Strange in Skin (38 page)

Now I burst out laughing. It sounded more nervous than happy, but I was so thrilled to be hearing
how well the trial had gone for him. It was giving me more hope by the minute.
“They tried to bring in his past offenses. I don’t know. His lawyer seemed to all prove them as
moot, that they had never been proven either, and that this whole thing was based upon a group of
people that just didn’t like Emry and had built up a case around him that didn’t have any solid
foundation to it whatsoever.”

More cars pulled up and a few more people entered the building. We both sat there in the silence
for a few moments. Then Carlin turned toward me.

 

“Listen, I want you to be careful in there. I mean, I don’t know what could possibly happen. I doubt
much, but still. Everyone will be in there, but I’ll be by your side, like I should’ve been all along.”

I stared at her, dumbfounded by her sudden motherly nature about her, surprised that she had it in
her, but I supposed it had been there all along. She had been bitter all these years, not just about
Russell, but about me, too. She had tried to make the right decision for both of us at the time, and I
agreed, fourteen was very young. How could I be angry with her? How could I not sympathize with
her? We were two lost souls drifting around this world without a seemingly knowing cause, the men
we loved out of reach. She was trying to help me make mine somehow within my reach.

“They’re going to be furious with you, too,” I said, reminding her of her role in my escape and how
easily they would guess her involvement.

 

“Those people don’t scare me.” She chuckled lightly. I wasn’t sure if it was just a cover-up. Maybe
they really did frighten her on some level. “So, you ready for this?”

I inhaled deeply and then let it all out trying to rid myself of the butterflies starting to accumulate
rapidly in my stomach. I was dying to see Emry’s face again, but I was terrified of his reaction. I was
terrified that he was going to hear the word guilty. I was terrified that he was going to reject me.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

 

Carlin got out of the car and hurried over to my side. She opened my door and pulled out the
crutches, then helped me up and onto them.

“You good?”
I nodded, the anxiety overwhelming me as I felt like I was about to enter the dragon’s lair.
“We’re a little late going in for the verdict, you know.”
“Are we?” I raised my eyebrows up at her, unsure of what she’d meant.

“Well, yeah. I’m sure they haven’t started yet. There’s probably a bunch of preliminary stuff they
have to get out of the way beforehand. I just kind of figured it’d be best if we were the last ones in.
That way everyone would already be seated inside, and no one could try to stop us before even
getting through the doors.”

Carlin was being pretty smart about this whole thing. I don’t know that I would’ve ever thought of
that. I gave her an immediate look of both surprise and approval. “Okay then. Let’s do this.”
We walked side by side, estranged mother and daughter, up the courtroom stairs as I hobbled along
and she helped to steady me. She opened the heavy front door and I stepped inside. All was quiet. No
one else was in sight.

“Down there.” Carlin pointed to an already closed door just ahead of me on my left.

I hesitated but continued, my hands feeling already clammy with sweat as I gripped onto the
crutches. We met eyes one last time as she lurched open the door to the courtroom and held it open for
me to go inside first. I tried to compose myself as I forced myself in.

Everyone had their backs turned toward me. A group of jurors sat just ahead. They were the only
ones facing me. There were rows of benches, and they were mostly already filled up. I didn’t know
what to do. Where should I sit? Where was Emry? And then I saw him, just the back of his head, his
hair slightly longer than I had remembered, his figure positioned upright as if eager to know what
would become of his future as well. My heart instantly leaped into the air, and I actually gasped at the
sight of the back of his head. I had to get his attention, but how? No one had noticed I’d come in or
even looked my way. And then Carlin stepped in. Her stilettos immediately echoed off the hardwood
floor as she took just a few steps forward. Everyone turned their heads to see whose shoes had made
that sound.

Great. Good job, Carlin
, I thought to myself.

I now recognized everyone as I felt the heat of redness gush into my cheeks at the sudden attention.
Mrs. Anderson and Lauren were towards the front, closer to Emry. They were gawking at me in
astonishment. I wondered if they had been home yet and learned of my sudden disappearance from
their comfy little nest of a basement or if just now the realization had hit them. Lauren looked so
furious I thought he was about to leap out of his seat and lunge for me. I quickly looked away from
them. And then I saw, just a few rows back, my father sitting with some of his police buddies, Buck
among them. He, too, look completely dumbfounded that I was standing there at the entrance of the
courtroom with Carlin.

