“What exactly does that mean?” Ky asks with a growl.
“He has been remanded to a specialist psychiatric facility until such a time as he’s deemed fit to stand trial. The court generally doesn’t allow more than four months. He’ll be assessed again then, and once he’s deemed medically competent, a date will be set for his trial. Given his confession, and the evidence against him, we doubt he’ll ever see the light of day again.” He crouches down in front of me. “I hope this gives you some peace of mind.”
“Why?” I whisper. “Why did he do it? Why me?”
The officer straightens up, removing a photograph from his inside jacket pocket. “This was Emily.”
He hands it to me, and I spot the resemblance instantly. I hadn’t noticed when I saw the photo of Zoe’s cousin at the memorial, but there’s no denying it now. We all look alike. This photo is clearly a school photo, and Emily is smiling broadly at the camera, her entire face radiant and glowing. Her wide blue eyes are innocent and full of hope, and I choke on a strangled sob. My hand flies to my hair as I scan her thick, long dark hair, falling in smooth sheets down her back exactly like mine. “I look like her.” My voice is barely louder than a whisper.
“In his mind, you were her. Or at least that’s what the psychologists have said. It seems his wife was regularly unfaithful, and their marriage was defined by a history of vicious rows. Combine that scenario with an undiagnosed psychotic disorder, a drug abuse problem, a delusional mindset, and it caused him to snap. By all accounts, Emily was a sweet, innocent child, but he caught her sneaking out to meet her boyfriend one night, and he went berserk. Convinced himself she was going to turn out like her mother so he killed her to maintain her innocence.”
I clamp a hand over my mouth.
“God,” James says, shaking his head sadly. “That poor child.”
“At least he’s been stopped before he killed anyone else, and we can give Jessie’s family some closure.” The officer plants a gentle hand on my shoulder. “I know what you’ve been through has been very traumatic, and I understand you’ve had a difficult year, but you are still very much alive, Ms. Donovan. He tried to take your life, but you fought back. Don’t let him succeed after all.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The officer’s words are still reverberating through my mind the next day as I sit in the back of the car en route to the court for Kal’s trial. While my brain can process the logic and wisdom of his statement, try telling that to my fragile heart. I’ve dealt with a lot, and I always get through it. Ultimately, I know this won’t be any different. It may not seem like that now, when I’m trapped in this hazy fog, but I know the path will clear.
Sighing to myself, I force all thoughts of my own situation aside to focus on today. My fingers creep along the seat, and I curl my hand in Kal’s. His fingers grip mine almost painfully, and we stay like that the entire journey.
The heaving crowd waiting outside the courthouse is intimidating. The second the car door opens, the noise almost deafens me. I keep a firm hold on Kal’s hand as we fight our way through the media frenzy. Kal and I are surrounded by his brothers as we slowly make our way forward with James and Alex holding up the rear. Brad refused to come with us. He was afraid the media speculation surrounding his family would bring additional unwarranted attention. Inspecting the baying crowds around us, I don’t think Brad’s presence would’ve made any difference. An enlarged team of bodyguards keep the paparazzi at arm’s length as we advance toward the courthouse. Questions are thrown at Kal left and right, but he ignores them as his legal team has advised. Cameras are shoved in our faces, and we keep our heads down as we ascend the steps together.
Dan Evans is waiting in the lobby of the courthouse with the criminal attorney representing Kal, when we finally navigate the melee outside. Kal and James go with the legal team for last-minute prep while the rest of us make our way to the courtroom.
We are seated in the front row, directly behind the area reserved for the defense. I scan the room for Lana or her parents, but there’s no sign of them yet. My eyes locate Ky, seated at the opposite end of the row, and I can’t look away. He returns my sorrowful gaze, and so many unspoken words fill the empty space. I want to end this gulf between us, to get things back on track, but I can’t. I can’t help how I feel. Sadly, I avert my eyes, knotting my hands in my lap. Keaton slings his arm around my shoulders and kisses my temple. “You still love him,” he whispers, and I nod. “But it’s not enough,” he adds, and I’m seriously impressed at his intuition.
I give him a quick kiss on his cheek. “No, unfortunately not.”
“Give it time. He’s not going anywhere, and he’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready.”
“When did you get so wise?” I murmur, smiling.
He shrugs. “Guess I was just born perfect.”
My smile widens, and I’d laugh if we were in a different environment. Approaching footfalls have us all turning around in our seats. Kal walks into the room, flanked by Alex and James and his legal team. James has a brief word with the attorney before taking his seat in our row. Kal sits down in front of us alongside the three men and one woman who make up his legal representation.
Time seems to stand still as we sit impatiently, watching the hands move forward on the clock. My eyes roam around the room again, but there’s still no sign of Lana. Even though we’ve all been warned to stay away from her, I’m hoping I might catch her in the restroom and get a chance to ask her what the hell she’s playing at.
