“And all these years he’s been off the radar?”
“Yep, all those investigators Randall had searching for him, or at least that’s what he told me, and I have my doubts, but nevertheless, I would have thought they could have located him, but nothing. When people don’t want to be found, they can make it happen. I learned this in prison from women who sounded like they knew what they were talking about. I feel sure he’s living a life of luxury, probably lounging on some exotic beach as we speak, all courtesy of his mother since he has never touched a penny of his trust-fund hoard. He’s a low-life son of a bitch,” Tessa said, doing nothing to hide the hate in her voice.
“Any man who touches a child is beyond low. Below whale crap, if you ask me. I see a lot of kids in my practice. Their lives were ruined by these sick-ass perverts. Of course, I can’t say this to them, or to the family members, but it’s rare when a child overcomes this type of tragedy.”
“So you think Poppy and Piper would have been . . . ruined, tainted, for the rest of their lives? I thought you told me they would be all right with therapy.” Her voice rose a notch.
“I think your girls were strong, Tessa. Like you. They kept their abuse secret for a long time. When I spoke to them, they didn’t act like your typical victims. They knew that what had happened to them was a very bad thing. They also knew that telling you was the right thing to do even though they’d been terrified, and justifiably so. Poppy was very angry, as she should have been. Piper was . . . I think she was more damaged. But with your love and support, and intense therapy, I think they would have been okay as adults.”
“We’ll never know, will we?” Tessa asked, and felt another round of tears fill her eyes. She wiped them with the cloth napkin and blew her nose. “All these years I have beat myself up, over and over, wondering how I could have been so stupid? So blind. It was more than obvious they were suffering. Afraid, as they reverted to their five-year-old patterns of behavior. I will never forgive myself.”
Jill cleared her throat. “It wasn’t your fault, you know that. Joel wasn’t aware of what they were going through, either. I realize I don’t have children of my own, but I work with all kinds of abused children, of all ages, and more often than not the parents blame themselves. Unless it’s actually a parent doing the abuse, it’s not their fault, not your fault. Your case is unlike any I have dealt with. You were whisked away, tried and convicted by a system so convinced they had the right person that they never bothered with a serious criminal investigation. They wanted this case out of the news.”
“And why? There was no evidence against me,” Tessa said, her anger causing her pulse to race.
“Your trip to San Maribel, the large insurance policy Joel had taken out, plus the company. You planned the trip so quickly, the media thought you had a lover, had something to hide. They found you in the pool with their bodies. You wouldn’t speak to the police once they arrested you. In their minds, this was a perfect case of circumstantial evidence. There was no DNA, nothing to connect you to this crime. You had no obvious defensive wounds. Anyone in their right mind should have known you were innocent.
This isn’t a large town. Lots of local ass-kissers in the political field. Michael Chen wanted your ass on a platter, and he got what he wanted. When you refused to speak, it sealed your fate. And now, it just might be the key to overturning your conviction. Getting all charges dropped. This is all good, Tessa. Despite the past ten-plus years, you’re still young. You can have a full life—”
“Don’t you even dare say I can have another family. I cannot and will never have children again! No matter what the court decides.”
“I know you feel that way now, but I say, never say never.”
“Let’s not talk about this, okay? Please?” Tessa begged. Yes, she knew she was just young enough to start over and have a family again, but she would never betray Joel and the girls.
“Fair enough, but it’s going to come up in the next few days. Just do what you have to in order to prepare yourself. Michael Chen and the local police are going to do their best to convict you again, regardless of what the Florida Supreme Court says. An exoneration or, perhaps worse for them, having the charges dismissed because the investigation your private detectives are doing turns up evidence of your innocence and someone else’s guilt would embarrass them no end. Expose their utter incompetence.
“And let’s not forget the media. This is fodder for all the new crime shows on damned near every local and cable channel. Just know you can come to me anytime, okay? I’m with you every step of the way.”
“I appreciate your sticking by me, especially after the way I treated you. Denying your visits. Refusing your letters. When I was locked up, I just wanted that to be my life. I’d accepted it, and I still do, but now there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe. And I want to move past this, but it’s hard, Jill. Harder than my life before. You know, when I was a kid in and out of foster homes, that was a breeze compared to losing my family.”
“Of course it was,” Jill said, her voice soothing.
Before Tessa could respond, Sam returned to the kitchen again. Tessa quickly ended her call with Jill so she could listen to Sam’s update.
“Harry’s expecting the new
