Change of Possession (20 page)

“Well, let’s go get that then.” My dad stood and looked down at me. “You get some rest, kiddo, and Vahn and I will be back soon.” I nodded.

Vahn came over and kissed me. “Love you. See you soon.”

“K, you just do what you need to do.”

Hours later, Vahn finally came back. He crawled up on the bed with me, lying on my good side. It was a tight fit, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. He intertwined our fingers together and kissed each of my fingertips.

“So, are you gonna tell me what took so long, or make me wonder forever?”

He chuckled. “Well, your dad is very thorough and I ended up at the cop shop being interviewed. I wasn’t excited about it, but I have nothing they could use against me, not they’d need to, but I was a bit worried handing over a box of information and pictures I’ve had for a year plus. But it turns out that I had a lot of information they were able to use, so that’s good. And here I thought I had no proof at all.”

That was good news. I ran my fingers through his hair. “So what do you think will happen now?”

He lifted his head slightly to look in my eyes. “It’s over, but then, it’s also the beginning.”

I rolled my eyes. “You and your deep prophetic words.”

He shrugged then resumed his place, resting his head on my shoulder. “You asked.”

Sixteen

I was never more excited to leave a hospital as I was in at that moment. After three days to make sure I was stable and healing, Dr. White finally sent me home.

Vahn helped me to the apartment and got me settled in. I refused to go to bed while everyone was still up and about, so he propped me up on the couch. My side still hurt, but I was able to move around on my own, which was a huge improvement because there was no way I’d let my dad or Vahn help me in the bathroom.

“Hey, I gotta call the shop and let them know we’re back. Your dad should be here in a minute. I told him to just let himself in so you don’t have to worry about trying to get up.” He gave me a stern face that said that getting up wasn’t even an option.

I gave him my best sailor’s salute. He raised a brow and cocked his head at me. “I mean it, Keeley, don’t move. I’ll just be a second.”

I smiled as he walked toward my room. The front door opened and my dad walked in. He parked his luggage next to the couch and sat down with me.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’m gonna stay for a few days. I want to make sure you’re going to be okay.”

“Of course, Dad. I’m glad you’re here, but what about your job? What about mom?”

“I got that covered. They know what’s going on and besides, I have a few vacation days saved up. They didn’t have much of a choice but to let me stay for a while. Besides your mom has everything covered back home. She was going to come out, but I told her you were okay and fibbed just a bit telling her things weren’t as bad as they are. You’ll have to call her soon though before she takes a flight anyway. You know how stubborn she can be, just like you.”

I laughed. “Yeah, that’s true. Thanks, Dad.”

“Well, that’s taken care of.” Vahn walked out to the living room. “Anything I can get you?”

I nodded. “Yes. Food. Real food.” As if on cue, my stomach growled.

My dad and Vahn both laughed at me. “Pizza coming right up,” Vahn said.

We were half way through the pizza, talking and reminiscing, when someone knocked on the door.

My dad opened it. Two uniformed officers stood outside. “We’re looking for Vahn Silver.”

My dad opened the door wider and looked at Vahn and me with a confused look on his face, then back at the guys. “What is this about?”

“He’s wanted for second-degree murder for Alison Wheatley.”

“What? No! You have the wrong person,” I yelled.

I watched as they handcuffed Vahn. “I didn’t do it. I didn’t do anything. Tim, tell them, I told you everything, gave you everything I had. You know it wasn’t me.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll figure out what’s going on and get you out. Right now, it’s best just to go with these guys and not fight it, that would look worse.”

Vahn’s eyes widened. “Keeley, I didn’t do it.”

I stood up, only wincing from pain. I touched his arm. “I know you didn’t. It’s okay, we’re gonna get you out. It’ll be okay.” I reached up and kissed him quickly before they hauled him away.

I kept shaking my head after the door closed. “No, no, no. I can’t believe this is happening. Oh my gosh, I think I’m gonna be sick.” I looked up at my dad. “What do we do?”

He ran a hand through his hair then paused. “Keeley, what if he’s not innocent?”

Bricks hit my stomach with my dad’s words. “No way.”

He helped me to sit down on the couch. “I saw his place, he has a whole room made out of pictures and notes. He’s had years of inside news but he never turned them in.”

“Dad, don’t. Please don’t. I know he’s not a killer. Vahn didn’t kill Alison. He just thought he didn’t have anything the police could use.”

“Sweetheart, how do you know that for sure?”

I thought back to the weekend Alison died. “I was with him. We painted on his wall and went to the Lagoon. He didn’t do it.”

He took my hands. “Okay, honey, I’m gonna do this like a cop and not a dad. I need to know everything to help him. Understand?”

I nodded as tears flooded my eyes.

“You say you were with him, but at all times or was there a time when you weren’t together?”

“Um, except for at night, like after midnight, we were together.”

My dad pursed his lips then exhaled deeply. “Do you know what time Alison was in that car accident?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Two-thirty-five in the morning. That means that you weren’t with him at the time of the murder.”

Panic set in and I gasped for air. No, it couldn’t be. Vahn wouldn’t kill her. He wasn’t the bad guy.

“Let me make a few calls and see what’s going on.” He rose and walked out of the room.

I felt hopeless. Even in death, Steve could torture us. I wasn’t sure how or why this was happening, but I knew it had something to do with Steve.

Within minutes, my dad was back with a sour look on his face. “Keeley, do you know who Jonah Walters, Brick Johnson, and Caty Peterson are?”

I froze. What did they have to do with Vahn’s arrestment? “Yes.”

“Well, it appears that they turned Vahn in for Alison’s death. I guess Jonah made some sort of deal for information on Alison’s killer and Brick and Caty agreed with him. They were arrested but already made bail. I guess this just got deeper than we thought it was.”

