Page 97 of Love & Other Disasters

Thirty-Three

AP News

Melvin McAvoy, former CFO of Medi-Health was arrested on the island of Bonaire yesterday. The sixty-seven-year-old is wanted in the United States on charges of felony embezzlement, fraud, securities fraud, and identity theft. Further charges pending. McAvoy is in custody awaiting extradition to the U.S.

Violet stared at her phone, and then she looked up Bonaire. She wasn’t familiar with the country, but it looked like a posh place to hide. Why did all criminals flee to Caribbean islands? What a cliché thing to do. Authorities searching for suspects should start combing islands in the Caribbean. If she were to commit a crime and flee, she’d head for some place frozen and hide in a giant snowsuit.

“They caught Melvin,” she said, when Jill walked through twisting her hair up.

“Really?” she stopped, wearing charcoal gray pants and a light sweater Violet barely recognized her sister. She’d gotten a data entry job at an office. It wasn’t glamourous, but the pay was decent. And she tapped away at her novel every night.

“On an island called Bonaire. Looks like they’re bringing him back for trial.”

“That’s good… right?”

“Well, yeah. I want him to pay for what he did to the company…” her voice trailed off. It also brought up conflicting emotions about what happened with J.P. Had Melvin not stolen, then J.P. wouldn’t have had her investigated. But, if Melvin hadn’t almost destroyed the company they wouldn’t have ever met.

“But, J.P.?”

“Yeah.”

“You miss him.”

“I need to get ready for work,” she stood.

“There’s nothing wrong with admitting you miss him.”

“He’s gone, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“You sure about that?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Even if he was here, I haven’t forgiven him enough to miss him.”

“I don’t think forgiveness has anything to do with whether you miss someone.”

“You’re not my therapist, Jill,” Violet shot, and stomped to the bathroom, slamming the door. Jill’s words struck more of a nerve than they should. And that meant she needed to deal with her unresolved issues surrounding Jordan. But she let him get away, and it seemed pointless to forgive him now. Well, not pointless. Dr. Haytko said forgiveness was for her and not the other person.

Sometimes working toward a healthy emotional well-being was flat out annoying. It was much easier to hide in a state of denial and self-preservation. And contacting J.P. was opening herself up to a vulnerability that only he could exploit. Technically, she could forgive him and not talk to him.

“So, they caught Melvin,” Elle said as they scarfed sandwiches in her office over lunch. As usual, Elle ate at her desk and Violet had taken to eating her food off the coffee table while sitting on the couch.

“On a Caribbean island.”

“Why do people always try to flee to there?”

“Maybe it is the history of pirates in the region?” Violet mused. “It just appeals to the lawless.”

“Or they can try to hide as beach bums?”

“Either way, he’s in jail.”

“Do you think you’ll testify?”

Violet put her sandwich down, no longer hungry. “I hope not. I don’t have anything to offer the prosecution.”

“Defense?”

“What defense? He’s guilty.”

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