Innocent (18 page)
I was shocked. Too shocked to even know what to say in response, but I knew she was
probably right. Somehow, this was all going to be my fault; nobody would believe me.
“It wasn’t Lizzy, it was me,” Richie said.
“They’re not going to get a chance to hear what he has to say,” Mrs. Remington said.
“I’ll make sure of that.”
“They will believe me.” Mrs. Meyers pushed through the curtains. I couldn’t have been
more shocked if a ghost had appeared.
“You don’t understand what happened,” Mrs. Remington said. “This girl assaulted my
son, she pulled that weapon on us and—”
“I heard everything. I heard the
truth
,” Mrs. Meyers said. “I know exactly
what happened, and there’s no need to call the police because they’ve already been
called. I sent Nigel to do that.”
In the background I thought I heard something—a siren. Then it got louder, joined by
a second and possibly a third. The police
were
coming.
Mrs. Meyers turned to look right at me. “I’m not going to let anybody hurt
our
Lizzy ever again.”
DO YOU THINK
it’s going to be much longer?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” David said. “Just be patient. It’s only a few minutes past one.”
He was sitting on the fender of his car and motioned for me to join him, which I did.
“Enjoy the sun and savor the moment,” he said. “Just close your eyes and drink in the sun.”
“I’m afraid to close my eyes in case when I open them this will all have been nothing more than a dream.”
“It’s real,” he said. “
I’m
real, and I’m not going anywhere. Ever.”
He took my hand in his, intertwining my fingers with his. This was both the most real and the most unreal part of everything that had happened. In the short space of three weeks, there had been a rush of events, starting with the arrival of the police and followed by the arrest of both Mrs. Remington and Edward, the forced resignation of the chief of police and an investigation of all their crimes. I had left the estate and found a new place to live, and then there was the appeal of my father’s case in court. Being here, waiting, was the final scene.
“There’s one thing I still don’t understand,” I said. “Why did you do all of this?”
“That’s a silly question. I did it for you.”
“But you hardly knew me,” I said.
“That’s where you’re wrong. I haven’t known you for long, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know you well.” He paused. “Lizzy, I know you, and that ‘not knowing you for long’ business, well, time will take care of that. I’m planning on fixing that one day at a time for a long, long time.”
He always seemed to not only know the right thing to say, but actually said it—and more important—he meant it.
“I don’t know how I ever got so lucky,” I said.
“First off, I’m the lucky one, and second, I think it was only a matter of time until your luck evened out. You went through so much, and you didn’t just survive, but you grew and flourished and kept moving forward. You became somebody special, somebody I’m not planning to let go.”
I tightened my grip on his hand. I wasn’t letting him go either.
“I have to admit, there were times when I thought this whole thing with your father was going nowhere. And then there was a moment when I thought it would have been wise to just let it go, forget about it, do what the chief was telling me to do, but I couldn’t.” He paused. “I had to try to be as brave and strong as you.”
“Me?”
“You’re one of the strongest, bravest people I’ve ever met.”
“You have no idea just how scared I was sometimes.” And I meant for many years, long before all of this started.
“It isn’t about not being scared. Everybody gets scared. It’s about still doing what needs to be done in spite of being afraid. That’s what makes you so brave.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I do. I do, and…look, I think it’s time. It’s happening.”
The big black metal gate of the prison swung open. Two men, one in uniform and the other in a suit, emerged. The one in the suit was my father. The two shook hands, and then my father took a few steps, stopped and looked around. He saw us parked across the street from the prison, and he waved.
I jumped off the fender and took a step, then stopped. David was still sitting on the car.
“Aren’t you coming?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Just you.”
I understood why, but I still felt scared—and brave enough to go.
“Go on,” David said. “Go to your father.”
I took a step and then another and then I found myself running, tears flowing, and I met him in the middle of the street, and he hugged me and I hugged him.
“Thank you, thank you so much…for everything, for being here,” he said.
I tried to speak, but I couldn’t get any words to come out.
“You
are
my little angel,” my father said.
ERIC WALTERS
began writing in 1993 as a way to entice his fifth-grade students into becoming more interested in reading and writing. Since then he has published ninety novels and picture books. He has won more than a hundred awards, and his bestselling novels have been translated into more than a dozen languages.
Eric writes in a variety of genres, and his stories often reflect his background in education and social work and his commitment to humanitarian and social-justice issues. Over the past few years he has been the driving force behind the Creation of Hope (
www.creationofhope.com
), an organization that serves orphans and needy children in Kenya, and in 2014 he was named a Member of the Order of Canada “for his contribution as an author of literature for children and young adults whose stories help young readers grapple with complex social issues.”
Eric lives in Mississauga with his wife, Anita, and they have three grown children. When not writing, or playing or watching sports, he enjoys listening to jazz and eating in fine restaurants featuring drive-through service. For more information, visit
www.ericwalters.net
.
Copyright © 2015 Eric Walters
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known
or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Walters, Eric, 1957–, author
Innocent / Eric Walters.
(Secrets)
Issued in print, electronic and audio disc formats.
ISBN
978-1-4598-0665-8 (pbk.).—
ISBN
978-1-4598-0666-5 (pdf).—
ISBN
978-1-4598-0667-2 (epub).—
ISBN
978-1-4598-1094-5 (audio disc)
I. Title. II. Series: Secrets (Victoria, B.C.)
PS
8595.
A
598155 2015
j
C
813'.54
C
2015-901735-1
C
2015-901736-
X
C
2015-901737-8
First published in the United States, 2015
Library of Congress Control Number
: 2015935524
Summary
: In this
YA
novel, Betty starts to investigate her mother’s murder and uncovers a sinister connection to the wealthy family she works for.
Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
Cover design by Teresa Bubela
Cover images by
Dreamstime.com
and Shutterstock
Author photo by Sofia Kinachtchouk
ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS
www.orcabook.com