Over the next couple of weeks the police interviewed friends and acquaintances of both Steven and Olga. Steven had hired what Helga's lawyer called a "Bulldog in court". They talked to Lila and her father. They had already spoken to Arnold. At an initial hearing Helga stumbled. When asked did she actually see Steven push her sister down the stairs, she had to admit that she hasn't seen it happen, but pointed out that Steven tried to blame her. When Steven was asked he said he hadn't seen Olga get pushed or even fall. Her and Helga had years of what he called " issues" with each other. He was upset that his wife had died, and had assumed Helga had done it.
When questioned about the bars on the windows he brought up the whole incident that ended with Helga's hospital stay, but made it sound like some suicide attempt."It was for her own safty." A report that was written up at the confirmed that Helga had been in a distressed and agitated state.
"So basically they're making me out to be crazy?" she asked her lawyer.
"Troubled," he said. "Not crazy."
Next came the part of rape. It was made murky when excerpts of Helga's diary was read out, and the fact that it wasn't until after she had been "evaluated" that she had deemed it rape. Before that it appeared consensual. Helga wanted the floor to open up and swallow her. She chanced a look towards Arnold who looked hurt by what he was hearing. She was above the age of consent in the state and by her own admission hadn't view it as rape. Her lawyer tried to object on the grounds that that information shared was taken the day she had arrived at the hospital. Steven's lawyer asked what had changed since? They had been lead into a trap. Steven's lawyer argued that the idea had been put in her head.
Dr. Bliss cursed to herself. Helga's lawyer saw it coming and refered to the psychological assessments of emotional and mental abuse. How the isolation would have affected her. He tried everything.
And still, Steven's lawyer had a return argument that made it seem logical. The distance of the house from the nearest school, the way the area is cut off during winter months, lack of a drivers licence . . .
The judge decided to take a break.
"It's not going well, is it?" Phil asked. Helga's lawyer shook his head.
"What about the letters Olga wrote?" Arnold asked, "surely the would help."
"Not in this case, no," he said. "Olga talks about how close Steven and Helga became," he told them. "It reads like a jealous, malicious attempt by a spurned wife to ruin her husbands character. It would do more harm than good."
"And nothing can be done about what Helga found?" Arnold asked. The lawyer shook his head. "Why not?"
"Because Colin confessed. And besides, this isn't about that, so bringing it up won't help either."
They were all quiet.
"What about what Lila and I told them?" Arnold asked.
"I guess we'll see when your called to the stand."
. . .
It didn't get better. Lila was ripped to shreds by Steven's defence lawyer. She had never seen anything untoward. She was grilled about having snuck Arnold to the Thanksgiving Party. In the end she was made out to look like a bored teenager out for kicks. She was left more than a little shell shocked by it all. Arnold and Helga's relationship was made to look absolutely ridiculous. A kind of Romeo-Juliet game of sorts.
When it came to Arnold, it wasn't much better. He was going by what Helga had told him - why would she tell him anything different. Then he really put his foot in it when he brought up the night Helga broke down and told him everything.
"So by your testimony, even at that early stage Helga was emotionally distressed and unstable?"
"Objection your honor!" Helga's lawyer shouted, jumping up so fast Helga jumped. "He's asking for a psychological assessment that the witness is not qualified to give."
"Agreed, sustained," the Judge ruled. Helga's lawyer sat down and glanced quickly at the Jury. He could see the damage was done. He was going to have to work hard to convince them this was a serious case of emotional and mental abuse, as well as sexual.
It all started to fall apart badly when they called in people who had been at the parties.
Helga seemed to have an attitude. Or Helga was seen as shy and quiet and not sociable. One of Olga's friends mentioned the Olga has been worried about her sisters mental health and had been considering having her assessed. She wasn't the only one, either. Helga was described as seemingly depressed. A worker told of how he had heard an argument between the sisters the morning of the night Helga had fallen from the roof. Other temporary employees told of arguments between the sisters. Colin's testimony was the most damaging.
But never of any arguments between Helga and Steven. No one witnessed anything or saw anything that made it seem like he was danger to Helga. Just the opposite.
"I can't believe this," Helga sobbed. "How can they use Colin's testimony?"
Her lawyer shook his head. "His case is completely separate from this case. Besides, he has pleaded guilty. As far as everyone's concerned that's done."
"Well, can't they know that?" Arnold demanded. Helga had slumped down on a bench. This was horrible. Poor Lila had left in tears, her father glaring their way, and making it completely obvious he blamed them for the state his daughter was in.
The older policeman who had been there at the hospital came over. He had been asked to speak as well. He had done his best, but he had felt pretty useless.
"I'm sorry we couldn't help more," he said to Helga. "It's hard. I can see he's guilty, but I have years of experience behind me. It's ridiculous getting unqualified people to judge. They hear, they don't see. They're not out there picking up the pieces."
Helga just nodded.
"You hang in there, kid," he said.
"Can't you do anything now?" Arnold asked.
"No. It's in the hands of investigators. If we do anything, we're done for harrassment," he explained.
"Thank you," Helga whispered.
"Looks like we're going back in. Jury's made their decision."
Helga took a deep breath, feeling faint and scared.
. . .
