Sweet Revenge
Chapter 22
Previously: Leo told Jed he thinks Jed is covering for Abbey, but Leo is certain Abbey didn't kill Emma. Jed insisted he already knew that.
Summary: The police suspect Annie knows more than she's letting on. Jed recalls the important talk he and Abbey had the night after Christmas after Annie's nightmare.
Just FYI: Part of the flashback was already played out in a previous chapter. The flashback will recap that scene, and continue so there is new information there.
When Jed returned to the Residence that night, he was in for some more bad news.
"The police want to talk to Annie," Abbey told him.
"Why?"
"A Secret Service agent told them that he saw Annie running towards her car the night of the murder and that she was frazzled. So they talked to her friend Jennifer, who told them that Annie never made it to Boston that night."
Jed took off his jacket and harshly threw it on the sofa. "Damn it! The agent just came forward NOW? It's been a WEEK!"
"Maybe it slipped his mind before."
"Things like that don't just slip your mind!"
Abbey tried to come up with another explanation. "Maybe he told them right away and it took the police longer to piece it all together."
"And why didn't Annie tell us she was spotted?"
"It doesn't matter. They're suspicious, Jed. They know we lied about where Annie was."
He turned away from her. "We didn't know we were lying when we told them that she was in Boston."
Abbey walked over to put her hands on his shoulder. "But they know she lied -- to us, to them, to everyone. I'm sure they want to know what she knows, or what she saw that night."
He grabbed her hand and brought it down to his side as he turned around to face her. "What did you tell them?"
"That she wouldn't answer any questions until we could talk to our attorney. I think she needs to sit down with Tom."
Jed nodded in agreement and thought back to the night after Christmas.
Flashback
Annie had had a nightmare and Abbey invited her to sleep in her bed since Jed was working late. By the time Jed made it to bed, grandmother and granddaughter were asleep in the First Couple's bedroom.
Abbey began to stir just as Jed bent down to kiss her cheek.
"Jed."
"Shhhh, go back to sleep." He looked to her side and saw Annie under the covers. "Is she okay?"
"Yeah, just a nightmare." She turned her gaze from Annie back to Jed. "We have to talk."
Jed put his finger over his lips and took her hand, helping her out of bed. He opened his drawer to take out an oversized sweathshirt to wear with his boxers, then led her into one of the other bedrooms so they wouldn't disturb their granddaughter.
"I already know. I found the bottle," he told her, referring to her bottle of Valium he found on the floor before he woke her.
Abbey was confused momentarily, then it dawned on her what he was talking about. "No, no, I didn't. I wanted to, but then Annie screamed and..." She stopped for a second when she saw the smile on his face. "I'm sorry. I'm trying, I really am."
He put his arms around her waist and swayed her from side to side against his body. "What else is going on?"
"It's Annie. She knew that Emma had her blue suede jacket on the night she died."
"So?"
"So Annie's never seen that jacket...she shouldn't have known that. I think she was there, Jed. I think she saw something."
Jed let go of Abbey as he tried to come up with an explanation. "Emma may have worn the jacket at Thanksgiving."
"No, Jed, she didn't. And Annie got back to the farm after the body was removed. There's no way she would have known what Emma had on."
He walked over to her and cupped her cheeks in his palm. "Abbey, I think you're overreacting."
She put her hands over his and walked out of his hold, turning her back to him. "She's been having nightmares, you said she pulled away from you when you went to touch her last night. "Maybe she saw what happened."
"Wait, this still doesn't make sense. If she saw what happened, why would she pull away from me? Why wouldn't she pull away from you, if she really saw what you..."
Abbey spun around to look at her husband. "Jed." He lowered his head as she finished. "That's the second time today that you've referred to me and what I did."
"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes still not meeting hers.
Abbey's face lit up as if someone had just waved a red flag in front of her. "You know, something just occurred to me."
"What?"
She walked back over to her husband and grasped his chin, lifting his head. "We never talked about it. We never said the words."
"What words?"
"Did you kill her, Jed?"
"What?"
"Because I didn't."
"Abbey, why are you..." Jed shrugged her hand away and stepped back as he took a deep breath. "Abbey?"
Abbey shook her head. "I didn't kill her, Jed." She walked closer to him again, closing off the space between them. "And neither did you."Jed stood perfectly still as Abbey looked deeply into his eyes and continued. "I know you didn't because you think I did it, don't you?" Jed was still unable to speak. "Jed?"
In the three minutes it took him to respond, you could hear a pin drop on the carpet in that room. "Yes," he whispered, shaken by her revelation. "Yes, I really thought..."
She cut him off. "Why would you think that? You were the one who found her. I showed up after you."
"If that's teh case, Abbey, then you must have showed up only seconds after I found her. I saw her laying there and I ran over and the next thing I know, there you are, right behind me, looking down at us. I just assumed you had been there the whole time, that you got there first."
"No. I walked up behind you and you were cradling her in your arms. I just sat down next to you. I wasn't there. The way you were holding her, the way you cried over her body, I thought she was trying to get in the house and you fought her and the gun went off."
