Me Before You (3 page)

He spent the night duplicating documents, and when Spencer arrived in the morning, the service was over and he returned the originals.

After thanking his friend, Richard prepared breakfast and took it to Annie's room. She coughed and sneezed all the time and as much as he insisted she could only eat a little bit.

Richard changed the bed linen and helped her to lie down again, which she did without protest. In fact, she seemed not to notice his presence, falling asleep soon after.

Taking advantage that she was sound asleep, he decided to examine the tapes and notes. Who knows he could remember something else had happened at the time ... It was not unusual for a police to forget details of their cases, much less that he had always been respected for his phenomenal memory capacity.

He entered back to the room, settling behind the narrow desk and, with his head in his hands, he thought: "Who knows I can recover memory, focus on what happened before this case started?"

Unveiled gradually the forgetfulness that had imposed since the fateful day when his wife and young son lost their lives, victims of a reckless drunk driver that barely remembered the accident.

His thoughts returned to the Day of Judgment, the killer driver who stood and received with a cynical smile the minimum sentence imposed.

Forcing Richard’s memories, he suddenly remembered the elegantly woman who had accompanied Harris the courthouse, and heard her comment:

- Didn’t I say that everything was going to work?

At that moment, Richard had put in front of them and forced to stop. He just wanted to face in the eyes the man who took him the best that he had.

Harris blanched and lamely justified:

- It’s not my fault, it was an accident.

Richard's eyes, enraged by hatred that gnawed his chest, made the man flinch and turn to the woman who accompanied him, seeking protection.

It was clear how much Harris leant that woman. Perhaps on the day of the accident, when he was taking her home, she had encouraged him driving at high speed intoxicated.

Funny ... Richard concluded in thought, he will never the image of that man, but the woman had cleared up completely until now.

Spencer had been with Richard during all sessions of the trial. He was a great friend. And when he saw Harris challenging the court's door, she took him by the arm and pulled away as quickly as possible. The two were drown his sorrows in the first watering hole they found.

- Take a vacation - Spencer insisted, between sips.

- No - Richard answered. - On the contrary. Now I need to sink at work.

I know, but this state of mind...

- I overcome. You will see.

And that's what Richard did. From there on, the only reason he found out in the morning to get out of the bed, was the dedication to his work, he worked hard for hours until complete exhaustion. Maybe that's why his memory was impaired to the point of forgetting many details of that occasion.

But he needed to remember...

He rubbed his forehead with his right hand, sliding his fingers in a gentle rocking motion, as if he could clarify the ideas.

Thoughts turned to Tom Phelps, the owner of a small building, which had been found dead with a head injury caused by a heavy instrument.

Richard was in charge of the investigation, and all the clues found pointing toward Annie Pearce.

While he was remembering the facts, he decided to put one of the tapes in the video and immediately recognized his own voice asking Annie:

- Let's go back to the fight you had with Phelps, Mrs. Anderson.

- It was just an argument. He tried to win me over and I put him in place.

- It was not what his neighbours said. According to them, the fight was violent. They heard screams and curses.

- I was nervous. Phelps was just a disgusting worm.

- A worm that needed to be crushed?

- I didn’t kill him, if that's what you're implying. He was very much alive when I left the building. Moreover, I was miles away when the body was found.

- You told me you were in Windsor, but so far and not even a witness who saw you there. Isn’t that strange? Don’t you remember having talked to someone that day?

- I went there just to be alone. I was very disgusted with Phelps behaviour.

Richard analyzed with criticism their behaviour by observing the scene on the screen before her. He looked like a caged lion, circling around the table and, occasionally, staring at prey with glare. It's a shame that, at that time, he didn’t noticed what seemed to him now so evident in the voice of Annie ... A bored and worried tone, but not frightened. It was as if she knew it was a mistake that would be clarified soon. Instead, the face he saw on the screen was a sick and obsessed man who kept repeating:

- Let's start all over again from the beginning.

- Oh, no ... Again!?

*****

After three days of rest, the fever had finally given in and Annie’s body didn’t hurt anymore.

She puts on thick socks that Richard had left her, puts the robe on and left the room.

As she coursed through the long corridor, she watched the wide and old rooms. The house appeared to have been built a century ago.

By going through a window, she looked out the window and noticed that down there was a large garden where those commonly, we see children playing with balls and dogs. But it was completely empty.

Everything was quiet and there was no sign of Richard. The last room had the door closed. Maybe he was there ... She imagined and knocked insistently. Nothing happened. She decided to force the lock and noticed that was open. She opened and peeked inside, finding that it was a work room, packed with electronic equipment.

Unable to master her curiosity she entered, approaching the table where was the video unit, noticed the label of one of the scattered ribbons on the mobile, which read: 3rd Interrogation – 23rd of February.

