Jason frowned. “I don’t have anything to say about that.”
“I’ve listened to the audio recording of your trial several times. I think there are some loose ends.”
“No. There aren’t.”
“Please—”
“No.” His body was tense. “You go ahead and write your story. Tell the world what I did. I don’t care. But I won’t participate. Please leave me alone.”
“Why did you come back to Loganville?”
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
A siren blared in the distance. Jason turned around, gazing at the oncoming police car, the lights whirling. The car skidded to a halt several feet in front of Jason. He immediately raised his hands over his head.
April’s eyes bulged at the sight of her father, as he exited his squad car, wearing a mask, his eyes laser-focused.
Danny removed the billy club from his belt and addressed April. “Are you okay?”
April drew her eyebrows together. “I’m fine.”
“Go home, April. Now.”
April walked back to her car, still watching over her shoulder.
Danny then pointed his billy club at Jason. “You remember me, you sick fuck?”
Jason stood still, his hands in the air.
April stood next to her car, watching the scene, still within earshot.
“I asked you a fucking question,” Danny said.
Jason responded, barely above a whisper. “Yes. I remember you.”
“Take off that backpack, put your hands on the hood, and spread your legs.”
Jason took off his backpack and dropped it on the macadam. He placed his hands on the hood of the police car.
Danny holstered his billy club and kicked Jason’s feet apart. Then, Danny patted him down. “Don’t move,” Danny said. He picked up Jason’s backpack, opened it, and dumped the contents on the ground. An empty water bottle, two empty Ziploc bags, gloves, and a paperback book fell to the macadam. The water bottle rolled to the curb. He checked the small pocket, pulling out a surgical mask. Then, Danny threw the empty backpack on the ground and turned to Jason, with one side of his mouth raised in disgust. “If you ever come near my family again, I’ll make sure you go back to prison for the rest of your sorry life. You got me?”
Jason nodded.
“I didn’t hear you.”
“I understand.” Jason’s voice was unemotional and monotone.
“Now pick up your shit and get the fuck outta here.”
Jason bent down and collected his things, placing them back in his backpack.
April had an urge to help Jason collect his things, but she didn’t move.
Jason shouldered his backpack and walked away from the scene.
Danny stalked to April. “What the hell were you thinking?”
April scowled at her father. “Why did you do that? He didn’t do anything.”
Danny’s lower jaw jutted forward. His neck vein pulsed. “He didn’t? He’s a murderer and a child rapist!”
April dipped her head, chastened.
“I know you must be curious about what happened, but you can’t talk to him. He’s dangerous, and he has nothing but bad intentions coming back here.”
April raised her gaze. “How do you know?”
“I know men like him. Trust me.”
April didn’t respond.
“Text your mother back and tell her that you’re coming home now. She’s worried sick.”
April nodded.
Danny gave April a stern look. “I expect you to go straight home.”
Chapter 87: Facing the Music
April drove straight home from the construction site, as her father had demanded. She walked through the front door, bracing herself for her mother’s wrath. Dylan and Lance turned from their video game to stare at the dead woman walking.
“Where were you?” Dylan asked.
“Mom’s pissed,” Lance added. “What did you do?”
“Nothing,” April replied, annoyance in her voice. She walked past the living room and into the kitchen. Her mother stood at the center island, texting on her phone.
Michelle looked up from her phone, her face like stone. “We need to have a talk.”
April swallowed. “Fine.”
“Upstairs.”
April trudged upstairs, her mother hot on her heels. April walked into her bedroom, dropping her purse on her dresser. Michelle shut the bedroom door behind them. April slumped into her swivel chair, facing her mother.
Michelle spoke with a hushed fury. “Why are you doing this?”
April chewed on her bottom lip and lifted one shoulder.
Michelle put her hands on her hips. “No. That’s not good enough. I told you to let it go, and you deliberately defied me.”
“How did Dad know where I was?”
“What difference does it make?”
April glared up at her mother. “Do you have a tracker on my phone or something?”
Michelle let out a heavy breath. “Of course not. We’re not the Gestapo. We’re your parents. Your dad found out that Jason’s in town. I tried texting you, but you were very vague in your response, so we figured you might’ve gone to see him.”
“I’m nineteen. You can’t tell me who I can and can’t see.”
Michelle’s face reddened. She turned and paced away from April; then she paced back to her daughter. “I don’t understand why you can’t get this through your head. He’s dangerous. He’s a murderer and a child rapist.”
April narrowed her eyes. “That’s not true. He was acquitted of murder. He acted in self-defense. The prison guard set him up.”
“Jesus, April. Will you listen to yourself? This isn’t a game.”
“You and Dad and everyone else are treating this like a game. I’m the only one who cares about the truth.”
Michelle glowered at her daughter. “You think I don’t care about the truth? I stood by Jason until the preliminary hearing. Until I heard the evidence. I almost lost my whole family.”
