Self Destruct (18 page)

Aiden

I snuck out to the back porch after Becca lay down to take a nap.  I took her phone, because I wanted to call her dad.  I wasn’t sure if it was what she would want me to do, but I wanted to start out right. 

I wasn’t going to ask her father for her hand, because he
didn't seem too involved in her life. But I wanted to try for his blessing.  Just to cover my bases I planned to speak to her step-dad too.

I was surprised that Becca thought I should invite my mother to our wedding.  After the way my mother treated her I was sure Becca would be happy if I excluded my mom.  I should have known better.  Becca has the biggest heart of any person I have ever met.  She certainly loves harder than I have ever experienced. 

My hands were shaking.  I decided to call my father for advice first.  “Hey dad.  Do you have a minute to talk?”  “I always have time for you Aiden.” 

“Is mom ever going to come around about Becca?”
I asked quickly.  I could hear his frustrated sigh.  “I wish I could tell you she would.  Nadine is a stubborn woman.  I don’t know Aiden.  I think in time she will come to realize you are not going to marry Vanessa, and she will come around.”

“Any possibility that will occur in the next two weeks?”
I asked tentatively. “You got that girl pregnant didn’t you?” he grumbled.  “Fuck, is that what everyone is going to think?”  I roughly ran my hand through my hair. 

“Am I wrong?”
he asked.  I expelled a frustrated breath.  “No, you're right.  She’s pregnant.”  “Dammit Aiden!  I know I taught you to use protection.  I can’t understand how you make this mistake twice,” my dad yelled. 

“My baby is not a mistake.  Poorly timed, yea
h, but I’m happy about this dad.” “What about that poor girl?  Shit son, she’s barely twenty-one.  I’m willing to bet you are her first too.  What kind of living is she going to get a chance to do?” He asked disappointedly.

“Why don’t you tell me what you really think?  Yeah I’m her first, and I’ll be her last too.  And for your information we were careful.  Hell of a lot of good it
did when she got drugged by one of my friends and had to have her stomach pumped. 

Oh and the new doctor at the hospital forgot to tell us that the antibiotics
he prescribed made the pill ineffective.  How the fuck were we supposed to take precautions for that?” 

“I’m sorry.  I just don’t want to see you hurt again is all.  Hell, I don’t want to go through it again either.  I loved that baby too.  It was way too early in my life to be a grandfather, but I loved that baby.”

“School lets out in two weeks for winter break.  We are heading to Vegas the day after.  I have found a theme-wedding package that will still let Becca have the wedding she wanted.  For some reason she has it stuck in her head that if I don’t invite mom to our wedding I'm going to regret it.  I disagree.  I'll invite her because it is important to Becca, but I won't tolerate mom treating her badly.  Especially now.”

“What is really wrong Aiden?  When I heard your voice I could tell you were
upset. Then you admitted Becca is pregnant, and I thought you must be worried because of the pregnancy.  Except, you sound happy about getting married and becoming a father.  So what is bothering you?” my dad asked concerned. 

I swallowed hard trying to keep the tears away.  It was stupid to cry about it
now, when she was home resting and safe.  Still, the image of Becca lying pale and unconscious in a hospital bed will haunt me for years.

“
It's stress.  Becca has been having a difficult pregnancy.  We had no idea what was going on.  She took a pregnancy test over the holiday, but it was negative.  She made a doctor’s appointment yesterday, and we should hear from them tomorrow about her blood test results. Talk about a day late. 

Anyway, she passed out yesterday when she went to visit Toni, and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.  She has extreme morning sickness, and
was dehydrated and anemic.  They rehydrated her, and prescribed her some vitamins and something to ease the nausea.  She’s going to be fine, but it scared the shit out of me.”

“I’m not sure if springing a wedding on your mother is a great idea.  She would probably cause a scene.  I don’t think you should tell her too soon either, it would g
ive her too much time to scheme,” my dad reasoned.  “What
do
you suggest then?” 

