"John Sysco." It's not a question.
Angelina nods, confirming all of my fears that he was behind all of it. As he has been since the moment Alex and I started a relationship.
"Did he kill James?"
Angelina walks over to the bar, pours herself a glass of vodka, and sits on the couch. She takes a drink, the glass shaking in her hands, belying her calm veneer. "I wasn't there, and don't know the specifics, but—yes—he killed James, and framed Alex for the murder." She glances at me, a small smirk on her face, and something else—pride? "John knew you would be able to get Alex acquitted, so he paid to obtain a conviction."
Reyes presses the screen of his phone, and shifts his gaze to me. "Matt, it's Reyes. We have a problem. I have one confirmed juror in Stone's case who admitted he was paid to sway the jury to vote for a conviction. I also have the confession of the woman who offered him the bribe. We think there are at least two more jurors who were also paid off." Reyes is silent, listening to whatever Matt is saying. "Kylie and Jake are already here. They were the ones who uncovered the jury tampering."
"No press," I say loud enough for Matt to hear me through the phone. "Not until the rest of the jurors have been questioned and we find out who else was involved."
"Did you get that?" Reyes asks Matt. "Arrests are being made now. I'll meet you at the station."
I motion for Reyes to hand me his phone before he hangs up with Matt.
"I'm filing a motion this afternoon," I say when I get on the phone. "I want Alex out by tonight."
"Kylie, you know that's not possible. I have to have time to investigate and see if this is what you claim it is. Don't try to bully me. If it's true, then you will have my full support to get the conviction vacated."
I exhale noisily though my nose. Unfortunately, I know Matt is right. No matter what evidence I have, there is no way Alex will avoid spending another night in jail. "Do your investigation, but we both know it only takes one juror to be tampered with to set aside a conviction."
"I'm fully aware."
"Matt, John was behind this. He murdered James, and put up the money for the bribes."
"Well, fuck," Matt hisses. "Go home and prepare your motion, and give it a rest, Nancy Drew. I'll call you when I know more."
I let the condescending statement drop. There is no use getting into a pissing match with Matt when I need him on my side in this. I end the call and hand the phone back to Reyes. Two uniforms arrive, and places handcuffs on Angelina. Reyes leans closer to me, and whispers in my ear. "That's your mother?"
I nod.
He whistles. "Having money must suck—even your own family will throw you under the bus to get some of it."
"I don't love Alex because of his money," I say. "I love him in spite of it."
Thirty-Eight
The courtroom is filled to capacity again. I guess people want to witness a man who had everything become a man who has nothing with the utterance of a few words from the judge and a flourish of his pen. Well, if they want a show, they are about to get one. Just not the one they were expecting.
Jack and I worked all night preparing for the hearing this morning, and neither one of us had the opportunity to explain what's happening to Alex. I could've had Ryan or Paul do it, but I knew Alex would have questions they wouldn't be able to answer. Besides, if all goes well, I think he will be more than happy with the result and that will overshadow not being in the loop beforehand.
Matt and I are going over the signed confessions from Angelina, Irwin, and the two female jurors who also took bribes. The door into the courtroom from the back corridor opens. Matt and I glance up as Alex is escorted into the courtroom. I haven't seen him since saying goodbye to him in the holding cell two days earlier. He's wearing an orange jumpsuit. A chain around his waist has two leads coming off of it—one to the handcuffs around his wrists, and the other to the shackles around his ankles.
I can't look at him right now. My heart will break, and I may fall apart. Later, after all of this is over, I'll have a mental breakdown. Now, I have to keep my shit together and make sure this hearing results in exoneration.
Matt organizes the documents, and hands a stack of copies to me. From behind me, a chair is pulled out at the defense table for Alex , the chains looped through a metal ring on the underside of the table. Just in case Alex decides to make a break for it.
"What's going on?" Alex asks Jack.
"Your wife found a loose thread and is tugging on it."
