Chapter 37: Chapter Thirty-seven

Whenever someone is placed behind bars, I often wonder whether they really did the crime or not. Guilty or not guilty? If they were hired, the mastermind should be in a cell too. The underlings are in prison while the head is still out there frolicking somewhere. I will never feel that justice has been served when the true person who wanted to ruin us is out there.

“You all right?”

After the interrogation, I felt relieved. A huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. The police weren’t able to get anything out of Leonard, the sick man who captured us with his minions, and were surprised to know that they had been hired. I recalled the interrogator stating that Leonard was a wanted man charged with theft. Not to mention, murder. It made my skin crawl.

Now that they were aware, the police were on the case of finding the person who hired them, and would hunt them down. Dad was troubled by this and wondered whether it was his enemies.

“It must be Langston! Or perhaps, Calvin!” Dad continued to pace around, almost burning the antique rag beneath his feet. Mom went on saying that Dad shouldn’t go and accuse anyone he thought of. The investigator pacified him, telling him that he’d look into the list of people—yeah, it was that long—that Dad deemed to be suspicious.

But it had been a week since the interrogation and three days since Dad gave the investigator his list of suspects. There was still no news about who hired Leonard and his minions. Now here we were sitting in the courtroom while waiting for the judge to arrive.

Chad, looking sharp in his new suit and the bruises now disappearing from his face, gazed at me in worry. After making sure that Dad was preoccupied with his lawyer, I nodded and gave him a smile.

“Yeah, I’m okay. You?”

He nodded in return.

Harvey, who wanted to come along, was forced to stay at home and just entertain himself with his games. I, on the other hand, didn’t want to come and attend the boring trial. All I wanted was to put those criminals to jail, but it wouldn’t happen overnight. Not without a lot of work.

“Rachel, what are you going to do afterwards?” Chad inquired softly. “After all these trials end and those silly bastards are in jail…”

I shrugged. “Go back to my ‘normal’ life?” I made quote signs with my fingers, earning a chuckle from the blond man. His huge hand patted my hair, an affectionate smile gracing his lips.

“Yeah, normal indeed.”

It may not be the normal that I wanted, but it’ll do. It’s way better than having a psychopath trying to kill you on a daily basis. Anything’s much better than that!

“All rise for the honorable Judge Hearth.”

All the fun and everything considered happiness was sucked out of the courtroom as the judge made his way up to his seat. Silence loomed all over the place; faces were painted with impassiveness. Suddenly, Chad and I became strangers as we acknowledged the man, who would decide the future of those measly men. Leonard’s lawyer, the coward, was pulling a lot of reasons that were so shallow. Even after the hearing, he still couldn’t gather enough evidence to defend his client. He’s fighting a lost cause. Much to Dad’s delight, our lawyer continued to pour out evidence and statements.

As the trial went on and the judge listened well, it ended sooner than I thought. Now only that, but, by the looks of it, those men would be put behind bars. They’d been charged by a lot of people who were unsuccessful in apprehending them since Leonard always got away. Now, they would finally taste sweet justice once those criminals were put to jail.

“What do you think? Do you think the case will be closed in one month?” Dad questioned his lawyer as we walked down the halls.

The man, clad in a sharp suit with his dark hair gelled back, stared at Dad before nodding. “I’m positive, Mr. Maxwell. If not by a month, I guess by the second week of December. Leonard has been charged with attempted murder, theft, frustrated murder and right now, kidnapping. Now that he is caught, I’m sure he’ll spend a long time in jail.”

“That’s good to hear,” Dad responded. “I’m sure all the people he hurt and their loved ones would like to see him get locked up for life. I heard that they are still pressing charges on him.” His lawyer nodded, confirming his thoughts.

The rest of their conversation went out of earshot once I was pulled back by a strong hand. Shocked, I quickly turned to see that it was only Chad. I chuckled softly, trying hard to calm down my racing heart.

“Chad…you scared me.”

