda convinced her to go in for one therapy session, just to see what it was like. She kept going each week after that. And for the first time in her life, it felt like she was making progress. Dealing with her past, accepting it. Moving past it like she should’ve years ago.
She had money now, from what her mother left her. Enough so that she didn’t have to return to work if she didn’t want to. If she was careful about things, she could live a comfortable lifestyle without earning another cent. She’d already talked to a financial planner about investing, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to call it quits on everything quite yet. She just needed some time, but she’d already started to plan for what she might do when she was ready to get back to it again.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Brenda asked as she walked into Amelia’s kitchen wearing a purple shirt with a skull on it paired with black leggings. She didn’t look exactly enthused about it, but she had agreed. She wasn’t getting out of it now.
“I’m su
re.” Amelia smiled.
“Fine,” Brenda laughed. “If it gets you to smile, I’m in.”
Amelia drove, as she was the only one who knew how to get to where they were going. They started off by blaring their favorite song. Then Brenda turned the radio down.
“You should hear all the talk that’s been running around the station since Gabe was arrested,” Brenda said.
Though it was always awful to hear of a dirty cop, Amelia was glad he’d been caught and thankful she never trusted him too much.
“I heard Trent took a break after that,” Amelia replied. “That he was the one who interrogated him, then needed a few days after.”
“Is that what he told you?” Brenda laughed and shook her head. “The break wasn’t necessarily Trent’s choice. He was the one who questioned Gabe after Brett ratted him out for corruption, but I think he was still a little raw after everything that’s happened. Still a bit too worried about you. He was angry before he even went in there, but he insisted on being the one to question him. He used some rough tactics, crude words, a bit of shoving. You know the team wasn’t exactly anxious to protect Gabe after what he did. They looked the other way. It worked. Gabe admitted to everything. To feeding Brett information about the case, protecting him all these years as he worked as an FBI agent. Trent saw him as directly responsible for putting you in danger because, duh, he did. So, once he got the confession, he turned the tape off. Gabe walked out of the room with a couple of new bruises. Trent landed a suspension.”
“Oh no!” Amelia was worried for him but also couldn’t help but smile. Trent had always been so straitlaced, a by-the-book kind of guy. She couldn’t imagine him doing something like that. It was the first time he’d ever gotten in trouble.
“Don’t worry about him,” Brenda assured her. “I think everyone in the FBI is a little embarrassed about the situation. Especially after replacing you with him. Trent was part of that takedown. He’s got some job armor through that.”
“How is that going?” Amelia asked. She tried to avoid the news, part of the healing process. She was devoted to feeling better. She would do anything to make it happen. Yet she couldn’t stop herself from asking.
“Flawless. You did amazing work, pretty much set up the whole case against him for them. Brett’s whole world is being ripped apart. He’s being dragged in the press and new victims come forward every day. There is no way he’s ever getting out of prison.”
“Melinda has been charged, too. She’ll spend less time locked up than him, but they’re both going to pay for what they did. A lot of people are shocked. A lot are thankful. You’ve helped get justice for more people than you could ever know.”
“Good. And you’ve helped me more than you know.” Brenda had stopped in almost every day since the incident with Everett and Emma in the basement. “I’m sorry that I was so harsh on you before.”
“I told you,” Brenda patted her hand. “I’ve forgiven you for that. It’s water under the bridge. You’re my best friend, and you always will be. I’m just glad you’re safe and working on you.” They stopped at the base of a familiar trail. “Now let’s go tackle this monster mountain.”
Amelia had been hiking quite a lot since she took her leave from work. She found that in nature, with plenty of fresh air waking up her lungs, she could really breathe. Think. She was less afraid here. More at peace.
Yet she’d only gone hiking alone so far, and never on this trail, though it was beautiful. She never thought she’d go on this trail ever again. She couldn’t approach it alone. But with Brenda’s help, they turned it beautiful again.
The colorful plant life dwarfed them underfoot. They didn’t talk much, Brenda had trouble even breathing on this mountain. She hadn’t been hiking in forever. But that was okay with Amelia.
She liked this time to process, to feel. To remember her time with Everett and think of how much she’d grown since then. Most of what had happened was tragic. She couldn’t honestly say that it was worth it. She wasn’t the one who had to pay the highest price, and no human life could be worth any self-improvements.
But she had improved. She’d grown. And, unlike the others, she could choose if Everett would end her life. She decided he wouldn’t.
They talked once they reached the waterfall, then stopped and ate lunch. Brenda begged Amelia to descend.
“I’m exhausted,” she whined. “I’ll never make it to the top, and it’s beautiful here.”
“It is,” Amelia admitted. “Maybe it’s even more beautiful here than it is at the top, but there’s not that same satisfaction. Come on, it’s worth it. You’ll love it, promise.”