“Come on,” Carlin urged me, pulling on my arm toward an empty spot to sit in the back.

I started to follow her, but then stopped dead in my tracks. I felt the pair of eyes on me and instantly
knew they belonged to him. They could have burned a hole straight through me and if they did, I
wouldn’t have cared. I turned toward him and met his stare, his beautiful blue eyes locked on me. His
face twisted up in a look of pain as he saw me, and I quickly realized why. I had come in with bruises
on my face and on crutches. He probably was imaging the worst, and I knew he was right for thinking
so. I had stuck my nose in too far, and this was my consequence, and I knew he could read it all from
my face. I pressed my lips together and gave him a little smile. I was glad that he knew I was here,
knew that I supported him still, and hoped that deep down he knew that I was madly in love with him
still.

I tore myself away from his stare and took a seat beside Carlin. I recognized the woman sitting in
front of me. The smell of her cheap perfume invaded my nostrils the moment I got too close to her. It
was Candy, Emry’s ex-wife. She gave me an unwelcome look also but then hurried to turn back
around so all I could see was the back of her bleached hair in its sprayed to death up-do position.

As I set the crutches up beside me and leaned them against the side of the bench, I looked over
toward Emry once again. He put up his hand and waved to me in front of everyone there and added a
gentle smile as he did so. My mouth dropped open. Everyone immediately stared at me once again. I
felt tears well up in my eyes at the gesture, and I too raised my hand to give him a little wave. And
then I watched as he turned back around and faced forward.

I felt Carlin put her hand on mine and realized that my hand was shaking in a nervous tremor. I had
gotten through the worst of it. I was here. I had made it. No one had stopped us. No one had tried to
kill me ... yet.

After several minutes, a short man with a bald head came to the front of the room. I immediately
realized he was the judge, and my heart began to speed up once again. The anticipation in the room
was thick and heavy.

“Good afternoon,” the man bellowed out.
“Good afternoon,” everyone mumbled back.

He put on a pair of glasses and looked out at Emry sitting before him. “We are at a conclusion to
the trial of Mr. Emry Logan and the charge of the murder of Weslie Campbell. Mr. Logan has pled not
guilty. Jurors, have you made a decision?”

A thin, tall man stood. He was at the end of the group of jurors. “We have, your Honor.”
“Good. Please come forward.”

The juror walked up to the judge and handed him a piece of paper. The judge inspected it for a few
moments and then took the glasses back off his face, folded them and set them down on the desk in
front of him.

 

“On the charge of first degree murder of Weslie Campbell, how have you found Emry Logan?” the
judge asked.

 

The tall man smoothed his hand down over the jacket of his suit. I thought it seemed like an eternity
before he opened his mouth.

 

“We find the defendant, not guilty.”

“Oh my,” I hissed, relief rushing over me. Had he really just said those words or had I misheard
them? I looked over at Carlin who had a huge smile on her face. She shrugged. The whole room began
buzzing in awe and surprise. It was obvious that the majority of them totally disagreed with the
decision the jurors had made. I, on the other hand, was so happy I almost was tempted to start crying
right there. “Does that mean he’s free?”

“Free,” Carlin repeated, nodding.

 

Mrs. Anderson immediately stood and made a big production about stomping out of the courtroom.
She scowled at me before exiting the room. I watched Lauren follow. He, however, did not bother to
look down at me.

 

“Well, congratulations, Mr. Logan,” the judge said. “It appears you have your answer.”

I wanted to go over to Emry right away before my father or Buck could get to me first. I didn’t want
to talk to them. I reached out for my crutches as I saw Emry stand and shake the hand of the man next
to him. I realized that that must be his top notch attorney as Carlin had described him. He was older
but very neat and well-kept. He smiled at Emry and shook his hand furiously as I was sure they were
both exchanging excited words about their victory.