"You thought I did it," he stated.
Abbey nodded. "What else was I supposed to think? You wiped off the gun, it was your idea to lie to the police..."
"To protect you, to give you an alibi, so they wouldn't come after you."
Husband and wife were dumbfounded by the sudden change of events. The only reason they had each been lying was to protect the other. It had been two nights since the murder and if Jed had known then what he knew this very second, he wouldn't have cleaned off the gun, he wouldn't have tampered with the scene at all. In fact, he would have led the investigators to the untouched crime scene, in hopes of bringing the real killer to justice.
Jed sat on the edge of the bed and buried his head into his hands. "Abbey, what have we been doing?"
Abbey sat next to him and absent-mindedly placed an arm around him, rubbing his shoulder. "Covering up a murder neither one of us committed."
Jed turned his body to stare at her. She returned his gaze and for a brief moment, a smile crossed both their faces. Things were still a mess, but they realized they each went to so much trouble out of love for the other.
The warm moment was soon interrupted by Abbey reaching behind her to pick up a pillow to hurl at him. "Jackass!" she exclaimed as she stood up.
As soon as the pillow made contact, Jed rushed to his feet. "Ow! What the hell was that for?"
"You thought I killed someone! How could you think that?"
"Abbey!"
"After thirty years of marriage..."
"Abbey, you thought the same about me."
"That's different."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Jed stretched out his hands as he reached for her, chuckling. "Come here, my little murderess."
She pushed his hand away. "Jed. Don't even joke about that."
"You don't think it's just a little bit humorous?"
"No. At least when I thought it was you, I had answers. If it wasn't you and it wasn't me, who killed her? And what did Annie see? What if she saw...God, Jed, what if she saw the person who killed her?"
Abbey's words sparked silence between them. All they could do now was talk to Annie. They realized she may be the one person who could fill in the gaps and tell everyone who murdered Emma. But if that was true, then a killer was still on the loose and they feared for Annie's safety.
Jed was brought back to the present by a familiar voice. It was Annie.
"Do they know?" Annie asked as she emerged from the hallway.
Abbey spun around, startled by her granddaughter's presence. "Annie."
Annie backed away, not wanting any comfort. "The police want to talk to me, right?"
Abbey took the hint and didn't approach her. "You shouldn't have been listening."
"Do they know?" she repeated.
"No," Jed told her.
Annie took a minute to collect her thoughts before continuing. "Maybe it's time we tell them. I can't keep it a secret any more."
TBC
Chapter 22
Previously: Leo told Jed he thinks Jed is covering for Abbey, but Leo is certain Abbey didn't kill Emma. Jed insisted he already knew that.
Summary: The police suspect Annie knows more than she's letting on. Jed recalls the important talk he and Abbey had the night after Christmas after Annie's nightmare.
Just FYI: Part of the flashback was already played out in a previous chapter. The flashback will recap that scene, and continue so there is new information there.
When Jed returned to the Residence that night, he was in for some more bad news.
"The police want to talk to Annie," Abbey told him.
"Why?"
"A Secret Service agent told them that he saw Annie running towards her car the night of the murder and that she was frazzled. So they talked to her friend Jennifer, who told them that Annie never made it to Boston that night."
Jed took off his jacket and harshly threw it on the sofa. "Damn it! The agent just came forward NOW? It's been a WEEK!"
"Maybe it slipped his mind before."
"Things like that don't just slip your mind!"
Abbey tried to come up with another explanation. "Maybe he told them right away and it took the police longer to piece it all together."
"And why didn't Annie tell us she was spotted?"
"It doesn't matter. They're suspicious, Jed. They know we lied about where Annie was."
He turned away from her. "We didn't know we were lying when we told them that she was in Boston."
Abbey walked over to put her hands on his shoulder. "But they know she lied -- to us, to them, to everyone. I'm sure they want to know what she knows, or what she saw that night."
He grabbed her hand and brought it down to his side as he turned around to face her. "What did you tell them?"
"That she wouldn't answer any questions until we could talk to our attorney. I think she needs to sit down with Tom."
Jed nodded in agreement and thought back to the night after Christmas.
Flashback
Annie had had a nightmare and Abbey invited her to sleep in her bed since Jed was working late. By the time Jed made it to bed, grandmother and granddaughter were asleep in the First Couple's bedroom.
Abbey began to stir just as Jed bent down to kiss her cheek.
"Jed."
"Shhhh, go back to sleep." He looked to her side and saw Annie under the covers. "Is she okay?"
"Yeah, just a nightmare." She turned her gaze from Annie back to Jed. "We have to talk."
Jed put his finger over his lips and took her hand, helping her out of bed. He opened his drawer to take out an oversized sweathshirt to wear with his boxers, then led her into one of the other bedrooms so they wouldn't disturb their granddaughter.
"I already know. I found the bottle," he told her, referring to her bottle of Valium he found on the floor before he woke her.
