Page 35 of Ensnared By Silence
“What did Aubrey tell you about her years in foster care?” Devlin asked before he took a drink.
“She said they were good people who treated her well. Better than most, I’m assuming.”
“And her schooling?” he replied.
“No specifics. I knew she grew up in Lincolnville, but there are eight different public and private high schools. Why?” I asked, looking to Skid for clarification.
Devlin leaned forward, placing his half-drunk beer on the table before he began. His eyes were murderous as he spoke. “She graduated from Lincolnville Preparatory, class of twenty-seventeen. Does that ring any bells with you?”
I shook my head in confusion, and he nodded, rubbing his bearded chin as he watched me. I graduated almost thirteen years ago and haven’t kept track of anyone or anything that was associated with Lincolnville. Seeing something in my confusion, he leaned back and looked at James to finish.
“We went through her social media and it took weeks to find anything. She basically removed herself from all platforms, and it was only after Skid got ahold of a yearbook that things started to make sense.” He ran his hand down his face, worry evident in his green eyes as he continued. “We found her through classmates’ accounts. Digging through years of pictures, we found who she was dating the last year of high school. Fuck, man.”
I stood up, wishing someone would just tell me what the fuck was going on. Skid grasped my shoulder and halted my retreat as he looked at James. With a confirming nod, he explained, “She dated a guy named Tucker. Tucker Prescott.” My eyes grew wide, and my vision grew red as he continued. “From everything I could find, there was a big party on graduation night. I’ve seen pictures of the bonfire, limo, inside the house, and tons of selfies. She was there with him in a couple of the pictures.”
I felt the bile rise in my stomach. “Are you saying the piece of shit stepson of my bitch mother drugged and raped Aubrey on their graduation night? Inside my god damned house?” I roared into the air and gripped my hair in disgust.
He pursed his lips and brought his dead eyes up to mine. “I can’t be sure, but I’ve found where everyone was dropped off, posting their ‘wonderful night’ crap. Everyone but her and him. It’s tough to put it all together from years-old pictures and posts, but from that night forward, she doesn’t appear in anyone’s life, especially his.”
I could have protected her if I had thrown them out years ago. I ran to the edge of the porch and threw up over the side as they gave me a minute. I turned, wiping my mouth as I stormed up to them. “How do I go about killing that little shit?”
“You can’t do anything until we know for sure,” Devlin replied and smirked. “And you aren’t going to do anything. We have ways of handling this kind of thing.”
“If you think I’m going to sit back like a pussy while you avenge my woman, you’re more fucked in the head than I originally thought.”
Devlin stood and marched toward me. I stood my ground as he spoke. “I’m not asking you to stand back and watch shit. What I am asking you to do is gather more fucking information.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to do that? I haven’t spoken five words to that asshole in years.”
“How old were you when they came into the picture?”
“She married Dick Prescott when I was in college. I was nineteen, Tucker was nine, and Wesley was eleven.”
“So, they’ve been living in your family home for almost twelve years?” James asked, and I nodded.
“Give or take a year. How do you want me to get him to admit what he did? He’s an asshole, but he’s smart enough to keep his mouth shut,” I explained as we sat down, and Skid sparked a fat blunt.
“You get on his good side. I did some digging on you and I know you can blend in with those assholes. Lay on the charm, let the liquor flow, spark the weed, and let the little dipshit hang himself,” James responded.
“It will be my word against his.”
“Not with a camera. I have one that looks like a button. I assume your family is having a big Thanksgiving?”
Nodding as I blew smoke into the air, I said, “My mother wants me to come home so she and Dick can use my family foundation to secure business dealings. I told her no.”
“A large gathering is the perfect chance. You can get him away from them and let him talk. If they’re looking to use you, he’ll want to impress you, bragging about things that make him look like a big man. Use that and gather enough to nail them to the wall.”
“And if they don’t give me the information? What kind of justice will Aubrey get?” I asked as I took another large toke off the blunt and passed it. “What if she thinks I’m like them? How do you think she’s going to react when she finds out that asshole who violated her is related to me through marriage?”
“Until we know something, you don’t tell her. She doesn’t need those demons nipping at her.”
“So, I lie? Nope. That never turns out good,” I said, shaking my head.
I wanted to throw up again. I wanted to grab Tucker and wrap my hands around his throat until his heart stopped. I wanted to yell at my mother for raising such a horrible person. I wanted him to suffer like Aubrey suffered, and I felt like my back was against a wall.
“You’re not lying,” Skid explained. “You’re protecting her. There’s a vast difference.”
I failed to see the distinction, but for the time being, I would take their advice and keep Aubrey in the dark. They left shortly after we finished talking with a promise to meet at their office on Monday. Now to figure out how to explain to Aubrey my sudden change of heart about my family Thanksgiving. And why she wasn’t invited.