With her heart pounding she remembered that the 3rd interview she had with Richard was on that day. It was so...

Without waiting any longer, she introduced the box into the appropriate slot and pressed the control button. And the screen immediately lit up with amazement and she saw herself with the features and Richard upset with his back to the camera, telling her in rough tone:

It must have been easy to kill Phelps. He was a horrible man and you are not as fragile as you seem to be...

The insinuation was so nasty, that interrogated lost his head and made crazy hurtled against the man who bluntly accused her of a heinous crime that she would never have had the courage to commit.

And the worst that could happen at that time, to hinder him further position who claimed innocence, was having uncontrolled advanced towards a police, demonstrating the explosive temperament he was looking for.

Richard was shielding his face from those sharp nails, while he hold her wrists and kept saying:

- Was like this attacked Phelps, hitting him with the candle holder?

- I didn’t kill him!!! How many times do I have to repeat it? - She insisted, struggling to get rid of the claws imprisoning her arms.

- The candle holder contains your fingerprints and Phelps and no one else. How do you explain that? - He went on repeating it, the main evidence that pointed her as author of the crime.

Annie, with trembling hands, hung up the phone and sighed deeply to control emotion. Then she began to rummage through other tapes and saw it was all other interviews she had with him. It caught her attention a folder of envelope type, which was half-open. She hastened to examine its content but, by accident, the folder escaped from her hands falling on the ground, scattering belongings everywhere.

Not surprised to find her photos and newspaper clippings that exposed the sensational headlines of the horrendous case, referring to it as "The Candle Killer".

"Why was Richard examining all this?" She reflected. "Probably to clear his name, for was not because of me." She thought and went out.

Finding the kitchen, she took the opportunity to have a glass of milk and eat something. There was no sign of Richard. She returned to the bedroom and lay on the bed to rest the body still weak and staring at the ceiling, remained for long time meditating on what she would do in her life.

It was almost four o'clock in the afternoon, when she decided to call to her mother. At this time, Jimmy should have arrived from school and perhaps she would have the good fortune for her son answer the call.

She sat on the bed and reached for the phone.

With trembling fingers to dial the desired number, Annie didn’t notice the noise from the door opening and didn’t hear Richard entering.

She gulped when she heard Frank's mother at the other end.

- I wanted to talk to Jimmy - she asked firmly.

- I'm sorry, but you can’t - the woman said, with the familiar coolness that Annie hated so much. She added: - It’s better not to connect any more.

- I have the right - shouted indignantly. - He's my son and no one will separate him from me.

- Try to understand that Frank and I are just doing it for the good of Jimmy. - Clarified the ex-mother in law and hung up the phone.

Annie slammed the phone tightly and clenching her wrists pounded the mattress several times, cursing aloud.

Thanks! Calm down! - Richard intervened, touching her shoulders. - This will not help.

She spun around facing him and said:

- I know that doesn’t help, but at least I vent.

- What did Frank said?

- It was my ex-mother in law. And she doesn’t let me talk to Jimmy.

- Hmm ... - Richard grunted thoughtfully. - I'll make coffee - was all he said, and then went down to the kitchen.

Annie followed shortly after.

- Good to see you're better looking - he said as he puts a mug with water to heat up.

- Physically, yes. I just can’t remember details of what happened. I remember only that I was in the middle of a park and it rained a lot.

- That's where I found you. You were drenched with fever and almost unconscious. Then I brought you here. I didn’t went to your flat to pick up clothes as I was afraid that some reporters were still there and they follow me.

- Doen’t matter. There was nothing important to catch. What I have is only what they provide to prisoners when they leave in freedom. And by the way, what happened to my shirt?

- I sent it to the laundry and haven’t arrived yet.

- But why so much care? You could put it in there - said, pointing to the washing machine.

He felt embarrassed ... Although at the moment plight has him stripped her nightgown, couldn’t explain, by a kind of modesty which didn’t dare wash it himself.

- My friend Paula, who is a doctor, watched you - he said, as he brought two cups in hands and deposited on the table, sitting in front of Annie. She served him coffee.

She slurped the first sip slowly for fear of burning her tongue, so hot that it was the delicious liquid. After she commented:

- I need to call Mia to come get me.

- Why don’t you stay for a few days?

Annie looked up and prudently justified.

- Look, I'm very grateful for what you did for me, but this does not change my position.

- I know ... But there's a lot I'd like to talk to you.

- Talk to me? - She joked. - I think everything has been said three years ago.

Richard took the cup to his lips, to create a break and try to keep a calm dialogue. Then he pointed out:

- I'm reviewing the interrogation and there are things in them that are intriguing me.

- What for example? As the truth was distorted?

