Suffer II (13 page)

Sheriff Lewis ended his call with Judge Cassandra Hall. He was uncomfortable with her request, but agreed with the seriousness of the alleged sexual assault charges against her son. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before entering the waiting area of the ER. He motioned for Brittany and Tyler to join him in an unoccupied corner of the room.

“Who else knows about the possible rape?” asked Lewis. “I want you to think hard about your answer.”

“I’ve been with Em the entire time until she went into the examining room,” said Brittany. “She didn’t call or talk to anyone else that I know of.”

“What about her mom?”

“She told me not to tell her.”

“What about you?” asked Lewis, looking at Tyler.

“I haven’t told anyone.”

“Have you sent those photos to anyone else but me?” asked Lewis, looking back at Brittany.

“No.”

“Keep it that way,” said Lewis. “Do you know who Mark Hall’s mother is?”

“Yes, we do.”

“She’ll be here in a few minutes,” said Lewis. “As you can imagine, she’s not happy with this situation. She’s been nominated by the President as our next united states district judge. She believes she’s a month or two away from being confirmed by the Senate. Having her son arrested for rape will change that. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Brittany looked down at the floor. It didn’t cross her mind when she was making her plan to disgrace Emily that Mark’s mother would be involved. She knew she was a judge, but she had no idea at what level. She swallowed hard and put her hand on her stomach.

“Are you okay?” asked Lewis.

“Yes,” said Brittany. “I just can’t believe all of this is happening.”

“I’m going to ask you both one more time. Do you believe that at any point last night Emily was sexually assaulted by Mark Hall or anyone else?”

“No,” said Brittany. “She wasn’t.”

“Tyler?”

“She wanted to have sex with them,” said Tyler. “She wasn’t raped.”

“Okay,” said Lewis. “It would be best that neither one of you talk to anyone until Judge Hall gets here. I’m also going to need a list of names of everyone that was at your house last night.”

Sheriff Lewis knew they weren’t telling him everything that happened at the party. Brittany didn’t look him in the eye when she answered. Tyler looked at her when he did.

He left them in the waiting area and stood outside of the examining room door. When it opened, he could see Emily sitting on the edge of the bed as the doctor walked out.

“Good morning, Sheriff,” said Dr. Post, taking off his gloves.

“Morning, Doc. How is she?”

“Emily is visibly shaken, upset, and nauseous, but I didn’t find any obvious signs of assault. There’s no bleeding, tearing, or bruising of tissue. However, I can tell you that she did have sex recently.”

“Were there marks or bruises anywhere else?”

“No. I found no signs of a struggle, but she claims to have been drugged and assaulted last night by Mark Hall and another boy. The problem is that she doesn’t remember anything about it. We took blood and urine samples for a drug screen and swabbed for DNA. We’ll have those results in a few days.”

“Thanks, Doc,” said Lewis, leaning in closer. “I’ve got her two best friends out here in the waiting room. They say they witnessed her having consensual sex with those boys last night at a party. They also witnessed her using cocaine shortly before. They believe she’s lying about the rape because she’s embarrassed about some photos that have surfaced. I’ve seen them, and I have to admit that it doesn’t look like it was forced sex.”

“Wow,” said Dr. Post. “I don’t envy your job right now.”

“Me either,” said Lewis.

“Well, I can’t tell you anything more than what I’ve told you already. We’ll have to wait for the screen results before I can confirm drug use. Even then, I won’t be able to tell you how they got into her system.”

“Perfect,” said Lewis. “Listen, Judge Hall is going to be here any second and –”

“I’m not going to make your job any harder, Sheriff. All of this stays confidential until I get a subpoena. I’m the only one on my staff she’s talked to so far.”

“I appreciate that, Doc.”

“Just remember that Emily can do whatever she wants with those results.”

“Understood. Can I talk to her now?”

“Of course.”

As soon as he walked inside the examination room, Judge Hall entered the ER. She stood for a moment and looked around. When she made eye contact with Brittany, she held a cold stare before approaching her. Brittany had never met Judge Hall, but she was already terrified of her.

