Chapter 201 Jake and Mandy Were Murdered by Him
Becky pulled out the small packet of powder and gripped it tightly.
In that moment, countless thoughts swirled through her young mind. Anthony's manipulative words kept echoing in her ears. But she also remembered what Ms. Bourbon had just told her, and what Mr. FitzRoy had said before she got home.
"Becky, you're a big girl now. You understand what this pregnancy means to Ms. Bourbon. When the babies are born, she'll inevitably have less time for you. But remember—she loves you. I love you too. Our attention might be divided, but we'll still do everything we can to take care of you and give you the best life possible."
Mr. FitzRoy had even shown her the plans they had made for her future—which middle school she'd attend, what skills she'd develop, when they might send her abroad to study, and what kind of career she might pursue when she returned. Everything had been carefully planned.
For the first time, Becky realized how much thought both Ms. Bourbon and Mr. FitzRoy had put into her life.
If that was the case, then so what if the babies would take up some of Ms. Bourbon's attention? Becky had been adopted. They had already given her far more than she'd ever dreamed of. She was grateful.
In fact, she was happy to have younger siblings—happy to share all this happiness with them. She trusted Ms. Bourbon. She trusted Mr. FitzRoy.
Becky's small face hardened with determination. Clutching the packet tightly, she walked out of her room and into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Without hesitation, she poured the entire packet into the toilet and flushed it away.
She would never hurt Ms. Bourbon.
Afterward, Becky returned to bed. Her heart finally at peace, she soon fell asleep.
---
The next morning, while on her way to work, Arabella happened to see Rachel walking hand in hand with a man at a nearby shopping center. She only caught a glimpse through the car window. The distance was too great to see the man's face clearly, but she was curious enough to snap a quick photo and send it to Daisy.
[Looks like you're in the clear.]
Daisy quickly sent back a facepalm emoji. [I knew that bitch was faking! She doesn't love Ethan at all—she just wanted to mess with me!]
Arabella took the chance to ask: [So things are stable between you and Ethan now?]
After a brief pause, Daisy replied: [I told him to get lost.]
Arabella froze for a moment before typing back: [Why? Didn't you guys clear up the misunderstanding?]
This time Daisy sent a voice message. Arabella played it and heard her friend's indignant voice: "That bastard tried to get me pregnant, can you believe it? Look, I'm fine with hooking up, whatever. But he tried to take off the condom in the middle of it! Luckily I noticed. I beat his ass and he finally admitted he was worried I'd run off, so he wanted to trap me with a baby! Like hell I'm putting up with that! Why would I keep that kind of asshole around?"
After her initial shock, Arabella couldn't help laughing. She sent back: [Calm down, calm down.]
Daisy was clearly livid. Arabella didn't dare ask any more questions and carefully ended the conversation.
That said, she had a feeling Daisy and Ethan weren't really done with each other.
After she finished texting, Alexander commented, "Poor Ethan."
Though honestly, he felt pretty pathetic himself these days. Not that he'd dare say that out loud. He just suddenly felt a sense of kinship with Ethan's suffering.
Arabella shot him a look, immediately defending her friend. "What's so pitiful about Ethan? If he wasn't ready to marry someone he didn't love, he shouldn't have gotten engaged in the first place. Once he realized he liked Daisy, he should've broken off the engagement and cleaned up his mess before pursuing her. Instead, he started something with Daisy while he was still engaged to Rachel. How is that any different from making Daisy the other woman? If it wasn't for him, would Daisy have been dragged through the mud over and over?"
She was getting more worked up. "Men really only empathize with other men. You feel bad for Ethan—what about Daisy? You think Ethan would've had a shot if she didn't like him back? She finally opens her heart to someone and gets this manipulative jerk instead. You think that's easy for her?"
Daisy had never actually said any of this, but after all these years of friendship, Arabella understood her perfectly.