She loved it here with all this air, her mind was truly able to breathe. All the fear and trauma that had gotten trapped in her head, that suspicion, was finally given words. A meaning.
“Brenda?” She turned to her friend.
At first, Brenda didn’t answer. Her eyes were wide, soaking in all the sights as she looked down at the view. It looked like she had found her own peace, and Amelia was so glad she’d brought her here. She was a much better choice than Everett had been.
“Worth it,” Brenda said as she turned to her. Her smile faltered. “What’s on your mind?”
“It’s Trent,” Amelia confessed. The two sat on the warm stone, letting the sun bless them. “He was the one who saved me. He barged right in, arrested Everett. I’m grateful every day for it, but also it concerns me. Gabe is proof that Brett had his hands on the police force. It wouldn’t surprise me if others were involved and…” She almost couldn’t say it out loud. She didn’t want to see Brenda’s judgment once she did. “How did Trent know where I was?”
Shock splashed onto Brenda’s face, but she didn’t lash out with the anger Amelia was expecting. She didn’t accuse her of being crazy or of being a bad friend. Instead, she took a few moments to think.
“That’s a good question,” Brenda admitted. “And I can see after all you’ve been through, why you would be suspicious. But Trent is no Gabe, I just can’t believe that. I’m sure he has an explanation, so why don’t you ask him?”
“What if he lies to me?” Amelia swallowed past the lump in her throat, the reason she hadn’t talked to Trent in weeks. “I don’t think I can take another betrayal right now. What if he lies to me like Everett did, and what if I believe him? What if I trust him and he turns on me? What if he makes a fool out of me?”
“Amelia.” Brenda took her hands and made her meet her gaze. “Trent is not like that. You’ve known him for years. You know that if you ask him about this face-to-face and he lies, then you’ll see it. You need to trust in yourself again, okay? I know things are going to be difficult for a long time. I can’t even imagine how you must feel after all you’ve been through. But there are good people out there, you’re one of them. You can’t let the past dictate your future, it’s so important that you go through this world with people you can trust. Talk to him, really talk to him. I know it will help you.”
“You’re right,” she said as she turned back to gaze upon the world again. “I think I will. I’ll ask him.” Once they returned to civilization, she texted him.
Chapter Forty-One
Amelia took several deep breaths as she stayed in her car. She’d seen his car, waiting there. For her. But he hadn’t seen her yet.
They had agreed to meet at their favorite coffee shop, a public place. Despite everything, she just couldn’t see Trent as the man waiting in the shadows to trick her. But she did worry he’d betray her, blind her. That would hurt so much worse coming from him than Everett, and even Everett’s betrayal had hurt enough.
You can’t honestly think he’d want to be with you.
She had thought that, though, hadn’t she? She had truly thought that Everett felt something for her. She still couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid.
She forced herself out of the car to escape those thoughts. She would have to face him eventually. Also, she missed him, more than she would like
to admit.
He smiled the second she walked in the shop.
“Amelia!” He stood as she walked over to the little corner away from everyone. He gave her a quick hug that was warm and comfortable. “I got your favorite and the cake of the day.”
She sipped her coffee as she sat down. “Perfect,” she smiled. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for inviting me here. I know you’ve been busy lately, but I’ve missed you. How have you been?”
“Good. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. A lot of self-reflection.”
“Oh? Did you come up with anything interesting?”
“I have.” She wished she could tell him all of it. Forget about the suspicions. But she couldn’t just sit on this, and it was better to get it out of the way. “How did you know where I was?”
“What do you mean?”
“When you saved me.” His face fell a little as he shifted in his chair. “How did you know where I was?”
A blush crept over his cheeks. He looked like a man caught. Amelia’s heart clenched. Not him. It couldn’t be him.
“I thought you might wonder about that. You see, it may sound weird or bad but…I was worried about you when you didn’t show up for work. Obviously, that’s not like you. So I decided to check in and see if you were okay, especially with all the crazy stuff that was going on. During my lunch break, I stopped by your house. Your car wasn’t there, but I went to the door. Something kept nagging at the back of my head and…I found the spare key and let myself in.”
“You broke into my house!”
“And I saved you,” he reminded her. She settled down a little and tried a bite of cake. It was delicious. “But yes, I did. It was wrong, I’ll admit it, I crossed the line. But I don’t regret it. I saw the notes, the diary. They made me even more worried. So I called Everett. I kept calling you, texting you. Tried multiple times to get ahold of him. When I couldn’t, I headed to his house, assuming you were there. I saw your car and Emma’s car parked out front. I almost left, but through the window I saw Everett pick up a gun. I had to keep you safe, so I called it in and knew there wasn’t enough time to wait since we were in the middle of nowhere, so I went in and…well, you know the rest.”
The Darkest Secrets Page 22