Chapter 143 Jason's Anger
JASON'S POV
The next day, I was at Tommy's shop helping him with a bike when I could not hold it in anymore. The rage I had been feeling since Vanessa started her campaign of lies. It came bubbling up and I punched the wall.
"Whoa," Tommy said. "What the hell man?"
"I am sorry," I said. I looked at my hand. It was bleeding. "I am just so angry."
"About Vanessa?" Tommy asked.
"About all of it," I said. "About what she is doing to Caitlyn. About the lies. About the protesters. About our life being destroyed because some bitter woman wants revenge."
"I get it," Tommy said. "I am angry too. We all are."
"I want to confront her," I said. "I want to go to her apartment and make her tell the truth. Make her admit she is lying."
"That is a bad idea," Tommy said. "A really bad idea."
"I know," I said. "But I cannot just sit here and do nothing. Caitlyn is falling apart. She can barely sleep. Barely eat. She is terrified all the time. And it is because of Vanessa."
"I know," Tommy said. "But confronting her will only make things worse."
"How could things possibly be worse?" I asked. "Our apartment was attacked. We had to move out. Caitlyn is being called a liar and a criminal. What is worse than that?"
"You're going to prison for assault," Tommy said. "Because that is what will happen if you confront Vanessa. She will call the cops. Say you threatened her. You will get arrested and then Caitlyn will be alone with Emma. Is that what you want?"
"No," I said. "Of course not."
"Then you need to calm down," Tommy said. "You need to trust that Rourke will handle this. That he will expose the truth."
"What if he does not?" I asked. "What if he cannot prove Vanessa is lying? What if she gets away with it?"
"Then we deal with that when it happens," Tommy said. "But right now you need to stay calm. Stay smart. Do not do anything stupid."
"I feel so helpless," I said. "Like there is nothing I can do to protect Caitlyn. To fix this."
"There is something you can do," Tommy said. "You can be there for her. Support her. Love her. That is what she needs right now. Not you getting arrested."
"You are right," I said. "I know you are right."
"Of course I am right," Tommy said. "I am always right."
I smiled despite myself. "Thanks man. For talking me down."
"That is what I am here for," Tommy said. "Now let me see that hand."
He looked at my knuckles. They were bleeding but not broken. He cleaned them up and wrapped them in a bandage.
"You are lucky you did not break anything," Tommy said. "Would be hard to explain that to Caitlyn."
"I would have told her the truth," I said.
"That you punch a wall because you are angry?" Tommy asked. "Yeah, that would go over well."
"Point taken," I said.
My phone rang. It was one of the guys from the crew. Marcus.
"Hey Jason," he said. "I just saw something you need to know about. Vanessa Cory was at a restaurant downtown. Meeting with someone."
"Who?" I asked.
"I do not know," Marcus said. "But it looked like a business meeting. They were talking seriously. Looking at documents. I took some photos."
"Send them to me," I said.
A minute later the photos came through. I looked at them. Vanessa was sitting across from a man in a suit. They were looking at papers. Talking intently.
"Who is that?" Tommy asked looking over my shoulder.
"I do not know," I said. "But I am going to find out."
I sent the photos to Detective Rourke with a text explaining what Marcus saw. Rourke called me back immediately.
"Where did you get these?" he asked.
"One of my crew saw Vanessa at a restaurant," I said. "Took some photos. Who is the guy she is meeting with?"
"That is Richard Brennan," Rourke said. "He is a lawyer. And he has connections to the defendants in the upcoming trials."
"So Vanessa is working with them?" I asked.
"Looks that way," Rourke said. "This is good. Really good. This helps prove she is not acting alone. That there is a conspiracy."
"What do you need from me?" I asked.
"Nothing," Rourke said. "Just stay away from Vanessa. Do not confront her. Do not do anything that could compromise the investigation."
"I was not planning on it," I said. Even though I had been.
"Good," Rourke said. "Because we are close. Really close to exposing the truth. I just need a little more time."
"How much time?" I asked.
"A few more days," Rourke said. "Maybe a week. But we are going to get her. I promise."
After I hung up I showed Tommy the photos again. "Rourke says this proves there is a conspiracy. That Vanessa is working with the defendants."
"See?" Tommy said. "Good things happen when you do not punch people."
"I punched a wall not a person," I said.
"Still counts," Tommy said.
We finished working on the bike and then I drove back to Tommy's house. Caitlyn was on the couch with Emma. She looked exhausted.
"Hey," I said. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired," Caitlyn said. "Emma was fussy all day. I think she can sense my stress."
"Probably," I said. I sat next to her. "But I have some good news. Marcus saw Vanessa meeting with a lawyer. A lawyer who has connections to the defendants. Rourke says this proves there is a conspiracy."
"Really?" Caitlyn asked. Her eyes lit up a little. "So he can prove she is lying?"
"He thinks so," I said. "Says he is close. Just needs a few more days."
"A few more days," Caitlyn repeated. "That feels like forever."
"I know," I said. "But it is something. It is hope."
"I could use some hope," Caitlyn said.
I put my arm around her and we sat there together. Emma fell asleep between us. My family. The reason I was fighting so hard to stay calm. To not do anything stupid.
Tommy was right. Confronting Vanessa would only make things worse. Would only give her more ammunition. I needed to trust the process. Trust that Rourke would expose the truth.
Even if it was killing me to wait.