- Listen, Annie. I am not claiming or denying anything, but I didn’t hide that report. I just do not remember. It is as if my memory had gone out at some point.

She raised an eyebrow and with clear disbelief on her face, asked:

- As an experienced police could you simply forget a report?

At that time, Richard noticed how difficult it was to get the truth out. If he told about the accident with his wife and son and how was his state of mind at that time, perhaps she would understand better. For this however, it was necessary to expose his wounds and he was too proud to support a pity gesture of this woman who had everything to hate him. He just said:

- I was very busy.

- Didn’t sound through the patience that was around me.

- You are jumping to conclusions - he warned.

- It was what you did too?

The mood changed and the two looked at each other challenging.

- The evidence against you was overwhelming. Aside from that witness...

- And the report which mysteriously disappeared - completed her, almost shouting.

- Can you hear me for a moment? - He pleaded, huskily.

- Hearing you out will it make a difference? Does it did bring back my reputation, the three years of life lost and above all my son? What do you know about spending every minute of the day thinking about the child who has not the right to be with his mother?

- And taking a short breath to calm down, she finished:

- If there is a way to repair the damage caused me, I really don’t know.

"Discovering the real killer," he thought. But he said nothing, because he was not fully convinced of Annie’s innocence. Reviewing the interrogations had brought many questions, but this was still not enough.

For a few minutes both were silent, until Annie decided:

- I'll call my lawyer. The sooner I get out of here, the better.

Rising up, she returned to the room carrying the cup of coffee.

- Massey and Fisher - announced the receptionist to answer the call.

- I would like to talk to Mia - asked Annie.

- I'm sorry. She took a few days off to care of her daughter who has the flu.

Annie wrinkled his nose in disgust and asked:

- Then I need to talk to Dr. Massey please.

- A minute please - asked the girl.

While waiting impatiently Annie drummed her fingers on the table beside the bed. She had no desire to talk to Massey, a harsh and pedantic man, but ... she was so desperate. When the lawyer answered, Annie explained the situation to him:

- Why don’t you go back to the flat? - He asked.

- Because the press found me there and doesn’t give me any peace.

- And where are you now?

- Temporarily in Richard Edwards home. And that is the problem. I can’t stay here.

- Hmm ... - the man grumbled. - I think you should take advantage of the situation ... If you could attract this man to our side, it would be easier to win the lawsuit against Frank. Give me the address and I'll send you some money. But, I warn you in advance that it will not be much.

- Thank you - Annie replied a little annoyed. - Once the compensation arrives, I’ll return the money to you.

By the time she hung up the phone, Richard entered the room carrying a tray, getting to hear the end of the conversation:

- If you needed money, why don’t you sell your story to the press? They were offering a good deal - criticized him, with sarcasm and resentment. - And besides, it was a good opportunity to tell the world what you think of me.

- I didn’t because of my son. More sensationalism only would hurt him and would mean better conditions for Frank to keep him away from me.

- Speaking of Frank, doesn’t he help financially?

She gave a bitter laugh:

- Frank? All he wants is to see me out of the way to win custody of Jimmy. I hate him!

In the beautiful round table, Richard arranged a small snack with boiled eggs and bacon, inviting Annie to eat:

- Come and eat a little. There were days you didn’t eat right. - And, throwing a nasty insinuation: - You must be very strong, you have many people to hate...

She just takes a sip of tea he had brought, and said nothing about his insinuation. Contrary to what he thought, she sat at the table and, in an instant, devoured the snack.

- Hmm ... It was delicious - murmured satisfied. - I must admit you are an excellent cook.

A brief smile did disappear for a moment, the usual serious side of Richard's features.

- Newspapers have talked a lot about the day of your disappearing - he said, as he picked up the tray dishes used.

- I wonder ... - she sighed. - And the fact that you have been there must have them provided enough subject for rumours.

He shook his head:

- They mention a mysterious man. We were very lucky that none of them recognized me.

- Yeah ... I think it's the first drop of luck I have in recent years...

- As I said before, this is the best place for you to hide until things are clarified.

- What things? Is that why you have all those interrogations tapes?

- Have you seen them? - Amazed.

- Only for a glance. I don’t need to see them to remember everything that happened in those interviews. - And with a dry look said: - What's that Mr. Edwards? Do you have a guilty conscience attack?

- It would be too much to ask you to call me Richard? - He said, without understanding very well how he felt about that woman, he was sentenced to prison. He was confused.

- Yes would be. - She confirmed without raising her eyes, despite the care he dispensed her – there was still a huge resentment she harboured against that man.

- Well - he explained. - I have examined all the tapes to see if I can remember the details.

- And will it make any difference now?

- Not sure, but I must try. If you are really innocent...

He hesitated, afraid of going too far.