She could not lie to her. “I did not know, but I knew it was possible. That week changed my life, and I remember every little detail of it.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I don’t know, Brianna. I couldn’t.” Sophie felt the color drain from her face. This was the worst possible time for this to be happening. “You were twins, and you look so much like your sister. I had no reason to believe that Lewis was not your father.”
Brianna sat down on the couch without saying a word.
“Sophie, I cannot believe you kept something so important from me.” Peter shook his head in disgust.
Sophie felt faint, and tiny beads of sweat covered her forehead. “Don’t look at me that way. I didn’t know. You cannot blame me for not sharing information I didn’t have!”
“You should have made certain! I deserved that much! Any person does!”
“Peter, it was not intentional. I wasn’t trying to keep her from you.”
“Nothing ever is intentional with you. All incidental blunders due to circumstance.” Peter eyed Richard observing from his seat in the corner. “Cannot blame this one on him, can you? Or on your late husband. Whose fault is this one, Sophie?”
“Peter—”
“You sold my daughter, Sophie! My daughter! You broke my fuckin’ heart. I am hurting in places . . . I didn’t even know existed before!” Peter leaned against the door frame.
Sophie recognized the look in his eyes. It was the same look he’d had that night she had to let him go.
“I thought about us . . . I thought we could be . . . again, but this . . .” Peter snapped himself free of the pain consuming him. Realizing where he was and who was present, he collected himself. “Brianna, let’s go. Come on. I won’t let your grandfather watch your mother rip my heart to pieces a second time.”
Brianna stood confused as to what she should do. She looked to Sophie for an answer.
Sophie smiled at her daughter and pulled her close. “It’s okay, Brianna. Go ahead. We can talk later. I promise I’ll try my best to explain everything.”
Brianna kissed Sophie on the cheek then left her mother to watch another daughter walk away from her. Her only comfort was in knowing that Brianna had Peter to help her. Sophie had left Michelle alone to strangers, just as her parents had done.
“Oh, daughter, I guess you made the same type of mess I did.”
Sophie’s face was wet with tears. She hadn’t even realized she was crying. Richard joined her on the couch. She lay her head in his lap and sobbed aloud. “Daddy, everything is ruined. It was not supposed to be this way.” She couldn’t stop crying. “I thought I had it all planned, but . . . I don’t think I can handle this, Daddy. My girls hate me. Peter hates me.”
“Well, I think I know a thing or two about being hated. It does not feel good. I know that, but you still have time to salvage things. To repair what has been broken. Time has healing power if people want to heal. I don’t know the other daughter—”
“Michelle.”
“What’s that, Sophie?”
“Her name is Michelle.”
“Oh, okay. I see. Michelle and, uh, Brianna . . . I don’t think they hate you. Probably very angry, maybe hurt, but I didn’t see any hate here. Not even from Peter. That boy has loved you forever. He couldn’t hate you if he wanted to.”
“It doesn’t seem that way to me.”
“Just give them time. They will come around. You’ll see.”
Ding dong, ding dong. The doorbell chimed.
Richard leaned forward, kissed Sophie on the forehead, and lightly patted her back, urging her to sit up. Sophie looked at her father, her eyes swollen from hurt. She didn’t think she had the strength to get through this.
“Come now. This is the beginning, and it won’t be pleasant, but I am not leaving you. Daddy will be right behind you. Are you ready?”
“Daddy, I am scared.”
“I know you are, but you don’t need to be. I told you I would take care of this, and I will. Let’s go, okay?”
Sophie nodded, took her father by the hand, and followed him to the front door. She marveled at the massive foyer again, as she had hours before when she first arrived. She kissed her father, laying her head on his shoulder, permitting him to open the door.
The detective flashed his badge. “Sir, we are here to execute an arrest warrant for a Sophie Lucille Freemont.”
Sophie did not protest. Stepping from beside her father, she offered her wrists to the detective. “I am Sophie Freemont.”
An officer stepped forward to take Sophie into custody while the detective rehashed the Miranda warning. “Sophie Lucille Freemont, you are under arrest for the murder of Leonard Brendan Lewis. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. . . .”
The officer’s words faded into oblivion as Sophie felt the metal cuffs cutting into the soft flesh of her wrists. Her world was completely upside down, and the only person she had in her corner was the one person she had spent her life trying to avoid: her father.
Six Months Later . . . .
Chapter 56
“Ms. Vida, I think it’s time that I moved out, got my own place.” Micah threw out the notion in between bites. He and Ms. Vida were halfway through an excellent breakfast: two eggs, three waffles, four strips of bacon, and more, if he could find room for it in his stomach. “I appreciate you allowing me stay for so long, but I am in better health than I was even before the accident. Hannah cut me loose from OT months ago.”
Ms. Vida peered at Micah from behind her round frames. “I know, Micah. I have been expecting this conversation for a little while now. I did not want to say anything . . . well, it’s that . . . I do not wish to see you go.”
“Ms. Vida, you know that I will be here to visit with you every day, and you’ll always be welcome wherever I am. I may call you Ms. Vida, but I love you like a son loves a mother.”
