by K E Osborn
“What the hell is going on?” he asks as Rachelle and Matthew walk into Aiden’s office.
“What did you do?” Matthew asks as Aiden is led out of his office by the policeman.
“I didn’t do this, Father! How can you think that I’d do this to you and our company? You know me, Jeni. I didn’t do this.” My eyes fill with tears as my hand shoots to my mouth. Aiden struggles against the policemen.
“Jeni, Jeni, I didn’t do it, I swear!” He panics as I start to cry. I look over at Matthew as Aiden is escorted to the elevator. I feel a sudden wash of anger flood through my veins as Rachelle walks over to me.
“Are you okay?”
I start to sob uncontrollably.
“Yeah, that’s right. You fucking jerk! It couldn’t work out better for you, could it? Aiden is arrested for embezzlement, leaving you to fill the vice president’s position,” I yell at Matthew, who looks at me, huffs, and walks out of Aiden’s office.
Rachelle tries to comfort me as my thoughts are running a million miles an hour. Did he do this? He must have, or at least they have found evidence leading to him. How could he do this, to his family, to me? I am so confused. Rachelle leads me over to the sofa and sits me down.
“I know this is hard for you, but you have to be strong. He needs your support, now more than ever.”
I can hardly hear what she’s saying through my sobs, and to be honest, I don’t care what she has to say. My boyfriend could be a criminal. I start to get angry, and my crying subsides. Rachelle leaves to get me a glass of water. I find the strength to stand up and walk to the door, where I hear Rachelle talking to Matthew.
“Are you sure this will work?” she says to him.
“It already has, Rachelle.” He is laughing as he takes her into his arms and kisses her. I wonder what they are talking about, but my head is a mess, and I can’t think straight. I walk out of the office and to my desk. Seeing me, they instantly let go of each other, and Matthew walks back into his office.
I gather my handbag and head to the elevator, pulling out my cell phone as I get inside. I dial Sarah’s number.
“Hello, stranger, how’s the new job going?” she asks chirpily. I can’t contain myself, and I burst into tears.
“Jeni, oh, Jeni, what’s wrong?”
“Can you meet me at the police station?” I manage to ask through my tears. I hear her gasp.
“Oh my god, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
I can’t find the strength to say anything else. I hang up the cell phone. The elevator makes its way to the ground level, opening its doors to the main foyer where the receptionists are in full crisis mode. I walk briskly to the main entrance and out the door and down the stairs to the underground parking garage. Mike is chatting with some other men as I walk up to him and hug him tightly. He looks down at me.
“Miss Taylor, are you okay? Did Alistair upset you?” I figure he hasn’t heard yet. I look up at him, full of fear and hurt.
“Aiden’s just been arrested. Can you take me to the police station please?”
He looks shocked. “What? On what grounds?” I’m not sure that he believes me.
“Embezzlement.” I let go of him as he takes my arm and leads me to the car. He opens the front passenger door for me and quickly gets in the driver’s side. He starts the car and exits the parking garage in lighting speed.
“Miss Taylor, I know you’re upset, but are you sure that’s what’s actually happening?” Mike asks, trying to wrap his head around my despair as I sniff and wipe my eyes.
“I was in the office when it happened, Mike. He was dragged away by two policemen and a detective,” I snap at him, instantly feeling remorse. “Sorry, Mike, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I don’t know what to think.” I swallow the rising bile in my throat.
“It’s okay. I understand, Miss Taylor. You know he didn’t do it, right?” He looks at me briefly. I can’t manage to say anything; I don’t know what to think. I’m heartbroken, completely shattered at the thought that my whole relationship could very well be a lie.
He sighs and drives the rest of the way in silence. We pull up at the police station, and I run inside. Alistair, Callie, Benjamin, and Blair are sitting in the waiting area. I run up to Callie. She stands and gives me a hug. We wait for what seems like hours.
“What’s happening?” I manage to quietly ask Callie as a tear rolls down her cheek.
