Closing Books (34 page)

Evelyn saw Detective Allen’s head bobbing up and down. That must have been the same dilemma Kate’s father had faced before the trial.
 

“The frail old man took couple of shots at me,” Dan said.

“He claimed that he saw you through the security system and thought you were breaking in.”

“And Melissa? He had the gun pointed at her.”

“He said he was about to put the gun down when he saw that it was his daughter-in-law, but then he saw you.”

“Seriously? And you let him go because of that?” Evelyn shook her head, irate at the justice system.

“No, we let him go because there isn’t enough evidence to hold him. And now, he’s hiding behind a legion of lawyers.”

“I may be able to help.”
 

Everyone looked up as Joseph hurried over with his iPad and that day’s newspaper.

“Remember the unusual bruise I mentioned on the neck? Look at what Richard Morgan is wearing.” Joseph pointed to the picture that took up nearly half a page.

It was a close up of Richard Morgan, using his hand to shield his face from the camera. His palm was facing out, and the ring was smack in the middle of the picture.

“It matches! The moment I saw the picture, I knew this must be it. See the unusual wave of the ring? The thickness, the pattern; it all matches!” He placed his iPad, which displayed a zoomed-in version of the bruise, alongside the newspaper.
 

Everyone’s head hovered over the pictures, but Evelyn couldn’t give any comments. The bruises just seemed like every other bruise, and Joseph must have seen the confusion on everyone’s face.
 

“Look,” he said, pointing to a particular point in the bruise, showing the darker lines amidst the light purple bruises. He traced the darker lines, then moved to the ring, tracing the same pattern on the ring. “Do you see it?”

“I think so…”

Detective Allen got to his feet. “Does the ME have these photos?”

“It’s all in the files that Lydia found.”

“Good.” He took the papers from Joseph. “Don’t mind if I take this?”

“Go ahead.”

“Will that be enough?” Evelyn asked Mr. Sawyer as Detective Allen went hurrying out.

He considered for a moment before answering. “They’ll have to prove that he was wearing it during all those years. But he’s been to many social events. Finding pictures of him shouldn’t be difficult. They’ll also have to prove that it’s a one of a kind ring, that only he has it; otherwise, it’s enough for reasonable doubt.”

Evelyn smiled. She had a good feeling about this.
 

It was clear that David Morgan’s suit was tailor-made. Even the walking stick that Richard Morgan was holding appeared to be custom-made. The handle had a clear monogram with the letters RM.
 

They tailored their suits, have monograms on the things they own. Surely Richard Morgan wouldn’t settle for a ring that anyone else could buy in a store.

The front page news had been dominated by news about the Morgans. With the logs that Tyler and Ben found, Detective Allen managed to dig in further to find a link to human trafficking; the supply for David Morgan’s sadistic fetish.
 

Though both the Morgans were hiding behind their lawyers, the evidence that the police had was quickly mounting against them.
 

Using the new lead given by Joseph, the medical examiner got inspired and started looking through the old crime photos. Besides proving that the ring was custom-made, the walking stick, which had been a constant companion of Richard Morgan, made an undeniable imprint across the right temple of Suzanne Harrison’s face.
 

That evidence backed up Suzanne’s theory. With the Morgans safely behind bars, and some persuasion from Lydia, Suzanne Harrison agreed to take the stand again.

Everything was leading to a happy ending in this case; even Melissa got a million-dollar book deal to write about her life with David Morgan, exposing everything about the father and son.
 

Evelyn had also been offered quite a huge sum for interviews and book deals, but she wasn’t interested. She wasn’t keened on dwelling on what had happened anymore. All she wanted was to focus on her wedding; a small wedding ceremony held by the beach.

Before they dove right into their plans, Dan and Evelyn took a trip to visit Dan’s parents.
 

She found herself feeling more anxious about seeing them than being caged up by David Morgan. Even before this meeting, she’d already chalked up quite a number of demerit points.
 

It started when she took Kate’s side while Joanne created waves of trouble with Kate, and even though Joanne had made up with them, she couldn’t say the same for Dan’s mother.
 

She was sure that to Dan’s mother, she was the one who bullied her precious daughter, then fed her daughter all sort of nonsense to send her halfway across the world.

Dan couldn’t stop thanking Evelyn for getting through to Joanne’s head. He had thought that Joanne would waste her life away in front of the mirror, and couldn’t be happier that she had found something else to pursue.

Though it was probably wrong to think so, Evelyn was glad that Dan’s parents had decided to neglect him. The lack of smothering from his mother had turned him into the responsible, self-sustained man that he was.
 

“You sure you want to do this? I can return another time and let them know about the wedding, and depending on their reactions, we’ll decide our next move.”

“We’re not playing chess, Dan. I’m fine. I know your mom won’t be pleased to see me, but I can handle it.”

She didn’t know then how wrong she was.

Ten seconds of being in his parents’ house had her wondering what she had gotten herself into.

The already small, thin-lipped smile that Dan’s mother had the courtesy of displaying vanished in an instant and the shouting began.

“What the hell were you thinking? She’s the woman who took my baby away from me! She sent her all the way to Paris so that the Kate girl could get together with your friend! You should be helping your sister and not hook up with the slut!”

Evelyn rubbed her fingers against the tip of her nose, hoping that her hand would conceal the smile on her face.
 

For heaven’s sake, Kate and Tyler were already married, and they were starting their own family. There was nothing her
baby
could have done to change any of that.

“Don’t talk about her that way. I brought her here as a matter of courtesy,” Dan said, pulling Evelyn behind him.
 

