CHAPTER 45 - HOW, WHY AND NO

ALLEGHANY COUNTY JAIL - TWO HOURS LATER

MELODY

“He offered you a postponement, why not take it?” 

“I just wanted him…” Michael glowers at the guard sniggering behind me. “...to get it over with is what I meant.” 

“Right. Well there is nothing on there that infringes your…”

“But what about what Cameron said?”

“What about it? It is part of his defence.” I sit back and look forward to this bit. “So, I have news about your accomplice…”

“What about her? Let me guess, she managed to get out on some bullshit, and is leaving me to carry the can for what we both did?!”

“Yes, she did. But just on bail, so not totally leaving you to carry the can. Before you ask how, that is between her and her attorney.” I enjoy the drop of his jaw. “She’ll, no doubt, be under very strict conditions, and…”

“You have got to be joking! This is a sick freaking joke?!” 

“No it’s not. She has been trying to get bail for days, appearing in court to explain her situation of…”

“What?!” He spits, literally spits. The guard and I both wait for him to wipe it off the table. “Why haven’t you done that for me?! Why can’t I be bailed on the same terms?” 

“First, you never asked me to approach them for a bail request. Secondly, you could, but where are you going to get one million dollars from?” I ask, whilst the guard whistles.

“One million dollars?!” He whisper-shouts. 

“That’s the standard bail for this type of crime. So, do you know any millionaires…” I stand up, having been packing my case. “....I mean, apart from the one you tried to kill?” 

He is silent as he’s led back to his cell.

“Thought not.” I mutter heading to my car.

LYNETTE AND OLIVER’S HOUSE - NEXT MORNING

LOUNGE

OLIVER

“If I could just be allowed to explain!” I beseech Lynette. “It’s…” I’m interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Lindsay hurries to answer it; the angry tones of Ronald reach me long before he enters the room. 

“This had better be fucking good!” He roars.

“It’s good! I promise!” I am faced with a roomful of furious people. Apart from Lynette, Lindsay, and Ronald; there is also Kimberely, Mel, George, Philip, Lionel, Elspbeth, Sandy, and Edna. 

“Well, get on with it!” Edna barks.

“Help me before they kill me!” I plead.

“Who are you talking to?!” Philip demands.

“Me. He’s talking to me.” Sandy states. “Well us. Me and Elspbeth.” Everyone stops muttering about my dismemberment. “She tried to take my husband, and she wrecked the lives of her daughters. I’ve been watching her ever since she was arrested, been in court every day whilst her and her attorney argued her case for bail. I wanted to see how far she would go to get out.”

“And how far is that exactly?” Philip beams at her.

“Ankle tag, no access to a computer or mobile phone, must report daily to the police station in Shadyside, must reside in an EOHOPS abode, and is prohibited from contacting the following: Lindsay Peterson, Lynette Peterson-March, Oliver Peterson-March, George Shickel, Sandrine St Bride, and Elspbeth Miller-Fox. If contact has to be made, it must be via our representative, one Miss Edna Fey. Any breach of the aforementioned conditions, she will be returned to jail and the bond be considered owed back to those who released her, which as I said are Elspbeth and me.” She lets us take this in. Slowly, Lynette starts to grin.

“This is not good, this is delicious!” George crows.

“How much of this does she actually know?” Lindsay asks.

“Just that she has a bountiful benefactor.” Elspbeth chuckles. “She doesn’t find out the rest until she gets to the EOHOPS house.” We take a few minutes to digest this.

“She would need to be in some form of gainful employment, like she was at the diner, correct?” Lindsay queries.

“Yes, everyone does. Why?” I ask.

“I’ve got an idea about what that should be.” She replies, then Edna starts to laugh. 

“Oh, we couldn’t!” Edna gasps.

“Oh yes we could!” She returns with an evil smile.

LINDSAY

I hand my phone to Oliver. “Could you connect this to the TV, please?”

“Yes, but why am I doing that?”

“You’ll see.” I reply. 

And they did, twice, leaving them in tears of laughter. 

“Oh Lindz!” Mel gasps. “Have you had your shits, I mean shots updated?”

“Shush!” I chide her whilst nodding. “So is there a job as a dog walker that she could do? As tempting as it would be to have it be the boys, Brian and Justin won’t go for that.”

“True.” Edna giggles. “So is there?”

“Not yet, but there will be.” Oliver grins. “And it will be her only choice!”

MEL

I’m so proud of her! The old Lindsay would never have done that in a million years! When Gus and Jenny told us what happened, we could not believe it, but we have proof. Lynette is still chuckling as she goes to answer the door. When she brings in the visitor, we all go quiet, for it’s Josiah.

“What’s happening?” Lynette asks, gripping Oliver’s hand.

“He’s going to plead no contest to what he did to Casper, and wants to offer you the same alternative to a full trial for what he did to you.” 

“That wretched bastard!” I explode. 

“Absolutely not!” Lindsay and Kimberly say at the same time. 

“Everyone quiet!” Edna bellows. “What does that mean?”

“A no contest plea means that he admits his guilt, but without having the details aired to the public. The judge rules accordingly. He goes away for as long as however, before popping up somewhere able to to spout bullshit as to where he’s been!” Lindsay seethes. She catches my expression. “I did listen.” Then she takes Lynette’s other hand. “If you accept this, he's won, because it’s being kept in the dark. Hidden. Secret. A dirty secret. His laundry has to be aired…”

“But if I accept then it stops.” Lynette whispers. 

“Until he’s out and he starts again. What did you think happened in prison? Do you think he didn’t take advantage of his position?” Lindsay rubs Lynette’s arm. “He will never stop. There is only one person to stop him now, and that’s you.”

“But if he’s found not…”

“He won’t be, Lynette. The evidence is enough to convict, and he knows that.” Josiah states. “This is why he wants a ‘no contest’, it gets him in the ‘clear’. Like Lindsay says, you have the power now, wield it. For years, he was a cudgel over your head, your heart, your soul, your psyche. He cost you years of happiness, they both did.” 

LYNETTE

I look around the room. “I can understand why Casper accepted this, he’s got more riding on this than I do. He’s such a public figure and most likely doesn’t want to be seen as a victim. And, nor do I, but he has to be seen as an assailant, so tell him no and that I’ll see him in court.”

MEL

“We will, we will see him in court.” Lindsay asserts and once more, I am so proud!