“I think I should tell her the day before.  I’ll take her to a cabin in the woods, and conveniently forget her electronics at home.  If she can handle herself I’ll drive us to the airport.  If not, I’ll cancel her ticket and leave her with the car.  Don’t worry about this part.  I’ll handle your mother, I’ve been doing it for years.”  “Thanks dad,” I sighed.  “You just take care of my future daughter-in-law and grandchild.  I’ll see you in Vegas.”

My pocket started vibrating, and I remembered I had Becca’s phone. I didn’t recognize the number.  I was going to let it go to voice mail, because I wasn't in the habit of answering her phone, but something felt important about this call.  I slid my finger across the screen and accepted the call.

“Becca’s phone,” I answered.  “Hello… uh, is Rebecca Scott available?” a strong female voice requested.  “She’s resting right now.  This is Aiden Ryan, her fiancé, may I help you?”  “Mr. Ryan, I’m Jus
tine Mathews, Assistant District Attorney for Pueblo County, Colorado.  I really need to speak with her.  I have urgent news.  Can you wake her, please?” 

“I’d rather not.  She was in the emergency room most of yesterday, and is under doctor’s orders to rest.  Does this urgent news have anything to do with the sleazy defense lawyers hired by Vincent James?” 

“I really shouldn’t be discussing this matter with you Mr. Ryan.  I would like to try and keep the victim’s privacy in tact as much as possible,” Justine Mathew explained. 

“And I am extremely grateful for that.  She hates the idea of anyone knowing what happened to her.  I want to know why those two lawyers are here, and what you advise us to do about them?” I
persisted.

“Rebecca has not been added to any official witness lists.  The only way they could have gotten her
name as a possible witness was for Dr. James to give it to them.  Those two have nasty reputations for intimidation.  I fear that they are only there to prevent Rebecca from agreeing to testify. 

I will call
before
she is put on any list as a potential witness list, since she would have to agree to testify.  Until she is put on a list she is under no legal obligation to talk to Dr. James’ lawyers.  If they come around again you may call the police and file harassment charges.  Hell, call them now.”

“If she is called as a witness will she have to talk to them then?” I asked for clarification.  “Not alone she won’t,” A.D.A Matthews vowed.  “Good.  Will she have to see
him
?” I asked. “Unfortunately he has a constitutional right to face his accusers.  I hope that this is something Rebecca can do, she doesn’t have to,” A.D.A. Matthews answered honestly.  “I don’t want her to do it,” I admitted. 

“Look, Ms. Matthews, I really want to see this guy go away for a really long time.  I don’t want Becca to live with the guilt of not helping if he isn’t found guilty.  However, we just found out yesterday that Becca is pregnant. 

She overheard those two assholes asking her best friend where they could find her and passed out.  She has had extreme morning sickness, and the doctor told us to keep her from getting too stressed out.  As you can see, I don’t want her to help.  The health of my soon to be wife and baby are at risk here.” 

“Thanks for your honesty Mr. Ryan.  I wouldn’t want to allow any further damage to happen to Rebecca
because of this monster.  Don’t give any information to those two sharks.  If they turn up anything about her health tell them she is still going to testify, and they can speak to her at the deposition. 

I am going to bluff my ass off and see what we can accomplish without her testimony.  No promises, but I am going to try.”  “Well that is something.  I’m not promising I am going to let her testify,” I declared.  “Let her?” Ms. Matthews challenged. 

I barely held back a growl.  “Yes, let her.  I have been in the emergency room with her twice in about as many months.  If anything happened to her or our baby I think it would kill me.  So for my own sanity I can’t let her risk testifying.”  “Why was she hospitalized the first time?” Ms. Matthews questioned.

I explained what Nick did, and how it resulted in an unplanned pregnancy.  I poured out all of the tension from my parents, hers, and even a bit about Vanessa.  I think that Ms. Matthews recognized I needed to talk, and she was good at listening.  I never pour out my feelings like that,
well except to Becca, but I didn’t want to burden her with all of this right now.  She needed to relax.

