Redemption

by Phil M. Williams

  “Yes. When I found out he was my father, I confronted him. I told him that …” April put her hand to her mouth. “Oh, my God.”

  “What?”

  “I told him that, if he’s guilty, I can walk away, knowing that my parents did the right thing, but, if he’s innocent, my whole life’s a lie.”

  “You think he lied for you?”

  April shook her head. “I don’t know. You really think he didn’t do it?”

  “No. I don’t.”

  “Somebody did.” April whispered again, “You had trauma.”

  Becky exhaled. “I know.”

  “Then who?”

  Becky shrugged again. “I really don’t know. Maybe it’ll come to me in time. Maybe it won’t.”

  “What about Jason? He went to prison for twenty years.”

  Becky stared at the table for a few seconds. “I know. I’ve tried to contact him to apologize, but I’ve been unsuccessful. I’d be willing to testify in court, if he wanted to clear his name. I was hoping you could get in touch with him for me.”

  April hung her head and rubbed her temples.

  “Are you okay?”

  April raised her gaze. “This is so crazy. Everyone said he did it. Now you say he didn’t. I don’t understand. There was DNA.” April whispered, “He molested his sister.”

  “I don’t know about his sister, but, if you wanna know the truth about the DNA, I know a way to find out. If you don’t, it’s okay.”

  April hesitated for a long moment. “I do.”

  Becky picked up the folded note in front of her and handed it across the table to April. “Give this to Grammy.”

  Chapter 98: No More Secrets

  April drove from the women’s prison directly to her grandparents’ house. She parked in the driveway next to Frank’s Ford F-150. Ruth stood along the front flower beds, watering her pink petunias. April cut her engine and walked over to her grammy. It was sunny but cool—in the sixties.

  Ruth set down the hose, the trigger nozzle stopping the flow of water, and turned to greet her granddaughter. “Hi, sweetheart.”

  April hugged Ruth.

  When they separated, Ruth asked, “What are you doing here?”

  “I went to see Becky today.”

  Ruth drew her eyebrows together. “Is she all right?”

  April put her hands on her hips. “She’s fine. Better than ever actually.”

  Ruth beamed. “I hate to say it, but her being arrested might’ve been the best thing for her.”

  “She likes her therapist, and she’s clean. No drugs. No alcohol.”

  “I’m so proud of her.”

  April nodded. “I have a question to ask you, and I need you to be honest.”

  Ruth tilted her head.

  “Did you put Becky’s underwear in the trash that day?”

  Ruth broke eye contact, her face reddening. “I thought we were finally over this nonsense.”

  April stared at Ruth. “Becky told me that Jason didn’t do it.”

  Ruth’s eyes widened. “That can’t be true. She’s too young to remember.”

  April reached into the back pocket of her jeans and handed Becky’s note to Ruth. “She asked me to give you this.”

  Ruth took the note, opened it, and read it silently.

  April already knew what it said. Becky had asked April to read it, so she’d be ready for Ruth’s possible objections. It read:

  Grammy,

  I don’t think Jason molested me. Someone coached me to say it was Jason. I don’t know who. I also think you lied. I know you did it to protect me, but it’s time to tell the truth. You don’t need to protect me anymore.

  Please tell April the truth. She deserves to know.

  I love you,

  Becky

  Ruth looked up from the note, her eyes glassy. “I wanted to tell the truth, but it was too late.”

  The front door opened, and Grandpap Frank appeared. Ruth and April gaped at Frank.

  He narrowed his eyes, walking toward them, trying to access the situation. “What’s going on?”

  A tear slipped down Ruth’s cheek. She handed the note to her husband. Her voice quivered. “Becky wrote this to me.”

  Frank read the note, his jaw clenching. “This is bullshit. No way she’s a reliable witness, especially after twenty-one years.”

  Ruth shook her head. “I never should’ve listened to you.”

  Frank addressed April. “Your grandmother’s tired.”

  “No, she’s not,” April replied, her hands on her hips.

  “I should take her inside.” Frank put his arm around Ruth and tried to guide her to the house.”

  “Let me go!” Ruth shouted.

  Frank startled and removed his arm from his wife.

  Ruth pointed at her husband, her face blotchy and tear-streaked. “You told me to lie. You told me that it wouldn’t matter. You told me that we were just making sure he didn’t get off.”

  “He’s still guilty,” Frank said. “You did the right thing. If you would’ve said the underwear was in the trash, he would’ve gotten off. He was alone with her. He molested his sister for Christ’s sake. It had to be him.”

  “I have to tell the truth.”

  Frank glared at his wife and grabbed her by the upper arms. “Absolutely not. You could go to prison for perjury. Prison, Ruth. Do you understand me?”

  “Like Jason?” April asked, interjecting.

  Frank let go of Ruth and turned his glare on April. “This has to be kept secret. Do you understand me?”

  “No more secrets.” April pivoted and walked to her car.

  “April! Where are you going? April. Wait!” Frank shouted.

  April climbed into her Civic, slammed the door, and started her car. She reversed wildly out of the driveway, put it in Drive, and sped away.

