Page 119 of Five Survive

OFFICER 2:Hold on, I’ll be there any minute.

OFFICER 1:…What have I done?

OFFICER 3:Officer¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦be advised that we just picked someone up close to your location. White male, mid-twenties. He was running down the road. He had a hunting rifle and a tripod on him. We surrounded him and he surrendered.¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦made the arrest. Uninjured. Just trying to ID now. You think this is your suspect? We got him.

OFFICER 1:What have I done?

Assistant District Attorney Catherine Lavoy Shot Dead Outside Hospital in South Carolina

JOHN HOLLAND April11, 2022

This morning, Catherine Lavoy, 49, who worked in the Philadelphia DA’s office, was shot dead outside the main entrance of Chesterfield General Hospital. She is believed to have been shot in the head by a long-range rifle, killed instantly at the scene. Police and private security guards were attending her at the time.

The local sheriff’s department confirmed in a statement that this was likely a planned assassination. The sniper was positioned in the high-rise apartment buildings opposite the hospital. The unknown shooter was not apprehended at the scene and is believed to still be at large. Authorities are appealing for witnesses to come forward with anything suspicious they may have seen, leading up to today’s events. The hospital is now on lockdown.

Lavoy had been visiting her daughter, Madeline, 17, who remains in critical condition after an incident that took place on Saturday night into the early hoursof Sunday morning, on a small rural road near Ruby, SC. The full details of the night of April9 are still unclear, but police have confirmed there were multiple casualties. Local residents Donald Wright, 71, and Joyce Wright, 68, were confirmed to have died in the incident. Catherine Lavoy’s son, Oliver, 21, was also killed. An arrest has been made, but charges are yet to be filed against the suspect and police refused to give out any more details.

The road where Saturday’s incident took place has been cordoned off, but a truck with a flatbed trailer was seen carrying an RV away from the scene into police custody. One eyewitness toldNewsdaythat the vehicle had four flat tires and was riddled with bullet holes and broken windows. Another said she could see dried blood inside and outside the RV. More details as this story develops.

It is not yet known whether either of these incidents has any relation to Lavoy’s work as a state prosecutor, or any of her ongoing criminal cases. Lavoy’s career had been going from strength to strength with a high-profile homicide case against Frank Gotti, 55, which is due to go to trial in a few weeks. Lavoy had very publicly stated her intention to run for district attorney in the elections this year, starting with the Democratic primary election in May.

Her colleague, ADA Mo Frazer, had this to say when asked for a statement about the murder of his coworker: “I just heard about it myself. I am absolutely devastated. With what happened to her kids, and nowthis. I can’t understand it. Catherine was a wonderful woman, a brilliant prosecutor and a terrific mom. I don’t know who would want to do this to her, but our office will work around the clock to assist in bringing them to justice where we can. Catherine leaves behind a huge hole and my thoughts and prayers go out to her remaining family.”

Dear Red,

It’s me. I’ve never written a letter before, I don’t think. Not since they made us practice in school. Now it seems it’s the only thing I can do. I need to write this all down, get it out of my head. Even if no one ever reads it.

Because there’s a lot I have to say to you, Red. Starting with sorry.

I’m sorry for all of this. I’m sorry for all the lies I told you. I’m sorry for intruding into your life, trying to get close to you. I’m sorry about our plan and I’m sorry about yours. I’m sorry that all of us were thrown together in this mess, because of our parents and everything that happened between them. I’m sorry about your mom, and I’m sorry you had to find out who killed her like that. I’m sorry for everything Catherine Lavoy did to you. I’m sorry for everything Oliver Lavoy did to you. I’m sorry that Don and Joyce died, I should have tried harder to stop it. I’m sorry that Maddy got shot. I’m sorry for everything Mike did. I’m sorry for every hurt I caused you. I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to protect you. I’m sorry I never got to tell you. I’m sorry I never kissed you. I’m sorry that I’m writing this letter and it’s all too late. I’m sorry I left you there, bleeding on the road. I’m sorry.

I thought you were dead. She shot you twice and I thought you were dead. I’m sorry I ran, I should havestayed and held your hand. It should have ended with you and me.

They took you to the hospital, with Maddy, and I found out you were in surgery and then you were in a coma. I heard a doctor talking about you, they didn’t expect you to pull through. Your dad was on the way, on a flight. I thought he would miss his chance to say goodbye, like I missed mine.

That’s why I did it, Red. I always promised I’d never kill anyone. That’s hard, when you grow up in a family like mine. It’s the thing my father hates most about me. But you said you wanted it. I don’t know if you were just saying it in anger, because Oliver was there, but you said you wanted her to die on her knees, scared and alone, like she did to your mom. I thought you were going to die, Red. I went back for one of Mike’s rifles, where we’d stashed them. I didn’t need to practice really, it was easy, with that red dot. One shot and I was gone before they came looking for me. That was my goodbye, I guess, my way of fixing it, taking her out of the world, so at least if you were gone then she was gone too. I wanted you to know but you wouldn’t wake up. I didn’t do it for my dad, Red. She didn’t deserve to live after everything she did to you. I’m sorry if I made the wrong choice, I’m sorry if that’s not what you wanted. I’m sorry that any of us had to make these hard choices in the first place.