I doubled over, instantly regretting the action as sharp shooting pain ripped through my side, reminding me of my all-to-recent encounter with Steve.

“Keeley, are you okay?”

“What? Oh, yeah, it just hurts, ya know?”

“Maybe you should get some rest.”

I jerked upright. “What? No! Dad, Vahn’s being accused of murder and I was recently stabbed by the guy who did it! Rest is definitely not what I need.”

“Sweetheart, calm down. I’m on your side, remember?”

Grimacing against the pain, I stood up. “If you’re on my side, then take me to Vahn’s place. There’s got to be something there that can clear him of charges.”

“Keeley, his house holds evidence. They aren’t gonna just let you walk in and do what you want. You should know that.”

“Then we won’t ask permission. We’ll sneak in.”

He chuckled. “Sometimes I wonder if you got any of your mother at all because you act just like me when I was your age.”

“So you were stalked and dated someone wanted for murder? Wow, Dad, I had no clue.”

“Okay, you know what I mean.” He let out a deep resounding sigh. “Fine, but I’m switching what I said and doing this as your father and not a man of the law. Oh, and for the record, I think this is a bad idea.”

My dad helped me into his rental car and started driving until I knew where we were headed. It wasn’t Vahn’s house—but his parents’.

“Why are we going out here?”

“You wanted to be driven to his house, you didn’t say which one.”

“Dad, you knew what I meant! I have to find something to help him. I’ve been to this house; there’s nothing there but dust and cobwebs.”

“I’m disappointed,” he said while turning the last corner and pulling onto the property. It was hard not to look at the wall. So many emotions filled me at that moment. “I taught you growing up not to place all your ideas on one paper. What if you lost it? What then?”

I let my head fall against the window and growled. “What does that have to do with this?”

“Keeley Moison, you need to suck it up and be the young woman I raised. Do you think if Vahn killed Alison he’d leave evidence in the home in which he lived?”

Immediately I understood and sat up straight. “You’re right. There’s has to be something here.” I opened the car door and as quickly as I could, climbed out. My side made my actions slower, but at least I was moving.

Already the sun was beginning to set, making the house look just as daunting as before, but at least this time my dad was with me. The porch creaked under my weight and I held on to the railing with a death grip. What if I was wrong about Vahn—about everything?

The wood moaned again as my dad joined me. “It’s okay, you know. If you find something you don’t like, I’m here for you.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Dad.”

The house looked just like I left it, and I was surprised that the police hadn’t ransacked it yet.

“Look,” my dad said as he pointed to the stairs. Footprints in the dirt led up the steps.

I hesitated for more than one reason; I didn’t want to climb them with the pain I was in, and I didn’t want to know what was upstairs. What if something I didn’t want to see was hiding up there?

“Follow me.” My dad took the first stair and I followed close behind.

It was hard not to imagine Vahn growing up here, taking the same steps up to his room, day after day. It was a part of his life I wish I could’ve been in; to see who he was before all the crap hit and life became more of a way of surviving than living. I gripped my side and cringed with each jarring, painful step.

We finally made it to the upstairs hall, and then followed the tracks to a closed door. I wasn’t sure what we’d find on the other side, but there was no turning back now. Vahn needed me to help him and I was certain that whatever we’d fine would be what could free him.

My dad opened the door and went in first. My jaw dropped when I entered. Nothing would’ve prepared me for what I saw: pictures plastered on the walls like some crazed person—like a killer. Red Xs marked over faces I never saw before.

“Oh my God, what is this?” I touched the corner of a black-and-white picture of a young girl, probably not much older than me. She was beautiful, with light curly hair and oval eyes that shined with life. A red X marked her face.

“Don’t touch, Keeley. Don’t touch anything yet,” my dad warned.

“I don’t understand. I thought we were here to help him.”

“I’m not sure we can. This doesn’t look good for him. You understand that, right?”

I stared at the picture of the girl a little longer, then something caught my eye. It was a picture of Alison with a bright red X on the desk. I gasped and darted over to it.

“Here,” my dad said, handing me white latex gloves from one of his cargo pant pockets. “I always have some with me. Job hazard. If you must touch something, don’t leave any prints, and if you move it, take a picture of where it was before you do it. I don’t need to bail you out of jail as an accomplice if they find your prints all over this crap.”

I nodded, and with shaky hands slipped on the gloves. I pulled out my cell phone and began taking pictures of everything. Finally, I lifted the picture of Alison and stared into the vibrant color photo that allowed me to see her brown eyes once more. I set the picture back down on the desk and scanned the room. Something was off. This wasn’t Vahn’s behavior or personality. Or was it? The walls don’t lie and right now they screamed conviction.

I couldn’t imagine the man that I love being a killer. He was so passionate, so sweet and caring. I shook my head. No, there had to be a logical explanation for all of this.

“Keeley, come over here. You should see this.”

I walked over to my dad, not sure if I really wanted to see anything more. He held out a stack of pictures for me to take.

I flipped through them, but each one brought a stab of pain to my heart. I couldn’t help but stare at myself on sheet after sheet of photo paper. I stopped at one in particular that caught my eye. It was the first day of school and I was on a bench. I thought back to the memory I held on to.

That was the first time I saw Vahn. I remember it because I wanted to find a way to say hi but he disappeared before I could make a move. I smiled with the thought.

“What’s got you looking like that? I thought you’d have the opposite look seeing all those.”

I shook my head, then moistened my lips. “This picture. I didn’t think he even saw me that day. I wanted him to, but he just left.”

“Keeley, I know this is hard, but you have to face the fact that he might not be innocent.”

I took a quick gasp of air. “I know.” That just wasn’t something I wanted to believe just yet. We shared something special and giving in to the accusation would dissolve all that. Vahn deserved for me to at least try first.