“He’s in questioning, and he has a lawyer present. What we don’t know is what’s going to happen next,” she says quietly.
“I know what’s going to happen next,” Alistair says loudly. “I’m going to wring his fucking neck when I see him. That’s what is going to happen.”
“Alistair, be quiet. You know he didn’t do it.”
He glares at Callie in response. “He did it all right, the ignorant little fucking prick.”
Blair stands up and takes his father’s arm and leads him outside for some fresh air. Benjamin taps the chair next to him, gesturing for me to sit. As I sit, he puts his arm around my shoulders, and I lean into him and cry. He holds me tighter and takes my hand in his.
Mike takes a seat next to Callie, consoling her. More hours pass. A policeman comes out of an interview room behind the desk.
“Is there a Jenifer Taylor here?” he announces, gaining my attention.
I look up. “That’s me.”
“Mr. O’Connell has nominated you as his visitor. He’s only allowed one person.” He gestures for me to walk through to the interview room. I look back at Benjamin, Callie, and Mike, who all nod at me. The big burley policeman leads me to an interview room, where I see Aiden and his lawyer sitting at a small rectangular table with the detective sitting on the opposite side. I inhale deeply at the sight.
“Miss Taylor, thank you for coming,” the lawyer says.
“You have five minutes,” the detective says, looking at me.
I sit down where he was seated as he leaves the room and shuts the door.
“Jeni, you have to believe me. I didn’t do it,” Aiden pleads with me.
I nod, but I don’t say anything. The lawyer pulls out a file from his briefcase and places it on the table.
“This is the case the detective has built against Aiden. The details are as follows: The detective traced fraudulent transactions of small amounts of money being taken from O’Connell Finance and transferred and deposited through various different accounts and institutions. The money was moving from one account to another quickly, and the detective could not keep up with the transfers. Eventually the transfers stopped in an offshore account, in the name of Aiden O’Connell. The sum of ten million dollars.”
A tear rolls down my cheek as my eyes widen.
“Miss Taylor, I’d like you to know that I believe Mr. O’Connell has been set up. No one who is smart enough to fraudulently withdraw funds from their place of employment is stupid enough to end the transfers into an account labeled with their own name.”
Aiden looks at me, his face full of worry and concern. I can’t stand to look at him.
“I understand. What’s the next step?” I keep my eyes directed away from Aiden.
The lawyer runs through a few of the papers in front of him. “He will go to court, and the evidence will be presented to a jury. It’s my job to make them understand his innocence. The hardest part will be trying to find out who has framed him.” He looks at me over his glasses.
“Jeni, look at me,” Aiden pleads as more tears form in my eyes. The evidence is not in Aiden’s favor. I sigh. Should I believe him? I don’t know. I swallow as I try to fight the urge to vomit.
“Jeni, please.”
I sigh as I make eye contact with Aiden’s defeated, sad blue eyes, and my lip starts to quiver.
“I love you,” he says, reaching his hands to meet mine on the table.
I move my hands away so he can’t touch me. “Aiden... I ...”
The door opens, and the detective walks in.
“Time�
��s up.”
I stand and walk out of the room without looking back. I see Sarah and Chris walk into the station. Sarah spots me and rushes over, giving me a tight hug. Suddenly I feel overwhelmed with emotion. I’m spinning out of control as my world turns black, and I collapse into her arms.
“Jeni, Jeni, Jenifer Taylor, wake up!” I hear Sarah say sternly as Chris fans my face with a magazine. Callie and Benjamin look down at me as my eyes flutter open. Mike brings me a plastic cup filled with water while a young policewoman is checking my blood pressure.
“Miss Taylor, are you okay?”
I sit up, saying “I’m okay.” I feel Sarah rubbing my back.
Chris looks at me concerned. “You scared us all for a minute there.” He helps me to my feet.
“How embarrassing,” I say as they help me to a seat. Everyone watches me intently as the policewoman returns behind the desk.
“Are you okay to talk?” Benjamin asks. I take another sip of my water as Alistair and Blair walk back in to sit with us.