Ms. Vida reached across the small, oval table and patted Micah’s hand. “I know, child. I am just used to you staying here. This tiny apartment will shrink a little with you gone.”
Micah was not completely sold on the idea of leaving Ms. Vida. She was a staple in his life, and interacting with her had become as necessary as breathing for him. He didn’t want to move, but he would be a father soon, and he needed to have a place of his own. Watching the sadness spread over Ms. Vida’s face hurt him even more. He had anticipated her not liking the idea, but this was worse. Perhaps she would be open to his alternative.
“I have been thinking about this. I don’t want to leave you, and you don’t want me to go. I have a child that I need to prepare for. I cannot call myself a man and be living at home with my mother. I have to get a place of my own.”
“I know that, Micah.”
“Brianna and the baby need a place where they will feel comfortable to come and stay anytime. I’m not just thinking of me.”
“You know I adore Brianna, and she is always welcome here.”
Micah nodded his understanding. “And I appreciate you being a surrogate mother for us and grandmother for our child. You have been a huge support to us, and I cannot thank you enough.”
“I love you two. Brianna is a great girl, and I am very happy that things are going well.” Ms. Vida pushed herself away from the table. She rose to her feet and prepared to exit the kitchen. “Excuse me.”
Micah knew she was attempting to hide her tears. She never wanted him to establish a link between his joy and her sadness. This was something she could not hide from him. Her despondence grew with his independence. He first noticed when Hannah released him from outpatient therapy. Being discharged from rehabilitation was good, but being officially cleared for take-off was something completely different. He figured Ms. Vida feared that she wouldn’t be needed anymore, and she had started creating distance between them.
“Ms. Vida, don’t leave. Please sit.�
�� He pretended not to see her wipe the tears from her eyes before she sat back down. “I was saying that . . . you should come with me.”
Ms. Vida’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?”
Micah smiled so wide his cheeks hurt. “I want you to come with me. You said it yourself; this apartment will shrink. You should just come.”
“I have not lived with anyone since I was seventeen years old, Micah.”
“I know, but I want to do this for you. You look beautiful, but you’re no spring chicken, Ms. Vida. Let me be the one to take care of you. Let me be here for you. I can get a big house. You can have your own space.”
“Micah, you are not working full-time. How will you afford any of that?”
“I’m an architect. I worked for one of the best firms in the city. I can find employment. Besides, it isn’t like I am moving tomorrow.”
“I cannot believe that you want me to come with you.”
“Believe it. What do you say?”
“I retired to follow you from the hospital. I suppose it will not hurt for me to follow you into this phase of your life.”
Micah beamed. “Excellent!” He could barely contain his excitement. Ms. Vida prided herself on being independent and having the ability to provide for herself. Micah had feared that she would not only reject his request but rebuke him for even suggesting it. The conversation had gone much better than he expected.
“I thought you would get rid of me because you did not need my help anymore.”
“I know you did, but I cannot imagine a time when I wouldn’t need you. I am not in the same condition that you found me in. I am better because of you, Ms. Vida. You helped me to help myself, and that is major. I could not have gotten here without you. We all need someone in our corner like that.”
“That is very sweet of you to say, Micah.”
“It’s the truth. Plus, you’re going to be a grandmother! I am pretty sure I’ll need help with that. My father wasn’t the best example.”
“I am here for you, Brianna, and that baby, too. I think you will be a fine father, Micah.”
“I hope so, Ms. Vida.”
“Where is Brianna? I thought she would have come over for breakfast.”
Micah cleared his throat. “She had court this morning, Ms. Vida. Remember?”
Micah knew she remembered. Ms. Vida did not forget things, particularly things regarding Brianna’s mother’s case. She consumed every detail and was convinced that Sophie Freemont was the devil incarnate.
Ms. Vida turned her lip up. Hmph. “I guess I had hoped that she would decide not to go.”
“Ms. Vida, please. Not this again.”
“Not what again?” Ms. Vida asked, offended.
“We only met the woman once. How can you deduce her character from five minutes of talking?” Their meeting had been uncomfortable, but Micah did not get the same corrosive vibes that Ms. Vida apparently picked up from her. Between that meeting and the story breaking about the arrest, Ms. Vida had abandoned all objectivity, relying solely on her flawless intuition.
“I do not need to meet her a second time to know the truth.”
Micah shook his head. “And what is that, Ms. Vida?”
Ms. Vida leaned over the table, getting closer to Micah, like she was sharing a secret. “That woman is pure evil. She killed that man, and everybody knows it.”
“We don’t know it, actually, and that’s why we have our grand judicial system. It is supposed to determine those types of things.”
Ms. Vida reared back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. “Courts cannot legislate evil. She has been all over the news, campaigning for her peers.”
“Ms. Vida . . .” Micah knew he was wasting his breath trying to reason with her. Ms. Vida’s mind was made up about Brianna’s mother, but Micah felt obligated to try anyway, for Brianna’s sake.
“She is not innocent, Micah. Brianna, that poor child, needs to believe she is because the truth is unbearable. She does not think that she can survive the sharp edges of living in a reality with a mother like her, but she is much stronger than she thinks.”
