Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87913 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87913 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
While I wait for Barrett to call me back, I make sure that I have everything in order for when Alice’s sisters arrive. If I’m going to have a shot in hell at convincing them that Charles killed their sister, everything needs to be presented with clear and precise accuracy, leaving nothing open for interpretation.
As I’m sending my files to the printer, my phone rings, and Barrett’s name pops up on the screen.
“Barrett,” I answer putting my cell to my ear as I leave my office to go to the printing room.
“Hey, I just got your message. Is everything okay? Is Franny alright?”
“She’s fine, I was actually calling to see if I could stop by this evening when I get off work, there’s something I need to speak with you about.”
“Oh.” He says quietly, and I drop my eyes to my feet. Fuck I know what he’s thinking, especially after he brought up Franny and I getting married, and I jumped on that idea only to have it blow up in my face.
“It’s not that, it’s business.”
“Business?”
“There is a situation at work that I need to speak with you about.”
“Oh, okay sure stop by. I’m still under house arrest, so I’ll be here.” That makes me smile.
“Thanks Barrett, I’ll see you this evening.”
“See you then.” He hangs up and I pick up the papers I printed then go back to my office. While I’m looking everything over there is a knock and I look up to find Jamie standing in the doorway.
“I just wanted to let you know I’m back.”
“Thanks, Jamie.”
“No problem.” She steps out, closing the door, and I get back to work.
An hour later, there is another knock at the door, and Jamie pokes her head in again to let me know that Nicole and Heather, Alice’s sisters are here for our meeting. After asking her to call Mary and to get them anything they might need, I go out to greet both women.
Within the first five minutes of them taking a seat in my office, I know that they didn’t come here to listen to what I have to say, they came in an attempt to prove to me that Greg had something to do with their sister’s murder.
They dive into Alice and Greg’s history, how they got together in high school, and that Alice always seemed to be more invested in their relationship than he was. He would cancel plans, avoid seeing her for days at a time, and cheated on her more than once. When Alice ended up pregnant, she started talking about the two of them getting married, and he made it clear that was not something that he wanted, but she pushed the topic until he eventually gave in.
At their wedding, more than one person commented on the fact that Greg looked miserable. He didn’t smile, refused to cut the cake with Alice, and instead hung with his friends and got drunk. One of the friends he hung out with that night was Beau, who shared with guests at the wedding that he disliked Alice and that he believed his friend could do better.
The day after their wedding they left for their honeymoon, they rented a cabin a couple of hours away and planned to spend a few days there. Alice called her mom a day later crying and upset about a situation that happened and said she wanted to come home. Her mom told her that they would come pick her up, but a few hours later Alice called her back and told her that everything was okay and that they didn’t need to come get her.
Her mother, even before her death, didn’t tell anyone what had made Alice make that call, but her sisters believe that Greg hit Alice that night, though there was no evidence of that.
When Alice and Greg got back from their honeymoon, Alice’s family rarely saw or spoke to her, she went from daily phone calls to calls once a week or less and a rare visit. Her family didn’t even know that she was in labor until hours after she went to the hospital, and when her son was born, they weren’t allowed in the hospital room with their sister and the baby. Greg told them that Alice didn’t want a lot of people around, but they don’t believe their sister would have ever said that. They believe that he was isolating her from the people who could help her leave him if that is what she needed to do.
Weeks later, when they got the news of Alice’s murder, they instantly came to the conclusion that Greg killed her. Even after the police told them that he had a solid alibi at the time of her death, it didn’t change their opinions. In their minds, the only thing that changed is the person who committed the act, not Greg’s involvement in the murder.