Chapter 41
The door swings open with a soft creak, and Gracie spins in her chair before leaping up and dashing over to her brother. "Edison. Hey," she calls out, her voice a blend of excitement and subtle concern.
"Hey, big head," Edison replies, a mischievous grin playing on his lips as he tousles her hair affectionately. "Where's Dad?"
"At work," Gracie answers in a light, offhand tone.
Edison strides over to the refrigerator, its cool interior contrast against the warmth of the early morning. He retrieves a chilled bottle of water and gulps it down, the liquid sloshing audibly as he quenches his thirst.
"I made breakfast if you want some," Gracie announces, her tone casual yet inviting.
"Thanks," Edison responds, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"How long are you here for?" she asks, leaning against the counter.
"My concert is tomorrow. You coming?" he inquires, hope mingling with teasing curiosity.
"Yeah," she affirms.
He continues, "How's the bed and breakfast? Maya still treating you decent?"
Gracie laughs softly. "Of course. Just because Olivia married Fitz doesn't mean things have changed between me and the Popes."
"Don't mention his name in my presence," Edison snaps.
Gracie chuckles, shaking her head. "Get over yourself, Edison. I'm sure there are plenty of women throwing themselves at you. Pick one of them and leave Olivia alone."
Edison shrugs, a wry smile appearing as he takes another swig of water. "I saw Olivia. Did she tell you? Her husband owns Rainbow Records." He laughs, shaking his head in disbelief. "Still on the fucking plantation."
"You're being an asshole," Gracie snaps.
"Anyway," Edison shifts the conversation, pulling a laptop out of his worn bookbag. "I wrote a few new songs. I want you to listen to them and tell me what you think. I need a shower, and then I'm stopping at the station to see Dad. You need anything?"
"Nope. Same password?" she asks.
"Yeah.I love Olivia 1234," he replies with a smirk.
"I'm going to change it," she mutters.
"Doesn't matter to me," Edison dismisses lightly, ruffling her natural curls in a final affectionate gesture before leaving the kitchen.
Left alone, Gracie's curiosity gets the better of her. She navigates his computer and finds a folder labeled "New Songs." With a tentative click, she opens the file and hits play on the first track. The music pulses through the room, its rhythm causing her head to bob and her body to sway in the gentle glow of the morning light. One by one, she listens to each new song, her eyes reflecting the flicker of emotions stirred by every note.
After a few minutes, she closes the folder, but her exploration doesn't end there. The screen reveals a directory of files, and one folder catches her eye: "Callie." Casting a cautious glance over her shoulder to check to see if Edison is coming, Gracie clicks on the folder. Inside, a series of images of text messages unfolds on the screen. Each message is a grim mix of desperate money requests and menacing threats directed at Edison.
Her heart quickens as she clicks on a video file. The footage reveals a chaotic scene—a tragic accident.Edison is seen in a fit of panic, yelling and cursing as he peers through the driver's window. His frantic movements, accompanied by erratic pacing and desperate gestures, are almost tangible. "Dad," he shouts into his phone, his voice raw with anguish, as he moves further away from the camera's unsteady focus. Moments later, a police car, lights flashing in the early light, arrives on the scene. The video cuts to Edison's father, Police Chief Samuel, emerging from the car. Bloodshot eyes locked onto his son, Samuel questions harshly, "Are you high?"
"I had a fight with my boss and I just needed something to take the edge off," Edison mutters defensively.
Without warning, Samuel lands a hard slap on Edison's cheek. "I told you to stop fucking up," he admonishes bitterly. Storming over to the wrecked car, Samuel peers inside the driver's side, checking urgently for a pulse. His face twists in shock. "Fuck!" he exclaims, his gaze snapping to the driver's face. "Callie?" Samuel's voice is thick with accusation as he turns back to his son. "You fucking killed Olivia's sister."
Edison begins to pace, panic evident in every step. "I didn't mean to. Her car came out of nowhere," he stammers.
Samuel steps directly in front of him, his presence imposing and full of finality. "Listen to me," he commands. "Go home. I'm going to report this as a hit and run. Do not tell anyone about this."
"What about Olivia?" Edison pleads, his voice fading into desperation.
Samuel's tone hardens further. "What did I just say? Do not tell her. You're going to have to figure out a way to live with this, keeping it all inside." He turns sharply and presses a button on his walkie-talkie. "Accident on Applegarth Road, hit and run." His gaze remains intense as he fixes Edison with one last, piercing look. "Go."
Back in the quiet of the room, tears stream silently down Gracie's cheeks as the weight of the video sinks in. Just then, she hears soft footsteps approaching behind her. In a flash, Edison appears in the doorway. His eyes meet hers, and in that moment, he knows she's discovered the painful truth. With a sudden, angry motion, he slams his laptop shut. "You were supposed to just listen to the songs and not go searching on my computer, Gracie," he accuses, his tone bitter and laced with regret.
"How could you?" Gracie steps down from the stool, her voice a mixture of disbelief and hurt. "How could you look at Olivia, knowing that you killed her sister?"
"I wasn't going to jail," Edison replies, his tone flat but eyes darting with a hint of desperation. "I figured if I married her, she would forgive me."
"Dad covered it up?" Gracie asks, her voice quivering with shock.
"Yes," Edison admits, his expression tense. "I am being blackmailed, Grace. Someone else was there that night, hidden in the shadows, recording the accident. I don't know who it is. I've been getting threatening texts and emails, each one a reminder of that night. I've had to send money to this person so they don't post the recording."
"Edison, you need to tell Olivia," Gracie insists, her voice breaking with urgency.
"No." Edison's voice rises sharply, eyes narrowing as he charges toward Gracie. She instinctively jumps back, fear and confusion mingling in her eyes. "Gracie, do not tell Olivia. It will ruin our family. Dad and I will end up in jail for life. Is that what you want?"