  Chapter 99: Dirty Money

  April drove a few miles down the road to an apartment complex. She parked in a visitor spot in front of building 124, a three-story brick apartment building, with four apartments on each floor. She walked to the apartment building and pressed the buzzer next to apartment 2B. There was no response. Susie’s red Chevy Cavalier was in the lot, so she knew she was home.

  A resident exited the apartment building. April grabbed the door before it was locked shut. She entered the building. April took the stairs to the second floor and knocked on 2B. The TV blared from the apartment. April knocked again—this time hard enough to pass for a cop, serving an arrest warrant.

  “I’m … comin’,” Susie said, her voice raspy, and her words slurred. She opened the door with a scowl, her eyes and face droopy. “What are you … doin’ here?” The smell of alcohol came from her breath.

  “I need to talk to you,” April replied.

  Susie shrugged. “Whatever.” Susie staggered back into her apartment, leaving the door open.

  April stepped inside the apartment, shutting the door behind her. Just beyond the front door was the living room and the kitchen. Susie slumped on the couch, staring at the TV, like a zombie. Two bottles of vodka were on the coffee table—one empty, the other nearly empty. Her face was red and puffy. Her midsection was puffy too. April remembered how glamourous her aunt had been when April was young. Rich and beautiful, always wearing fashionable clothes and driving the coolest cars.

  April walked over to the coffee table, grabbed the remote, and turned off the television.

  Susie glowered at April. “Hey?”

  “We need to talk.” April stood in front of the coffee table, facing her aunt on the couch.

  “Talk then.”

  “Becky told me that Jason didn’t molest her.”

  Susie gaped back, blank-faced.

  April leaned toward Susie. “Did you hear me?”

  Susie was still blank-faced. “Yeah, … so?”

  April knitted her brow. “So? That’s all you have to say?”

  “You don’t know … shit. Becky’s a … liar.” She grabbed the mostly
empty bottle of vodka and took a swig.

  April stared at her aunt, and then it hit her. “You knew! Didn’t you? And you let him rot in prison.”

  Susie broke eye contact for a split second. “I don’t know what you’re … talkin’ about.”

  “Why?” April paused for a response that never came. “It’s because of the money, isn’t it? If Jason’s innocent, you don’t get to take his money in civil court.”

  Susie pointed vaguely in the direction of her door. “Get out.”

  April raised one side of her mouth in disgust. “Becky told me that a man coached her to say it was Jason. Who was it?”

  Susie sneered. “She’s … a liar.”

  “Was it Cody Price?”

  Susie stood from the couch, her legs wobbly. She pointed at the door again. “Get the fuck out.”

  “Not until you tell me the truth.”

  Susie staggered around the table. She raised her flabby arm and swung at April, but she sidestepped her aunt, and Susie fell face-first on the carpet. Susie groaned and rolled to her back, blubbering now, her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know … who did it.”

  April looked down on her aunt. “You knew it wasn’t Jason, but you wanted his money.”

  “I wish … it never happened.” Susie curled into the fetal position and sobbed.

  April knelt next to her aunt. “Tell me the truth. Was it Cody?”

  Susie continued to sob.

  April shook Susie. “Tell me the truth. Was it Cody?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Did you suspect it was him? Is that why he broke off the engagement?”

  In between sobs Susie said, “He was … in Becky’s room … late at night.”

  “Did he touch her?” April shook her aunt again. “Did you see Cody touch her?”

  “No. He was … watching her. I know … that look.”

  April stood, glaring at her aunt. “You let an innocent man go to prison.”

  “It was … already done.”

  Chapter 100: Redemption

  April sat in her car in the apartment complex parking lot, tapping on her phone. She searched her deleted emails to find the recent one from updates@publicrecords.com. She tapped the email, finding Jason’s new address. Then she set her GPS to 200 Valley View Drive.

  April drove through downtown Loganville on Valley View Drive. The sun was still high in the sky. She turned into the parking lot, beside the six-story apartment building. April parked in a visitor spot. She grabbed her surgical mask but changed her mind, leaving it in the car. April had been vaccinated, and she didn’t want her voice to be muffled. She walked to the front door of the apartment building and pressed the buzzer for 3F.

  A few seconds later Jason’s voice came back, “Who is it?”

  “It’s April. I need to talk to you.”

  Jason hesitated for an instant. “Okay. Come on up.”

  The front door buzzed open, and April walked into the apartment building. She took the stairs to the third floor. The stairwell smelled faintly of urine. She found apartment 3F. A spray-painted message was on the door. El Diablo está aquí. April knocked.

  Jason answered the door. He had two black eyes, bruising on his cheeks, and a scab on his lip.

  “Oh my God,” April said.

  “I know I look rough.” Jason stepped aside. “Come in.”

  April walked into his apartment. It was mostly empty. The living room was furniture free, the gray carpet stained. A card table was setup near the tiny kitchen, with two plastic chairs. A small stack of paperbacks sat on the table.

  Jason shut the door and turned the dead bolt. He walked toward April and said, “You want something to drink?”

  “No, thank you.”

  He gestured to the table. “You want to sit down?”

  April sat at the card table, staring at Jason’s battered face. “What happened to you?”