Judge Franklin walks in and the bailiff calls the courtroom to order. I step over to the defense table as Franklin tells everyone to be seated, and waits for the clerk to read the case being called. "I understand there have been some new developments in the case that the prosecution and defense wish to be heard on?"
"Yes, Your Honor," Matt says, and makes his way to the podium. "It came to my office's attention yesterday that the jury in this case may have been compromised. Since the discovery, we have been investigating all leads, and it appears that at least three jurors were paid in exchange for their guilty votes during deliberations. It also appears that part of the agreement in exchange for money required the jurors to convince the other jurors to vote guilty, as well."
Judge Franklin looks over the top of his glasses sitting just below the bridge of his nose. "I've read the State's and the defense motions to vacate the conviction. I assume you have proof that you would like to share with the court at this time, Mr. Gaines?"
"Yes, Your Honor. I have a signed confession from one of the jurors, Russell Irwin, who received one hundred thousand dollars in exchange for his vote to convict Mr. Stone. I also have a confession from Angelina Delaney, who offered Mr. Irwin, and the other two jurors, bribes. So far, we have video footage of Ms. Delaney and Mr. Irwin meeting in a coffee shop, and Mr. Irwin is prepared to testify that Ms. Delaney offered the bribe at that meeting. Furthermore, we have the bank records of the three jurors in question, showing deposits of one hundred thousand dollars into each account the day of the conviction."
"Have charges been filed against the jurors and—" Franklin flips through the documents he's holding, "—Ms. Delaney?"
"Yes," Matt confirms. "At this time, the State would like to request the Court vacate the conviction. All charges against Mr. Stone will be dropped."
Franklin nods, and glances over at me. "Anything to add, Ms. Stone?"
I rise. "Defense supports the State's request, and would request Mr. Stone be released as soon as possible."
Franklin leans back in his chair, removes his glasses, and inhales deeply. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he rubs his eyes harshly with his fingers. He replaces his glasses as he sits up and slides closer to the bench. "This has been a disturbing case from the start, and it seems it will end in the same manner. A jury is vital to the efficient and fair disbursement of justice under our legal system. When someone tampers with that integrity, the system fails…as it has done in this case. The request to vacate the conviction with prejudice is granted." Franklin turns toward the defense table. "Mr. Stone, you have been treated unfairly by the justice system, and on behalf of this court, I apologize. You are a free man."
The courtroom erupts in gasps, and some cheers. I sit down and wrap my arms around Alex's neck. Really unprofessional behavior, but I don't care. Nothing will stop me from celebrating this moment with Alex.
Alex's eyes are wide, a crease runs across his forehead. "I'm free?"
I caress the sides of his face with my hands, and stare into his beautiful blue eyes. "You're free, babe." Jack smiles at me, stands, and squeezes Alex's shoulder. "You two sneak out the back. I'll take care of talking to the press, and see you at the house later."
The bailiff removes the shackles and handcuffs, made more difficult because Alex has a death grip on my hand and refuses to let go. He quickly gives hugs to his family eagerly waiting in the front row of the gallery before we are escorted to the holding cell in the basement. A shiver passes through me as I recall the
last time I was here. I thought I was saying goodbye to Alex forever. Now, he's getting out processed so we can go home.
Jake hands Alex a change of clothes I brought from the house. He changes, leaving the orange jumpsuit on the floor of the cell, and climb into the back of the SUV. We're sitting so close together, we could be sharing skin. Alex glances out the back window every so often. His leg is bouncing up and down, his free hand gripping his knee.
"What do you keep looking behind us for?" I ask.
He glances at me, and sighs. "I don't trust that this is really over. There's a part of me that expects to see lights and sirens, and the police arrest me for murder again."
I lift his hand to my lips. "They won't. Furthermore, they can't. The judge dismissed the case with prejudice, which means the DA can't refile the charges."
"So, it's really over?"
"It's really over."
