by Marie Force
Owen felt like he’d been electrocuted. Was it really going to be that easy?
“What kind of a plea deal?” Sarah asked hesitantly.
“He’s willing to consider pleading no contest to one felony count of domestic assault and battery in exchange for us dropping the other charges,” Tom said.
“What does that mean?” Sarah asked, looking to Frank and Dan for an explanation.
“It means,” Frank said, “he’s not admitting guilt or claiming innocence. Basically he’s entertaining the option as a way of avoiding the trial.”
“Would there be jail time?”
“We’d ask for seven years and probably get five with three to serve and at least two years’ probation after he’s released.”
Owen knew a moment of pure relief at hearing his father would definitely spend time in jail. That was all he’d wanted from the outset. “What do you think, Mom?”
“So,” Sarah said carefully, “he wouldn’t plead guilty, but he’d still go to jail?”
“That’s right,” Tom said. “Here’s the thing, Sarah. We all know what happened that night. You know it, he knows it and the witnesses who’ve come to testify know it. But we have no way to prove that Mark Lawry was the one who actually beat you that night. We have your son’s testimony detailing years of abuse at the hands of his father, but we also have no proof of that. No police reports or anything to back up his claims. It becomes a matter of your word and Owen’s against Mark’s. As I’ve mentioned before, Mark’s standing in the community is also working against us. No one wants to believe a high-ranking air force officer is capable of this.”
“You’re recommending we take the plea, then?” Owen asked.
“If Sarah were my mother, I’d encourage her to take the deal to avoid the strain of the trial,” Tom said.
“Frank? Dan? What do you think?” Owen asked.
“It puts him in jail for years,” Frank said, “which has always been the goal.”
“I agree,” Dan said. “It’s not a perfect deal, but it includes prison time, so I’d advise a client to consider it very seriously.”
“Mom?”
After a long period of silence, Sarah said, “I appreciate what all of you are saying, and I see the benefit of accepting the plea deal. But I want to hear him say he did it. I want him to admit, in public, that he beat me and our children while the rest of the world was holding him up as a hero. I want him to say the word guilty. If he’s unwilling to do that, no deal.”
“He’s indicated he’s unwilling to plead guilty.”
“Then I guess there’s no deal,” Sarah said.
“You understand we have no guarantee of a guilty verdict, right?” Tom asked.
“I understand.”
“He could walk free, Mom. Are you prepared for that possibility?”
“He may walk free, but everyone will know what he did, and that would be punishment enough for me.”
“Then we’re going to trial,” Tom said.
“You should’ve seen her,” Owen said to Laura that night in bed. “She was so strong and resolute. I was so proud of her.”
“I don’t blame her for wanting him to have to say the words in public. Do you?”
“No, I don’t, but I sort of wish we could’ve taken the plea and made it all go away. We could’ve chosen not to be in court when he entered the plea and left without even having to see him.”
“That might’ve been easier for both of you, but I’m sort of secretly glad that Sarah is sticking it to him. It’s the least of what he deserves.”
“I have an awful confession to make.”
“What?”
“When I was a kid and everything was happening with my dad, I used to sort of secretly hate her a little bit. That she could stand by and let that happen to us. I blamed her, you know?”
“You were a child, Owen. How could you be expected to understand all the deeper issues that kept her tied to him?”
“I couldn’t understand. I know that now. But then, I hated her. I hated her later for not leaving him when there was no reason to stay anymore. I thought she was weak and spineless and all sorts of other unflattering things.”
“She might’ve been all those things when she was with him, because that’s how she was able to survive. But since she left him, I’ve seen her strength and her resolve and her determination. Those qualities were in her all along. She just needed the opportunity to let them out.”
“You’re right about that. Today was the first time I truly understood just how strong she’s always been, and I feel so bad for the way I used to feel about her.”
“She wouldn’t want you to feel bad. She’d tell you to put those unproductive emotions where they belong—in the past. She’d tell you all of it was your father’s fault, not yours and not hers. She’d tell you she loves you more than just about anyone else in the world for what you helped her to endure. And I know all this because she’s told me so, many times.”
“I love how close the two of you have gotten.”
“She’s like my second mother, and I love her very much.”
“She loves you, too.”
Laura raised herself up and propped her chin on his chest, looking him in the eye. “No matter what happens at this trial, neither of you ever has to see him again, so you’ve already won.”
“That’s true.”
“Take comfort in knowing that in all the ways that truly matter, this nightmare is already over for both of you. He’s out of your lives, and he’s going to stay out of your lives. When you see him tomorrow, remember that.”
“I’ll try to,” Owen said, dreading the showdown that had been ten years in the making.
“And in the meantime,” Laura said, straddling him and then leaning over to kiss him, “you really ought to take advantage of your fiancée’s newfound burst of energy.”
“Is that right?” he asked, thrilled to see her looking so well again.
She sank down on him, forcing every thought from his head that didn’t involve her and the exquisite pleasure they found together. “Yes,” she said with a sigh. “That’s exactly right.”
