The Surprise

by Alice Ward

  “Gentlemen, my client has had a long day and this is starting to get ridiculous. If you have any other questions, please get to them. If you’re just going to throw wild accusations around, we’ll be leaving.”

  “The accusations aren’t so wild,” Masterson warned. “If there were ever a slam dunk circumstantial case, it’s this one. Emily admits that the food was in her possession from the moment it left the store. Everything in that drawer tested positive for traces of dairy. And every single package had been opened. Our forensics expert did a preliminary examination and believes the perpetrator folded a cloth over the bags and resealed them with a straightening iron. Tell me, Miss Kinkaid, do you own a straightening iron?”

  I shook my head. “Sorry to disappoint you, but my hair is straight as a board all on its own.”

  Masterson glared at me, but pressed on. “We’re comparing the prints we took from you today to the ones we lifted off of the snack packages. When they match, this case is no longer circumstantial.”

  I’d had enough of the angry detective’s condescending threats. “Of course my prints are on the packages. I imagine you’ll also find some from health food store employees, other customers, hell the person who boxed them up at the distribution center probably left at least one fingerprint. Will you be harassing them as well, or just me?”

  The detectives had no smart ass retort to my question. The duo stared at me with equal amounts of anger and disgust; Frank smiled beside me. I tried to remind myself they were just doing their jobs. If I had been guilty, I’d deserve all of their hateful comments and then some. I hoped that when the real culprit was caught, he or she would be treated a hundred times worse than I’d been. But I still resented the fact that they thought I was capable of doing such a terrible thing.

  “Miss Kinkaid, I understand that you had a difficult childhood. You lost your parents as an infant and moved a lot while you were growing up. It’s not uncommon for people with that type of history to develop emotional or mental deficits. Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental illness?” Dickson asked.

  I stared at him, unable to believe he just asked that question. I shook my head. “My childhood wasn’t perfect. But I’m not damaged. I could never hurt a child, Detective.” I cleared my throat, swallowing the emotion that surged up. “I hope that as your investigation continues, you’ll be able to see that.”

  “We would like you to meet with our staff psychologist, just the same,” Masterson countered.

  Frank slid his paperwork into his briefcase and rose to his feet. I pushed my chair away from the table and stood as well, thankful he was calling an end to the interview.

  “Nice try, but you know no good defense attorney would ever agree to that. The prosecutor’s office has already called Miss Kinkaid’s mental health into question. She’ll show that she’s sane, competent, and incapable of committing such a heinous act. But she’ll do it with an independent doctor of the court’s choosing, not one connected to the arresting precinct. It’s getting late and Miss Kinkaid’s been through enough for one day. If you have any other questions for her, please contact my office.”

  “Remember the judge’s warning and don’t stray too far, Emily,” Masterson called after me as we stepped into the hallway. “I’d hate to have an excuse to throw you into a cell.”

  ***

  “Here kiddo, have some more mashed potatoes,” Uncle Walt insisted. He scooped a spoonful onto my plate and covered them with pan gravy.

  “I’m not sure I can eat another bite,” I protested but loaded my fork anyway.

  “This is wonderful, Walt,” Frank offered, wiping his mouth with a paper towel. “Exactly what I needed after such a long day.”

  Frank and I had arrived at Ethan’s to find his kitchen table loaded with chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, fresh biscuits, and salad. Growing up, my uncle had emphasized the importance of eating healthy. We ate a lot of grilled chicken, brown rice, and steamed vegetables. But when comfort food was in order, he pulled out all the stops.

  “You were right, back at the courthouse,” Walt confessed. He folded his napkin over his empty plate and leaned back in his chair. “I feel helpless. I thought feeding you two was the least I could do.”

  “It really was delicious, Walt,” Ethan agreed. He draped an arm over the back of my chair and cleared his throat. “I know we all want to ignore the elephant in the room. But now that we’ve finished eating, I think we need to talk about what happened after you two left the courthouse, and what we’re going to do to clear Emily’s name. Claudia and I set up a workstation in the library.”

