Page 37 of The Liar I Married
“They do.” A loud hammering comes from inside. “What the hell?—?”
I move slowly down the slope of the bridge. “Go and see who it is. I’ll be fine.”
As Alex heads into the house, the banging gets louder. A scuffle comes from inside and then male voices shouting. The next moment, Michael bursts through the glass doors to the garden, his face red and furious. Behind him, Alex is trying to slow his progress by grabbing him by the arm. Fear grips me; as I step from the bridge, my knees tremble as Michael drags Alex toward me. “What do you want, Michael?”
“You set the cops on me, didn’t you?” Michael gets up close in my face. “You’re crazy. Trust me, if I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already.” He glares at me. “The cops came to my office—my office, Jessie. How do you figure that looks to my clients? I needed to make up an excuse about someone breaking into my house. Now, I’ve been suspended from work and the cops are monitoring my phone calls. They insisted I surrender my passport or they were going to arrest me.” He points at me. “You did this. I wish you’d died in the wreck. You’ve ruined my life.” He shrugs Alex’s hand from his arm and turns to him. “She’s batshit crazy. You wouldn’t believe all the lies she told me. Like she’d killed her unborn baby and she hears phones ringing in the night when they’re disconnected.” He takes a step back and his mouth turns down. “She told the cops I was in her car when she wrecked it, that I forced her into the damn tree. I wanted herdead so I could get her inheritance.” He shook his head. “They have no evidence because there isn’t any.”
I keep the walker between us. “How did you know that I changed my will?”
“I spoke to Mr. Collins the day he read the will. He asked me to get you so you could sign the codicil. I was right outside, Jessie. I heard everything. Nice of you to think of me. I figured everything would go to John if you died.” He chuckles.
I see red. “That’s the reason you want me dead.”
“I have money.” Michael shakes his head. “I don’t need to kill my sister for it. You need help.”
I see a flicker of doubt in Alex’s eyes and my stomach drops. “I know what you did, Michael. You turned Grandma against John and Dad, telling lies about them. After I read Grandma’s letter you convinced me that John was having an affair. That was the start of trying to make me look like I was going mad.”
I need to know the truth about one more thing. When Michael’s angry he forgets secrets, so I allow the lie to slip through my lips. “I know you convinced John to switch off life support. How could you?!”
“I knew he’d tell you.” Michael shook his head. “We didn’t want you to suffer.”
I poke him in the chest. “Bullshit! You wanted me dead. You made Dolly keep me in a drug-induced coma and when I came out of it you tried to make me look as if I’d lost my mind. You started by sending me a note, telling me not to trust anyone.”
“See.” He waves a hand toward me. “Crazy.” He looks at Alex. “She was becoming unbalanced long before the accident. She believed people were following her and then she tried to kill herself. She left a note, Alex. Whatever she’s told you about me is a lie.”
I can’t believe my ears. “I don’t know why the cops let you go but I’ll prove everything and, by the way, I’m changing my will. If anything happens to me, you’ll get nothing.”
“Ha. You can’t change your will unless you’re of sound mind, sweetheart,” Michael sneers at me as he heads for the door. “You’re crazy and I’ll make sure everyone knows. They’ll never let you have your kids. You tried to kill them in the wreck. You’re unfit to be a mother.”
I slump against the bridge and tears stream down my cheeks. I can’t fight him any longer. I look at Alex as he observes me from under his lashes. “I’m not crazy. I’m not.”
FORTY
THREE DAYS LATER
I’m staying with Alex and I still haven’t seen my kids. Michael moved swiftly and viciously to contact child protection to inform them that I’m still unstable and need to be kept away from my girls. He insisted he’d read the suicide note and gave a damning statement. So now they want a report from a psychiatrist and I’ll need a court order if I’m ever to see them again. John has been to see me a number of times and informs me that he destroyed the so-called suicide note.
Surprisingly, he has been very supportive and informed them that Michael was lying and the note said only I was going to my grandmother’s house and that there wasn’t a threat of suicide in it. I guess I owe him big time for that because there was no intent on my part. He did tell them that I left after we’d had a disagreement but as I didn’t drive away in an erratic manner, he had no cause for concern. He also informed them that it was taking time for me to regain my memory after the accident and the children were safe in his custody and being cared for by my mother. The interview I had with the child protection officers was tense.
“You must understand, Mrs. Harper, that we take every complaint seriously and act swiftly to protect the children.” Thewoman wearing a fitted white and gray pencil skirt with loafers peers at me over the top of her glasses. Her friend remains silent staring at me as if I’m a serial killer. “The fact it was your own brother who upgraded the complaint adds another layer of concern.”
I remain calm, and having Alex close by listening to the conversation as my witness makes me feel a whole lot better. “I have nothing to hide but I’m sure that Michael didn’t tell you that he was in the vehicle with me when it was wrecked.” I look from one to the other and see their blank expressions; it’s like talking to brick walls. “He grabbed the steering wheel and caused me to hit the tree. He then left the scene of the accident, leaving me and my girls alone in the car. We didn’t get any help for two hours or more. If they had been injured, they could have died in that time. You know I’ve been in a coma for almost twelve months and it’s taken me a little time to recall everything that happened.”
“There is nothing in the police report about someone else being inside the vehicle.” White Shirt narrows her gaze at me making me feel as if I’m in the Spanish Inquisition.
I take in the lines around her mouth, and the way she puckers her lips in distaste as she observes my every move. It’s as if she has already made up her mind. “The police only spoke to me a couple of days ago and I explained that Michael was in the car. He wasn’t wearing gloves so his fingerprints will be all over it. It’s a new SUV and to my knowledge he’d never been inside it before that night. The detective who interviewed me said he’ll dust it for prints. It will prove I’m telling the truth.”
“Very well.” White Shirt stands and pushes a notepad into her briefcase. “We’ll review your case once we’ve heard from the police. In the meantime, the restrictions on visiting your children are still active.” She narrows her gaze on me. “If you break the rules, Mrs. Harper, the twins will be placed in fostercare.” She heads for the door and her companion follows close behind. “There’s no need to see us out.”
I turn to Alex and shrug. “They’re a law unto themselves, aren’t they? I don’t believe they listened to a word I said.”
“I know I shouldn’t get involved, Jessie, but I really believe you should have a lawyer present when you speak to them next time.” Alex sat on the arm of the sofa, one leg swinging. “The last comment she made came close to a threat. I’m sure you can go to court to have this ruling reversed.”
I nod. “I’ll speak to John. He’ll know what to do.”
The doorbell chimes and Alex heads to see who’s there. A few seconds later he returns to the family room and raises both eyebrows at me. Concerned, I stand behind him but I can’t see who’s waiting outside. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Alex indicates over one shoulder with his thumb. “It’s your dad. I know you two weren’t seeing eye to eye prior to the accident so I figured I should ask you before I allowed him to come in.”
