“I seen your daughter, she is beautiful.” Adrian said.
“Thank you. You are such a beautiful woman” Kyra said as a tear gleamed in her eye.
“Is there something going on?”
“I haven’t had plans to ask you out for coffee. Earlier you called my home, while I and my husband was in the middle of an argument. He confessed to me that he has been having an affair on me with you.”
Adrian jumped to her feet grabbing her purse grabbing money out of her wallet.
“I am so sorry. I didn’t know I…”
“Please sit. I didn’t bring you here, to pick a fight. I just want to talk.”
Adrian sat back down and still clutched her purse.
“How long?” Kyra said.
“Four months.” Adrian said.
Kyra smirked. “Four months.” She smiled. “Four months he has been sneaking around, four months of him slipping away for me.” A tear was flooded her waterline and cascaded down her face. “Can I ask you such an honest question?”
Adrian sat listening.
“What did you do, that I couldn’t? What did you give him that I didn’t have enough of?”
Adrian sat with her head down in guilty and then looked up at Kyra grabbing her hand and Kyra rubbed her eyes.
“Whatever I did was no excuse for what he, done to you. You are a beautiful, and smart woman and I wish I would have took the time to done what you done. You went to school, and had a gorgeous daughter.”
“How did you know I went to school?”
Adrian took a sip of her coffee.
“Because I figure out who you were. I was one of your clients when you first got out of college. I was seventeen then. You helped me a lot. I guess now you need help. I can help you if you want.”
Kyra smiled. “That sounds nice. Thank you.” Kyra took a sip of her coffee and they both sat laughing, talking of their everyday lives.
Christian had rushed to the court with all the information he had needed to end the case. He knew once and for all who the killer was. He understood what Evelyn clue meant, he had the puzzle solve and saw what the big picture was and how everything he was doing was matching completely parallel with the case. He walked into the court and got situated at his table. He had already called who he needed down at the court. He was ready.
“I hope that our short break help you out Mr. Grant. Are you ready to begin?” Judge Maddox said.
“Yes.” Christian said getting a few papers out of his suitcase.
“Which one of you two want to begin?” The judge said.
“I will let Mr. Grant start today. I heard he has information to end this” Hoffman said with sarcasm.
“Then you heard correct.” Christian responded.
“Who do you call to the stand, Grant?”
“I call Mr. Hoffman senior to the stand.”
Chapter XVII
“Are you seriously calling my father to the stand? What does he have that you could possibly use for this case?”
The judge sat listening too, awaiting an answer.
“Your father was the sports director when you were in college, so there for he could help identify what jacket was actually worn the night of Lisa’s murder.” Christian stated.
“But how could you use, details for the testimonies, when everyone we had on the stand was inebriated that night of Ms. Balmore’s death.”
“Because I was there that night. I was the only person who didn’t drink and the only person who can clearly identify who her killer is. But I didn’t see the face of the culprit, but that jacket was not the newly issued ones given to the football team this year. It was an older one and I need his father to identify what year the jacket was issued.” Christian explain to Judge Maddox answering his question. “The jacket I saw, looked worn out. The light grey letters were much darker in shade and the insignia and letters were swapped. The insignia on the newer ones in of the right not the left but I remember seeing that symbol on the left side. I would like, Mr. Hoffman to tell the court what year was that jacket issued.”
“The one you described, could have been the one issue only a few years back. In about two thousand and four.” Mr. Hoffman Sr. said.
“Thank you, no further questions.”
Brian stayed seated and his father was dismissed from the stand.
“I would like to call Mr. Grant to the stand.” Hoffman said.
The judge looked at Christian as he was anticipating an objection, but not a word left Christian’s mouth as he walk up and sat.
“You said you attended the party.”
“That’s correct “
“And you didn’t drink.”
“No.” Christian said not seeing his point.
“Why not? It was a party wasn’t it.” Hoffman said smiling. “Why weren’t you partying, or better yet why were you at a fraternity’s party anyways?”
“I was at that party, because I received a phone call from one of my old friends from school saying they were in trouble. When I got down there I found out that they just had a few too many to drink and was trying to lure me to the party so that I can drink to.” Christian said. “I was inside the house the whole night until my friend vanished. I called a cab but minutes before I heard a few screams but I didn’t think it was somebody being killed.”
“Then what did you think it was?”
“I just thought it was a few people just fooling around but I never heard any talking after that.”
Hoffman paced around. “A few people fooling around. This is a reliable witness. This the person we are trying rely on, the same person who sat around listening to the dying screams of a girl.”
Christian walked down and called Mr. Hoffman to the stand.