Alexander hadn't expected his offhand comment to make her angry. He quickly backtracked. "I was just talking. You're right—what Ethan did was totally messed up. He's trash."
Arabella huffed and fell silent.
Alexander thought for a moment. "Want me to have someone teach Ethan a lesson? Mess with him a little?"
"Don't." Arabella frowned. "This is their business. Daisy can handle her own relationships. I trust her judgment."
Alexander nodded, then couldn't help emphasizing, "I'm nothing like Ethan. I've got nothing shady in my past. Never even had a girlfriend before. I'm completely devoted to you."
His earnest tone made Arabella laugh despite herself. Fortunately they'd arrived at her office. She grabbed her bag and escaped the car before she had to figure out how to respond to that.
---
That afternoon, Arabella was working when she received a call from an unfamiliar number.
"Ms. Bourbon? This is the administrative office at Majestic City Correctional Facility. Do you know someone named Cassidy?"
Arabella paused, pushing her mouse aside. "I do. What's going on?"
A dozen thoughts flashed through her mind. Had Cassidy escaped?
The officer explained, "Cassidy is scheduled for execution tomorrow. She's submitted a request to see you one last time before the sentence is carried out."
Arabella was taken aback. "See me? Why?"
She couldn't think of anything left to say between them.
"We don't know her reasons," the officer said. "But this is her final request. Out of humanitarian concern, we're letting you know. If you're not willing, you can refuse."
Arabella hesitated. "Thank you, but... I don't think I'll come."
"Understood." The officer hung up.
Arabella thought that would be the end of it. But near the end of her workday, the prison called again. The officer sounded apologetic. "I'm very sorry to bother you again, Ms. Bourbon. Cassidy is showing signs of self-harm. Since the execution isn't until tomorrow, we can't just ignore it."
After some explanation, the gist was clear—they really hoped Arabella would visit.
Not wanting to make things difficult for them, Arabella reluctantly agreed. "Alright. I'll come."
She called Alexander and filled him in. He didn't try to stop her, only said, "I'll come with you."
Arabella felt relieved. "Okay."
---
After work, Alexander picked her up. Once she was in the car, Arabella couldn't help wondering aloud, "I have no idea why she wants to see me. Even if she wanted to see a friend before the end, it wouldn't be me, would it?"
Alexander's hands rested on the steering wheel. He smiled slightly. "We'll find out when we get there."
He had his suspicions, though. Cassidy had been head over heels for Anthony, only to have him send her to prison. All his promises turned to nothing. She probably hated him enough to want him dead. Maybe that's what this was about.
They arrived at the prison quickly. Alexander explained their purpose to the staff, and a guard soon appeared to escort them inside. As they walked, the guard apologized repeatedly. "Sorry to drag you all the way out here. We have regulations about humane treatment, so... anyway, thanks for coming."
Arabella smiled. "It's fine. We're happy to cooperate. Don't want to make your job harder."
The guard grinned. "That's very kind of you, Ms. Bourbon."
He led them to the visitation area and asked them to wait while he went to bring Cassidy out.
A few moments later, Cassidy appeared on the other side of the glass partition, shackles around her ankles. She looked completely different. Her once-long wavy hair had been chopped into a blunt bob at ear length. Without makeup, her face looked rough and pitted. Her nose appeared crooked somehow.
She wore a prison uniform. If the guard hadn't confirmed it, Arabella would've had trouble believing this was Cassidy. She looked haggard, like a woman in her forties.
Cassidy sat down on her side of the glass. Arabella met her eyes for a moment before picking up the phone. Cassidy did the same, and Arabella heard her bitter laugh.
"Arabella," her voice came through rough and weary, "I lost to you. Lost completely."
Arabella's tone was flat. "I was never competing with you."
"Ha! That's the most pathetic part!" Cassidy laughed until tears streamed down her face, her haggard features twisted with sorrow. "You never even saw me as a rival. And I still lost to you."