His grin faltered and his expression changed to an alarmed one. “Oh, I did? I wasn’t trying to… Sorry.” Accepting his apology, I waved my hand as if dismissing it with an assuring smile. “It’s all right… By the way, do you want something?”

He raised an eyebrow at my question. “Why? Do I need something to approach you? I’m not allowed to talk to the woman I like?” His arms found their way around my waist and pulled me close to him as I witnessed that hint of a smirk on his face. At this, I smiled back and softly pinched his cheeks.

“You… What if my father sees you doing this, huh? How are you going to explain yourself?”

Chad took a step back, placing a hand under his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. “I don’t know… I’ll probably tell him that his daughter couldn’t keep her hands to herself and wants to—”

A punch on his chest was enough to silence his words, but not his laughter. “Okay, okay… I actually don’t know what to tell him.” Just as I thought. Flicking his long nose gently, I squinted my eyes and pointed my right hand’s index finger at him.

“You won’t tell him anything…” I whispered, a bit loudly for him to hear. “Not until I say so.”

If he was thinking about protesting, it had to be said another day, as his mother came walking towards us. The sound of her heels clicking against the white tiles resounded in the hallway. Instantly, we created space between us and watched the beaming woman approaching us.

“Hello, darling!” Rebecca Montgomery greeted, kissing my cheeks. I returned her greeting, stealing glances at Chad before waving farewell at them. “It was nice to see you but I have to go now. Dad’s waiting for me outside and I don’t want to keep him waiting.”

Mrs. Montgomery nodded. “Sure, darling. Take care!” With one last glance and a smile at Chad, I walked away to return to my father. The moment I stepped out of the building, I put on my sunglasses as my bodyguards immediately blocked the photographers out of the way. Lights flashed brightly as they snapped pictures of me.

The car door was already open and I instantly climbed in. The car drove away in a few seconds, speeding down the road before slowing down. Looking back, the media was gone with their flashing cameras and raining questions. Glad to escape them, I let out a breath of relief and turned towards my father. He was still talking to his lawyer, their conversation animated.

Fishing out my phone, I quickly typed a message for Chad.

To: Chad Sorry, I was nervous around your mom. But Dad was waiting for me in the car. Anyways, see you at work!

Just as I was about to set my phone aside, Chad texted back. Clicking on the message, I read his reply.

From: Chad It’s all right, plum ;) Hahaha, say hello to your brother for me and tell him to stay cool. Yes, I’ll visit your office tomorrow morning. Take care of yourself Giggling to myself—not loud enough for Dad to hear—I texted back.

To: Chad You jerk! When will you stop calling me plum, huh?

From: Chad Jerk? Please… You know you love me. Take care plum ;)

I stared at his reply for a few minutes, merely gazing at the words he sent. You know you love me. Heaving a sigh, I placed my phone away, diverted my eyes at the buildings outside and simply stared at them. Small and huge. Tall and short. As we zoomed past cars, the snow continued to fall. It wouldn’t be long before it got heavier.

Chad… Are we really going to do this? Be partners? I’ll be your girlfriend? I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought of it. What did you see in me? What did you see in me that other girls don’t have? Images of me and Chad dating entered my mind; they brought laughter to me, seeing how fun it would be to tease the blond man and how his cheeks would be red because of pinching.

I wonder what it would be like to date him…

“Rachel?” Snapping out of my daydream, I sharply turned to see Dad and his lawyer staring at me as if I’d grown a second head.

“Y-yes, Dad?”

He scanned my face for a few seconds while gesturing at me. “Was there something funny?” Cheeks reddening in embarrassment, I quickly shook my head and waved my hands in rejection. “N-no Dad! I was just remembering something funny. That’s all…”

His lawyer laughed softly, “Ah, don’t be alarmed. It’s a good sign that she’s happy right now.”

Dad, finding his statement right, nodded in agreement before returning to their conversation. Glad that the attention was now away from me, I glanced back at the window and silently sighed in relief.