“What if it’s all a lie? I listened to the trial.”
Michelle put up her hand like a stop sign. “Wait. What? How did you listen to the trial?”
April winced. “I got a copy from Norman Tuttle.”
Michelle hung her head and rubbed her temples. When she raised her gaze, her eyes were glassy. “I don’t understand why you’re intent on digging this up. It caused so much pain.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I don’t want to hurt anyone. It’s just that Norman Tuttle made a good case that he could be innocent. What if someone else hurt Becky?”
“You think I didn’t consider that? Jason was my husband. Believe it or not, I loved him. I wanted it to be someone else more than anyone.”
“It could’ve been a teacher or a coach. Becky played basketball. She must’ve had male teachers.”
“First of all, your grandpap was her basketball coach. Second of all, there was never any evidence of anyone else hurting Becky.”
“What about Susie’s fiancé? The real estate guy.”
“Cody? No way. I’ve known him since we were kids. So has your father. Cody’s DNA wasn’t found on Becky’s underwear. Becky didn’t ID Cody. She IDed Jason.” Michelle sat on the edge of April’s bed and slumped her shoulders.
April swiveled her chair to the right, facing her mother. “But the DNA could’ve come from the condom in the trash, and little kids aren’t reliable witnesses.”
“I might’ve thought that too, but he molested his sister.”
“Did you know that Jason’s sister has been arrested multiple times? Maybe she’s lying.”
Michelle shook her head. “He admitted it to me.”
April was slack-jawed for a moment. “I … I didn’t know that.”
“It’s not for you to know.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
Michelle wiped the corners of her eyes, sniffed, and stood from April’s bed. She peered into her daughter’s eyes and said
, “Please stay away from him.” Then she left the room, shutting the door behind her.
April sat on her swivel chair, thinking about the revelation. She had judged Lori, believing she was a white-trash liar. A wave of sadness broke over April. She held her head in her hands and cried. After a few minutes, she walked to her bedside table, grabbed a few tissues from the box and wiped her face.
I don’t even know why I’m crying. What difference does it make if he’s guilty? He’s not my father. She knew she was lying to herself. I don’t know that yet for sure. My mother had sex with Jason around the same time I was conceived. I look more like him than Danny. Would they lie about something so big? If he’s a pedophile, maybe they would. I have to talk to Jason again.
April went back to her swivel chair, turning in her seat to her desk. She opened her laptop. While the icons loaded, she thought about Becky saying that Susie took her money. Would Susie manipulate this whole thing to get Jason’s money? She had nothing to do with Lori being molested by Jason. I doubt Susie would tell the truth if she did something like that. What about Cody? He might talk. Exes love to talk trash.
April googled Real Estate Loganville PA Cody. The top website was PricePropertyDevelopment.com. April clicked on the website. The front page showed a model townhome, with a little patch of green grass and pink petunias in the flower beds. Underneath the picture was the message: From the 150s. Townhomes at Mountain Manor. Schedule your tour today!
She clicked on Our Team. A list of employees appeared, each with a headshot and a bio. The top picture featured, CEO Cody Price. He had a manicured beard and bright green eyes. His light-brown hair was mixed with white and parted to the side. Based on Aunt Susie’s age, April guessed he was in his late-forties.
His bio said he’d been the CEO for fifteen years, taking over from his late father. He’d grown the company four-fold since that time. He was an avid triathlete, winning the Loganville Triathlon twelve times in various age groups.
April clicked around the website, learning a little about Price Property Development. They built and sold custom homes, townhomes, and multifamily units. They also maintained and leased apartments.
April minimized the website and navigated to PublicRecords.com. She signed in to her account. Then, she went to the Search page. She typed Cody Price Pennsylvania. As the page scrolled through profile pictures, it asked for a city of residence. April entered Loganville. Then, she entered an age range of forty-five to fifty-five, as well as his place of employment.
She purchased Cody Price’s background check and opened it. He was fifty years old. No criminal record. He had an address in Duncansville, which was about fifteen minutes from Loganville. No marriages. No children. A good-looking rich guy with no kids and no wife. Could be gay. Or a player. Or a workaholic.
April remembered a YouTube video she’d seen about asexuality. Asexual people are usually female. He could be a pedophile. Don’t pedophiles usually have jobs that give them access to kids? Like a teacher or a priest? He’s in real estate. That doesn’t fit the profile, but he was with Susie when it happened. Besides Susie, he must’ve had the most access to Becky back then.
April navigated back to PricePropertyDevelopment.com. She clicked the hyperlink beneath the model town house that read, Schedule your tour today! April was taken to the Contact page. She filled out the contact form. In the comment section she explained that she was interested in purchasing a new town house at Mountain Manor and asked to meet with Cody Price.
She hovered the cursor over the Send button, then realized her mistake. She should’ve used a fake name. Also, her contact email was [email protected]. If Cody knew her parents, which he likely did, he would make the connection. Her parents would blow a gasket if Cody told them what she was doing. So, she minimized the window and went to Google.
