Page 53 of Last Chance Christmas
“Aw, come on, guys.” He pushed off the counter and stood, facing them both. “I’m trying here. And I’m telling you, my gut says something else is going on. Like she’s hiding something, or there’s more to it than she’s telling us.”
“You’re right.”
The three of them spun around to see Della standing in the doorway. Even in her joggers and cropped sweatshirt, hair loose and falling down in shiny black waves, she was gorgeous. No makeup or stiff uniform to project a sense of formality, just Della.
She slumped into a chair and brought her leg up, her arms wrapped around the one knee while the other leg dangled down. “I can’t do it anymore,” she whispered. Her eyes were a little red and puffy, like she’d been crying.
Anthony’s heart tugged. “Della, we’re here to help you. You don’t have to do this alone.”
Penny reached over and gave Della’s arm a little squeeze. “What’s going on, Nix? What were we right about?”
Della looked up and swallowed hard. “I lied.”
“About what?” Penny asked.
“Vaynes.”
The room went silent. Only the sputter of the coffee maker and whir of the fan could be heard.
The misery on Della’s face and the tears shimmering in her big brown eyes hit Anthony in the chest like a battering ram. He stilled, not wanting to spook her and stop the confession.
After a shuddering breath, Della continued. “I never saw him. I lied on the stand and said I did, but I didn’t. I never actually saw Jason Vaynes when Lily and I were captured.” She blew out a long, shaky breath.
How long had she been carrying that around? More questions flooded Anthony’s mind. “Are you saying it was someone else? That you falsely accused him?”
Della’s head shot up. “No! It was him. I know it was. Like I told you before, he kept me drugged most of the time I was captured. And he had a creepy mask on anytime he came into the room where I was chained. But I could hear his voice. Hear Lily begging and screaming. And when I was awake, Lily told me everything. It was the same guy from the bar. She described him.”
“So it was still Vaynes who did it,” Penny said. “Why did you lie?”
“I have no doubt it was him. But I knew. If I took the stand and told the truth, that I never actually saw him, as drugged up as I was, there was a good possibility his lawyer could discredit me. The prosecutor told me there wasn’t a lot of physical evidence tying Vaynes to the crime scene. I realized my testimony was vital to putting him away. And I—” She paused a moment. “I couldn’t let there be any chance of his getting away with it. Not after Lily died to help me escape.” Tears tracked down her face as she looked up at Anthony.
He could understand it. How many times had his own testimony as a cop been twisted or misconstrued, allowing a criminal to go free? He couldn’t imagine what it would’ve been like for Della to take the stand under those circumstances and have her witness torn to shreds.
The injustice of it burned, to know Vaynes had done the unthinkable to vulnerable young women and could’ve gotten away with it. Because she wasn’t wrong. It happened more than it should. And even now, he ran loose, still tormenting Della.
He approached the table slowly and sat across from her.
“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. I can understand why you did it. Probably would’ve been tempted to do the same in your shoes. But regardless of your case, he’s still a convicted criminal who escaped and needs to be brought in. He still attempted murder today—twice, if he’s the one who tampered with your mask and set off that extinguisher. So yeah, our focus needs to be about bringing him in. And I’m definitely not going to let him get near you again.”
Della’s shoulders lifted and pulled back, maybe helping her take the first full breath she’d taken in a long time. Her eyes were clear and focused, no more shadows or darkness hiding in them.
But he also had to tell her the truth. “But once he’s captured, Della, we’ll have to face the truth about the perjury. We can’t keep hiding.”
“I know it’s the right thing to do, but my grandmother and I are in process to become foster care providers. If I’m charged with perjury, it will be a felony on my record, and there’s no way they’ll accept me. Not to mention I could lose my job.”
Bryce set down his mug. “You’re right. And it will take a lot of guts to come clean. But sometimes the right thing is the hard thing.”
“And some good legal counsel will help too.” Penny squeezed her hand from across the table. “But more than that, God can do amazing things with the broken pieces of our lives. We don’t want to limit Him. When we choose our way over His, it’s really about our lack of trust. And that lie is gonna eat you up from the inside out.”
Della blew out a long breath. “It already has.” She looked up at them with tears hovering on her lashes. “But I’m scared. What if they let him go free? What if I lose everything?”
“You won’t lose us.” Anthony needed her to hear him. He was finally seeing the woman behind the aloof mask. He could see how fear and trauma would make her think that lying was the only option. But he didn’t want her to have to live that way. “The truth will set you free, Della. And whatever happens, we’ll stand with you come what may. For now, let’s keep you safe and capture Vaynes.”
“You guys are gonna help?”
“You’re one of us, Della. We take care of our own.” Penny looked over at Anthony and Bryce. “Right, guys?”
“Right.” They answered together.