It’s two minutes to show time when she makes her appearance. My breath falters as I watch her step into the room. I can only imagine how Kal must be feeling. Wearing an ill-fitting black skirt suit with a stiff white blouse buttoned tight to her collar and plain black pumps, she’s like a walking advertisement for a nunnery. She walks in between her parents with her head stapled to her chest and her gaze fixated on the floor. Greta has a hold on her daughter’s elbow as she leads her to the front of the room.
I swing around to look at Kal, noting how he keeps his eyes trained strictly forward. The tense set of his shoulders alerts me to the fact he is aware of her presence. He grips the edge of the desk tautly. Keaton and I share concerned looks.
We all rise as the judge enters the room, and proceedings commence when we reclaim our seats. The charges are read out and a not guilty plea is entered. Lana is called to the witness stand, and a collective gasp arises from the audience.
Her shoulders are slouched as she walks across the floor toward the witness box. When she takes the seat, she straightens her back and sits upright in the chair. There’s a defiant stance to her expression as she stares straight ahead, not looking in Kal’s direction or at anyone in particular. I knot and unknot my hands in my lap, and my nerves are hanging on by a thread. I take the opportunity to slyly study her while she is swearing on the bible. Her translucent skin is even paler than usual, and ghastly dark shadows dot the curves under her eyes. Her hair is neat and kept off her face in a severe ponytail. She isn’t wearing a scrap of makeup, and she looks about twelve. If the prosecutor wanted to garner sympathy by presenting her in such a light, he’s done an admirable job.
Huge concern for my cousin surges to the fore. He can’t go down for this. He just can’t.
The prosecutor starts asking her questions, most of them simple, to help her relax. She answers in a calm, quiet, confident voice, never once looking in our direction. Gradually, he moves on to the Kennedys, and the courtroom listens avidly as she explains about growing up on the grounds of the Kennedy estate and spending all her free time and most weekends with the Kennedy boys. Very quickly, we fast forward to more recent times, and I inwardly cringe as the questions turn more intimate.
“At this time, Ms. Taylor, what were your feelings toward the defendant, Mr. Kalvin Kennedy?”
Her cheeks flush red as she turns her attention to Kal for the first ti
me. Looking him straight in the eye, she says, “I was in love with him. I’d always been in love with him, but when I was younger, I hadn’t been able to put a name to it.”
“And how did Mr. Kennedy feel about you?”
Her gaze hasn’t strayed from Kal’s, and his head is inclined in her direction. “He told me he loved me too.”
“So, you two were in a relationship then,” the prosecutor surmises, pacing the floor in front of the witness box.
Her face contorts. “Not exactly.”
“Can you please elaborate for the court.”
“He, ah.” She pauses, taking a sip of her water. “He wanted to keep our relationship secret.”
The prosecutor spins his head in Kal’s direction, slanting him an over-the-top dramatic look. Satisfied with his performance, he turns back around to face Lana. “And why was that?”
She looks away from Kal. “He said it was to protect me, because others wouldn’t approve of us being together.”
“And you believed him?” The prosecutor quirks a brow, and Lana nods.
“You need to answer the question, Ms. Taylor,” the judge instructs.
“Yes,” Lana says, staring at Kal again. “I believed him.”
“And was this relationship an exclusive one?” The prosecutor asks next.
Her cheeks turn fire engine red. “Not at first, but then he promised me he was finished with other girls. That was when he told me he loved me.” She fidgets in her seat, peering down at her lap.
“Other girls?” The prosecutor looks at Kal with shocked surprise, as if this is the first time he’s heard mention of this.
Someone give that man an Oscar.
Lana sighs, shifting uneasily in her chair. “Kal was … is a player. There have been plenty of other girls.”
My eyes meet James’s and he sends me a worried frown.
“And how did that make you feel?” the prosecutor continues.
Lana turns her head to face Kal again. “Worthless. Invisible. Cheap.”
Holy shitballs for dinner. This is awful. Worst of all is how much sympathy I have for Lana right now, and I’m on my cousin’s side—it doesn’t bode well.
“And was this before or after he promised you exclusivity?”
“Before. When I tried to break things off with him, and I explained how it was making me feel, he told me he’d stop sleeping around. That he’d commit to me.”
“And what happened then?”
“He was more dedicated, and he seemed to be trying to prove he had changed his ways. I was happy.” Tears well in her eyes. “He told me he loved me and I was the only girl for him. That he’d always imagined us together. That I was his future.” A tear slides down her cheek, and I clamp a hand over my mouth.
Instinctively, I seek out Ky. Feeling eyes on him, he turns and looks at me. My chest heaves as we stare at one another, and all manner of thoughts flit through my mind. “I love you,” he mouths, and my emotions skitter all over the place. Keaton nudges me discreetly, and I snap out of it, looking away quickly. Lana has composed herself, and there’s no trace of moisture on her cheeks.
“What happened next?” the prosecutor asks, continuing this line of questioning.
She closes her eyes momentarily and her lip wobbles.
“We slept together, and I thought everything was perfect until Addison pulled me aside to tell me something I needed to know.”