“Brittany Greene?” asked Cassandra.

“Yes, ma’am,” said Brittany, deflating.

“I’m Mark Hall’s mother. I need to speak with you outside.”

Brittany looked at Tyler before following Cassandra to the exit of the ER. When they were far enough away from the doors, Cassandra spun around, stopping Brittany in her tracks. The judge took a deep breath and crossed her arms.

“I had an interesting conversation with my idiot son on the way over here,” said Cassandra, taking a step closer to Brittany. “Do you know who I am?”

“I do,” said Brittany.

“Did you know that I was a criminal prosecutor for twenty years before I became a judge?”

“No, ma’am, I didn’t.”

“Well, I was, and it took me about thirty seconds to know Mark was lying to me about what happened to Emily. He told me everything that you did, Brittany. Everything.”

Cassandra paused and waited for her words to be processed. She lowered her arms as she glared at Brittany. When two hospital workers came outside to smoke, she grabbed Brittany’s arm and walked her into the parking lot.

“I’m not going to give you the opportunity to lie to me,” said Cassandra. “I know that Emily had sex with your boyfriend. You paid my son and Greg to get you the drugs to incapacitate her. You told them to have sex with her while you took pictures to put on the internet.”

“I didn’t tell them to have sex with her,” said Brittany, finding an ounce of courage. “I swear to you, I just wanted it to look like they were. Mark actually did it. He wanted his face to be in the photos, not me.”

“That doesn’t matter,” said Cassandra, clenching her teeth. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in? When my son and Greg tell the sheriff what you did, you’ll be arrested and sent to prison for a very long time. While you’re there, your precious boyfriend will be in college with his new girlfriend. Is that what you want?”

“No,” said Brittany. “I just wanted to embarrass her. I didn’t think all of this would happen.”

“Spare me the tears, honey,” said Cassandra. “You’re about as evil and manipulative as they come. You drugged your best friend, stripped her down, and told Mark and Greg to do whatever they wanted to her while you took pictures. Where you screwed up was getting my son involved in your plan. Now you have to deal with me. How stupid are you?”

“I’m not stupid,” said Brittany, wiping her face. “Everything would be fine if Mark would’ve kept quiet. We told the sheriff she wasn’t raped and he believes us. We told him we saw her doing the drugs on her own and flirting with Mark and Greg. We said we caught them having sex and it wasn’t rape. He believes us. He believes us because we’re her best friends.”

“We?”

“Yes, me and Tyler. He brought her to the party and helped me set everything up. He hates her too.”

“How many other people know what you did? And don’t you dare lie to me.”

“Me, Tyler, Mark, Greg, and now you,” said Brittany. “That’s it. Nobody else knows anything.”

“Mark said there were other people there at the party,” said Cassandra. “How do they not know what happened?”

“They don’t,” said Brittany. “I just needed them to be there long enough to see that Emily was acting drunk or on drugs. Tyler and I mentioned to a few of them that she was snorting cocaine and fooling around with Mark and Greg. I told them all to leave before we took her upstairs. I knew the rumors would start spreading that night.”

“Good Lord,” said Cassandra. “You really hate this girl.”

“I do,” said Brittany. “She deserves all of this for what she did to me. I was her best friend and would’ve done anything for her. I helped her through so much when she needed me. She repays me by screwing my boyfriend and then lying about it to my face. Yes, I hate her. She’s dead to me.”

“Let’s go sit down,” said Cassandra, walking Brittany to a secluded bench. “Isn’t your boyfriend some kind of star quarterback?”

“Yes,” said Brittany. “He’s getting a scholarship to play at LSU next year.”

“And you’re going with him?”

“I don’t know yet. My grades aren’t that great. I may have to go to junior college first.”

“What if I told you I could get you into LSU?”

“Are you serious?” said Brittany, lighting up. “I thought you were turning me in.”

“You need to pay close attention to what I’m about to say to you,” said Cassandra, shifting to face Brittany. “This is your only shot at staying out of prison.”