“Carlin?”
“Huh?”
“Who is Emry’s lawyer?”

She took a moment to try to recall the name. “I think it was something like Ben. Ben Hanley, I
believe.”
“Hanley?” The word sliced through me just then like a knife. I immediately became stricken with
panic. I knew
exactly
where I had heard that name before. When I had visited the town of Elverson
and ran into the little girl named Lucy and she had brought me into her mother’s house who had told
me about a woman named Hanley, the same woman presumed to have been Mrs. Anderson, perhaps
her maiden name, but the same person.

Carlin instantly read my face. “Why do you look like that? What’s wrong?”

I closed my eyes for a moment as I felt Emry’s tiny moment of freedom, of happiness vanishing
quickly moment by moment. Mrs. Anderson had planned this whole thing out. She didn’t want him to
be sentenced as guilty. She wanted him free to walk out of here so she could have him killed. I felt the
tremor return in my hand and I felt wobbly even with the crutches.

“Annie?” Carlin reached her arms out as if she were about to catch me if I passed out. “Are you
okay?”
“No. It’s bad, very bad,” I mumbled.

A crowd of people still lingered in the courtroom. I caught another glimpse of Emry speaking with
his attorney still and another man who had approached him.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I know.” I had to think fast but my mind was spinning. How could I stop this from happening?
“You said his name’s Ben Hanley.”

 

“So?”

“There was another case similar to this one. I don’t have time to tell you the whole story, but
another guy was found innocent just like this and was murdered as he left the courtroom. The woman
believed to be involved in helping to get that man behind bars originally was named Hanley also.”

She gave me a stumped expression. “I’m really not following.”

I sighed irritated that she couldn’t understand, but really, how could she? She had no idea what was
going on. I was the only one in this entire room besides those who had evil intentions for Emry who
even had a clue. “It was Mrs. Anderson. Mrs. Anderson’s name used to be Hanley. That man’s name
is Hanley. Don’t you see? They’re related. They have to be.”

Carlin looked past me to see where Ben Hanley stood. “Like siblings?”
I shrugged.
“You think Mrs. Anderson is going to try to kill Emry when he leaves the building?”
She was finally catching on. I nodded.
“Are you sure?”

My stomach felt like there was a brick in it. I felt as if I could throw up at any moment, but I had
other things to worry about than my emotions. I tried to focus on how I could get Emry out of here,
alive. “If that guy is her relative somehow, maybe he was in on it,” I whispered. “This was all a
scheme of hers. Don’t you see? Ben Hanley was in on it. He’s working
with
her so Emry will get out
of the building and that’ll give her or someone she’s hired the chance to get a shot at him.”

“I don’t know how you know all this,” Carlin said. “But you have to go to him and tell him
everything you’ve just told me.”

My eyes skimmed over the thinning crowd of people. I saw Emry now turned in my direction. It
looked like he was searching for me as well. Our eyes met. Sadness flooded over me at the thought of
someone trying to kill him, of someone wanting him dead. He was too beautiful to be lifeless. He was
too beautiful to be mine, but I wanted him, selfishly so. Then he smiled.

I started to make my way over to him, struggling with the crutches on the way. And then I stood
before him, finally. There were no barriers between us. There was just us face to face. I felt the tears
rush into my eyes as I buried my face into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight
just letting me cry on him for a moment. Then I bent my head backwards and peered up at him. He
grinned again.

“What happened to you?” he asked.
I wiped away the wetness from my face with my arm. “You don’t want to know.”

“No, probably not.” He gave me a wary look as if trying to figure it out but regretting doing so. “I
can’t believe you’re here.”
“I would’ve been for the whole thing had I even known or had I …”

He raised his eyebrows.
“Like I said, never mind.”

A sudden anger burned within him as I could tell he got the general concept. He hugged me tight
again, pressing his head down against mine. I wasn’t sure who was watching us. I’m sure people
were staring, but this was one time I absolutely had no cares about anyone else but the most important
person holding me in his arms. I had craved for this moment for months. I had tried to even forget
about him, but Emry Logan wasn’t someone to just cast out of the mind so easily.