I start to talk. “Basically detectives have been following the transfers of the embezzled money to an offshore account in Aiden’s name.” They look at me.
“Of course, he’s stupid enough to put the money into an account with his own name. What a complete fucking idiot,” Alistair says.
“Father, no one wants to hear that you think he’s guilty. We all know he’s innocent, so shut up. No one wants to hear your opinions,” Blair says.
“Let him rot, I say,” Alistair mumbles under his breath.
“Alistair O’Connell, if you truly believe our eldest son could be responsible for this, then you should leave! We are all here to support Aiden. Do us a favor and fuck the hell off!”
We stare at Callie in surprise. Alistair huffs loudly and storms out of the police station, slamming the door.
“Go, Mom.” Blair hugs her.
Aiden’s lawyer comes out of the interview room and walks over to us.
“Hi, I’m Jenson Monroe, Mr. O’Connell’s attorney. Mr. O’Connell will be held here overnight and will proceed to the courts in the morning, where he will be held for an arraignment.”
“What’s an arraignment?” Benjamin asks.
“An arraignment is where the judge will ask if Mr. O’Connell is the person identified in the felony charges. The judge will then ask whether he would like to plead guilty. We will plead not guilty, of course, and then bail will be arranged and a court date set for his trial.”
“He has to stay here overnight?” A tear rolls down my face.
“Yes,” Jenson answers as Sarah looks at me with compassion.
“Do you want to stay at my place tonight?” she offers, and I nod.
“There is nothing any of you can do now. We have to wait until tomorrow to find out if he makes bail or not. In the meantime, I suggest you all get some rest. The arraignment will be held at nine o’clock in the morning at the courthouse,” Jenson says and then walks off.
We all hug and say our goodbyes, agreeing to meet at eight thirty tomorrow morning at the courthouse. I slide into the back of Chris’ car, and he drives us back to Sarah’s. The trip is silent and filled with tension. Tears are constantly sliding down my cheeks. We arrive at the house; Sarah puts her arm around me and walks me to the sofa.
“Sit down, and I’ll make you a cup of cocoa.”
I lie down and take the blanket from the back of the sofa, placing it over my legs. I hear Chris and Sarah talking in the kitchen, but I can’t really hear them. My eyes feel heavy as welcomed sleep invades.
* * *
“Sweetie, it’s time to get up,” Sarah says softly as I wake slowly. I sit up and make my way to the bathroom. Still wearing the clothes from yesterday, I fix my hair and wander to the kitchen.
“Would you like some toast?” Chris asks as he pours me a coffee.
“No thanks,” I mumble as I sit at the table.
Sarah looks at me. “You should eat something. You didn’t have any lunch or dinner yesterday. You need to keep up your strength.”
“Coffee will do thanks.”
Chris hands it to me with a sympathetic look in his eyes. I sit at the table, sipping on my coffee, staring, staring into nothingness as I feel my life tearing apart. Aiden, my Aiden, is in jail for a crime he may or may not have committed while I sit here contemplating whether he’s guilty or not. My head feels empty except for this persistent fuzziness that spins endlessly, causing me to feel constantly nauseous. A severe depression washes over me as I realize I’m really not sure that I believe that he is, in fact, innocent. I can’t help it as an overwhelming sense of guilt flows over me. I’m confused. I love him, but I don’t trust him. Is that even possible, to love someone and not trust them?
We head to the courts. Everyone is there waiting outside when we arrive, everyone except Alistair.
Callie gives me a hug. “Oh, Jeni, you look pale. Are you all right?”
I shake my head, keeping my eyes on the ground. She puts her arm around me and walks with me into the courthouse. We take a seat on the benches in the courtroom where Aiden is set to appear. A door opens as Jenson and Aiden walk out. He’s in handcuffs as he’s escorted to the bench by a police officer. He looks directly at me, his eyes full of defeat. My heart breaks in two.