Everything locks up inside me at the mere mention of her name. Although this isn’t news to us—Zoe had already informed us of this—all my cousins have stiffened. Ky’s shoulders are corded with tension, and his hands are balled into fists at this side. Kal sits ramrod straight in his chair.
“For the benefit of the jury, can you please explain who Addison is?”
“Addison Sinclair is Kyler Kennedy’s girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend. I’m not quite sure on the status of their relationship at this time.”
“And what was it this Addison had to tell you?” the prosecutor asks, resting his hands on the witness box. Tears trickle down Lana’s face. “Do you need to take a break, Ms. Taylor?”
She vehemently shakes her head. “No. This is very difficult to relive, but I want to keep going.”
“Very well. In your own time.”
“Addison showed me a recording Kalvin had made a few nights previously. It was a video of him having sex with her, and she thought I needed to know he was messing me about.”
I can scarcely hide my shock. I know the recording exists—it’s what Addison has been using to blackmail Ky into remaining by her side—but the fact she showed it to Lana and used it to set her on this path sickens me no end. Up to this point, I’ve viewed Addison as a manipulative pain in my ass. But this changes things. That girl has a downright vicious streak if she’s prepared to go to such extremes to destroy someone.
Kal jumps up out of his seat, racing across the floor to Lana before anyone can stop him. “I never filmed that or willingly had sex with her! You’ve got to believe me. She set me up!” Officers of the court grab Kalvin’s arms and pull him back. The crowd is in an uproar, and the judge is slamming her gavel down on the sounding block, demanding order. “She set me up, Lana!” Kal screeches as he’s dragged over in front of the judge. Tears are streaming down Lana’s face.
The judge’s face has turned an unflattering shade of red. She glowers at Kal. “Control yourself, Mr. Kennedy. If you pull a stunt like that again in my courtroom, I’ll have you detained. Do you understand?” She slams the gavel down again. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” Kal replies in a suitably chastised manner. “I apologize.”
The officers lead him back to his seat, and he purposely avoids making eye contact with any of us. Alex is clinging onto James, her slim body shaking against him. “Ho. Lee. Shit,” Keaton exclaims in my ear. “Ky is going to be arrested for murder if we let him anywhere near Addison after this.”
I press my mouth to his ear. “I’ll be arrested for murder unless someone locks me in my room later,” I seethe. If Addison Sinclair is anywhere in the vicinity of this courtroom, I think they’ll have to restrain all of us from going for her. “And Ky isn’t going anywhere near that bitch again.” Not if I have anything to say about it.
The prosecutor clears his throat, approaching the witness box and passing a tissue to Lana. “What happened when you confronted Mr. Kennedy about it?”
Lana draws a shuddering breath, dabbing at her clammy face. “I didn’t tell him Addison had come to me or that I had proof he’d slept with her. I told him I’d heard a rumor and asked him if it was true.” Her head jerks in his direction. “He denied it.”
“And what happened after that?”
Lana pinches the bridge of her nose. “I told him I knew he was lying and that things were over between us. That I’d never forgive him and I never wanted to see him again. Then he left.”
The prosecutor frowns, and a look of blatant alarm washes over his face. “What happened before he left, Ms. Taylor?”
She wets her lips. “He begged me to reconsider, not to break up with him. He said it was all a misunderstanding and he could explain. But I didn’t want to hear his excuses so I shoved him out of the house.”
A glint of fury flashes in the prosecutor’s eyes. “Ms. Taylor. I understand it is difficult for you to relive the events of that night, because you have been severely traumatized by the manner in which you were assaulted by Mr. Kennedy, but you need to explain it in detail for the court.” He motions to the side. “For the benefit of the jury.”
Lana picks up her head and glances in the direction of her parents. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Her chest rises and falls as she steadies herself, peering directly into the prosecutor’s eyes. “I lied.” There’s an audible gasp from the room. “Kalvin Kennedy didn’t rape me. He has never physically harmed me.�
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Chapter Thirty
I offer up silent thanks to whatever entity has been looking out for my cousin. My shoulders sag in relief. Kal’s attorney spins around in his seat, sending James a triumphant smile. My heart is thumping wildly in my chest as I face down the row. All my cousins have the same happy shell-shocked look on their faces.
“Ms. Taylor,” the judge says in a stern tone of voice. “Do you mean to say you lied about these allegations and they are completely false?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” Lana responds in an apologetic yet confident voice. “I’m very sorry for wasting the court’s time, and I will accept whatever punishment is necessary, but please don’t imprison Kal. He hasn’t done anything to deserve it.”
Kal stands up in his chair. “Lana! I—”
“Restrain your client!” the judge shrieks at Kal’s attorney, and he tugs Kal back down by the elbow, whispering urgently in his ear.
“Before I decide on how to proceed, I would like you to explain to me and the jurors why you lied.”
“I was upset and brokenhearted, and I allowed myself to be manipulated by Addison. She suggested I do this. She, ah”—Lana smooths a hand over the top of her head—“she had the condom from when she slept with him, and she told me to give it to the police, that it would help back up my claims.”
Losing Kyler (The Kennedy Boys Book 2) Page 27