Helga couldn't believe that he had been found not guilty. Of everything. The people around her seemed more upset about everything than she was though. She felt pretty numb to it all. Arnold was angry and frustrated and went to his room, slamming the door behind him. They could all hear him yelling and throwing things about.
Helga went to her room as well, and just sat there thinking about everything. What a mess. The toll it had taken on Arnold's grandparents . . . she looked up to see that Phil was looking older than she had ever seen him. She put it down to being less about her though, and more about the effects it had all had on Arnold.
Who hadn't spoken to her. At all.
What had she done? She should have just run away. Held out until she got her money then just gone.
Steven never would have let you go,' she thought. She knew he wouldn't have. Dr. Bliss came over and touched her arm.
"I'm going to take you back to the clinic," she told her softly. Helga stood up silently, taking one last look up the stairs, before leaving the Boarding House with her.
. . .
Arnold was angry. He was angry at Olga, Angry at Steven, angry at Helga. Angry with the police, the lawyers, the jurers, everyone! How could they just let him go? He picked up his waste basket and threw it at the wall, yelling out his frustration. Having to hear about Helga's developing crush on Steven had been the worst. Then everything afterwards. She'd enjoyed it. Enjoyed it! How could you enjoy something like that? How? he just couldn't understand it. Eventually he sat on the floor leaning against his bed. He wasn't just angry.
He was also heartbroken.
. . .
It was amazing what money could buy.
Steven stood in the room that Helga had occupied. How had it gone wrong? He walked over to her bed, where she had left a top and picked it up, holding it to his face and inhaling her scent. He sat down on the bed. He was alone in this big house, just as he was after his parents had died. First he had lost them, then Olga and Helga. Even Colin. Colin for God's sake! They had been friends since they were both boys. He knew he may have gotten off with the charges laid against him with Helga. But the ones that were going to be laid against him in regards to helping Colin cover up his crimes by keeping quiet about what he knew? Or at the least suspected . . .
He sat back and thought about the day Helga had run from the house. He hadn't pushed Olga, she had tripped while turning to go down the stairs. All he could guess was that she had missed a step, and it had been mere seconds after Helga flew past her, knocking both their balances. It was a blur because all he could see was Helga fleeing just as . . . just as . . .
Just as his mother had, all those years ago. She'd been wearing a long negligee, though, and it had been summer. His parents had fought, his mother had run out, his father going after her. He had no idea what happened . . .
No he did. He knew.
His father shot his mother, then himself, seemingly forgetting that they had a son there. His mother had been having an affair. But his father had many. Yet somehow, somehow it was different. He had let Olga know that he was fine with her having an affair, if she would let him have one himself. She'd agreed. This came about after she would complain that all he ever wanted to do was have sex. When he found she was, it hadn't bothered him at all.
But when he found that first letter to Helga from Arnold . . . something in him rose dark and ugly. He liked Helga. He knew she had had a crush on this boy since childhood. Olga had told him about it once. He had never said anything to Helga about what he knew, knowing it would embarrass the poor girl. When he first met her, he had gotten into a debate with her about theories that even he struggled with. But she seemed to know what she was talking about, and she had impressed him with her intelligence.
Something Olga lacked, for all she was accomplished and pretty.
Helga had so many different layers to her. She could be graceful and polite. Had taught herself another language to the point of being fluent, which had impressed him even more. But at the same time he was there the days she would walk in covered in mud from a football game, or dust from a baseball game. Or a bruise from a puck during a hockey game, or sweaty and red from a basketball game. And yet, she could recite Shakespere, dance ballet and jazz. And the one time she showed him how to tango. He smiled at the memory. Olga and her parents had sat back laughing at Helga taking the lead. That was all in the early years. Then something changed when she got to High School. No more did she come home muddy, dusty, bruised and sweaty. He often didn't see her at all, unless it was at the dinner table. Her parents would ask what she had done at school. She'd reply with one word answers. He'd ask about her classes, try to draw more information from her, and it would work. She'd open up to him with her day, while Miriam fawned over Olga, and Bob shoveled his food in. It was during those times when he started to realize he was feeling more than brotherly affection.
She was what he wanted in a woman. He had looked at her sister that night, three months before their parents death. Olga was so shallow, he could see his reflection. Helga was deep though, and he paid as much attention to her as possible. With in reason. Why hadn't Helga been older and he had met her? When he found out about her unrequited love for a boy named Arnold, he couldn't understand it. Clearly the boy was stupid, and didn't deserve someone like Helga. He still didn't. Steven had taken great delight at the emotions that played over the boys face when Helga's diary entries about him and what they were doing were read. He could see every word was like a whip striking the boy. It had certainly helped his cause. He had hoped that without the boy in the picture, and over time, he could win her to his side, convince her to leave her sister behind and be with him. He could divorce Olga, and marry Helga down the track.
And if it hadn't been for Olga inviting Lila to that party, he would have done it. He knows he could have. He was. Helga hated her sister, she was becoming reliant on Steven. And her sisters display of rage that day they caught Arnold and Helga riding back to the house. That had helped his cause even more. He' basically handed Olga the rope and let her hang herself. And she had. Spectacularly.
He sighed, looking down at the shirt in his hands. He wanted Helga back
He'd get her back.
Eventually . . .