Dad was dropped off in his office together with his lawyer. “Pumpkin, see you at dinner!” I waved back at him in farewell until the car door was shut. On the way home, nothing filled my thoughts but Chad.

***

“New York?” I repeated, as if not believing it. Mom nodded back, beaming widely while pointing at the pictures in her cellphone. The moment I got home, I was surprised to see Mom already here, waving her phone in the air in glee. The fire roared with life, eating the wood that Henry tossed into the fireplace. Besides Mom, a cup of hot coffee greeted me.

“Dear, it’ll be refreshing for you to go on a vacation. Even if it’s only for three days,” she suggested excitedly. “It’ll be good for you, after all these depressing things happening… I’m sure you need this.”

I frowned, not expecting this at all. “Mom, why are you sending me away? I’m doing just fine here.” Spending three days in New York…all alone… It’s just going to make me feel lonely! “Besides, I went there last year and Thanksgiving is approaching.”

Not accepting this, she pointed at the picture of our house in New York harshly. It worried me that the force would crack the screen of her phone. “I’m not sending you away, and it’ll only be for three days, so don’t act like you’ll be there forever! Harvey would love to come but he still has class. Just take a break in New York, and if you want, you can bring Francine with you.”

“Even if she wanted to come, Patton is here. I don’t want to get in their way. But what about the case—?”

“The next trial won’t be for another week. And if there is one, it’s all right if you don’t join.” Placing both of her hands on her hips, she stood up from the couch and narrowed her eyes at me in a display of authority. “Rachel, you will go and spend your first day in New York tomorrow. No ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’. I contacted your father to have the private jet ready, so you go and pack upstairs.”

So, they’ve been planning this for a while, huh? Well, I can’t back out now…

“All right, I’ll go.” Mom’s face instantly brightened. I stood up to have her arms wrapped around me. I returned the embrace with equal fervor. Pulling back, she studied me at arm’s length and patted my hair. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time there, dear.”

I smiled.

She then pulled away to turn to Henry, who was standing in the corner, ready to comply with the requests given to him. “Henry, please tell the chef to prepare a Japanese-style dinner tonight. And also, to bring in the champagne while Harvey gets a glass of Cola.”

“Yes, Mrs. Maxwell.”

Facing me once again, Mom gestured to the stairs. “Go and pack your things now. Don’t forget to bring jackets or anything to keep you warm.”

I nodded and grabbed my coat from Henry before heading up the stairs. The white mug sat emptily on top of the coffee table.

I pushed the door to my room open, the warmth very comfortable unlike the bitter cold outdoors. Hanging my coat on the rack, I turned around, only to be surprised when I was greeted by a frowning Harvey. Forcing my heart to calm down—I’d been quite jumpy lately—I tousled his brown locks and chuckled.

“Why the long face, huh? What’s the matter?”

“You know why…” He grumbled and sighed. “I want to go with you, but Mom won’t let me.”

Compressing my lips together, I bent down and gave him a huge smile of reassurance. “It’s all right if you can’t. I know you only want to go because you’re afraid that something will happen.”

“Which is why I have to be there.”

I heaved a sigh. “Harvey, it’s really all right. They apprehended the criminals already, there is nothing to fear now that they’re facing mountains of charges. They’ll probably go to jail next month…” Cupping his face, I gazed right into his eyes with all seriousness. “I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry, and it’ll only be three days! I’ll be back just in time for Thanksgiving.”

Harvey pouted his lips, thinking hard before giving in. “Okay… Just call when there’s something wrong, understood?”

I giggled and gently pinched his cheeks. “Yes Dad. I’ll be fine on my own, Dad.” When he started to squirm, the one last thing I did was assault his cheeks with kisses then pulled away from the annoyed boy.

“Sheesh! Stop that!”

I put my hands on my hips and laughed. “You go and act like Dad but you can’t even take my kisses? Dad will never reject them at all!”

Muttering under his breath, Harvey walked out of my room and returned to his, all the while wiping his cheeks.