Abbey was confused momentarily, then it dawned on her what he was talking about. "No, no, I didn't. I wanted to, but then Annie screamed and..." She stopped for a second when she saw the smile on his face. "I'm sorry. I'm trying, I really am."
He put his arms around her waist and swayed her from side to side against his body. "What else is going on?"
"It's Annie. She knew that Emma had her blue suede jacket on the night she died."
"So?"
"So Annie's never seen that jacket...she shouldn't have known that. I think she was there, Jed. I think she saw something."
Jed let go of Abbey as he tried to come up with an explanation. "Emma may have worn the jacket at Thanksgiving."
"No, Jed, she didn't. And Annie got back to the farm after the body was removed. There's no way she would have known what Emma had on."
He walked over to her and cupped her cheeks in his palm. "Abbey, I think you're overreacting."
She put her hands over his and walked out of his hold, turning her back to him. "She's been having nightmares, you said she pulled away from you when you went to touch her last night. "Maybe she saw what happened."
"Wait, this still doesn't make sense. If she saw what happened, why would she pull away from me? Why wouldn't she pull away from you, if she really saw what you..."
Abbey spun around to look at her husband. "Jed." He lowered his head as she finished. "That's the second time today that you've referred to me and what I did."
"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes still not meeting hers.
Abbey's face lit up as if someone had just waved a red flag in front of her. "You know, something just occurred to me."
"What?"
She walked back over to her husband and grasped his chin, lifting his head. "We never talked about it. We never said the words."
"What words?"
"Did you kill her, Jed?"
"What?"
"Because I didn't."
"Abbey, why are you..." Jed shrugged her hand away and stepped back as he took a deep breath. "Abbey?"
Abbey shook her head. "I didn't kill her, Jed." She walked closer to him again, closing off the space between them. "And neither did you."Jed stood perfectly still as Abbey looked deeply into his eyes and continued. "I know you didn't because you think I did it, don't you?" Jed was still unable to speak. "Jed?"
In the three minutes it took him to respond, you could hear a pin drop on the carpet in that room. "Yes," he whispered, shaken by her revelation. "Yes, I really thought..."
She cut him off. "Why would you think that? You were the one who found her. I showed up after you."
"If that's teh case, Abbey, then you must have showed up only seconds after I found her. I saw her laying there and I ran over and the next thing I know, there you are, right behind me, looking down at us. I just assumed you had been there the whole time, that you got there first."
"No. I walked up behind you and you were cradling her in your arms. I just sat down next to you. I wasn't there. The way you were holding her, the way you cried over her body, I thought she was trying to get in the house and you fought her and the gun went off."
"You thought I did it," he stated.
Abbey nodded. "What else was I supposed to think? You wiped off the gun, it was your idea to lie to the police..."
"To protect you, to give you an alibi, so they wouldn't come after you."
Husband and wife were dumbfounded by the sudden change of events. The only reason they had each been lying was to protect the other. It had been two nights since the murder and if Jed had known then what he knew this very second, he wouldn't have cleaned off the gun, he wouldn't have tampered with the scene at all. In fact, he would have led the investigators to the untouched crime scene, in hopes of bringing the real killer to justice.
Jed sat on the edge of the bed and buried his head into his hands. "Abbey, what have we been doing?"
Abbey sat next to him and absent-mindedly placed an arm around him, rubbing his shoulder. "Covering up a murder neither one of us committed."
Jed turned his body to stare at her. She returned his gaze and for a brief moment, a smile crossed both their faces. Things were still a mess, but they realized they each went to so much trouble out of love for the other.
The warm moment was soon interrupted by Abbey reaching behind her to pick up a pillow to hurl at him. "Jackass!" she exclaimed as she stood up.
As soon as the pillow made contact, Jed rushed to his feet. "Ow! What the hell was that for?"
"You thought I killed someone! How could you think that?"
"Abbey!"
"After thirty years of marriage..."
"Abbey, you thought the same about me."
"That's different."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Jed stretched out his hands as he reached for her, chuckling. "Come here, my little murderess."
She pushed his hand away. "Jed. Don't even joke about that."
"You don't think it's just a little bit humorous?"
"No. At least when I thought it was you, I had answers. If it wasn't you and it wasn't me, who killed her? And what did Annie see? What if she saw...God, Jed, what if she saw the person who killed her?"
Abbey's words sparked silence between them. All they could do now was talk to Annie. They realized she may be the one person who could fill in the gaps and tell everyone who murdered Emma. But if that was true, then a killer was still on the loose and they feared for Annie's safety.
Jed was brought back to the present by a familiar voice. It was Annie.
"Do they know?" Annie asked as she emerged from the hallway.
Abbey spun around, startled by her granddaughter's presence. "Annie."
Annie backed away, not wanting any comfort. "The police want to talk to me, right?"
Abbey took the hint and didn't approach her. "You shouldn't have been listening."
"Do they know?" she repeated.
"No," Jed told her.
Annie took a minute to collect her thoughts before continuing. "Maybe it's time we tell them. I can't keep it a secret any more."
TBC