Unable to sleep, Jake had crept out of the studio house around three o’clock in the morning and walked across to JJL. Using Jim Marrs’ keys, he let himself in and wandered through to the lounge. There were a few night lights on that generated enough light for him to find his way about. Having lifted a bottle of juice from the refrigerator, he headed into the live room, seeking solace in his music. It took him a few minutes to get the studio lights on and, on a whim, he switched on the recording equipment before returning to the live room.
The ordeal of the previous twelve hours was weighing heavily on his heart. He was still feeling humiliated at having his teeth marked manhood photographed and examined by the forensic photographer and the police doctor. Those two hours had been two of the longest and most embarrassing hours of his life. He had cringed as his dick, the four teeth mark scratches clear for all to see, had been swabbed and examined and photographed from all angles. In an effort to mask his embarrassment, he’d joked about it not being his normal form of photoshoot.
Eventually, Jethro had driven him back to JJL, declining to come in, saying he had to meet up with Maddison.
An all too familiar feeling of abandonment had swept through him as he watched Jethro drive off. A feeling he hadn’t felt since his time in rehab over five years earlier.
Alone in the studio, his beloved acoustic in his hands, Jake played. With nothing better to do, he began to work on the acoustic arrangements for some of the songs off the new record. He had half a plan to suggest an acoustic fundraiser to raise awareness about mental health issues. He’d floated the idea past Maria, Rich’s older sister, who had suggested that they start a fundraiser in Rich’s memory. It was all in the infancy of early planning but the seeds had been sown and an acoustic show seemed a fitting way to start.
Gradually, the music soothed his frayed soul. The familiarity of the instrument in his hands easing the burden of heartache that was ripping through him.
Repeatedly, he had questioned himself on how he could have been so stupid, berated himself for being weak and succumbing to Nicole’s calculated advances.
Cursing that he didn’t have his lyrics journal, Jake began to play a short angry song, singing about being broken, feeling betrayed. His emotions rang painfully true in the bare honest lyrics but working on the song helped him make some degree of sense of this current situation.
A storm blew in from the south the following afternoon bringing torrential rain and strong winds. As she drove along E Lake Drive on the way home from school with the kids, Lori watched the trees swaying and prayed that none of the branches crashed down onto the car. In the back seat, both Melody and Jesse were quiet, scared into silence by the wind and rain.
They had only just made it indoors when Lori heard tyres crunching on the deep gravel outside. A few moments later, there was a knock at the back door then Anna and Linzi flew in, closely followed by Grey.
“Beautiful day,” he declared as he stood dripping water all over Lori’s tiled kitchen floor.
“Gorgeous,” she replied with a giggle. “Didn’t expect to see you today in this storm.”
“Promised I’d be over, didn’t I?”
“Girls, go on into the sunroom. Miss M and Jesse should be in there already.”
Hand in hand, the two little girls ran through the house shouting for Melody.
“I can see them forming an all-girl band someday,” joked Lori, secretly loving how well the Silver Lake children got along.
“Well, we can line Kaya up as their screaming lead singer,” laughed Grey. “That kid’s got some lungs on her.”
“Still not settling?”
Grey shook his head. “She’s getting better but she’s still got Kola and I up for over two hours every night. Screams from two till four. Nothing consoles her.”
“Oh, not good,” commiserated Lori, her hand sub-consciously moving to her own slightly rounded stomach. “Coffee?”
“Please,” said Grey. “I picked up a new cell for you. Think it’s the model up from what you had. Kid in the store set it up and I added in some key contacts for you. Wasn’t sure if you’d lost your numbers when they took your phone yesterday.”
“They should be backed up but I guess I can’t link this to my existing account.”
“I wouldn’t,” suggested Grey. “Just to be on the safe side.”
Lori nodded sadly.
As they sat at the kitchen table with their mugs of coffee and some soft-baked chocolate chip cookies, Grey said quietly, “She was arrested this morning.”
“Arrested? For the messages?”
“There’s more to this, Lori,” began Grey, avoiding her gaze. “I’m not sure you’re ready to hear it. Not even sure I should be the one to tell you.”
“To tell me what?” demanded Lori bluntly. “Just spit it out, Grey.”
“She’s been arrested on charges of sexual assault, sexual harassment and stalking. That’s over and above the issue of the messages.”
“Sexual assault?” echoed Lori, her blood running cold. “Not one of her students?”
Grey shook his head.
“Who then or can’t you tell me?”
“Jake,” said Grey calmly, his heart pounding in his chest.
“Jake?”
The bass player nodded, “He filed the charges yesterday. Was interviewed yesterday. As far as I know, the cops picked her up as she arrived at school this morning.”
“But he admitted to having had sex with her?” said Lori, deliberately keeping her voice low to prevent the kids from overhearing.
“Lori, there’s a whole load more to this,” replied Grey softly. “But I’m not the one