I shut the door behind me and proceeded to pack, not wanting the sudden fear entering my head. Darn it, Harv. You’ve just put worst case scenarios in my head… Images of getting kidnapped again, especially when my whole family were not around, brought chills to my spine. And it’s not caused by the cold weather.

By the time I finished packing, it was already six. Flopping down on the bed, I glanced up at the ceiling and let out a tired sigh. “It’s going to be fine, Rachel. Sure, there will be a lot of crime there… But if you don’t stand out too much, everything will be all right.” Patting my heart, I grabbed my pillow and snuggled against it.

Just as I was about to get some peace of mind, memories came flashing back of that night. Harvey, Chad, Leonard, the torture, the bomb… Death. Shaking my head as if to clear those thoughts away, I snatched my phone off the nightstand and proceeded to text Francine about my sudden trip tomorrow, letting her know.

From: Francine Seriously? That’s great! :) I wish I could come with you but Patton arranged a date tomorrow… I don’t want to go but I have to. I don’t want to hurt his feelings.

To: Francine Really? Send me pictures, okay? ;) And shut up, I know you like him too. No point in making up excuses.

From: Francine All right, fine! You caught me. Enjoy your trip, okay? Bring us back something, anything, from New York. A snow globe, perhaps? Take care!

I grinned, typing out my reply before I headed downstairs for dinner.

To: Francine Will do!:)

“Helen, have you told Rachel about the trip?” Dad asked as we ate dinner. The chef had prepared everything, from sushi to maki. We even had champagne in our glasses while Harvey continued to drink his Cola. It was just another dinner between family, but unlike before, we were now closer than ever. Not to mention, there were times we couldn’t eat together due to endless dinners with clients, friends and whatnot.

“Of course, honey. I told her the minute she arrived,” Mom responded after swallowing her food. “Damon, is the private jet ready?”

“Yes, it is. I also had the caretakers in our house back in New York to clean the whole place up. I even told the security there to prepare for Rachel’s arrival tomorrow morning.” Dad then turned to me with a smile. “You’re excited?”

I nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Dad.”

“Dad, I want to come!” Harvey whined on his seat, only to be silenced by Mom, telling him to just let it go. That he should just focus on his schoolwork and assignments. Harvey, a bit angry, went silent, but his lips continued to move. He was obviously muttering.

Once we were finished with dinner, we all stayed in our seats—except Harvey, who went straight to his room, saying that he had to finish his homework as he left the three of us alone in the dining room. The steam floated above our hot cups of coffee, the aroma was very invigorating.

“Helen, why did Rebecca Montgomery call you a while ago? What did she want?”

At the sudden question, I looked up from the table after merely staring at it the whole time. Mom smiled and set her cup down, the green liquid in it sloshing gently.

“She wanted to have lunch with me and Rachel tomorrow. I told her that Rachel couldn’t come because she’ll be going to New York,” Mom replied. “She was a bit down, but understood.”

As Mom and Dad conversed, I couldn’t help but wonder about Rebecca Montgomery. Ever since the kidnapping, she had been very…silent. Taking my phone, I typed a message to Chad to let him know about my trip. He responded in a few seconds.

From: Chad I see. Enjoy your trip.

His clipped response made me frown in worry. That’s odd. He’s usually full of life… I wonder if he’s busy, or something.

“Helen, don’t you think…that the person who hired the kidnappers is someone close to us?” Dad tapped his chin in deep thought. “I’ve been thinking very hard for the past few days and it occurred to me that they might be one of our friends.”

“What?” Mom questioned. “What makes you think that? Who are you suspecting now?”

I looked away from the both of them to stare at the snow falling in the night. Dad has a point. It could be anyone we considered as our friend…

Is this why…I’ve been feeling like this? Is this why I’ve been feeling like I missed out on something? Could it be that they’ve been fooling us the whole time? If so, who could it be?

Who could be so vicious as to backstab us like this?!

“Helen, please don’t get angry…” Dad sighed softly. “But I’m suspecting your friend… I’m suspecting that Rebecca Montgomery is behind all this.”