But if having his son come to see him and both of them made peace before Robert Firth passed away was a possibility, no matter how remote, then Jonathan would do it.
It had taken Jonathan a few days to get Eric Firth’s number and call him. He’d thought there was a good chance he’d be able to persuade Eric to visit his father. But their conversation hadn’t gone well. Eric and his sister Jessica had told Jonathan in anger that their father was guilty. He should never be released from jail and should die in there.
Jonathan sighed heavily as he checked his watch. Robert Firth had told him he’d call later today to find out what Eric had said. Jonathan was not looking forward to that phone call. He’d be the bearer of devastating news.
Just as he picked up the witness’s written testimony on the present case, the theme song of Star Wars boomed through his cell phone. He jumped in surprize. He had forgotten he had downloaded it that morning. Jonathan changed the ring tone regularly on his phone, downloading the most recent trending apps available. He’d seen the Star Wars app this morning and decided to use it just for the hell of it. But now he regretted it. If he’d been sitting with one of his clients when a call came in, it would have been seen as totally unprofessional.
He’d change it as soon as he ended this call. He took a deep breath and answered. “Hello, this is Jonathan Archer.”
“Hello, Mr. Archer?” Although it was a Firth who was calling him, it wasn’t Robert Firth who he’d been expecting. It was his son instead. Jonathan sat ramrod straight and perked his ear that rested against the phone.
“Hi. Mr. Firth. I wasn’t expecting your call after our last conversation.”
“Um. Yeah, about that. My sister and I had a chance to talk things over and we changed our minds.”
“Oh, does it mean you are willing to visit your father?”
“Yeah, but I’m not coming alone. Jessica will be with me.”
Jonathan smiled. “Oh, I see. I’m sure when your father hears you both will be coming, he’ll be so happy.”
Eric Firth grumbled. “I doubt he’ll be happy. This visit won’t change anything. He’s guilty. But hopefully we’ll at least find out why he did it. We need to know the answer before he dies.”
“I understand. When would you and your sister like to see him?”
“The sooner, the better.”
“All right. I’ll set up a meeting and will contact you later this evening with a date and time. Good evening, Mr. Firth.”
Jonathan shook his head after he hung up. This would not be easy. Maybe Jonathan would offer a helping hand to mend Robert Firth’s relationship with his children.
He was never able to free his client from jail, but perhaps he’d be able to free his soul before it was too late.
Chapter 5
“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Eric asked his sister while they stood on the porch.
They had left early this morning from Eric’s apartment in New Jersey and had driven across states into Wisconsin to Jonathan Archer’s home. The ride had lasted over fourteen hours thanks to the day’s traffic. During that time they’d discussed their father and what they would talk about when they saw him.
It certainly would be an uneasy conversation. It probably would be forced and tense. But the fact was they had no idea how they’d react when they’d see him again. It was over twenty-three years since they last saw or spoke to him. They were both nervous about it and had decided to change the subject. They’d talked about more cheerful topics like Eric’s new blossoming relationship with Jamie during the drive.
Jessica leaned, resting her back on Jonathan Archer’s front door, facing Eric. “No, I’m not sure if we should go through with this. All I know is if we don’t go see him and hear what he has to say, then it will drive us crazy.”
“Speak for yourself, Jess. If I talk to him about what happened before he dies or if I don’t, it doesn’t change anything.”
She wrapped her arms around herself as the cool spring breeze made goose bumps form on her skin. “What if he’s saying the truth, Eric?”
His mouth gaped and his eyes widened before he said, “I can’t believe you’re saying this. You’re the one who actually saw him do it!”
She raised her index finger to correct him. “Now wait a second. I don’t know exactly what I saw. It was twenty-three years ago. I was only seven years old, for crying out loud. How could I know for sure what I saw?”
The horrible image of their father standing over their mother’s body with a bloody axe in his hands resurfaced in her mind. A shiver of horror shot through her.
She and Eric had been hiding in the closet for a long time when she had decided to crawl out and investigate. It had been quiet for a while and Sam hadn’t returned to get them.
Eric had refused to follow her. He didn’t want to disobey Sam’s orders. So she’d ventured out alone with the baseball bat poised up in front of her, using it more like a shield rather than a weapon.
The stairs had been dark. She’d crept as quietly as possible down the stairwell. Her only source of light had been the living room corner lamp, whose light had seeped out into the hallway and at the bottom of the stairs.
Once she’d gotten to the last step she saw the horrifying image of her father standing over her mother’s body. He’d held the axe in his left hand, leaning it over his left shoulder when he’d looked up to stare at her.
She shook her head trying to erase that image from her present thoughts. “I didn’t actually see him kill Mom, Eric. He was only holding the axe.”
“The axe that had only his fingerprints on it!”
“That proves nothing. If someone had used gloves to kill Mom before he’d come in like he claimed, then of course they’d have found only his fingerprints on the weapon.”
“What about the arguments he and Mom had before it happened?” Eric retorted. “Grandma had said he’d threatened her when she’d filed for divorce and sole custody of us.”
“I remember them arguing, but I don’t remember him threatening her.”