“I’ll do whatever you want. I promise.”

“Good,” said Cassandra. “Here’s the problem with you going to jail. It means my son will probably go as well. The system tends to be harder on the children of government officials. If my son is brought up on charges, I’ll lose the nomination for my judgeship. If that happens, I’m going to make a lot of people’s lives miserable. That includes yours and your parents. Am I clear?”

“Yes, ma’am. What do you want me to do?”

“Nothing,” said Cassandra. “Stick to your plan for Emily and forget this conversation ever happened. Make sure Tyler does the same, but don’t mention our deal or it goes away. If you do that, you’ll be at LSU next fall, and I’ll make sure Emily won’t be. I have the ability to make all of this disappear.”

“You want me to keep lying?”

“You just told me you weren’t stupid,” said Cassandra. “Don’t ask me stupid questions.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I need you to be Emily’s friend for a little bit longer,” said Cassandra. “I need you to stay close to her. I’ll let you know when to cut it off. When you do, you can never see or speak to her again. Forget that she existed.”

“That won’t be a problem,” said Brittany.

“You need to stay away from Mark and Greg as well. No contact at all other than passing them in the hallway. I’ll make sure they understand what’s going on.”

“Okay.”

“Emily sounds like a piece of work,” said Cassandra. “You follow my instructions to the letter, we both get what we want and you stay out of prison. Let me know if Tyler gets out of line or if you think he has a change of heart. I’ll change it back for him.”

“He won’t,” said Brittany. “He’s the one that caught her and Conner having sex. He was in love with her. She betrayed him too.”

“Let’s go back inside,” said Cassandra, standing. “I need to find the sheriff.”

“Thank you for helping me,” said Brittany, walking beside her. “All of this is Emily’s fault.”

“I’m not helping you,” said Cassandra. “I’m keeping my son from disgracing this family. But know this, Brittany. If you screw this up, I make a phone call and your life as you know it, your future, and your relationship with Conner is over. I make another phone call, and your father loses his business and your family will be driven into the poor house.”

“You won’t need to make those calls.”

Grey eased out of bed to avoid waking Abby. He stood over her and watched her breathe. A smile crept across his face when she snorted and rolled over. There was no time of the day for him when she wasn’t beautiful.

He scooped his running gear off of the dresser and changed clothes in the spare bathroom downstairs. It was dark outside, but the sky was glowing blue. Before his early morning run, he started the coffee for whomever would wake after him. The pot was untouched when he returned with the sunrise. After his shower, he poured two cups.

“Good morning, sunshine,” said Grey, sitting on the edge of the bed as Abby stretched.

“You’re a lifesaver,” said Abby, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. “Chief was on a roll last night.”

“He was trying to ease the tension,” said Grey. “It was good to see Dawson and Tyler having a few beers together.”

“How did we get sucked into his plan?” asked Abby. “My head is pounding. How was your run?”

“I could taste the booze in my sweat,” said Grey. “I thought I was going to hurl.”

“You seemed a little tense as well,” said Abby, taking a sip.

Grey put his cup on the nightstand and undressed. He eased back into the bed. Abby took another shot of caffeine before setting her cup down and resting her head on his chest.

“This never gets old,” said Grey, pulling her in tight.

“No, it doesn’t. Are you going to tell me what’s on your mind?”

“I think you know,” said Grey. “You’re getting better at this.”

“Is it time for the speech?” asked Abby, raising her head with a smile.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” said Grey. “No speeches, just awareness.”

“Aw,” said Abby. “I love your speeches.”

“Okay, then. Here you go. We’ve been a nuisance so far. A curious group of outsiders who haven’t crossed any lines. We’re about to cross those lines, and on the other side of it is a federal judge who loves her son and her job. We’re going to end up taking both from her.

“She doesn’t seem like the type to go down easy. In fact, she seems like the type who would protect both at all costs. The way I see it, we’re going to leave her with only two options. Scare us out of town and make sure we never come back, or make us disappear like she did Emily.”

“You think she killed her?” asked Abby, sitting up in bed.

