Sweet Revenge
Chapter 23
Previously: Jed and Abbey discussed the police wanting to talk to Annie. Through a flashback, Jed remembered the night he and Abbey discovered that neither of them killed Emma.
Summary: Annie wants to reveal what she knows. Jed remembers finding out who killed Emma.
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 asked.
"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."
Jed took a step towards her, but Annie waved him back. "Annie."
"Gramps, I know what you're going to say, but it's out of control. They know I lied, Charlie knows I lied..."
Abbey cut her off. "You let us worry about that."
Jed approached her slowly, placing his hand on hers. "I don't want you to worry about anything, Sweetheart. I told you that."
Flashback
It seemed like the night that would never end. Jed and Abbey waited patiently for the sun to rise and for Annie to wake up. Knowing she had been plagued by nightmares which kept her awake since the murder, two nights before, they wanted her to rest peacefully.
When she did wake up, they locked themselves in the First Bedroom, asking the agent outside to make sure no one disturbed them or overheard their conversation. It was simply family business.
Jed got right to the point. "We need to know if you were at the farm on Christmas Eve."
"Yes, I was there with the rest of the family," Annie replied, still laying in bed with the covers over her.
"No. I mean, later."
Annie swallowed hard, realizing her lies were catching up to her. "I went to Jennifer's."
Abbey walked over to the bed and sat next to her, trying to show her support. "Sweetie, we know you saw Emma that night." Annie gazed up at her grandmother. "You said she wore a blue suede jacket in your dreams. You couldn't have known that's what she was wearing when she died."
Annie could have lied again. She could have said she got back from Boston before the body was taken away. But part of her wanted to tell the truth. She didn't want to live with the secret any more. She got out of bed and retreated into the corner, wrapping her arms around her waist.
Jed was moved by the hurt that was coming across on her face. "Honey, we just want to sort this all out. We want to know who killed Emma so the killer can be brought to justice. You have to tell us what you know."
"I can't," Annie said, her voice laced with anguish.
"Why not?" Jed asked.
"Because I'm afraid."
"There's nothing to be afraid of. We won't let anyone hurt you. Sweetheart, if you know who the killer is, you have to tell us. We have to put them away so they can't terrorize anyone ever again." Annie stood still, staring at her grandfather with tears in her eyes. "Annie, you can't protect this person. You have to tell us who it is. We'll help. I promise."
"I can't," she repeated.
Jed's voice got stronger as he began to lose his patience. "You have to."
"Jed," Abbey interrupted.
He turned around to look at her. "She has to."
"You're scaring her."
"Abbey, she has to tell us. She's the only one who can."
"And in her own time, she will," Abbey insisted.
"To hell with her own time! There's a killer out there!" he shouted. "He has to be brought to justice! Now I know how you felt about Emma..."
Abbey rolled her eyes and turned away. "Oh God, not this again."
"...but even you can't stand there and tell me the person who killed her should get away with it!"
"Did I say that? Did I EVER say anything like that?"
As the two argued, Annie leaned against the wall and lowered herself to the floor. Her shaking got Jed's attention. He went over and attempted to grab her arm. "Annie."
Anniie shrugged his hand away harshly.
Abbey knew something wasn't right. "Annie, what's wrong?"
"That's the second time you've pulled away from me," Jed said.
He took her hand and gently lifted her up. When she was standing in front of him, he slowly lifted the long sleeves on her pajama top. Both he and Abbey gasped at what they saw. Her entire arm glowed with black and blue bruises.
"Oh my god," Abbey sighed.
"Who did this?" Jed asked.
Annie knew it was now or never. Her eyes welled up with tears. "I didn't mean to do it. I swear, I didn't mean it. I didn't want her to die."
"Jed?" Abbey called, bringing him back to the present.
"What?"
"What do you think? Do you think she should tell the police?"
"No," he answered bluntly.
TBC
Chapter 23
Previously: Jed and Abbey discussed the police wanting to talk to Annie. Through a flashback, Jed remembered the night he and Abbey discovered that neither of them killed Emma.
Summary: Annie wants to reveal what she knows. Jed remembers finding out who killed Emma.
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 asked.
"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."
Jed took a step towards her, but Annie waved him back. "Annie."
"Gramps, I know what you're going to say, but it's out of control. They know I lied, Charlie knows I lied..."
Abbey cut her off. "You let us worry about that."
Jed approached her slowly, placing his hand on hers. "I don't want you to worry about anything, Sweetheart. I told you that."
Flashback
It seemed like the night that would never end. Jed and Abbey waited patiently for the sun to rise and for Annie to wake up. Knowing she had been plagued by nightmares which kept her awake since the murder, two nights before, they wanted her to rest peacefully.
When she did wake up, they locked themselves in the First Bedroom, asking the agent outside to make sure no one disturbed them or overheard their conversation. It was simply family business.
Jed got right to the point. "We need to know if you were at the farm on Christmas Eve."
"Yes, I was there with the rest of the family," Annie replied, still laying in bed with the covers over her.
"No. I mean, later."
Annie swallowed hard, realizing her lies were catching up to her. "I went to Jennifer's."
Abbey walked over to the bed and sat next to her, trying to show her support. "Sweetie, we know you saw Emma that night." Annie gazed up at her grandmother. "You said she wore a blue suede jacket in your dreams. You couldn't have known that's what she was wearing when she died."
Annie could have lied again. She could have said she got back from Boston before the body was taken away. But part of her wanted to tell the truth. She didn't want to live with the secret any more. She got out of bed and retreated into the corner, wrapping her arms around her waist.
Jed was moved by the hurt that was coming across on her face. "Honey, we just want to sort this all out. We want to know who killed Emma so the killer can be brought to justice. You have to tell us what you know."
"I can't," Annie said, her voice laced with anguish.
"Why not?" Jed asked.
"Because I'm afraid."
"There's nothing to be afraid of. We won't let anyone hurt you. Sweetheart, if you know who the killer is, you have to tell us. We have to put them away so they can't terrorize anyone ever again." Annie stood still, staring at her grandfather with tears in her eyes. "Annie, you can't protect this person. You have to tell us who it is. We'll help. I promise."
"I can't," she repeated.
Jed's voice got stronger as he began to lose his patience. "You have to."
"Jed," Abbey interrupted.
He turned around to look at her. "She has to."
"You're scaring her."
"Abbey, she has to tell us. She's the only one who can."
"And in her own time, she will," Abbey insisted.
"To hell with her own time! There's a killer out there!" he shouted. "He has to be brought to justice! Now I know how you felt about Emma..."
Abbey rolled her eyes and turned away. "Oh God, not this again."
"...but even you can't stand there and tell me the person who killed her should get away with it!"
"Did I say that? Did I EVER say anything like that?"
As the two argued, Annie leaned against the wall and lowered herself to the floor. Her shaking got Jed's attention. He went over and attempted to grab her arm. "Annie."
Anniie shrugged his hand away harshly.
Abbey knew something wasn't right. "Annie, what's wrong?"
"That's the second time you've pulled away from me," Jed said.
He took her hand and gently lifted her up. When she was standing in front of him, he slowly lifted the long sleeves on her pajama top. Both he and Abbey gasped at what they saw. Her entire arm glowed with black and blue bruises.
"Oh my god," Abbey sighed.
"Who did this?" Jed asked.
Annie knew it was now or never. Her eyes welled up with tears. "I didn't mean to do it. I swear, I didn't mean it. I didn't want her to die."
"Jed?" Abbey called, bringing him back to the present.
"What?"
"What do you think? Do you think she should tell the police?"
"No," he answered bluntly.
TBC