Eric harrumphed. “Like you said, we were only seven years old at the time. There was a lot we didn’t see or hear, or understand back then.”
“Grandma had said Mom had been scared of our father. She’d even wanted Mom and us to go live with her because she feared for our safety. But Mom had refused to leave the house,” Eric reminded her.
“I know what Grandma said. But it’s her version of the events, Eric. There are many more. He could actually be innocent.”
Eric shook his head. “I doubt it.”
“You’re an FBI agent. You know how easy it can be to identify the wrong person as the suspect.”
“Yeah, I know. But you also know the judicial system has protocol law enforcement must follow to make sure evidence isn’t tampered with and the accused gets a fair and just trial.”
“True, but forensic science twenty-three years ago and forensic science today are not the same. There have been so many new discoveries about DNA testing and crime scene investigation that didn’t exist back then. The science was practically prehistoric at that time. Errors and misinterpretations of the evidence could have easily been made,” she reflected.
He combed his fingers through his thick black hair. “So you’re saying that’s what happened in Dad’s case?”
“I don’t know. But I want to go see him and find out what he has to say.”
“All right. We’ll go see him.” He pointed his finger sternly at her. “But just remember this is your idea. If it makes all our inner demons resurface and erase all the therapy we got, it’s your fau—“
The door Jessica had been leaning on had suddenly opened. She fell backwards. Strong arms caught her before her head hit the floor.
“Whoa, I got you,” a deep baritone male voice said.
She gazed up into the most enchanting hazel eyes she’d ever seen. Thick dark brown eyelashes and eyebrows framing them made them stand out and mesmerized h
er.
The tall, strikingly handsome stranger gently set her back on her feet with ease as if she weighed as light as a feather. “Are you all right?” he asked with concern in his beautiful eyes.
“God, he’s gorgeous,” was all Jessica could think.
When a wide smile spread over his sexy, full lips, and he said, “Thanks. You’re pretty good looking, too, Miss Firth,” she realized she had actually said the words aloud rather than to herself.
Where was a large rock she could crawl under and hide when she needed it?
Chapter 6
“Will you stop fidgeting?” Jessica slapped Eric’s left leg.
He’d been shaking it in a nervous twitch ever since they’d been sitting in the waiting room at the prison hospital.
“I can’t help it. Aren’t you edgy, too?” he asked leaning his elbows on his knees in the hope it would curb the involuntary spasm.
“Yeah, but I’m not shaking the whole aisle of chairs like you’re doing.”
Eric half-laughed. “No, you just fall into strangers’ arms and drool.”
Jessica turned beet red. She must have sensed the change in her complexion because she cupped her cheeks. “I can’t believe I said that. I’m so embarrassed!”
Eric found this just too amusing. He’d never seen his sister act and speak so awkwardly as she did earlier today after Vincent, Jonathan Archer’s son, opened the door and caught her before she fell on her ass.
And even after Vincent showed interest, she tried to deflect it by mentioning she had a fiancé. Eric had wanted to butt in and say “ex-fiancé” but restrained himself. Jessica would have clobbered him if he did.
His anger stewed at the thought of what Jason had done. How could he do such a thing to Jess? She‘d told Eric what had happened between them the other day when she came to visit. She’d caught Jason, the scumbag, in bed with another woman. He’d wanted to head back to Queens along with her and pay Jason a surprize visit to give him a piece of his mind. He’d warn him if he didn’t stop harassing Jess, he’d punch him.
Jessica, the feisty and stubborn sister and FBI agent that she was, refused her twin’s help in straightening out her ex-fiancé. She claimed she could handle it on her own. And he had no doubt that she could, but he couldn’t help being protective of her just the same.
She’d been through so much. She deserved to find happiness and love, like Eric had with Jamie.
“Vincent likes you, Jess,” he stated hoping to guide her in the right direction.
She snorted. “No, he doesn’t. He just said that so I wouldn’t feel embarrassed after the stupid thing I blurted out.”
Eric shrugged. “Don’t be too sure, Jess.” The look in Vincent’s eyes when he’d looked at Eric’s sister was genuine interest and attraction. If Jessica had been paying attention to his body language, she would have seen what Eric had. But she’d been too embarrassed to glance at him for longer than a split second whenever Vincent spoke to her. Even after Vincent had brought them to Jonathan’s office and had hung around, offering them coffee and cookies.
“Where is Jonathan?” Jessica asked gazing down at her watch. “He’s been gone for over half an hour.”
Once they’d arrived at the hospital, Jonathan had instructed them to have a seat and wait while he went to their father’s room and let him know they’d arrived.
Just as she posed the question, Eric caught sight of the defense lawyer exiting a room at the end of the hall in the east wing. He said something to the armed guard patrolling the floor and pointed in Eric and Jessica’s direction.
He then hurried down the hall, smiling and waving. “Sorry it took so long. Your father was getting ready. He wants to look his best since he hasn’t seen you in over two decades.”
Jessica peered at Eric and sighed deeply. “You ready for this?”
“Yeah.” Eric nodded trying to show confidence. His palms were sweating.
