Page 104 of Kept in the Dark

Hailey froze. “What did you just say?”

The man held her gaze, shame filling his eyes. “Your sister is innocent. And both Elijah and I knew about it.”

Hailey nearly cried. For the first time, someone admitted Sara’s innocence. She was both shocked and relieved. For the last week and a half, it felt as if they were chasing a ghost, as if their theories and evidence were meaningless. Now, she knew she wasn’t chasing something that didn’t exist.

But that relief was overcome by anger as she realized this man had been the reason for her sister’s strife. How could this man live with himself knowing what he’d done?

Hailey opened her mouth to curse the doctor, but Trey said, “What the hell happened that night?”

Dr. Johnson stood and walked over to a filing cabinet that sat in the far corner of the room. He pulled at the handle and retrieved a manila folder from the back of the metal box. He walked back to his desk and laid it down in front of him as he sat down.

He stared at the folder, getting lost in memory. Finally, he said, “Years ago, before any of this, I lied about something on the stand during a trial. It wasn’t anything that would sway a verdict. It was a personal matter that I didn’t want on record, so I lied about it. David had proof that I lied and threatened to take it to the board if I didn’t do what he said, which mostly consisted of gaining information he could use against people.”

He looked at Trey, shame filling his eyes. “You’d be surprised what people divulge when they’re grieving over a loved one.”

Hailey was disgusted. How could someone manipulate grieving families like that? How could someone exploit them while their hearts were shattered into pieces, likely sobbing in this very room unaware they were being preyed upon.

“As soon as I got the call that night, I knew it would cost me. I got there and looked over the crime scene, did my work, and left. The next day, I had just finished the autopsy when Washington came and asked what the cause of death was. When I told him, he begged me to change the report. He said if we made it look like an accident, as if Sara had accidently killed her mother, then she could potentially get off with a slap on the wrist and very little jail time.

“So, I changed it. Our goal was to either get her off or at least get a reduced charge of manslaughter.” He scoffed. “Lot of good that did since she took a plea deal.”

Trey shook his head. “Why didn’t Eli just refuse to arrest Sara? Why even go through all this trouble if he knew she was innocent?”

“Because David had Eli in his pocket. Eli didn’t just bend the rules for David, he completely shattered them. And David kept proof. If Eli ever went against David, he would have been thrown in prison. Plus, Eli is loyal to a fault. I think that’s the only time he ever went against David’s demands. Not that it mattered.” He looked at Hailey. “Your father still got away with it.”

“Wait,” Hailey interrupted. “What are you saying?”

“Your father killed your mother,” he said matter-of-factly. “Then he called Washington to cover it up and blamed it all on Sara. He set your sister up to take the fall for your mother’s murder.”

Hailey closed her eyes. After all this time, she’d finally found the truth. And she was devastated by it. She’d expected this moment to bring her closure, maybe even peace. But all it did was amplify the turmoil she already felt.

All her father ever did was bring pain to her life. And this moment hurt the worst.

“Do you have proof?” Trey asked.

Dr. Johnson tapped the folder in front of him. “I have the original report. But that’s all. I kept it because I figured there may come a time when I needed it.”

“Would you testify in court against David?”

Testify? Trey was already thinking of a trial? Hailey could hardly process what was happening in this moment, let alone a future trial.

“Yes, I will. I would like a deal though.”

“I’ll talk to the D.A.”

Hailey wanted to protest, to demand justice, but she knew she would never get it. This doctor was just as bad as her father and deserved to spend the rest of his miserable life in jail. But he would never see the inside of a cell.

Maybe liver failure was karma’s justice.

Hailey asked, “Do you know why he killed her?”

Dr. Johnson’s eyes softened. “I didn’t ask. The less I knew the better.”

Trey chimed in, “Is there anything else you can tell us that might help us get some evidence? Everything we have is circumstantial and I doubt it’ll hold up in court.”

The M.E. shook his head. “No, nothing off the top of my head. Any physical evidence found could easily be tossed because of an unreliable chain of custody. You’ll likely need a confession from David himself, along with eyewitness testimony of those who were there that night and whom he blackmailed.”

Hailey had suspected her father may have killed her mother, but it was somehow far more distressing to have it confirmed. But what unsettled her the most was how believable it all was.

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