Arabella frowned. "Is that why you called me here? To tell me this?"
Cassidy wiped her eyes. "No. I'm just... lamenting how ridiculous my life turned out to be."
"I thought Anthony truly loved me. I truly loved him. I tried so hard, but he never really saw me as his wife. Isn't that tragic?" Cassidy stared at Arabella intensely. "Even though he cheated during your marriage and divorced you, in his heart, I was never as good as you."
After a long pause, she gave a bitter smile. "I see it clearly now. Everything that's happened to me—I brought it on myself. But Anthony played his part too."
Arabella had no idea what Cassidy's point was or why she was saying any of this. Did she just want to complain about how unreliable Anthony was?
Cassidy's laugh turned cold, and a flash of madness crossed her eyes. "He destroyed me. I'm about to die. Why does he get to keep living like nothing happened? He doesn't deserve it. He belongs in hell. With me."
She suddenly looked up, staring at Arabella intently. "I'm going to tell you a secret."
Arabella tensed, then heard Cassidy ask, "Remember Jake and Mandy? Brother and sister?"
It took Arabella a moment to place the names. Mandy had been the wealth director at her company, sent to prison for tax evasion and bribery. Then she'd mysteriously died there. And Jake was Mandy's brother.
Cassidy looked straight at her. "Anthony killed them both."
Arabella sat frozen, unable to process what she'd just heard. Anthony killed Jake and Mandy? This was a civilized society with laws. How could he have killed two people and gotten away with it? And Mandy had died inside the prison—how could he have even reached her?
Arabella thought Cassidy must be messing with her. But looking at the woman's expression, she faltered.
"You're not... lying to me?"
"Why would I lie? I'm about to die. I only have one wish left—that Anthony suffers too! Arabella, please. You hate him. Help me destroy him!"
Arabella didn't know how to react. She'd never been able to connect Anthony with the idea of a murderer. Remembering how much he'd helped her in the past made this all feel surreal. Was Cassidy really telling the truth?
A warm hand suddenly covered hers, the dry warmth oddly calming. Alexander spoke in a low voice. "Give me the phone."
Arabella obediently handed it over. She heard Alexander ask, "Do you have proof? If you have evidence, I can make this happen for you."
Cassidy said something Arabella couldn't hear. Alexander looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "I'll look into it."
He hung up.
Arabella asked curiously, "What did she say?"
Alexander glanced at her and didn't hide anything. "She said Anthony used a mole in the police department to kill Mandy—someone named Brown. He shot Jake himself. The gun is buried somewhere no one knows about. Cassidy saw him cleaning blood off it with her own eyes."
The leads weren't especially promising. Alexander had already suspected Anthony was behind Jake and Mandy's deaths. But a police mole and a buried gun? Both would be difficult to track down. It would take time and effort, and they still might come up empty.
After hearing Alexander's explanation, Arabella looked stunned. "So... Anthony really did kill people? This is... I can't wrap my head around it."
Wasn't murder something only desperate criminals on the run did?
Alexander nodded. "Yes. And not just them."
He started to say more, then swallowed the words. Some things were too brutal. Better not to tell her yet. She wouldn't be able to handle it.
They left the prison in silence. Several times Alexander glanced over at her. She stared numbly out the window. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he asked, "If we actually find proof that Anthony killed people... would you want him to go to prison?"
Arabella looked startled, then answered matter-of-factly, "Of course. A murderer should pay for their crimes. No one's above the law."
Alexander studied her expression carefully. Seeing no sign of distress on her face, he relaxed. "Evil people get what they deserve."
After that, he fell silent and focused on driving.
But Arabella's thoughts drifted. Evil? Was Anthony evil?
When her parents died in that accident, she'd been pushed to the edge of a cliff. If Anthony hadn't helped her, she might not have survived it. Could someone like that really be a cold-blooded killer?
Arabella didn't know. She felt confused, unable to separate truth from fiction anymore.