“My, my, Mr. Ryan, this certainly has been a difficult time for the two of you. That poor girl.  I can’t believe she almost suffered another sexual assault.  I will do everything in my power to bring this sick bastard down without Rebecca’s help.  Please, relay to Rebecca she is not yet a witness, and not to speak to those hired
lackeys.  I’ll be in touch.”

I hung up with Ms. Mathews, and it was as if her call conjured the two pricks out of nowhere.  They loudly shut the doors to their rental sedan and walked toward the front of the house without seeing me sitting on the back porch.  I walked around to intercept them. 

I folded my arms across my chest, and stood in the middle of the top step, effectively halting their progress.  Part way down the block I noticed Officer Martin pull into his driveway, probably getting off of working the day shift.  He cocked his head back, silently asking if I needed assistance, and I nodded yes.  He shut the door to his truck, and walked across the street.

“Mr. Ryan, we are going to speak to Miss Scott.  She is a witness in an upcoming trial, and our client has a right to confront his accusers,” suit two pressured. 

Officer Martin leapt up onto the porch.  He looked a lot closer to my age out of uniform.  “Hey Aiden, how’s it going?” he asked.  “It’s going.  How are you Officer Martin?”  I stressed his job title, because I wanted the two suited snakes to hear it. Also, I didn’t know his first name.  “Please, call me Reed,” Officer Martin said with a smirk.  “

His genial expression wiped quickly off his face when he turned to address the lawyers.  “Gentleman, it doesn’t appear that my neighbor is very appreciative of your presence on his property.  What is your business here?”  The lawyers turned their condescending gaze toward
Reed.

“We have been trying for the last few days to speak to Miss Rebecca Scott, but we have been prevented from speaking to her by her friend and Mr. Ryan here,” lawyer two sneered. 

“Exactly what do you need to speak to Rebecca about?” Reed demanded.  “We have some questions to ask her regarding her upcoming testimony,” lawyer number one answered.

“Funny thing,” I began, “I just spoke to the A.D.A for Pueblo County, Colorado, and she told me Becca has not been listed as a witness.  Apparently, the only person that could have connected her to this case is the accused.”  “Good point.  And if the accused has informed his hired guns that she
might
be listed as a witness, most law enforcement would assume he is guilty of what he is accused of,” Reed thought aloud.

“I was also informed that if she is listed as a witness we would definitely know about it first, since she would have to first agree to testify.  If she does agree to testify the prosecutor’s office will set up a deposition to allow the defense to ask her questions,” I added. 

“Another good point.  It makes me think they are here more to try and convince her not to testify than they care to get any important information from her,” Reed added.

It felt like I was punched in the gut.  I looked at the two lawyers, who were trying not to allow the
truth to show on their faces, but they were doing a bad job of it.  That was it, the reason they were so desperate to speak to her.  They wanted to intimidate her away from the trial.  I looked at Reed.  He shook his head at me to prevent me from speaking. 

A nasty sneer spread across the
face of suit two.  “I think it's in the best interest of Miss Scott that she understands what kind of information might come out during the trial.  Things like rumors of her promiscuity, wild partying, and heavy drinking.  She might want to consider what kind of future she will have if all of that becomes part of the public record.”

I took a step forward, with my fists clenched. 
Reed clasped his hand firmly on my shoulder, and held me in place.  “If the only business you have in Ellensburg is to speak to Rebecca, I suggest you return to Colorado.  I will be contacting the Pueblo County Prosecutor’s office and letting them know you have been harassing Rebecca Scott.  I am also going to inform my colleagues of your behavior, and if we are alerted to you trying to contact her again you will be arrested.  Have I made myself clear?” Reed threatened.

The lawyers stalked back toward their rental car.  The hotheaded lawyer made a phone call on his way down the sidewalk.  His face turned a purplish red, and he was shouting at whoever was on the other end of the call. 
He glanced back at me, and I knew he was talking about me specifically to whom ever he was arguing with.  I guess they weren’t too happy about being blocked at seeing her.  I would have to verify that they returned to Colorado.