Chapter 42 Will Jonathan go to jail
THIRD PERSON’S POV.
“Where are you Jonathan?” Horace spoke into the phone, ignoring Clara’s question.
“Somewhere… downtown, I think,” Jonathan replied.
“You sound drunk, are you drunk?” Clara asked with tears in her voice.
“Maybe a little bit.” Jonathan giggled.
Horace snatched the phone from her, “Share your live location and stay where you are. I’ll send a driver to come pick you up.”
“Okay. Father-in-law.”
Jonathan replied and ended the call.
“How could you send him to kill Trisha, father?”
“I didn’t send him to kill Trisha. Now shut up, and let me think.”
Too many things were happening at once, Horace willed himself to breathe and remain calm.
Immediately they neared the hospital entrance Serena jumped down and dashed inside without waiting for the car to fully park.
“Trisha Dwayne,” Serena said to the nurse at the reception. “African American, she was involved in an accident earlier today.”
“Okay ma’am, give me a minute.” The nurse typed rapidly..
Damian walked and stood beside her, “Have you seen her?”
“Not yet,” Serena said, then turned to the nurse, “Well?”
“Trisha Dwayne is on the second floor, down the hall, room 303.”
“Thank you.”
Serena with Damian following closely behind.
At the door, Serena stiffened, peering into the room through the glass. Trisha lay wrapped in bandages, a cast on her arm and another on her leg.
“Trish…. Oh my God.” Serena entered the room, gently gripping her bandaged hand.
“See,” Trisha smiled weakly, “I told you I was okay.”
Serena bursted in tears, “Trish I’m so sorry I wasn’t there, I should’ve helped you”
“Oh please,” Trisha said softly. “what would you have done? You can’t even throw a proper punch.”
“I can’t believe you are still joking when you look like this.”
“It’s because I’m happy” Trisha swallowed. “Do you know after the accident, when the paramedics arrived they declared Rose dead on the spot?”Her voice broke off.
Serena froze.
She sniffed and continued, “But when we got to the hospital they noticed some movement and rushed her to surgery.”
“Is Rose okay now?”
“They assured me she’s going to be. The surgery was successful.” Trisha took a deep breath.
“I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if Rose died trying to save me.”
Damian finally entered the room.
“Trisha, I’m glad you’re not dead.” He said lightly.
“Trust me, “she replied. “You are not as happy as I am.”
She retorted.
“Trisha,”‘Serena said, her voice turning serious. “Did you see the face of the person who ran you over?”
“Yes.”
Damian stiffened. “Who was it?”
Trisha took a deep breath. She turned to face her friend, “It was Jonathan.”
Silence.
“Jonathan Hales did this?” Damian muttered.
“No.” Serena whispered, “Why would Jonathan try to kill you?”
“I think they know,” Trish answered
They both exchanged a look, Horace must have figured out their plan and sent Jonathan after them.
Damian frowned.
“Then why attack Trisha and not you?”
“Because, the will protects me,” Serena said. “I can’t die under suspicious conditions, if I do the family will have to be investigated and they risk losing all the inheritance to charity.”
“That makes sense.” He replied.
“What are we going to do now?” Trisha asked.
Serena smiled suddenly, “Well, are you in the mood to be my maid of honor? Because we are getting married right now.”
“Here? In the hospital?” Trisha blinked.
“Yes, after your call this afternoon I had to
Make an impromptu decision. I knew whoever tried to kill you wanted to scare us into a corner. So I announced at the press conference that Damian and i were already married.”
Trisha laughed weakly. “And the certificate?”
“I have a friend working at the courthouse. She has agreed to help me forge the wedding dates on the certificate.” Serena said, pulling out a brush from her purse.
“Perfect, all that is left then is the ceremony.”
Trisha said excitedly.
“That’s sorted out . Oscar’s on his way with a priest and our lawyers.”
“Oscar?” Trish asked nervously. Her eyes flicking to Serena’s once more.
“Yeah. Is that a problem?”
Trisha and Serena smiled. Saying nothing.
Jonathan slept the entire drive back to the Gregory mansion. The driver woke him up after he had parked the vehicle in the compound.
“They are waiting for you in the greenhouse.”
He nodded and made his way there.
Clara spotted him through the glass and rushed out to meet him.
“Jonathan, omigod you look horrible.”
“Thanks babe.” He replied dryly.
She guided him inside, “How could you let my father talk you into murder? And why didn’t you speak with me before going through with it?”
“I told you Clara,” Horace said from behind them. “ I didn’t ask him to murder the girl.”
“What did you ask him to do then?” She demanded.
“He asked me to kidnap her,” Jonathan said, sinking into a chair.
“Exactly.” Horace backed him, “So how did you fuck up something as simple as that?”
“I thought she was alone in the house,” Jonathan snapped. “I grabbed the wrong person and before I could fix it, she was hitting me with a golf club and her friend was trying to run me over.”
“That doesn’t explain how they ended up at the bottom of a cliff.” Horace cut in.
“I chased them down the road. I only bumped my car into them to scare them into stopping, but they were being stubborn. I didn't even see the hill until they were rolling down it.”
“Do you two hear yourselves?” Clara cried, “When did we become kidnappers and murderers?”
Horace scoffed, “sweetheart, this is a kill or be killed world, sweetheart. We are all murderers when we have to be.”
He walked past her to where Jonathan was seated. “Tell me, did she see your face?”
Jonathan lowered his gaze before nodding his head yes.
Horace rubbed a palm down his face, “I’m surrounded by complete nincompoops.”
“Do you think she’ll go to the police?” Clara asked.
“Of course she will.” Jonathan snapped. “Is that even a question?”
“Dad.”
Clara pleaded. “You have to do something. You can’t let Jonathan go to prison.”
Horace didn’t answer, he just stood looking into the far distance.
This was not how he had imagined the day would go and now he didn’t know how to stop the damage already in motion .