"No, but Olivia is my best friend." Gracie wipes her eyes, tears smudging her cheeks.
"Do what I've been doing. Suck it up." Edison grabs his book bag off the counter, slinging it over his shoulder with a determined grip. "Dad and I are counting on you, lil sis." He leans in, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "Don't let us down."
"What about the person blackmailing you?" Gracie asks, her voice small and uncertain.
"As long as I keep paying them, they'll keep the video from posting. I need to keep making money," Edison explains, his voice steady but strained.
"Does Dad know about the blackmailer?" Gracie inquires, her brow furrowed with concern.
"No." Edison opens the door, the cool air rushing in. "I can handle it. Love you," he says over his shoulder, his voice softening.
As the door closes behind him, Gracie collapses onto the stool, her body shaking as tears stream down her face, each sob echoing the weight of the secret she's been burdened with.
X
Gracie felt utterly lost, her mind a whirlwind of doubts and regrets. It had been over a week since she had last spoken to Olivia, and her absence at the quaint bed and breakfast had weighed heavily on her conscience. After excusing herself with a claim of the flu to Mrs. Pope—an excuse meant to keep her away from work—she now found herself trembling on the weathered porch of Fitz's secluded compound, her heart pounding as she hesitated whether to press the doorbell. The Uber driver had long since vanished into the night, leaving her stranded with no escape. With her finger suspended above the tarnished bell, she barely registered the silent seconds before succumbing to the impulse and pressing it.
The door swung open, revealing Olivia standing there bathed in the soft glow of entryway light. Instantly, tears streamed down Gracie's face and her body convulsed with uncontrollable shakes as she collapsed into Olivia's welcoming embrace, sobbing as if releasing a volcano of pent-up emotion.
"Gracie, what's wrong? How did you get here? Did something happen?" Olivia's voice trembled with concern as she clutched her friend tightly. Her mind raced with fearful questions—had something terrible happened to her father? Was Gracie injured? Her words tumbled out in a frantic, anxious rush.
At that moment, Fitz entered the room, carrying a glass of water like a small beacon of solace. He took a seat beside Olivia and gently offered the water to Gracie. "Talk to us, Gracie," he urged in an even, compassionate tone.
Between hiccups and sobs, Gracie blurted, "I know who killed Callie." Her confession cut through the charged silence like a sharpened shard of glass.
Olivia's eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to Fitz and then back to Gracie, her voice quivering, "What? Take deep breaths, Gracie."
With a pained clarity, Gracie repeated, "I know who killed Callie, Liv."
"Are you sure?" Olivia pressed softly, her tone laced with both hope and horror.
Gracie shook her head, her voice raw and trembling. "I haven't been eating or sleeping... I've just been tormented, worrying about how to tell you."
"Is it Edison?" Olivia asked carefully, her eyes searching Gracie's tear-filled gaze.
"Yes," came the mournful reply, eyes glassy with sorrow. "How did you know?"
Fitz moved closer, wrapping his arms around Olivia, as she reached out and interlaced her fingers with Gracie's, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "I wasn't sure but I had a feeling. I saw him the other day and confronted him. His left eye was twitching which is something he does when he's lying." She implored, her voice steady despite the storm inside. Olivia stepped back, her hand slipping from Gracie's as shock and disbelief washed over her. "I remember he came to the house that night—he was with me." Her voice grew firmer, laced with incredulity and anger.
Gracie's next words tumbled out in a rush. "Edison came to your house after the accident because my father told him to. He covered it up, Liv."
"Wait," Olivia interjected, her mind reeling as she recalled the moment she had sobbed on Edison's shoulder when the officers arrived at her doorstep, "You're saying he killed my sister and knew it?" Rising to her full height, she demanded an explanation with trembling intensity.
"He's a sick bastard," Fitz cursed under his breath, his disgust evident.
"When did you find this out, Gracie?" Olivia demanded, her voice cutting through the tension like a brittle shard of ice.
"A week ago," Gracie admitted in a shaky tone. "Edison came home before his concert, eager for me to listen to his new songs. I found it on his computer."
In that moment, Fitz stood abruptly, his hand clutching his phone. Olivia could see the familiar determination in his eyes—he was about to contact Huck without delay.
"I'm so sorry, Liv. I had no idea," came a whispered apology from Gracie.
"You didn't have anything to do with this. This is all on Edison," Olivia reassured her, her tone cracking with both empathy and determination. "Why don't you take your bag upstairs? I'll show you the guest bedroom."
Gracie nodded silently, hoisting her duffle bag over her shoulder as they made their way through the dim corridor. Once in the softly lit guest room, she dropped her bag onto the floor, then turned to face Olivia. Taking a deliberate, shuddering breath, she whispered, "You're my best friend, Liv." A single tear escaped, trailing down her cheek like a silver thread. "I saw the pain you endured when Callie died. No matter what happens to my brother or my father, they deserve what's coming to them."
Olivia pulled Gracie into a fierce, protective embrace. "I will keep you safe," she vowed, her voice steady and resolute.
After closing the door, Olivia lingered by the threshold, listening to Gracie's soft, heart-wrenching cries echoing from the guest room. Steeling herself, she walked into Fitz's office, where his voice thundered over the phone with urgent commands. She stepped into his arms, and he enveloped her in a warm, reassuring embrace, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. After hanging up, he set the phone down on his desk and explained, "Huck is going to hack into Edison's computer. If he finds the video, he'll let me know immediately." Lifting her chin gently so that their eyes met, he continued, "Once we uncover the truth about Callie, I won't hold back, Liv. You have to tell Maya and Eli."
"Once we know the truth," Olivia whispered back, sealing their shared resolve with a soft, lingering kiss.