“Courtesy? You never think about my feelings! How did you expect me to react when you bring home the woman who put crazy thoughts into my baby?”

Evelyn suppressed the urge to roll her eyes each time Dan’s mother referred to Joanne as her baby. Joanne was merely a few years younger than she was, which makes Joanne way too old to be called a baby.

When Dan had told her that his mom was dramatic, she’d believed him, but his mom had managed to exceed beyond all expectations. She bit on her lips to stop the bubble of laughter from escaping her mouth. Perhaps Dan’s mother had watched too many soap operas for her own good.

Then, she heard Dan’s low, steady voice. He wasn’t shouting, but the calmness in his voice was so much louder than the hysteria that his mother was throwing his way.

“I said to stop speaking about her that way.”
 

Evelyn smiled as she watched Dan speak to his mother. He stood up to her, not allowing his mother to put Evelyn down, but his words contained no anger. He spoke in his calm voice, speaking his mind without getting drawn into his mother’s drama.
 

His unflustered, unruffled manner captured all of her attention.
 

Dan’s mother went on and on as though she didn’t hear a single word that Dan had said.

“We’re not staying. I’m not letting her listen to you rant.” Turning away from his mother, Dan placed his arm over Evelyn’s shoulder and pressed her close against him.
 

Dan said to his father, who had been standing quietly behind his mother, “I love her. I love her more than anything in the world. And if you can think reasonably, you’ll know what she did for Anne was better than what you guys could’ve ever done for her. We’re getting married. You’re both invited, but I won’t lose any sleep over your missing attendance.”
 

He didn’t linger for another second. Once he’d said what he wanted, they were out of the door and back in the car.
 

“Eve?” His finger skimmed down her jaws.
 

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the gentle warmth from his finger.
 

“You all right? I’m so sorry about my parents.”

“You need to stop asking me that.”

She opened her eyes to see Dan gazing back at her, frowning slightly.
 

“I don’t understand.”

“Since the whole thing with David Morgan, all of you wouldn’t stop asking if I’m all right. I am.” Then she grinned mischievously at him. “You were really hot in there. The way you spoke to your mom.” She sighed softly and leaned toward him. “You were so strong, so calm, so—”

Dan laughed before she could finish her sentence. “You never react like normal people do.” He cupped his hand over her neck and closed the distance between them. “I love you.”

With a quick peck on her lips, Dan’s hand moved to turn the keys on the ignition.
 

Evelyn reached over and placed her hand on Dan’s arm. “Dan, are you sure you want to leave here like this? I can apologize to your mom. Maybe she’d—”

“No. You’ve nothing to apologize for. I don’t care what they think. They don’t know you like I do, and there’s no way I’m going let you go in there to apologize.”

“They’re your family, I don’t want to be the reason for you to lose them.”

“They lost me years ago. You see Kate as your sister because she’s been there for you and will continue to be. By that definition, my family is probably all back at Ty’s house, waiting for Marianne’s next meal.”

Twisting the flowers in her hands, Evelyn let out a long, slow breath. She smiled as she looked into the mirror, seeing herself in the long, white gown.
 

She had never thought she’d someday become a wife, and have someone who loved her in spite of her past.

Closing her eyes, she thought about everything she’d been through, all the events that led her here. She found herself smiling at all those faces that should have scared her; Mrs. Moore, Amy, and David Morgan. They all played a part in getting her here, helping her learn that the eventual victory belonged to the good.

That morning, she received the best wedding gift.

The front page of the paper plastered with the trial of David and Richard Morgan. Neither had been convicted as yet, but she was sure that the mountain of evidence was enough to ensure they would never be able to harm another person.

The article about the Morgans was short.

Instead of going on and on about the downfall of the rich and famous, the reporter wrote a special piece, reminding everyone of the lives lost and the justice that was long due.

Lydia cried when she saw the piece. The justice that she had so adamantly believed in had finally been served.
 

Then, just as the ceremony was about to begin, Kate delivered another piece of wonderful news. Joanne had managed to get back in time to attend their wedding, and she’d turned up with Dan’s father.

His father had come by to give Evelyn a quick hug, thanking her for helping Joanne. He even told her that Dan couldn’t have chosen a better bride.
 

“Ready?” Kate asked as she lifted the train of her dress.

“Yes.” She took in a deep breath and stepped out; beginning the new life she’d never imagined she could have.

Trisha Grace graduated from Bradford University with an Accounting and Finance degree. She has always been an avid reader and had a passion for writing. After being a tutor for over six years, she finally sat down and penned her own novels.

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed reading this book, and I would love to hear what you think. Feel free to drop me an email at
[email protected]
.

Thanks!

Trisha

P.S.
Honest reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are always appreciated.

Look for these titles by Trisha Grace

Now available:

Ghost of the Past Book 1 - Moving On

Ghost of the Past Book 2 - Closing Books

Coming Soon:

Ghost of the Past Book 3 - Growing Up

Done Being Friends

Moving On

©
2012 Trisha Grace

For twenty years, Tyler Hayes had been ripped from his childhood home. After the horrific accident that took away his parents’ life, Tyler’s grandfather removed him from the mansion and sent him away.
 

Now, after twenty years, his grandfather had passed away and he could finally go home. However, even in his death, Tyler’s grandfather had betrayed him once again, leaving the mansion to a woman he had never met.
 

Even though Kate Mitchell had never met Tyler, she knew all about the accident that changed the Hayes’s family. What she didn’t know was how she would end up getting caught in the middle of a long estranged relationship between two different generations.
 

Two complete different personalities would have to learn to get along and play nice in order to survive a will that would change their lives.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Moving On (Ghost of the Past Book 1):