Vanessa
Vanessa checked Opal’s seatbelt to make sure it was tight. Mari was already in the passenger seat. She turned to face Hunter. “I wish you were coming with us.”
“Me too. We have to get things ready, though.”
“I know, I just hate the idea of being away from you all day.”
“You think you hate it?” He shook his head. “You have your gun on you?”
She nodded and patted her purse, where her handgun was currently stored. “Stay close to your phone?”
“Obviously. We’ll check in often.”
“Okay.” She let out a deep sigh. “Guess I’ll see you tonight then.”
He gave her a long, hard kiss and let her go. She climbed into the car and started it, then put down the window. “Hey,” she said. “Don’t get yourself killed or anything.” She said it in a light tone, but she meant every word.
“You either.” He leaned down to kiss her. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
He stood up and they drove off.
“When did that happen?” Mari asked, a smirk on her face.
Vanessa playfully slapped her. “Shut up.”
“What happened?” Opal asked from the backseat.
“Nothing honey,” Vanessa said.
“Oh, your mommy just fell in love is all.”
Opal grinned. “With Hunter.”
“Do you like him?” Mari asked.
Opal nodded enthusiastically. “I want him to be my new daddy.”
Vanessa beamed. So long as they both made it out of this alive, he just might be.
They turned into Mari’s parents’ farm house some time later. The plan was to spend the day, have some nice quality time together before the big meeting the next day. “Who knows what might go wrong,” Mari had said. “Take the day and enjoy it.”
So, now they were here. Vanessa and Opal would get to meet Mari’s parents, who Opal would stay with that night and the next day. Vanessa didn’t want Opal anywhere near the area when things could be happening. And so many things could happen in the next days. It was better to have her here, safe.
“What should we do first, Mommy?” Opal said excitedly as they got out of the car. “I can show you the swing or we can go for a walk or play a game.”
“Let’s go inside and meet the Snyder first, okay?” Vanessa said and reached out her hand for Opal to take it.
“Okay.”
They went inside and were introduced to Mari’s mom and step-dad. They hugged them both and seemed like the most welcoming and gentle people Vanessa had ever met. No wonder Mari was the way she was. She was just like them.
After a small mid-morning snack of muffins and tea, Vanessa and Opal wandered outside. Opal ran over to the swing and Vanessa stood behind her, pushing her on the swing hung from the giant tree.
“It’s so pretty here,” Vanessa said.
“Yeah. I like it. Maybe we could all get a house like this someday.”
“I hope so.” She could picture it. Opal playing out back, Hunter working on his car or fixing something, her baking pies for their dessert. It seemed like a perfect little family portrait.
“You really do like Hunter?” Vanessa asked.
She nodded.
“You can tell me the truth if you don’t.”
“But I do!”
“Okay.” Vanessa laughed at her enthusiasm. “Do you ever miss our old house?”
“Yeah. But I don’t want to go back there.”
“Me either. Why don’t you want to ?”
“I don’t want to live with Daddy again. It was too scary.”
“I know and that’s why we left. So Daddy couldn’t hurt you anymore.”
“I know. But Mommy?”
After a pause, she asked, “Yeah?”
“Why did we wait so long? Why didn’t we leave so you wouldn’t get hurt anymore?”
“Well, because I wanted you to be with your daddy and have a family. I tried not to let you see that he hurt me.”
“I did though. I saw him hold you down, and I saw him hit you.”
Vanessa swallowed hard. How much exactly had her daughter seen and how would this affect her for the rest of her life?
“Well, it’s all over now and we’ll never go back to him. Hunter will keep us safe and never hurt us.”
“That’s why I want him to be my new daddy.”
“I’m glad. I know he really likes you, too.”
“Can we go for a walk now? I want to show you the birdhouse!”
Opal hopped off the swing when it had slowed enough. Vanessa took her hand and let Opal lead her through a path in the field. They walked through high grass and flowers, under the shade of many old, tall trees. They stopped at a bird house, painted red, but weathered from the years. Inside, they could see a nest of tiny baby birds.
