Page 105 of Kept in the Dark

Hailey needed some fresh air. She felt a migraine coming on and the room seemed to shrink. She stood to leave but Trey took her hand.

“What about the cause of death? What was on the original report?” Trey asked.

“I thought Washington already told you?”

“No sir, he wouldn’t divulge any information.”

“Well, then I suppose it’s time for the truth to come out.”

Hailey held her breath.

“Morgan Gallagher was strangled.”

Hailey was back at her father’s house, but this time Trey was with her. David was still MIA. His lawyers claimed he was away on business and Lauren couldn’t shed any light on where he could be. So, if they couldn’t talk to him, then they would talk to her.

Of course, Trey was angry when Hailey refused to let him come inside, but she knew Lauren wouldn’t tell Hailey anything if Trey was there. Lauren saw Trey as David’s enemy and she would treat him as such.

So, Hailey sat in the living room alone with Lauren, eager to see what the woman could tell her. Hailey was certain she knew more than she let on. If Lauren had information about the affair and Ryan, she likely knew about other secrets David was harboring.

“So, you’re telling me you have proof the police didn’t investigate properly, and Sara is innocent?” Lauren said. The woman didn’t bother to hide her frustration and Hailey couldn’t blame her.

Hailey said, “Yes. We found evidence and eyewitness statements to corroborate it. We also know my father was blackmailing people.”

Hailey let her words permeate between them. She would tell her stepmother about David’s guilt, but first she wanted to see how much Lauren knew.

Lauren didn’t even blink, confirming Hailey’s suspicions. “You knew he was blackmailing people.”

Lauren shook her head and looked down at the coffee mug placed between her hands. “I had an…impression that he did, but I knew better than to ask questions or make accusations.”

Hailey ran a frustrated hand through her hair. “So, letting people suffer is okay? You knew he was hurting people, and you did nothing. He may not have physically hurt them, but what he did is inexcusable.”

Lauren put a hand up. “I never said it was, Hailey. But I couldn’t tell anyone because then everything your father worked for would be gone. His name, his legacy…all of it would be torn to shreds and I refuse to be the one to blame for it. His name is everything to him. So, I’m sorry that people have suffered, but they also made their choice to give into the blackmail.”

She was right. Any of those people could have chosen the high road but instead, they went along with it. But it didn’t change the fact that what David did was illegal.

The man played dirty.

So, Hailey would too. She said, “You realize I have to tell Trey, right? That means, not only will my father be investigated, but you will be too, for conspiring with him. I think they call it accessory after the fact.”

Lauren’s mouth gaped open, and Hailey continued, “And when they look into that, they'll have no choice but to arrest him. Eventually, the truth will come out that he killed my mother.”

Lauren’s color drained from her face, and she tightly grasped Hailey’s hand, making her jump. “Hailey, please, you can’t do that. Your father may have blackmailed people and manipulated them, but he didn’t kill your mother. He’s a lot of things, but he’s not a murderer.”

The fear in the woman’s eyes was real. She didn’t want her whole world to come crashing down. Hailey felt bad for Lauren. She was being dragged into family drama that had started long before she became a Gallagher. But it didn’t change the fact she was waist deep now.

Lauren leaned in closer and peered intently at Hailey. “Your father was with me the night your mother died.”

If Hailey hadn’t been sitting, her buckling knees may have landed her on the floor. “Were you having an affair with my father?”

Lauren shook her head quickly. “No, not at all. My car had a flat tire and he happened to drive by and helped fix it.”

“Why would my father blackmail the police then? That makes no sense if he was innocent.”

Lauren hesitated. “I really don’t think-”

“If you give me information that can prove he didn’t do it, then I won't tell Trey you knew about the blackmail.”

Lauren clenched her jaw, angry that Hailey was cornering her. Then she sighed as she said, “He saw it as a fool-proof plan to teach your sister a lesson. I don’t agree with it, but it’s what he told me. We all know your sister was off the handle by that point and she needed to be brought down a few pegs.”

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