Woman on the Edge(68)
Poor Melissa was simply a victim. She’d only worked for Greg a few months when Tessa realized she was the perfect redheaded decoy. New and inexperienced, she just wanted to impress her boss, and agreed to take care of Quinn the day Tessa set fire to Greg’s house. That’s why she was in the passenger seat that day. She’s fully physically recovered since that horrible tragedy, but if there’s anything I know for sure it’s that the scars of trauma run deep.
Tessa was hoping, it seems, to kill all of us in that fire. Destroy as many witnesses to her treachery as she could.
It’s still hard for me to wrap my head around what Greg and Tessa did, how far they would go for love and money—if you can call what they had love. I guess you really can’t. It’s more like obsession, and madness.
For her part in this, Donna was full of regret and guilt. She never meant to contribute to Nicole’s downfall, and she knows what she did in the past was wrong. Nicole never killed Amanda, and accepting that has meant Donna has started to heal. We keep in touch with her to this day. She has a soft spot for Quinn and lights up whenever our baby girl giggles.
As for me, Martinez issued a formal statement clearing me of any connection to Nicole’s death. My skin no longer rises with welts. I’ve become a case study at the University of Chicago Law School about how an innocent bystander can become the wrongly accused. Blogs and podcasts have followed. How quickly the tides turn on social media.
My mother called from Miami after my name was clear. We’ve spoken a few times. I’m not ready to fully forgive her for believing the worst of me, but family is family. It’s time for all of us to move forward.
“Ben! The leggings, please!” I roll my eyes, assuming his head is stuck in a medical text, like it usually is when he doesn’t answer me right away. I grab the gray leggings with the tulle skirt Quinn was wearing before. She looks so cute. I pick her up and nestle her, amazed as always that I now have a child, that I’m a mother and that loving her is my right and privilege.
Don’t let anyone hurt her. Love her for me, Morgan.
When I take her downstairs, Martinez is there, standing next to Ben. My instant reaction is to bristle, but she smiles, actually smiles so her dimple shows.
“What’s going on? Was Tessa released?” I tighten my arm around Quinn.
I can’t imagine that’s possible, but I still have trouble trusting the system meant to protect the innocent.
Tessa was arraigned and pled guilty to first-degree murder charges and arson for Greg. She’s also facing kidnapping and unlawful restraint charges, and attempted murder of Donna, Ben, and me. She pled not guilty to all charges related to Nicole’s harassment. She’s being held without bail, with more charges likely to come after discovery is complete.
“A trial date is finally set for June. I thought I’d be the first to tell you,” Martinez says.
I exhale a long breath of relief. Ben’s face reddens and his hands curl into fists. “Tessa killed my sister. She should go down for first-degree murder and a whole lot more.”
Martinez pulls her ponytail tighter. “That’s the other reason I’m here. Can we sit for a minute?”
We all go into the living room. I place Quinn in the safari-themed exersaucer she loves so much, and she immediately jumps up and down with glee. I sit on the couch, and Ben sits next to me then reaches for my hand.
Martinez speaks. “The coroner finally closed Nicole’s case as a suicide. There’s no evidence on the CCTV that Tessa was ever on that platform.” She looks at Ben. “We believe Nicole took her own life. I’m so sorry.”
I’ve watched the video countless times to try to spot Tessa in every shadow and blur. But all I see with certainty is Nicole’s heel dangling off the edge of the platform and the fear in her eyes before gazing at me and Quinn. Then she’s gone.
I gently touch Ben’s arm. “I’m so sorry.”
I promise myself to be there for Ben the way no one was there for me. Nicole’s death isn’t his fault. Ryan’s wasn’t mine. I believe that now.
Martinez crosses her legs. “It’s clear Tessa and Greg caused your sister to fall apart. They are responsible for that, and Tessa will pay for that. The State’s Attorney is adding a charge of involuntary manslaughter. It’s the most we can hope for. Everything will come out at Tessa’s trial, but I felt you deserved a preview.” She coughs and smooths her ubiquitous black dress pants.
“Would you like a glass of water?” I ask, then almost laugh out loud. If someone had told me two years ago that I’d invite Martinez into my home and offer her a beverage, I would have fallen over in shock.
“No, thank you. I don’t want to keep you too long.” She fiddles with the collar of her white blouse. “As you know, the GPS tracker placed on Nicole’s car was identical to the one we found on yours. We finally located Tessa’s laptop, too, which she’d hidden in a storage room at Breathe. We found a copy of the letter we discovered in Nicole’s bedside table. Donna never sent it; she really did stop all that nonsense years ago. And we found emails on her hard drive using different Guerrilla Mail addresses. And of course all the Maybe Mommy messages between you and Nicole, and Tessa as ‘M in Chicago.’ Basically, it’s a gold mine of evidence.” She smiles sadly.
I shudder to think of how close we all came to dying.