Mark Lawry was a lot smaller than Owen remembered. Or maybe Owen was just a lot bigger. Either way, the startling realization that he was now substantially taller and broader than his father provided a measure of calm that he hadn’t expected to feel the first time he laid eyes on him again. The mean sneer was exactly as he recalled it, though, and was directed at him and his mother as they took seats in the courtroom.
He kept telling himself that his father couldn’t touch him—in any way—unless he let him, and he had no plans to let him.
Owen wasn’t at all surprised to see his father in full uniform, as if he wanted to remind the judge of who he was and how honorably he’d served his country. The judge would be hearing and deciding the case, as Mark had waived his right to a jury trial, putting all his eggs in the judge’s basket.
Over breakfast, Dan had shown them the in-depth Associated Press story the Richmond Times-Dispatch had run that morning about the decorated air force general who would stand trial for domestic assault and battery. Dan had pointed out that because an Associated Press reporter had written the story, it would be picked up all over the state and possibly beyond. Any time a high-ranking military officer got into trouble of any sort, it was big news.
Owen pondered his father’s likely reaction to the press coverage the trial was generating. He would be enraged and looking to blame everyone but himself for the mess he found himself in. Once upon a time, Owen, his mother and siblings would’ve paid the price for that.
His mother reached for his hand and held on tight, while Laura held his other hand. They held on through opening statements that detailed the charges against his father.
“You will hear from Mark Lawry’s oldest child, who will tell you about a childhood marred by abuse and violence,” Tom said. “The defense will portray Mark Lawry as an all-American hero, but Sarah and
Owen Lawry will tell a different story. They’ll tell you about a man who beat his wife nearly to death over undercooked chicken. You’ll hear about a man who once broke his young son’s arm in a fit of rage and then later had that same son arrested for assault when he dared to defend himself against his father’s fists. They’ll tell the truth as they lived it. Mark Lawry is a violent, vicious predator who belongs in jail, Your Honor. To allow him to walk free, wearing the uniform of the United States Air Force, is a travesty to everyone who has or is serving our country honorably.”
Whoa, Owen thought. Impugning his honorable service to the air force will make the old man mad as hell. Sure enough, he caught a glimpse of his father’s face and saw it was red and flushed. Good thing he and Tom weren’t squaring off in a bar rather than a courtroom. Otherwise, Tom might get an actual demonstration of what Mark Lawry was capable of after that statement.
Sarah squeezed his hand, letting him know she was thinking the same thing. Her comical grimace nearly made Owen laugh out loud. He certainly hadn’t expected to laugh this morning, but he had to admit it felt pretty damned good to have most of the power for a change. He and his mother had the truth on their side, and there was comfort in that.
Over the course of the morning, Tom called Slim, David and Blaine to the witness stand to testify to Sarah’s condition the night she arrived on Gansett Island bruised and battered.
“Did Mrs. Lawry tell you how she came to be so egregiously injured?” Tom asked Blaine, who was the last to testify.
“Yes, she said her husband beat her after she served undercooked chicken for dinner.” Blaine had worn his dress uniform to testify. “From what she said, a verbal altercation escalated into a physical confrontation that left Mrs. Lawry severely injured.”
“The defense will ask how a woman so badly injured could’ve managed to travel hundreds of miles,” Tom said.
“We all wondered that, too,” Blaine replied. “Personally, I think she was fueled by fear and a desire to get to her son, where she knew she’d be safe.”
“Objection,” the defense attorney said. “Speculation.”
“Withdrawn,” the prosecutor said. “Nothing further.”
Blaine held up well under questioning from the defense attorney before he was dismissed from the witness stand. The judge then called a recess for lunch.
As he watched the proceedings all morning, Owen’s nerves had been stretched nearly to the breaking point. Laura had held his hand the whole time, her support never wavering.
“That went well,” Dan said of the morning’s testimony. “Slim, David and Blaine were very credible and held up well under cross.”
Tom agreed when he joined them. “I’m feeling good about this. With Sarah’s testimony and Owen’s, we will paint a pretty good picture of what went on.”
“We still don’t have anyone outside of our family who was aware that this had been happening for years,” Owen said.
“I wish we did,” Tom said frankly. “It would definitely cement our case. But I think we’ll be okay without it.”
The words I think didn’t do much for Owen’s nerves. He turned to leave the courtroom and thought he was seeing things when his grandparents appeared in the doorway. “Mom. Look.” He directed Sarah’s attention to the older couple waiting for them.
Adele wore her white hair in a stylish bob and was dressed to the nines in a red suit and heels. Her husband was tanned from spending his days on the golf course in Florida, but his twinkling blue eyes lit up with delight at the sight of his eldest grandchild.
“Oh… Oh wow.”
“Who is it?” Laura asked.
“Adele and Russ.” After working for them for close to a year, Laura certainly recognized those names.
“Did you know they were coming?”
“I had no idea, and neither did my mother.”
Sarah was in tears as she hugged her parents. “What’re you doing here? You didn’t say you were coming.”
“Of course we’re here,” Adele said. “We wouldn’t be anywhere else.” She hugged Owen tightly, surrounding him with the scent of Chanel No. 5 that took him right back to childhood summers on Gansett.