But you didn’t die. You didn’t wake up either. I stayed around, waiting to hear. I stitched up the wound on my neck myself, it got infected for a few days. Maddy pulled through, I heard about it on the news. You weren’t onthe news, though. I wanted to come see you, I knew you were asleep and you’d never know, but I wanted to come see you. Police were everywhere inside that hospital, after Catherine Lavoy died outside. I got through, though, they didn’t know they were looking for me. I don’t know what Reyna and Simon have told them about that night, about me, but no one caught me. No one even looked. Reyna saved my life that night, I hope I get to thank her someday. I hope it’s helped her too, somehow, saving me from Oliver, the way she wished she could have saved Jack Harvey from him. She and Simon must not have told the police anything about me, at least not then, when I entered the hospital. I hope that means Simon forgives me, in his way. I was right outside your room. I could see you there, tubes and wires running all over you. Sleeping. You were only sleeping. I heard they had to remove part of your lung. But you had another visitor already. The door opened and Maddy was there, inside the room with you. She was in a wheelchair still, in her hospital gown. We looked at each other. She must have known it was me, that I was the one who shot her mom. There were police everywhere, she could have shouted, told them I was the one, it was me. But she didn’t, Red. We looked at each other and she nodded. She let me go. I never got to see you, though, to hold your hand. It’s not for me to say, but I hope you forgive her, Red.

Then it did happen. You woke up. They transferred you to a hospital in Philly, your dad rode with you all the way and I followed you back home. I don’t know how long you’ll be in there, days, weeks? You’ll find this letterwhen you get back from the hospital. I hope you read it, but it’s okay if you don’t. I’m sorry I’ve been in your bedroom, it’s just as messy as I thought it would be.

There’s something else too. And this is my dad. He insisted, after I told him everything that happened. I know your dad doesn’t have health insurance. You’ll find the money to cover all your hospital bills and more, hidden in that shoebox in the back of your closet, where you keep the old birthday cards from your mom. It’s all in cash, from the legitimate businesses. I insisted about that last part. Please use it to cover the bills and anything else you need to recover. It’s yours and yours alone. You don’t owe us anything for it, you’ve already done enough.

Looks like the charges are being dropped against my dad. He’ll be out soon. Maybe you already told them what Catherine made you do, that you didn’t see him there, I don’t know. They caught Mike. I don’t know if you know that. They caught him that night—or morning I should say. He’s been charged with first-degree murder for Oliver and Don and Joyce, attempted murder for Maddy. Dad’s hiring him a good lawyer, but I don’t see what good that would do, Mike did those things. He shouldn’t have. Oliver, I understand, because he was about to kill me, but the others? Maybe Mike will be better off in prison than out here. His whole life has been a war, that does something to your head, I think. It’s done something to my head.

I guess when we were listing outside jobs I could do, Red, we didn’t think of Fugitive. Because that’s what Iam now. They must be looking for me, they must know I played some part in everything. I got away, but I don’t know how long it can last. I do spend a lot of time outside, though, if I’m looking for silver linings. And you’re alive, that’s the biggest one of all. That’s all I ever wanted, for you to live through this. But I’m sorry, I hope you know that. I guess none of us—the five that survived—will ever be the same after that long night. I mean, you slept for two weeks after. That wasn’t a funny joke, I’m sorry for that too.

I don’t know where I’ll go next, what I’ll do. That feels strange, when there’s a whole life ahead of me, and now I have no idea what it looks like. But I know what your life looks like from here, Red. You’re the strongest person I ever met. Who else gets up after being shot in the chest, twice? Still standing after everything you’ve been through. You saved that cop, by the way. She was fine. She has a twelve-year-old daughter. I checked, because I knew that would be important to you. You are amazing. I’m not sure enough people have ever told you that, and I’m sorry about that too. You can do anything you want, be anything you want, and whatever road you go down, Red, I know your mom would be so proud of you.

I’m sorry that this letter is so long. You can stop reading if you want, but there’s one last thing. I don’t know how long it will be until you’re up on your feet. But I’ll wait. On the 8th of May, at 8:00p.m., I’m going to be at Pier 68, waiting for you. To say goodbye, or whatever else it is we have to say to each other. I can say all of my sorrys in person, if you’ll let me. Iunderstand if you don’t want to come, if you don’t want to see me, after everything. I will also understand if you turn this letter in to the cops, if a squad of police officers turns up at that time to arrest me. I will understand. That’s up to you. It’s your choice, Red.

But I’ll be there, I promise.

Will you?

YES []

NO []

Yours,

Arthur

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