Side by side they progressed down the hall to the east wing, following Jonathan to the door he’d exited less than a minute ago.
Eric could hear a beeping sound as they got closer and realized it was coming from inside their father’s room.
As they entered the room, Jonathan blocked Eric’s view of the bed. All he could see were his father’s feet and lower legs covered in a cobalt blue blanket.
Once Jonathan walked to the side of the bed, clearing the path, Eric tried to contain his shock. He was expecting to see the tall, robust, good-looking man he remembered his father being. Instead a bald, frail skeletal man lay in the bed before him. His sunken ice blue eyes had lost their lustre and vitality. His gaunt face made his skin fold into deep crevices over his cheeks when he smiled.
How could this man be alive? His father used to weigh almost two hundred pounds from what Eric remembered. The old, sickly man staring at him now couldn’t weigh more than ninety pounds.
He had an oxygen tube in his nose helping him breathe. From the wheezing coming from his father’s lips, Eric guessed he was suffering from pulmonary edema. The beeping sound he’d heard earlier was emanating from the machine an IV was hooked up to.
Having noticed Eric’s eyes focusing on the machine, his father answered, “That’s just a warning that the morphine drip needs to be replaced, but I told the nurse to wait until you leave. I want to be alert and awake while I talk to you.”
In barely louder than a whisper, he added, “It’s so good to see you, Eric, Jessica.” His eyes glistened. They were obviously getting misty.
Eric’s heart strings tugged so hard that it hurt to breathe. Before this whole nightmare started their father had never been the ideal, loving father, but he hadn’t been the monster killer he later turned into. He was a quiet, reserved man when he was sober. And when he drank, he became a loud, angry asshole. But he did buy them toys and chocolate and spoil them like most fathers did from time to time.
Eric had loved him and obviously those feelings hadn’t all disappeared. He hated himself for feeling like this. He was letting his emotions wear down his defenses, the ones he had worked for years to build.
“Hi,” Eric heard Jessica say.
He turned to look at her and saw the struggle in her eyes. This was difficult for her, too.
Robert Firth lowered his gaze when he spoke next. “I know it’s been more than twenty-three years since we last saw each other. You probably can’t remember much before then since you were so young.”
Neither of the twins commented on his remark, so he continued. “You probably only remember the cold-hearted killer the media turned me into, but that’s not me. It never was.”
His voice trembled when he added, “I missed you growing up. Everything and everyone I loved was taken away from me. Someone else, not me, ripped this family apart and took your mother and brother away from us. You have to believe me.”
He looked at Jessica next. “I didn’t kill your mother or Sam, no matter what you think you saw that night, baby. I swear to God.”
Eric saw Jessica’s lips quiver and a tear streaked down her cheek. She was trying to keep it all in and not break down.
Eric had to stop his father’s psychological assault and manipulation on her. Clearing his voice, he re-directed Robert Firth’s attention back onto him. “You can swear to God all you want, but the evidence doesn’t lie.”
Robert frowned when he fixed his eyes on Eric, then his features softened. I don’t blame you for believing them, Eric. If I’d been in your shoes, I would have, too. But if you look deeper, I know you’ll find I’m saying the truth.”
“All guilty parties say they didn’t do it.”
Robert nodded. “Yeah, they do, but so do the innocent.” He altered his attention to Jessica then back to Eric. “I hear you both are FBI agents, not only Eric. You’ve sworn to bring justice and search for the truth. So I’m asking the both of you to look at this case again with your FBI training and instincts and you’ll see everything doesn’t add up.”
Eric shook his head. �
��No, I think it does.”
Robert’s filming eyes bore through Eric’s. “Do you really?” He took a deep breath which caused a cough attack. It took a few seconds to calm down and when it did, he continued. “Put it this way, kids. What if I am really saying the truth that I didn’t do it and that someone else did and that person is still free? What if he killed other people while I’ve been serving time for a crime I never committed? What if he is planning to kill someone else right now while we are here arguing my innocence?”
“How does it make you feel?” His father’s stern, unwavering stare cut deep into Eric, so did his sharp words.
That wall of defense Eric had worked so hard for years to build around him suddenly came crumbling down. His mind churned with so much uncertainty. He didn’t know what was and what wasn’t the truth any longer.
Chapter 7
Jonathan Archer wondered what was going through their minds as he stared at the road.
Both Eric and Jessica had barely spoken more than two words since they left the prison hospital. The visit hadn’t gone as well as he’d anticipated. There was a lot of hurt and resentment on the twins’ part. Naturally there would be. But Jonathan had expected that once they saw the frail state their father was in, how much he was suffering, and how much he loved them, that they would have come around somehow and made peace.
Unfortunately that didn’t happen. They did however say they would come back to visit him soon. That was at least promising.
Trying to break the tension that surrounded them in the car, Jonathan said, “Since it’s almost six, would you like to have dinner with Vincent and me when we get back to my office. You have a long trip back and need your energy.”
Eric answered, “Yeah, sure we’d love to. Thanks for the invitation.”
The Girl Who Saw Too Much (The Firth Twins' Series Book 1) Page 3