They all moved into the corridor, where Owen had the pleasure of introducing his grandparents to Laura.
“It’s so lovely to finally meet you in person,” Adele said as she hugged Laura.
“I’m so happy to meet you, too,” Laura said.
While she chatted with his grandparents, Owen shook hands with David and Blaine, who were leaving to go home. “Thank you again for this. I’ll never be able to tell you how much it means to us that you came.”
“We’ll be hoping for a positive outcome,” David said.
“Keep us posted,” Blaine added.
“I will.”
“Hopefully, you’ll be on your way home very soon,” David said.
“Let’s hope so.”
They said good-bye to Sarah and left for the airport, where they would catch a commercial flight back to Rhode Island.
Frank came in pushing Holden’s stroller and met Owen’s grandparents, who made a huge fuss over the baby they’d heard so much about.
“There’s a great diner across the street,” Frank said. “Holden and I had some coffee there earlier.”
“I’m starving,” Sarah announced.
Owen was glad to hear she felt hungry, because all he felt was sick. Then his father emerged from the courtroom, coming to a halt when he encountered the gathering in the hallway. The look he gave Sarah had her shrinking right before Owen’s eyes. Old habits died hard.
“Move along,” Owen said to his father.
“Watch yourself, boy.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a boy anymore, so you’d be wise to watch yourself and the way you talk to my mother.”
“Still playing the role of the hero, huh?”
“Still playing the role of the dickhead, huh?”
“Move along, Mr. Lawry,” Tom said. “You’re under a restraining order that prevents you from contacting your ex-wife. This counts as contact.”
“I’ll move along, but you should’ve taken the deal, Sarah. You’ve got nothing against me.”
“Move,” Charlie said in a tone that forced Mark to take notice.
“What’s it to you?”
“Keep talking, and you’ll find out.”
Sarah took Charlie by the hand. “Don’t bother, Charlie. He’s not worth it. Let’s go have lunch.” Sarah led him and her mother to the door.
As Laura and the others followed Sarah, Owen hung back. “Go away and leave us alone,” he said to his father when the others were out of earshot. “You’re nothing to us, and we like it that way.”
“Your mother will come around,” Mark said confidently. “She always does.”
The statement had Owen laughing out loud. “Keep telling yourself that.”
Laura came back to look for him. “Are you coming?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” As he walked away from his father, he felt the weight of the world lift from his shoulders. Mark Lawry no longer had any power over him, his mother or his siblings. No matter how the trial worked out, he couldn’t hurt them anymore.
He took Laura’s hand and smiled at her, feeling more like himself than he had in weeks.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, her expression filled with concern.
“Everything is just fine. It’s absolutely fine.”
Chapter 26
They returned from lunch to another surprise. His mother’s old friend Eva Lewis was waiting for them.
“Eva?” Sarah let out a cry of surprise and delight as she hugged the other woman. “What’re you doing here?”
“I read the story in the paper this morning. I told Bill I had to come.”
“It’s so good to see you! How long has it been?”
“At least five years, maybe more.”
“You remember Owen, of course. This is his fiancée, Lau
ra, and their son, Holden.”
“Nice to see you again, Mrs. Lewis,” Owen said.
“Look at you all grown up and so handsome.”
“He is that,” Sarah said with a proud smile for her son.
“I had to come,” Eva said. “I read the story this morning, and the defense attorney said you didn’t have anyone to testify that this had been going on for a long time. I can do that. I always knew. Bill knew, too. Everyone knew, Sarah.”
Owen’s heart ached as his mother looked down at the floor, her face flooding with shame.
“I’ve never had more arguments with my husband over anything than I did over what Mark was doing to you—and the kids. I wanted to report him, but Bill feared for his career. He regrets that now, and I wish I’d stood up to him and done the right thing. Let me do the right thing now. Please.”
Sarah looked up at Owen, who felt a profound sense of relief at knowing the one thing they needed to shore up their case had just appeared in the form of his mother’s old friend.
“I would appreciate that, Eva,” Sarah said.
They introduced Eva to Tom, whose eyes lit up with pleasure at the news that Eva was willing to testify. “You’re certain about this, Mrs. Lewis?”
“I’m absolutely positive.”
“All right, then. Let’s see what the judge has to say.”
Court reconvened a short time later, and Tom asked for permission to approach the bench. The defense attorney accompanied him, and the three men conferred in whispers for several minutes.
The burger Owen had forced himself to eat at lunch sat in his stomach like a cinder block while he waited to hear what would happen. After what felt like an hour, the defense attorney returned to his seat to confer with Mark, who spun around to look at the gallery. When his gaze settled on Eva, he scowled, shook his head and said something else to his lawyer. Owen wished he could read lips. His father’s shoulders slowly but surely lost the stiffness Owen had always associated with his military bearing. He seemed to sag in on himself as the attorney watched and waited.
The courtroom was completely silent. In the hallway, Owen heard the unmistakable sound of Holden’s laughter. The joyful noise was a balm on the ache inside him as he waited to see what would happen.