“I doubt she’s the type to get her hands dirty,” said Grey. “But she probably made the call.”

“To who?”

“That’s the next question we need to answer. We need to know who’s going to be coming for us before they do. I have a feeling we’ll have a name or two by the end of breakfast.”

“Ooo, I love it when you get all cryptic and mysterious,” said Abby.

“Are you still drunk?”

“A little.”

They made their way downstairs to find Chief in the kitchen and Kate sitting at the table sipping coffee. It always baffled Grey how Chief could knock off a six-pack and a pint of whiskey, but would wake up cheerful and full of energy. Kate joined the group on the deck the night before, but limited herself to two glasses of wine. She preferred to watch the team unwind from a safe distance.

“Good day, ladies,” said Chief, flipping bacon. “Did you run in your skirt this morning, Grey?”

“That’s funny coming from a man wearing a pink apron,” said Grey.

“Ha,” said Chief, pointing his spatula, “you know I make this look good.”

“Why do I let you do that to me every time?” asked Evan, walking into the kitchen and rubbing his eyes.

“Because I’m irresistible, kid,” said Chief.

“You look pretty,” said Evan, taking a seat.

“I feel pretty.”

“Are Tyler and Dawson still alive?” asked Abby, trying to smooth down Evan’s hair.

“No,” said Evan, laying his head on the table. “They didn’t make it.”

“We’re fine,” said Dawson, walking in with Tyler.

“About the only thing to do in this town is drink and shoot stuff,” said Tyler, pulling out a chair. “I have to admit, it was kind of cool being underage and getting drunk with a cop and a FBI agent. That doesn’t happen every day around these parts.”

“You had a couple of wine coolers, son,” said Chief. “Don’t get cocky.”

“We went beer for beer and you kept feeding me shots, Chief,” said Tyler.

“Whatever.”

Kate sat back in her chair and smiled at their exchanges. She let them finish their breakfast before altering the mood. There were questions Tyler needed to answer before they took him to the airport. With fresh cups of coffee, they all made their way to the deck.

“There’s a big piece of this puzzle we need to figure out,” said Kate, making the change. “We’re going to need your help with that, Tyler.”

“I knew this was coming,” said Tyler, lowering his head.

“Remember what I told you,” said Dawson. “This is how you make it right.”

“I remember,” said Tyler, lifting his head and looking at Kate.

“Emily was arrested a few times for drug possession and prostitution,” said Kate. “Everyone involved seems to believe she was truly an addict. Knowing Emily, how did that happen?”

“I’m not sure,” said Tyler, turning to face his brother. “I’m not. I can only tell you what I think happened. I don’t have any proof.”

“That’s okay,” said Grey. “We’ll find the proof.”

“She really did become addicted to heroin,” said Tyler. “I saw her shoot up once.”

“No way, Tyler,” said Dawson, leaning forward. “There’s no way Emily was a junkie. How could you say that about her?”

“Because it’s true, Dawson. You told me to tell the truth, and I am!”

“Okay, okay,” said Chief. “We believe you. Let your brother speak, Dawson. If you can’t handle what he has to say, feel free to go inside.”

“You don’t know her like I do,” said Dawson.

“I’m getting tired of hearing that,” said Grey. “I know her well enough to understand why you’re having a hard time believing your brother. But Chief is right. If you can’t handle this, leave the room. We need to know.”

“Brit didn’t come out and say it,” said Tyler, “but everything changed after Judge Hall came to the hospital. The original plan was for Brittany to disconnect from Emily once the photos made their way around school. She was going to make up some kind of excuse that her parents didn’t want them to hang out anymore.

“At some point down the road when Emily hit rock bottom, that’s when Brit was going to tell her everything she did. You know, so Emily would know who was responsible for destroying her life. Brit figured nobody would care after they graduated from high school and she was with Conner up at LSU.”

“But she didn’t disconnect,” said Kate. “She stayed friends with her.”