  “Ethan’s right. I know you’re scared, kiddo. But I also know if we all pool our resources, we’ll get to the bottom of this. Why don’t the rest of you head that way? I think I could use a drink.”

  “There’s a fully stocked bar in the library,” Ethan told him, rising to his feet. He held my hand as we walked down the hallway, but there was an odd stiffness in his body. He was moving more like a robot than a person, but I chalked it up to a long, traumatic day. I was feeling pretty tense myself.

  “It’s nothing fancy,” Ethan warned, opening the heavy oak door. He flipped on a light and we stepped into an empty, gloomy room. One wall was covered in dated wood paneling, the other three with built-in bookshelves. The same shag carpeting that covered the rest of the house ran wall to wall, and a Tiffany-style chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling. A large, short wooden table sat beneath it, laden with boxes of ink pens, stacks of legal pads, and a cup of yellow highlighters. Mismatched couches and loveseats were arranged around the table and, as promised, a rolling bar cart sat nearby. A small television had been set up on a filing cabinet and turned to one of the twenty-four-hour news stations.

  Uncle Walt walked straight to the bar while the rest of us arranged ourselves around the table. Ethan and I settled down on one of the loveseats, but his body never quite relaxed.

  “I wasn’t sure what all you’d need,” he continued. He crossed one leg over the other and leaned against the armrest. “If there’s anything else you could use, just let me know and I’ll have it delivered.”

  “Thank you, Ethan. But honestly, I don’t think this is necessary. There’s more than enough room at my office for us all to meet there,” Frank insisted.

  Ethan nodded toward the muted TV. “The less Emily leaves the house, the better. I understand you’ll work primarily from your place. But I think it’s best that you come here to speak with Emily instead of vice versa.”

  “I completely understand,” Frank agreed.

  He’s acting weird. But he wants me to stay here. That has to be a good sign.

  “So what do we do to help our girl?” Walt asked.

  Frank shifted his weight and looked awkwardly from my uncle to Claudia. “Claudia, you know I love you. But if this ends up going to court, you’re going to be at the top of the prosecution’s witness list.”

  “I know I can’t be here,” she agreed with a sigh. “I was just hoping you would forget. I’ll be in the kitchen.”

  “Thanks, sweetheart,” Walt said. He grabbed her hand and gave it a quick peck as she walked by. She gave him an affectionate pat on the head and continued to the hallway. When the door clicked shut, Frank cleared his throat.

  “Look, guys, I appreciate that you all want a plan of action in place as soon as possible. But right now, there’s not much we can do. The prosecutor’s offices will be required to share anything their investigation uncovers. The school has a video camera mounted about ten feet down from your classroom door. My guess is the cops will see someone in the footage who’s not supposed to be there, and this will all be over.”

  Walt raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying we shouldn’t do anything until after the cops are finished reviewing the footage?”

  “I know that’s not what you want to hear, Walt. But yes, I think that’s our best course of action. We all know Emily didn’t do this. The cops have jumped the gun because there are two ju
stifiably outraged parents on the other side of this demanding justice for their son. As soon as the evidence points at someone else, so will their rage.”

  “But what if the footage doesn’t clear Emily?” Ethan countered. “Don’t get me wrong. I know she’s innocent. But if the real attacker is someone who works at the school, the cops might not question them going into Emily’s room.”

  “You think this was Ben,” I realized out loud.

  “Who else would have done this?” he snapped. Uncle Walt stiffened his back and Ethan quickly dropped his tone. “I’m sorry. But he cornered her at the school when the team and I were there speaking to the kids. Did she tell you about that?”

  Walt shook his head and turned his disapproving gaze to me. “No, she didn’t.”

  “I haven’t heard this story either,” Frank announced. “Is this something I should know? Who is Ben? And why do you think he’d do something like this, Ethan?”

  “Ben is Emily’s ex-boyfriend,” Ethan explained. “He teaches PE at The Day School. Their relationship ended—”

  “My relationship with Ben ended when I caught him in bed with one of the student’s mothers,” I interrupted.