“That we can agree on. Brianna is incredible, but can we drop this?” Micah pleaded. “If, and when, Brianna does come by, she does not need to hear from you about how her mother is a raving, murderous sociopath. She’s at the tail end of her pregnancy and is under enough stress as it is. Let’s not add to it.”
“Now, Micah, you know that I would not do or say anything to harm Brianna. I love her like I love you. I just do not care at all for her mother. I hope she gets the chair for what she did to that man.”
Micah sighed. “Ms. Vida, we all deserve an opportunity to be better. Is that not what you have taught me?”
“Some people forfeit their opportunity when they decide that someone else is not deserving of theirs. I know you think I am crazy, but I am not. Something is not right with her.”
“You are probably right as you are about most things. That does not mean that you need to speak on it. Brianna does not need this. She needs our support right now. If what you say is true, she’ll see it for herself.”
“I hope she does.”
“In the meantime, let’s not jump to any conclusions. We don’t know the whole story. We all play the defendant at different points in our lives. We should extend to others the same type of understanding and forgiveness that we would seek for ourselves.”
“I will try and do that, for you and Brianna. I do not want to make things harder for her.”
Micah was satisfied with that. “Well, enough of that. Let’s go get the rest of the stuff for the nursery, shall we? We can meet Brianna at her place after.”
Ms. Vida simply smiled and went to her room to get ready. Micah stared at her plate, full of barely eaten food. Ms. Vida put up a brave front, but he knew she was worried about Brianna, concerned about this trial and what it would all mean in the end. Brianna seemed a bit consumed by the showmanship of it all, despite her enlarged belly. She stood beside her mother at every press conference and visited with her each day. What if her mother was convicted of capital murder? What if she was found guilty? What would that mean for Brianna, for his child?
Chapter 57
Lisa was on the verge of a full recovery. Dr. Ojirika had pulled off a miracle, and Frank could not be happier to have his wife back. She was weak and could not move a lot, but she was light years away from where she had been. Detective Baptiste had taken a leave from work to stay Stateside for a while. Frank was grateful; the person behind the attacks on Lisa was still a bit of a mystery. He was well aware that Jacob had to have guessed that he was back in town by now, but he still had not said anything to him, so Frank didn’t bother reaching out to him, either.
He was still not sure what to think of his old friend since that situation with his brother in New York. The entire evening felt like a setup. Of course, his brother had been expecting him, but there was something else going on there. Frank could not figure out what it was. That guy in the car looked familiar, but he couldn’t place him, and Lisa had been so traumatized after seeing him that she pretended like he wasn’t there. It was truly bizarre, and Frank figured he had better get them out of there.
Now, as he reclined in his office chair, that man’s face came back to him. He knew exactly where he had seen him and understood what had frightened Lisa so. “Good gawd. Simmy!” Frank hurried out of his office toward the den, where he figured he’d find Simmy. “Simmy!”
Sure enough, he was lounging on the couch, watching some reality show. “What is it, yo?”
“I think I know who’s trying to kill Lisa.”
Simmy turned away from the television and met Frank’s stare. “Who?”
“I think it was that guy in the car. The one from the airport ride to my brother’s I told you about. Trench coat.”
“Why do you think that?”
“I figured out who he is.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense, yo.”
<
br /> Before Frank could respond, the news broadcast interrupted his train of thought.
“Breaking news regarding the murder case involving ex-socialite Sophie Freemont Lewis, daughter of former Dallas Mayor Richard Freemont. The prosecution just introduced their star witness. Please stay tuned for a live feed into the courthouse. This is Fox 4 News.”
“Turn that up,” Frank instructed. He walked toward the screen, captivated by the hoopla. He hoped that he would not be pulled into her kind of trouble. He had enough dealings with the law and fully intended to stay off the radar.
“Well? Who is it, yo?” Simmy asked again.
Frank did not respond immediately. His eyes were fixated on the screen. He could not look away, but he was not sure what he desired to see.
“Yo, Frank?”
Frank was completely gone. His only thought was finding out who the man in the trench coat was. He was absolutely certain with each passing moment, until the news broadcast came back on.
“Welcome back. We are coming back from commercial break in order to cut to the live feed. We are headed into the courthouse now, where the prosecution is gearing up to present their alleged star witness against the murder case involving Sophie Freemont. Oh, wait. We just received word that we have footage of the witness getting into an elevator at the courthouse. Here it is. . . .”
Frank could not believe it. There he was. The guy from the elevator, the prosecution’s witness, was possibly the culprit behind the attacks on his wife.
“Here is a freeze frame of the witness. There, in the far corner of the elevator. That is the prosecution’s alleged witness. This person’s name and other details coming just after the break.”
Frank pointed to the screen. “It’s him, Simmy. That was the guy with my brother in the car. I think that’s the guy trying to kill my wife.”
Chapter 58
This was surreal. The courtroom was buzzing with reporters, gossip columnists, politicians, supporters, and enemies—people who wanted to see her mother go to prison. Others were in attendance for no real reasons; they had nothing else better to do.
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