We sit in silence for a minute, letting the realization sink in. I feel as if a valve has been opened, releasing all the pressure that has been trapped inside me since Alex was first arrested. The lightness soaring throughout me is heady.
Alex shifts in his seat to face me. "How did Angelina know John?"
"She says he contacted her not long after we married, said he knew we had a falling out—" I chuckle at the understatement. "She told him that she didn't think I would have anything to do with her, so he offered a solution to help reunite us. She claims she only agreed to go along with it in the beginning so that she could see me again, and hoped I would be more open to having a relationship with her. When I turned your family against her, she opted for John's plan. As I feared from the start, she was only interested in your money—not rebuilding a bond with me."
Alex's thumb rubs the back of my hand. It is a simple gesture, one that he has done a thousand times, but it just feels special now. No doubt it would have been one of a million small things that I would have missed everyday for the rest of my life if things hadn't worked out for us today. "That was kind of a risky move for John. Angelina could have reported him to authorities."
I shrug. "He may have suspected she would try to reconcile with me on her own, but John knew I would never accept her back into my life. He just had to sit back and wait for the inevitable."
Jake pulls the SUV into the garage, and we enter the house through the kitchen to loud cheers. Champagne bottles line the breakfast bar. Alex makes his way through the family, accepting hugs and congratulations from family and friends. I watch him, mesmerized by his smile, and the laughs erupting from his chest. The clink of champagne flutes is a magical chorus of hope that fills the room.
The scene is wonderful…beautiful…and overwhelms me. What is…what was. What my life could have been if things had gone wrong today.
It was pure luck that I uncovered the jury tampering. So many questions run through my mind, all of them beginning with "what if."
What if I hadn't figured out what was off about Irwin's interview? What if Irwin and Angelina hadn't confessed? What if Alex had been sentenced to life in prison today instead of being freed?
I was a breath away from never seeing Alex again.
Tears sting the backs of my eyes. My breath moves in and out of my chest too fast, and I'm suddenly lightheaded. Placing my glass on the counter, I slip out of the kitchen, and across the foyer. I close the door to the library behind me, and walk to the window. The sun is slowly descending in the west, leaving behind long shadows across the large expanse of grass that leads to the bluff. The sea looks dark, with just a few white caps cresting along the surface before disappearing. I wrap my arm across my body, the landscape blurring as tears fill my eyes. A cry breaks free from my throat, and my chest heaves as I fight to pull in air.
Hands rest on my hips, and a body moves in close behind me. "Shh, baby." Alex's lips press softly against my shoulder. I face him, my wrap arms around his neck, and I bury my face in the crook of his neck. Sobs wrack my body.
Alex smooths my hair with his hand, soothing me, and allowing me to express the fear that has consumed my life.
"I'm sorry, Alex," I choke out between sobs. "This was all my fault."
"Getting my conviction vacated? Yes, it was—and I'm perfectly fine with that." His voice is quiet, but light and jovial.
I pull my head back, and gaze into his beautiful blue eyes. "No, I mean all the trouble. Since you met me."
"I'm not following you."
"This was all John—from the start. He figured out how to push your buttons, and used your need to protect me against us. He orchestrated my kidnapping, killed your father, and framed you for murder. And there's my mother—between the two of them, they managed to get you convicted. You almost spent the rest of your life in prison—all because you fell in love with me."
Caressing me face with his hand, he brushes his thumb along my jaw, his blue eyes captivating me with his intense gaze. "Do you think I regret meeting you?"
"You should." I cast my eyes away, unable to look at him. Shame consumes me. "I regret that you met me."
He steps back from me, and I instantly miss the warmth of his body. Taking my hand, he leads me to the chaise, and we sit.
"What was your plan?" He asks.
"My plan?"
"When you woke up yesterday morning, after I was convicted, and before you discovered something was off with Irwin—what were you going to do?"
I swallow and avoid his gaze. How am I suppose to tell him that I was willing to break the law to ensure he was free?