  I didn’t relish recounting the story, but it wasn’t Ethan’s place to tell it.

  “Ben was a cheating shithead,” I continued. “And yes, he cornered me at school after Ethan and I started dating. I think he was jealous. But he’s not sadistic. He’s not capable of hurting a child. And even if he were, he wouldn’t risk his career. He cares way too much about himself, and he’s terrified of failing again.”

  Walt turned back to Frank. “Will you have access to these surveillance videos? The cops might not recognize something suspicious the way Emily would.”

  “We’ll get copies, but it will take time to review them,” Frank warned.

  “I seem to have an abundance of that at the moment,” I replied dryly.

  “I can help too,” Walt offered.

  “Great. I’ll let you know if and when they’re turned over. In the meantime, I’d like you all to start thinking of other people who may have a motive to set Emily up. I know you don’t want to believe your ex is capable of something like this, but I’m going to check him out anyway. What’s his full name?”

  “Ben Simmons,” Walt answered for me.

  Frank scribbled the name onto his notepad. “Does anyone else come to mind?”

  “Not at the moment,” I answered. “I get along with everyone at work.”

  Frank looked from Walt to Ethan and they both shook their heads. “Alright. If any of you think of someone else, let me know. I’m going to head home for the night. Emily, I’ll check in with you tomorrow afternoon.”

  He stood up and the rest of us followed suit.

  “You look exhausted, kiddo,” my uncle observed. “I think Claudia and I will head out as well so you can get some rest. Promise you’ll call if you need anything?”

  “I promise.”

  We stepped into the living room and found Claudia on the sofa reading a magazine. She slid it into her purse and looked up with a warm smile.

  “I got everything squared away in the kitchen. I couldn’t find the detergent for your dishwasher, but it’s ready aside from that. The leftovers are in Ziploc containers in the fridge.”

  “Thank you, Claudia. You didn’t have to do that.” I gave her a big hug and resisted the temptation to ask about Alfie. I knew she couldn’t give me any information, but I would have traded anything to hear that he was still improving.

  “Thank you for having us, Ethan,” Walt offered as everyone moved to the door. “We’ll talk to you tomorrow, kids. Try to get some rest.”

  Ethan opened the door and our guests filed outside. He shut it again a little too forcefully, returned to the living area, and collapsed into an armchair, leaving me alone on the sofa. He let out a loud sigh and stared blankly at the coffee table.

  “Okay. What’s going on?” I demanded.

  “What do you mean, what’s going on? You lived through the same day I did, right?”

  “No, not at all. I was arrested and accused of being a psychopath who poisons kids for kicks. And then I came home to a stiff, distant boyfriend who seems terrified to touch me. What the hell happened, Ethan?”

  “I know this is difficult for you,” he began with an air of annoyance, not looking at me. “But it’s frustrating for me too. I know you didn’t do this. But you and I both know that so far, the evidence looks bad. And that’s all people who don’t know you like I do have to go on when they’re forming an opinion. And… well, that puts me in a pretty difficult place.”

  “So your mother is what happened.”

  His face flushed red, but he didn’t deny it. “She and Victor are concerned about what the allegations against you will do to my reputation.”

  I started connecting the dots. “Is this why you were late to the courthouse?”

  He nodded. “It’s also why Frank is your attorney. I arranged for one of Victor’s lawyers to handle the case. He called Victor, who put an end to that plan.”

  “They’re pressuring you to break up with me, aren’t they?”

  He still didn’t look at me. “Yes. Victor even mentioned something about the morality clause in my contract.”

  “So they gave you an ultimatum? Me or the team?”

  “They haven’t pushed it that far yet. And I don’t think they will, as long as we lay low and this case is wrapped up quickly. Once we figure out who actually tampered with the food, I’ll hire a PR rep to make sure your exoneration gets three times the attention as your arrest. But until then, it’s probably best if we aren’t photographed together.”