The bailiff calls out, “All rise.” The judge walks in, wearing a black robe. We all stand as he enters and sits down.
“Be seated,” the bailiff says.
The judge speaks. “We are here today for the arraignment of Aiden O’Connell. The court advises that this arraignment is to inform you of the official charge and to allow you to enter a plea in response to these charges. There are three possible pleas, that of guilty, not guilty, and no contest. A plea of guilty admits you have committed the crime in question. Upon that plea, the court will enter a judgment of guilty and impose what it considers to be an appropriate sentence.
“A plea of no contest neither admits nor denies the charges, but states that you do not want a trial. A plea of no contest requires the state to prove the legal elements by submitting evidence. You may also rebut by giving counter evidence.
“A plea of not guilty outlines that the case will be set for trial. The state is required to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. A jury will be chosen to determine guilt or innocence, where, if found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, you will be sentenced up to a maximum of ten years imprisonment. Does everyone understand the terms of this arraignment?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” Jenson answers on behalf of Aiden.
“Then we begin.”
Aiden and Jenson stand up.
“Aiden O’Connell, on the charges of embezzlement to the sum of ten million dollars, how do you plea?”
My heart jumps to my throat.
“Not guilty, Your Honor,” Jenson calls out.
The judge hits his gavel on the desk. “So be it. The defendant has entered a plea of not guilty. Due to this being such a high-profile case, the trial will be brought forward by the district attorney to commence in four weeks, starting on Thursday the seventh of February at nine a.m. A selection of twelve jurors will be called upon to bear witness to your trial. Even though you have set a plea of not guilty, I am reluctant to grant bail due to the nature of the crime and the early trial date. Therefore I deem no bail to be set and the defendant to remain in custody at the state penitentiary until the trial on Thursday the seventh of February.” He bangs his gavel again. Gasps fill the room as I feel the shock. No bail. Tears fill my eyes as I realize the man I love is going to jail, and I may not get to hug him, kiss him, or sleep next to him again.
“All rise,” the bailiff calls out.
We stand as the judge exits the courtroom.
Callie starts to cry as Aiden turns around to look at his family and friends.
He looks at me and mouths, “I love you.”
I manage a half smile. “I love you too,” I mouth back to him as he’s escorted out of the courtroom. Sarah ho
lds my hand as we walk out and onto the street. My emotions are running riot as I try to get my head straight. Confusion is racking my brain.
“I’m so sorry,” Sarah says as we reach the curb. I look at her as my eyes fill with tears. I can’t speak; words fail me as I open my mouth and close it again. Callie walks toward me, extending her arms in gesture for a hug. I open my arms and welcome her warm embrace. We stand, holding each other, crying a river of tears.
Jenson walks from the courthouse, and Callie lets me go as he approaches.
“Miss Taylor, Aiden is allowed one visitor tomorrow at ten in the morning. He would like that visitor to be you. Will you come to the state penitentiary to see him?”
Everyone looks at me intently. Do I want to see him? Can I cope with seeing him? I stare at Jenson blankly as Sarah takes hold of my hand once more.
“She’ll be there,” Sarah announces.
Jenson looks to me for confirmation; I nod in agreement as Chris rubs my back, comforting me.
Mike comes forward. “I’ll take you there myself, Miss Taylor.”
I nod again, still not managing the strength to find any words.
Jenson looks at me intently. “Miss Taylor, he needs your support. If you aren’t able to give it, then let someone else visit him.”
How dare he judge me like this? Words don’t fail me this time.
“Mr. Monroe, I’m quite capable of visiting Aiden. He asked for me, and I’ll be there to support him. I don’t need you lecturing me about what I should or shouldn’t do. You don’t even know me or what I’m capable of, thank you very much! God, who hired you anyway, you arrogant son of a—”
“Like I said, she’ll be there, Mr. Monroe,” Sarah snaps at him, interrupting me as Mike and Blair hold back a smile.
“Ten a.m. sharp. Don’t be late,” he says angrily, huffs, and walks off.