  Jason exhaled. “I’m a registered sex offender. With these girls going missing, my neighbors are especially sensitive.”

  April’s eyes widened. “That’s not right. They can’t do that. Did you call the police?”

  “I’d rather not involve the police. I imagine they’d think I got what I deserved.”

  “I could talk to my dad—”

  “Please, don’t do that.” Jason grabbed the empty chair from under the card table and moved it several feet away. Then, he sat in the plastic chair.

  April eyed him, with a furrowed brow.

  “You forgot your mask,” Jason said. “You probably want me to keep my distance.”

  “It’s okay. I’m vaccinated. What about you?”

  “Not yet. I’m still on the fence about it.”

  April nodded.

  Jason didn’t move closer. “I’m surprised you’re here.”

  “Me too. I didn’t think I’d ever contact you again.”

  “What changed?”

  “I have a question for you.” April paused for a beat. “It’s about your sister, Lori.”

  Jason frowned. “I already told you. What more do you want from me?”

  April peered into his dark eyes. “I want you to tell me exactly what happened.”

  “I’d rather not talk about it.”

  “Please. I’m trying to piece things together, but I can’t explain this. It doesn’t make sense. How old were you? Your mom said you were thirteen when it happened.”

  Jason grunted. “That’s bullshit. My mother’s lying to conceal her own guilt.”

  “How old were you then?”

  “Seven.” He cleared his throat. “It was when my mother’s boyfriend molested me.” Jason dropped his gaze, no longer making eye contact with April. “He told me that the things he was doing to me was how you showed someone love, … so I did the same thing to my sister.” He shook his head. “I touched her but I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know any better. I was just a child.” Jason stared at the tabletop for a long time, his eyes distant.

  “Jason?” April finally said.

  He wiped his eyes and raised his gaze.

  “It’s not your fault.”

  He swallowed hard and shrugged.

  April took a deep breath. “I think you’re innocent. I think you lied to me nine months ago because you didn’t want me to hate my parents.”

  “You can’t know that.”

  “Becky told me that she thinks you didn’t do it.”

  Jason’s eyes welled with tears again.

  “My grandmother admitted that she put Becky’s underwear in the trash. My aunt Susie just told me in so many words that she thinks it was Cody Price.”

  Jason hung his head and cried softly.

  April leaned forward in her chair. “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?”

  He covered his face with his hands, still crying.

  She stood from the table and walked to her father. Jason put up his hand to keep her away from him, but she ignored his dissent and bent down and hugged him. She wrapped her arms around his back. His body convulsed as he wept. After a long moment, April let go, now standing over him.

  Jason wiped his face with his T-shirt and swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m sorry.”

  April blinked, her own eyes glassy in empathy. “It’s okay. Did I say something wrong?”

  He shook his head again. His voice wavered. “After all these years … you’re the first person to believe me.”

  “I’ll tell my dad everything. The police will reopen the case. Becky already said she’d testify, if you want to clear your name. You might get a settlement for all the prison time you served—”

  “No. That’s not how the system works. The justice system doesn’t fix mistakes. It covers them up. They won’t reopen the case unless there’s physical evidence against Cody, and even then they might not. What’s the evidence against Cody?”

  April slumped her shoulders. “My aunt saw him staring at Becky late at night in her room. I know that’s technically nothing b
ut …”

  “That’s not evidence, April.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I’m grateful that you believe me. That’s what matters.”

  Chapter 101: The Cover-Up

  April walked into her house, her purse over her shoulder. Her brothers were in the living room, playing video games on the big screen. She stepped through the living room to the kitchen. Michelle stood at the center island, slicing tomatoes with a serrated knife.

  Her mother looked up from the tomatoes and smiled. “You’re back. How was Becky?”

  April sidled up to the center island, resting her hands on the edge. “She’s doing great. You and Dad should go for a visit.”

  Michelle nodded. “It’s been too long. I’m glad she’s doing well.”

  “Me too.”

  Michelle glanced out the sliding glass door to the patio. “You’re just in time. Your dad’s making burgers for dinner.”

  April forced a smile. “Great. Are we eating outside?”

  “Yes. It’s still so nice.”

  April went to the sliding glass door and opened it. She shut the door and descended two steps to the patio.

  Danny turned from the open grill, a spatula in hand, the breeze carrying the smoke away from them. “Hey. Burgers are almost ready. How was Becky?”

  “She’s really good.” April pursed her lips. “She told me that Jason never molested her.”

  Danny’s face twisted in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

  “She’s in therapy at the prison. Says she remembers a man coaching her to say it was Jason.”

  “She was only six. That can’t possibly be a reliable memory. That’s great that she’s doing better, but she’s still a drug addict with severe mental problems.”

  April stepped closer to Danny. “There’s more. Grammy admitted that she put Becky’s underwear in the trash.”

  “You talked to Ruth about this?”

  “Yes.”

  Danny glared at April. “I thought we agreed that this was over. Your grandmother doesn’t need this stress.”

  April glared right back. “Becky sought me out, not the other way around.”

  Danny pointed his spatula at April. “But you interrogated your grandmother.”