  The suggestion stung like a slap in the face. It was like someone had taken my boyfriend’s body and dropped a stranger’s brain inside. I shook my head and let my rage boil over.

  “I’m sorry my current problems are such a damn inconvenience for you. A six-year-old child is lying in a hospital bed. At best, my career is over. At worst, I’m on my way to prison as someone who assaulted a child. But please, Ethan. Please tell me more about how terrible this could be for your fucking football team.”

  The muscle in his jaw worked, then he blew out a breath. “I’m sorry, Emily. I wasn’t trying to make this about myself. I just want to handle this situation correctly, and it’s not like anyone’s printed a manual.”

  “Well I hate to break it to you, but you’ve blown your chance to handle this the right way,” I snapped, digging through my purse for my keys. I’d just had the worst day of my life and Ethan’s attitude was the last thing I felt like dealing with.

  “Enlighten me,” he demanded just as haughtily. “What the fuck was I supposed to do?”

  “You could have walked up to any of the reporters outside of that hospital, looked straight into their cameras, and told them that I’m innocent. You could stand by me instead of insisting that we not be seen together. You could tell your parents to fuck off—”

  “They aren’t just my parents,” he growled. “Morality clause or not, all Victor has to do is say the word and I’m cut from the team. He’ll do it in the middle of the season, just to spite me. He’ll ruin the team’s first season just to make a point, Emily. The other guys don’t deserve that. They’ve worked too hard.”

  My hand finally closed over my keys. I rose to my feet and stormed toward the door, slinging the purse strap over my shoulder.

  “What are you doing? Come back here, Emily. You’re overreacting.”

  I leaned against the door and faced him, keeping my voice as calm as possible. “I think you’re the last person who should be telling me how to act right now. You know, I don’t know why I’m so surprised. I should have never expected to have an adult relationship with a man who’s spent his life playing a game and calling it a career. It’s nice to know where your loyalties lay, though. I mean, who gives a shit if my name is dragged through the press? It doesn’t matter what people think of me as long as you and your fri
ends get to throw the ball around on Sunday, right?”

  He stood and took a few strides toward me, then stopped a few paces away. “Emily, that’s not what I meant and you know it. Look, we’ve had long, emotional days. And you’re absolutely right. Yours was worse than mine. Put your purse down. I’ll run you a hot bath… or maybe we could get in the Jacuzzi again.”

  You’re really going to hint at sex right now?

  “You know, they say that everything happens for a reason,” I said, my voice sounding as helpless as I did. “Maybe this, what’s happening between us now, is the reason fate, or God, or whoever threw this mess at me. We can’t work, Ethan. I need someone who’s instinct is to be there for me. I need to know that whatever comes my way, I don’t have to face it alone. And I deserve that. So I’m going home.”

  “Emily, you’re making a mistake,” he argued.

  “I made the mistake weeks ago. This is me fixing it. I’m sorry, Ethan. I’ll call you in a few days and arrange to come pick up my things.”

  I opened the door and rushed outside before he had a chance to reply. I was flooded with emotions but didn’t let myself feel any of them until I was safely home. I stripped out of my clothes on my way to the bedroom, crawled between the sheets, and cried myself to sleep.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Emily…? Emily, we know you’re here. Open the door,” Linda insisted from my hallway. I dragged myself off of the couch and padded to the front door in the teddy bear house slippers I’d had since I was twelve. I turned the knob and my friends pushed into the living room.

  “We have takeout,” Linda announced, lifting a bulging white plastic bag.

  “And booze,” Melissa added. She set a brown paper sack on the coffee table and set off for the kitchen.

  I brushed my fingers through my greasy hair. “I really appreciate this, but I really meant it when I said I wasn’t up for company.”

  Three days had passed since my arrest and subsequent breakup. The first day, Ethan had called every hour on the hour. The second, I downloaded an app that blocked his number. I’d ignored my friends’ calls but returned their texts, promising I was okay and insisting I wanted to be alone. They didn’t listen.