AN: another chapter for you
I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead
Chapter 11
Xxxx
Merle,
May god forgive me, for what I intend to do, when we are are gone, Daryl and you too Merle, will be able to live, move on. It's for the best that I go, and take your father with me.
I will never forgive your father for exposing you to this poison. He deserves what's coming to him
Mom
Xxxxxxx
One week had passed, one week with no sign of Daryl other than the video, that was still being broadcasted across every station.
Rick was frustrated. The public perception on Daryl had taken a drastic change. He was seen as an everyday joe, a tragic victim of circumstances and there was growing voices on social media demanding he be given a new trial, or the governor take a look at his case. Now would be the time, the time to strike, while the iron was hot. But, nothing was coming together for them.
Rick and Andrea had spent hours, scouring Merle's old family home for anything that was missed. Merle had tried to come inside the house. He really had but he'd been too overcome by the emotion of the ghosts of the past. Merle hadn't been able to set foot in the place.
Rick had tried to talk to Aunt Judith. But nothing had come of it. She'd been elusive and vague, not wanting to discuss what had happened. Rick understood, it was difficult for her. His father had been a force to be reckoned with, he knew that, his dad must have pushed Aunt Judith towards lying but he could not fathom, the woman he loved like a mother, not coming forward, and ultimately being responsible for Daryl's death.
He sat dejectedly on the Dixon's old dust filled couch, flipping through texts on his phone, thankful Carl had gone to stay with Lori's parents for Thanksgiving, when he said an unfamiliar e mail address.
He stood up suddenly as he read through an email from a lawyer named Michonne. "Andrea!" He called to his friend upstairs, "come on we need to go find Merle."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
The three of them were sitting, cramped around Andrea's office in front of her computer as Andrea qued up a video call.
Three people came into view.
"Mr. Grimes?"
Rick nodded "Yes, call me Rick, this is Merle, Daryl's brother, and Andrea, his wife who is an associate of mine."
"I'm Michonne, my friends Karen and Shane Walsh." Michonne said introducing herself.
"Mr. Grimes, Err Rick the reason I wanted to get in touch with you, is concerning your client, Mr. Dixon." Michonne paused "Karen is an investigative journalist for the New York Times. I would like to let her know what she has discovered" Michonne nodded at Karen.
"I am looking into Daryl's case,... I found the webcam footage.." the blonde paused "and I have found something else." Karen cleared her throat "Rick, I'm wondering about your motivations as some of this concerns your family."
Rick nodded "I'm aware my father was less than honest, I'm trying to right some wrongs."
Karen nodded "I've mainly done initial work, through phone calls etc.. but I found something. I think your father was more than a little dishonest." Karen continued, " I came across some anonymous postings to a message board, discussing Daryl's case. Many were discussing how dishonest Sheriff Grimes was. In fact... there were rumoured mob ties, ...your father was dirty."
Rick sat back, unable to speak.
Karen continued. "I tracked down a former informant, living in New York and he was able to give me further detail. Your father, greased the way for drugs to be funneled through your town on the way to New York. He was aided by ..." she paused as Merle interrupted he.
"My Dad..." Merle spoke "it makes sense, he never had the money to spend on the amount of pills that floated around our house. Fuck he gave them to me like Candy."
Karen nodded "Yes, your father and the local judge Phillip Blake...All of this seemingly dried up when Daryl was sentenced. There was a notable pay off made to Phillip Blake...I don't have all the pieces yet...but I'd like to come down there, and see what I can find."
"Why?" Rick asked. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because..you're Daryl and I have a mutual friend."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Carol was watching him, out of the corner of her eye. Daryl could sense her eyes on him.
He was better, still sore, but he definetly was feeling better. He should go, but something was holding him back. It was Carol, more than likely if he left, he would never see her again and that bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
She was amazing, the kindest person he'd had ever met. He spent the past week soaking up her sweetness and the affection she could not seem to suppress, cataloging it away in his mind, memorizing every detail. If worst came to worst, in the end, when they strapped him down to end him, he could picture her face. If nothing else, he was grateful for that.
She coughed " I think we need to think about leaving soon...I know what you're thinking, but you forget about it, I'm coming with you." She said firmly.
"You don't know me." He scoffed, and she fucking giggled and it was cute, it was fucking adorable. She smirked and said with a wink.
"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."