“Yes,” said Tyler. “Like I said, everything about our plan changed. I had a key to Emily’s house from when Dawson and I were fixing it up. Brit told me to make her a bunch of copies. I don’t know who she gave them to, but shortly after Emily got arrested for possession. They found heroin and cocaine in her backpack at school.”

“Is that when she dropped out?” asked Kate.

“Yeah,” said Tyler. “It just got worse from there.”

“How so?”

“Em was scared all the time,” said Tyler. “She said she heard voices outside of her window calling her name. She’d hear strange noises at all hours of the night and swore people were following her. She stopped eating and looked exhausted all the time.”

“They were wearing her down,” said Chief.

“About two weeks after that started, she disappeared for three days,” said Tyler. “I asked Brit if she knew where she was. She said she didn’t know where, but knew she’d be back. She told me to stop looking for her or they would take me too.”

“Who would take you?” asked Kate.

“I had no idea who she was talking about, but I believed her. It wasn’t the last time Em disappeared for days. That’s when I started coming around the house more often to check on Ms. Karla. I’d make sure she had groceries, and I’d clean up the house. The funny thing is, Ms. Karla never asked me where Em was. Most times she’d be on the couch sleeping, but when she wasn’t, she never asked.”

“You said you don’t have proof,” said Kate. “Proof of what?”

“I saw two older guys bring Em home,” said Tyler, looking at the floor. “They were pretty wasted, but she was out cold. They dragged her to the front porch and put her in a chair. They thought I was her brother or something. All they said to me was that she knew how to party. About a week later, I saw the same two guys with Billy Simmons. I think they’re his brothers.”

“Jesus Christ,” said Dawson, shaking his head and gritting his teeth.

“He’s a drug dealer,” said Tyler.

“He’s more than a drug dealer,” said Dawson, staring at Tyler. “He’s a fucking animal. They call him Bullet.”

“You know him?” asked Chief.

“I know of him,” said Dawson. “I’ve seen him around, but I mainly hear about what he does. He always has a group of assholes with him. If you look at him funny, they’ll beat you bloody.”

“Evan,” said Grey.

“I’m on it,” said Evan, standing before the request was made. “Give me a few minutes.”

“Do you have any idea how Emily ended up running with a drug dealer named Bullet?” asked Chief. “This is the first time we’ve heard his name.”

“I have no clue,” said Tyler. “I never actually saw her with him, just his guys.”

“You said you saw her using,” said Kate.

“I did,” said Tyler. “I walked into her room, and she was sitting on her bed. It was if I wasn’t even there. She just wrapped the band around her arm and stuck the needle in.”

“What did you do?” asked Dawson. “Why didn’t you stop her?”

“I’d never seen that before in my life,” said Tyler. “It took me a second to figure out what was going on. She dropped the needle on the floor and fell back onto the bed. No, I didn’t try to stop her, Dawson. I didn’t do anything. Is that what you wanted to hear me say? I let Em shoot up heroin, and I didn’t do a goddamned thing but turn around and walk out.”

“It’s okay, Tyler,” said Kate. “I know you were scared for her.”

“It’s not okay,” said Dawson. “None of this is okay.”

“Easy,” said Chief. “There’s nothing we can do to change what has already happened. This information is going to help us change what happens next.”

“What
is
going to happen next?” said Dawson. “I’d really like to know.”

“You will,” said Chief, “eventually. I’ll make sure of it, but for now we need to get you both out of town so we can do our jobs.”

“Speaking of which,” said Grey, “Tyler, you need to get moving. Your plane will be here in thirty minutes. If we need to ask you anything else, we’ll call you after you land.”

“I’m sorry,” said Tyler, blinking away tears. “I’m sorry I was such a coward. I guess hearing all those words come out of my mouth makes all of this more real. It makes me more ashamed of what I did. I’m sorry you all have to be here for Emily now because I wasn’t when she needed me.”

“Go on now, son,” said Chief. “Go get your things. I’ll wait for you outside.”

“I’ll be taking you to New Orleans,” said Grey, waiting for Tyler to leave the room. “Your plane leaves in four hours. We need to head out soon to beat traffic.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” said Dawson.