“We are not here to play tag, we are here to find out who murdered this girl if you too don’t take this seriously, you both will be held in contempt.” Judge Maddox turned towards Christian. “Now, I really hope there is a damn good reason why you called him to the stand.”
“There is.”
“Then you may proceed.”
Christian walked halfway to Hoffman before standing and staring into his eyes.
“How did you feel when you made the team?”
Hoffman expressed a puzzled face.
“I mean you were on the football team for Postman’s Challenge for a few months.”
“Sorry, I stopped giving autographs years ago.” Hoffman said.
“That’s funny, but how did you feel when you made the team.” Christian repeated.
“How would any person feel if they found out they could be on top?”
“I guess I would feel great. So I’m guessing you were pretty pissed off when your season was ended when you had that shoulder injury.”
“Yeah.” He said.
“I guess it’s safe to assume that, you reacted the same way towards, Lisa. Maybe after she found out you were nothing but a “has been” and she didn’t want to have your baby anymore. You must have been really pissed then. You possible hit her and when she threatened to expose you to everyone, and you got scared, feared that you wouldn’t be on top anymore.”
Hoffman sat clinching his fist up.
“And oh…. that reminds me. The forensic report said that she had heavy bruising on the right side of her neck. It was uneven, but that’s usual with someone who isn’t ambidextrous, or someone who has different strength in each hand. The strangest thing is that my client is left handed so if he was to strangle anyone the bruising would be darkest of the opposite side.”
The court was dead silent from shock of Christian’s evidence...
“But I have one question that kinda been bugging me all day. Was this before or after the drug incident with your brother? I mean you ratted him out to the police and as a result he hung himself…You must have felt so guilty, and you tried to make it up to your dad, so you became everything your brother wanted to become. And after all that you still couldn’t let go because you fell in love with that per
sona. The enormous ego that have brought you high up to the top and brought you to the lowest depth a person could ever go. You are bound to spend the rest of your life under that constant reminder. Alcohol can make you do stupid things, but it’s not an excuse for what you have done.” Christian walked up close to the stand and brought his voice down. “The one thing that has brought you happiness has brought sadness to everyone surrounding you.” Christian walked back to his seat and sat.
“Under the special circumstance as so, all the charges are dropped against Connor Davenport. Brian Hoffman Jr., you are convicted of murder in the first degree. I sentence you to life without parole.” Judge Maddox slammed down his gavel and the bailiffs carried Hoffman away in handcuffs.
“The court is now adjourned.”
One slam of the gavel sent them off to the outside.
Evelyn sat at home happy about the good news. She walked in her husband study as he sat drinking and looking down at a picture.
“We won the case, Dan.”
“I guess we did.” He said never looking up at Evelyn.
“I think we should celebrate.”
“You go ahead. I just need some time to think about some stuff.” Dan said taking a sip from his glass.
“Okay, I love you Dan.” Evelyn said as she, about to walk out the door. There was no response from Dan, he sat just focusing on that picture. Evelyn walked away.
Kyra had just arrived home from her meeting with Adrian. She had heard the good news, but still remained saddened from the events prior. She walked into living room sitting down lily, asleep on the floor and poured her a glass of wine. She drank two quickly, crying in between the third and the fourth one and wiping her tears away staring into space. She picked Lily back up and took her up to her room. She sat Lily down in her crib. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She unlocked it and saw that a calendar event has popped up across her screen. Her phone fell to the ground next to Lily’s crib. A shadowed figure jumped blackened and covered her mouth with a purely white rag. Her scream were muffled for a few seconds before she had passed out, cold, on the floor. On her screen it said “Happy anniversary.” Lily began to cry and shadowed figure turned on the mobile that spun around slowly putting her back to sleep.
Christian got out of a taxi in front of his mother’s home. The police swarm the inside and out searching. Christian walked in to see Evelyn wrapped in a blanket, silent and still.
“What happened here? What’s going on?”
“He’s dead Christian.” She said emotionlessly.
“Who is dead?” Christian asked.
“Dan.” She said staring at the end of the stair case. “He was drunk and fell from the top and…” She stopped, but Cameron already knew what happened.
“It’s okay.”
Evelyn handed Cameron a business card that was slightly crumble. He opened it and saw that it was the card to a divorce attorney.
“He told me that he was planning on leaving me. Apparently he has been thinking about it for a long time now.” She looked into Christian’s eyes teary. “I guess you were right. I was just a tool.”
Christian thought in his head as she lacked the devastation, “Did she kill his father in law?” A smirk came across his face.
Dan had walked into the room while Evelyn sat reading a book.
“We need to talk, Evelyn.”
“Sure.” She said sitting down her book. Dan hesitated to talk and instead just handed her the business card.
“Stuff has not been moving along, like I thought it would and I heard he is a good guy. He would help you with all the legal troubles that you might have during the process.”
