Convicted - Romig Aleatha (мир книг .TXT) 📗

Claire tried to reason. “But Simon’s plane crashed...”

“Simon’s plane crashed because Simon fell asleep. His body was so badly burned they had very little evidence. It was your friend Harry. He was the one who put it all together. Ask yourself, who benefited from Simon’s death?”

Claire contemplated and finally answered, “I don’t know—all I can think of is Amber, but she—”

Courtney interrupted, “Yes! The way I understand it, she was upset. Things had been rocky in their relationship and Simon was obsessed with you. He’d gone to see you on multiple occasions. Apparently, Amber wasn’t happy. She knew he’d planned to leave a great deal of money to her, and she hoped she could convince the board of directors to follow through on Simon’s lead and allow her to run the company—he also left her the majority of the stock in SiJo, so she arranged for an overdose of antihistamines prior to his flight. Actually, the amount she arranged for him to ingest wasn’t too much for most people, but apparently, Simon had sensitivity to that kind of medication. It caused him to fall asleep while flying the plane.”

Claire tried to follow. “Amber? No, that can’t be true.”

“It is,” Courtney replied. “When you contacted her from prison and told her your theories, she decided it was a great way to deflect any suspicion away from her. She told her brother, Harry—who happened to be Agent Harrison Baldwin—and the FBI became involved. There were lingering concerns about your grandfather’s death and some other cases which led to Anton Rawls. When Amber talked to the FBI, they saw it as the perfect storm. By utilizing Harry—having him get to know you, they assumed they’d learn more about Tony.”

Claire shut her eyes and tried to concentrate. Finally, she asked, “So, Tony didn’t kill Simon? Amber did?”

“That’s right, and last I heard, she’d been convicted and is still in prison.”

Meredith shook her head and mumbled, “This is unreal! You can’t make this shit up!”

Courtney’s blue eyes sent piercing stares toward Meredith. “Remember what I said!” Courtney’s voice no longer held the reassuring tone she’d used with Claire.

Meredith responded with a simple nod of her head.

After a moment of deliberation, Claire said, “Oh, my God—poor Harry. He had to build a case against his sister?”

“I don’t know much about him. I think I heard he retired from the FBI, but honestly, I don’t know.”

Claire sat silently and contemplated, she couldn’t even think about her grandfather. Her thoughts centered on her husband. Finally, she asked, “So why is Tony in prison?”

Courtney exhaled, “I hope to God I’m not telling you anything new. He confessed to everything.”

Wide eyed, Claire repeated, “Everything?”

“He admitted to hurting you, kidnapping you...” Courtney looked toward Meredith. “He admitted that everything in her book was true. He also admitted to having knowledge regarding other incidents—some people who went for a hike and never came back—and John’s legal issues.” Courtney squeezed Claire’s hand, “He admitted publicly to everything. He didn’t want it to be dragged out in a lengthy legal battle. He asked to do his time and pay for his sins.”

Claire sat silently for a minute and tried to comprehend this new information. After a moment, she asked, “The FBI, they knew most of this before we returned to the states. They said Tony would receive preferential treatment for his help with Catherine. Did he get it?”

Courtney smiled. “His sentence has been served at a minimum security prison which gives him many more rights than you had during your incarceration, and his sentence was significantly reduced. As a matter of fact, Brent thinks he’ll be released during his first parole hearing.”

Claire’s heart momentarily skipped a beat. She stared at her friend. Up until now, Claire hadn’t been ready to discuss Brent. The last she’d heard, he was on a plane that went down. “Brent?” Claire’s eyes filled with new moisture as she searched the deep blueness of her friend’s eyes. “Brent’s okay?”

“Yes! He wasn’t on that plane—the one he was supposed to have been on. He later said he wanted to get home to you and Tony, but there were extra legal documents requiring modification. He stayed a little longer in Chicago and decided at the last minute to catch a later commercial flight. It wasn’t until he landed in Cedar Rapids that he knew anything about the crash.”

Claire shook her head—this was all so much. “Parole, when could that happen?”

“I don’t know the date—Brent said soon.”

Claire smiled, she liked soon! Though the sky was darkening, she wasn’t ready to leave this conversation. Her thoughts went back to the plane and Catherine. “What happened to Catherine?” Her voice quivered, “D—Did I kill her?”—she looked down—“I wish I could remember more specifics. I remember something about an insanity plea. All I could think about was Tony telling me years ago that it was my best option. If I needed a plea, I must have killed her.”

Meredith chimed in, “You didn’t. You shot her, but her wound wasn’t life-threatening. She stood trial—a long and drawn out one—but one that was kept very quiet from the media. She was convicted on multiple counts including multiple murders.”

Courtney added, “That day at the estate—Tony baited her into confessing to more crimes than he even knew existed. Eric arranged for the office to be wired, and Phillip Roach made sure it was all recorded. That information was essential in her conviction.”

Claire stared in disbelief. “So, there was a reason for him to go to the estate.”

Meredith said, “Well that and your sister and brother-in-law. Apparently, they were trapped in an upstairs suite. Tony got them out before the fire or smoke reached them.”

Claire rubbed her temples. “There was a time that I trusted Catherine without question.”

Patting Claire’s leg, Courtney added, “I know Honey—I know you did. We all thought she was so kind and sweet. The saddest part was her daughter.”

Wheels turned, Claire stuttered, “H—Her daughter? Oh, yes, I remember Sophie—no Sophia.”

Courtney nodded, “She didn’t make it out of the house. They said it was smoke inhalation.”

“Oh!” Claire’s stomach wrenched. She’d never met the woman, but she knew Tony thought highly of her.

Courtney continued, “Her husband was on that airplane. Brent said he had great potential.”

Claire contemplated the onslaught of information for a moment. She thought about her grandmother’s beliefs and those of Madeline and Francis on the island. Slowly, she wiped the tears and felt her cheeks rise into a seemingly inappropriate smile. “So, Catherine’s goal was to keep Sophia and her husband apart?”—she didn’t wait for an answer—“I guess God had other plans. Her husband’s name was Burke, wasn’t it?”—she went on—“I hope Sophia never knew her biological mother was Catherine.”

Meredith and Courtney shrugged. Finally, Courtney answered, “I’m not sure what she knew. From the audio of Tony’s office, I think we’re right to assume she didn’t. She died peacefully unaware.”

In the days that followed, Claire replayed the conversation over and over in her head. The loss of any life was terrible. Catherine had been directly responsible for so many; however, what kept coming back to Claire was the idea that Sophia and Derek were still together. She had to believe they were. If their love could overcome death, Claire believed her and Tony’s could overcome insanity and incarceration.

It was that belief that inspired her to confront her sister again, two weeks after her conversation with Courtney and Meredith. “Emily, seriously, I’m not a child. I’m much better. I want to see Nichol. I want out of here, and I’m ready to address the world.”

Emily leaned forward and covered Claire’s hand. “You know I love you?”