April created a new email address. [email protected]. Then she went back to the contact page and replaced her name and email address with the new one.
Chapter 88: Who’s Your Daddy
The next afternoon, April sat at her desk, checking her new email address. “Teresa” had two new emails, a welcome email from Google and another from Brooke. April clicked the email from Brooke.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: July 28, 2020, 1:08 PM
Subject: Tour of the Townhomes at Mountain Manor
Hi Teresa,
I received your request for a tour of the Townhomes at Mountain Manor. The model home is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. You are welcome to walk in and talk to an agent during those times. If the agent is with a customer, you may have a short wait.
Alternatively, you can make an appointment for a specific date and time, if you’d rather not run the risk of waiting. If you’d like to set an appointment, please let me know. If you choose to walk in, please wear a mask.
The address of the model home is:
100 Manor Drive
Loganville, PA 16666
Best,
Brooke Bollinger
Senior Agent
Price Property Development
April clicked Reply.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: July 28, 2020, 3:48 PM
Subject: Re: Tour of the Townhomes at Mountain Manor
Brooke,
Thank you for returning my message. I would like to set up an appointment with Cody Price to look at the model home. I work from home, so my schedule is flexible. Whatever date and time works for him.
Let me know.
Thanks!
Teresa
The alarm on her phone chimed. April silenced it. Time to go. She grabbed her keys and her purse and tiptoed down the stairs. She peered into the kitchen. It was empty. Music and the clanging of weights came from the basement. Her brothers were lifting weights in preparation for the upcoming football season. With the pandemic, it was still undecided whether or not there would be one. April crept through the living room, out the front door.
Her mother bent over on the front walkway, touching her toes, her butt facing April. Michelle stood and turned toward her daughter, glaring, and wearing spandex running shorts and a sweaty T-shirt. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Travis called me. He wants to talk in person,” April replied.
Michelle’s face softened. “You don’t have to talk to him, if you don’t want to.”
“I know. I feel like I need closure.”
Michelle nodded. “Don’t be too late.”
April forced a smile. “Okay, Mom.”
April walked across the lawn to her car. She glanced at the clock on her car radio—3:53. I need to hurry. She lowered the sun visor and drove across town to the construction site, parking a few houses away, like she’d done the day before. She checked the time—4:01. Workers were already driving away from the site in their pickup trucks. Jason exited the construction office, his backpack over his shoulder, and his clothes covered in dirt and sweat.
April stepped out of her car, waiting for Jason, not wearing her mask. She hoped to social distance, but she didn’t want the mask to obscure what she needed to ask. He walked in her direction. He recognized April and her car and moved to the opposite side of the street. April walked across the street, intercepting him.
“I need to talk to you,” April said.
He didn’t break stride. “You can’t be serious.”
April followed, walking alongside Jason, but keeping a safe distance. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”
“It’s fine, but we shouldn’t be talking.”
They walked downhill, past newly built single-family homes. A man mowed his grass on a lawn tractor, wearing ear muffs.
“I’m April Gibbs. You used to be married to my mom.” She spoke loud enough to be heard over the mower.
Jason continued to walk, unfazed by the revelat
ion. “I’d rather not go back to prison.”
He already knows who I am. “I just need to talk to you for a few minutes.”
“Please leave me alone.” He picked up the pace, his long strides leaving April and the mower behind.
“I think you might be my father,” April called out to his back.
Jason stopped in his tracks and stood still for several seconds. Then, he turned around, his forehead creased. “What?”
April walked closer, staying six-feet away. “I think you might be my father.”
He stared at her, slack-jawed, studying her face. “When’s your birthday?”
“September 18th, 2000. Conception was likely around Christmas Day 1999, give or take a week. I already checked a conception calculator online.”
He bent over, his hands on his knees. Then he sat on the curb, his legs wobbly, and his face red.
April stood over him. “Are you okay?”
He didn’t respond for a long time. “I think I’m just a little dehydrated.”
“I can drive you to Sheetz for some water.”
Jason shook his head. “I’ll be fine in a minute.”
“Do you think you could be my father?”
Jason took a deep breath. “Did you ask your mother?”
April wrung her hands. “She says that you’re not.”
“I must not be then. Michelle and I didn’t part on good terms, but she was never a liar.”
April arched her eyebrows. “But there’s a big problem with the date.”
Jason swallowed hard and looked down between his legs. “I know.”
“If my conception was around Christmas of 1999, then my mother was either cheating on you, or you’re my father. Did you ever suspect her of cheating?”
Jason shrugged, his eyes on the macadam. “I’m sure you know that your parents were together in high school and college.”
“Yes.”
Jason raised his gaze to April. “I used to worry that Michelle still had feelings for Danny, but I never thought she’d cheat. I guess I was wrong.”
Redemption Page 24