When Evelyn realized what he was proposing she grew infuriated.
“I don’t understand what you are talking about. I have done nothing but love you and now you want to get rid of me like this.”
“Evelyn you knew that we just weren’t compatible when you came into this relationship.” Dan said.
“No I didn’t. I thought everything was going well. You only knew that you didn’t want to do this. It’s that secretary of yours isn’t it.”
“This is not about Adeline.” Dan said. “This whole relationship wasn’t meant to be…Look I will go sleep in my study tonight to give you time to cool off.” Dan left the room and Evelyn sat crying and then abruptly stopped. She got up and went into her closet and grabbed her ruby red dress with matching heels. She began to put on those close and covered her lips with red lipstick. Dan went into his study and pour himself a glass of Scotch. He didn’t sit down yet but instead left the room and walked to the staircase. Evelyn followed behind and stood watching him as he stood in a drunken stupor.
“Hey honey!” She shouted. He looked over at her and there was a dead silence in the air. “I guess it wasn’t such a bad idea to put the decorative rug right here. I guess it all worked out, huh.” She crouched and grabbed one end and tugged. Off balance, Dan attempted to catch the bulbs that were at the top of the railing and missed. He laid on the ground with his leg broken and his head facing towards living room. Lightning illuminated Evelyn face as she stood at the top of the staircase out of breath. She straightened her posture and dress as she watched calmly as a pull of blood formed around his head. She dragged the rug back where it was, with her foot and walked down stairs to her phone. She tried to make herself cry before dialing nine-one-one.
“Hello. My husband just fell down the stair. I think he had a few many to drink and tripped, please hurry, I think he’s dead.”
“Where is your location, mam?” The operator said.
“I don’t have an address. I am at the senator’s house, please, please hurry.”
The ambulance came in seven minutes later to find Dan dead on the ground and Evelyn in the same spot where Christian had discovered her. She continued to stare at the spot her husband died and whispered to herself.
“…Till death do us part...”
Chapter XVIII
Christian was sitting in his home watching T.V trying to wind down from a stress filled month and a half. He went discussed with his landlord about his eviction. He had a change of heart after he was hospitalize from a heart attack he had experienced two days ago, claiming he saw his dead grandmother who told him to change his ways. I guess he thought he had got a second chance at life. Christian now sat with the little things he had that wasn’t destroyed or left behind at Kyra’s house. He sat feeling incomplete. He found the murderer of the girl but he never could forgive himself for not finding out soon. Maybe he could have saved the girl that he buried. Lately he has been having nightmares of him being buried alive or of her coming back from her grave to wreak havoc on his life. Maybe he deserved it, at least that what he kept making himself believe.
“I didn’t have much of a choice.” He said. “It was either that or die.” He began to realize that he was trying to make good out of something that is just as despicable as killing her.
He procrastinated to get ready for Dan’s funeral and as he watched, the news came on.
“Breaking news. Two people has been reported missing. Shortly after the conviction of criminal lawyer, Brian Hoffman, Alex Cole and psychologist Kyra Black were both reported missing from their homes this morning. Some believe that it was the work of Brian Hoffman just before his conviction but the police has no leads on what happened to the two. To us it’s like they vanished in thin air. All we can do is pray for their safety and that they would be brought home to us, and hope to god that it’s not too late.
Christian jumped to his feet and the picture of the two was implanted into his brain. He began dialing the Kyra home phone.
There was no answer for two ring, then someone picked up.
“What is going on?”
“Kyra’s gone. I had been calling her phone and nothing but her voicemail picked up. I haven’t seen her since our argument.” Victor spoke. “She’s gone…”
His words pulled Christian from his twisted fantasy and he hung up the pho
ne in shock.
He walked into his room stiff and slowly and got ready for the funeral he had attended to go to.
He saw his mother dressed in black. Only a few friends remained and they soon left. Evelyn grabbed a hand full of dirt and torn bits of the business card.
“I guess I won’t be needing this after all. “She threw them down on his casket. She giggle and then turn back to seriousness. “I guess, we can say that curiosity killed the cat. That, would give this moment a found memory.” She said speaking to herself. She stood back up and looked over at Christian.
“I’m sorry about your friend. I heard that she was reported missing.”
“I pretty sure she’s fine. She probably just had to get away and forgot to tell someone.” Christian said.
“I’m pretty sure she is too.” Evelyn spoke doubtful, and skeptic.
Christian walked over to the grave grabbing a handful of dirt like his mom did.
“Let the games begin…” He said throwing down the dirt. A single crow called out in a tree in the background followed by others and they sat together on one branch.
A Murder Of Our Own (Inevitable Darkness) Page 13