"Tell me," he says, and squeezes my hand.
"Plan your escape."
"Why?"
I lift my eyes and stare at him.
"If you had been caught, you would have been sent to prison right along with me," he says. "So why risk it?"
"Because I love you. I'd do anything for you, Alex. I made you a promise that I would make sure you weren't sent to prison for a crime you didn't commit. I failed you…I wasn't going to fail you again. My life means nothing if I can't share it with you."
"I feel the same about you." He closes his eyes, and rests his forehead against mine. "You are my life—my future. If that means I can only spend five more minutes with you—I wouldn't change one minute of the time I've spent with you. I certainly would never wish I hadn't met you. I will never regret having you in my life."
He places his lips on mine, and I realize this is the first kiss we have shared since he was set free. I grasp the back of his shirt tight in my fist, and part my lips to welcome his tongue against mine. He slides his fingers into my hair, holding the back of my head, and keeping me in place as he deepens the kiss. Warmth rushes through me, sparking every nerve ending, and bringing my soul back to life with an electric jolt.
He finally pulls away, and we drag in deep inhales to slow our breathing.
"I have something of yours," I say, still panting. "I don't want it anymore."
His eyebrows knit together.
I unclasp the chain from my neck, and drop his wedding band into my hand before sliding it on his finger. "Don't ever take it off again."
He stares at the ring, his eyes gleaming. "Never."
"For as long as you live," I add, and kiss the platinum symbol of our love and commitment to each other.
"Always." He kisses my fingers, his gaze never leaving mine.
"Forever," I whisper.
* * *
The End.
Epilogue
Two years later…
* * *
The sun is bright, and bounces off the white Mediterranean homes that line the bay. I wonder if all the white homes aid in making the water around Greece the brilliant blue the country is famous for. I also wonder, with as many times as I've been here, how I never noticed just how beautiful it is here.
I glance at Kylie, the wind lifting her gauzy white skirt. She's laughing, and I swear there is no other sound in the world I love to hear more.
Well, maybe one other sound…she made it this morning when I roll
ed over and made love to her.
I glance at my watch while Kylie has her back to me. She says I worry too much about being on a schedule while we're on vacation.
"We have to stick to strict schedules at home, and when we're working. This is our vacation…it doesn't matter if we miss something because we've lost track of time. So, stop constantly checking your watch—or I'll toss it into the Mediterranean Sea." She threatened the same fate for my phone, so I try to keep it tucked away in my cargo shorts pocket.
And I feel liberated—and free.
Freedom. Something I will never take for granted again. Along with my beautiful wife. I nearly lost them two years ago, and I never want to relive the pain of the two days I lived in hell waiting for my sentence to be handed down, knowing it would be the last time I saw Kylie again.
But she pulled a rabbit out of the proverbial hat, and secured my freedom. The jurors who took the bribes were given slaps on the wrist in exchange for their cooperation and testimony. Kylie had threatened the DA, Matt Gaines, within an inch of his life he didn't secure the maximum prison sentence of five years for her mother's role in tampering with the jury.
Angelina is now sitting in a prison cell, but will be eligible for parole in another year.
John Sysco is still at large. All attempts to find him have uncovered nothing, as if he disappeared into thin air.
Kylie is talking to an older gentleman sitting behind an easel at the end of the dock. She glances at me, waves, and even from here, I can see the broad smile on her face. Damn, that woman makes me happy. She can be doing nothing more than standing still with a blank look other face—which she often does, especially when she is preparing for trial—and still make my heart skip a beat. She opens her change purse, and pulls out some bills, handing them to the man. He takes the bills, hands her a small painting, and kisses the back of her hand. She saunters toward me, her face brightened by the grin on her face. I sigh, and shake my head. No doubt she paid double the value of the painting. For a kick-ass lawyer, she utterly fails at the art of haggling.
Vindication: Of Demons & Stones: Tri-Stone Trilogy, Book Three Page 23