“They’re so cute!” Opal reached toward it, like she was going to pick one up.
“No!” Vanessa said and took her hand. “If you touch them, the mommy will think something is wrong with them and stop taking care of them.”
Opal gave her a confused look. “Why would she do that?”
“It’s just the way birds are. They’re not like people. We take care of each other forever.”
They watched through the hole for a time, then walked back toward the house. Vanessa tried to memorize the feel of Opal’s small hand in hers. She didn’t know when she would see her again or feel that little hand. Or if she ever would. She quickly swiped tears from her eyes and pulled out her phone to text Hunter.
It was time for them to leave much too soon. Vanessa couldn’t break down as she said goodbye to Opal, because Opal didn’t know the danger ahead. She had been told they all had to do something really important together to make sure they would all be safe, and that her and Hunter would come get her after a fun day at the farm house.
As soon as her and Mari got into the car, however, Vanessa couldn’t hold back her tears. Mari rubbed her leg and tried to comfort her.
“No matter what happens, it’ll all be over after tomorrow. Just get through one day, and it’ll be better.”
Vanessa nodded and turned out of the driveway. “How in the world did I ever convince you to be my friend?” She chuckled.
“Because we were both messed up once. We’ve been through a lot.”
“And we’ve been through a lot together, too. When we first set up our system to keep Opal safe, I never thought we’d have to use it,” Vanessa admitted.
“I thought we might, but not nearly so fast. I’m just glad I could help. I wanted to be the person who finally helped you break free, like the woman who helped my mom after years of abuse.”
“And now she has your step-dad and she’s happy.”
“She is. Really happy,” Mari said.
“I’m so glad you’re my friend. Thank you for all your help.” She gave her a warm smile.
“I know it’s going to turn out okay. You’ve got a strong man who only wants to protect you. You should hear the way Opal talks about him. Like he’s her biggest hero.”
“Really?”
Mari nodded. “You’ve been through too much for this not to work out well for you. Everything is falling into place.”
“Thank you for being so optimistic. But Mari, if something happens…”
“I’ll take care of Opal.”
“Even if Hunter and I are both dead or in jail? Would you take care of her forever if I were gone?”
“Of course.” Mari reached over and squeezed her hand. “Like she was my own.”
# # #
“We have to make sure we document everything,” Nicholas said.
Hunter rolled his eyes. “We are.”
Nicholas took out the recorder from his pocket. “I need you to record your confession that Jeremy hired you to kill his wife.”
Hunter stared at the recording device. Everything about complying with this felt wrong. Was he just setting himself up to be arrested and charged with attempted murder or conspiracy to murder?
“We already have the recording of my interview with Opal,” Nicholas said. “We have Vanessa’s photos. If we get you admitting that you were hired to kill Vanessa, and then we get Jeremy to back it up with his own confession, then it’s easy. Open and shut, and Jeremy goes away forever and Opal and Vanessa live happily ever after ever.”
Hunter’s fist clenched at the reminder of the photographs. It was all he could do to keep them out of his mind and not punch a wall. In his dreams the night before, he kept seeing Vanessa covered in bruises, bleeding and swollen, unable to walk properly, and in the dream, he was running, trying to find who had done it. But every time he failed, she had a new bruise. He’d woken up panicking with a renewed sense of determination to find Jeremy and kill him.
“Fine.” Hunter wanted that happily ever after for Vanessa and Opal. And though he wanted desperately to be a part of it, he would do whatever it took to make it happen for them, even if he couldn’t be there for it.
He answered all of Nicholas’s questions while the recorder ran. Most were the same they’d discussed right after Nicholas was shot. What Jeremy had said, what he’d been paid and when, that sort of thing.
When they were done, Nicholas shut off the recorder, then checked to make sure it had captured everything.
“Be careful tomorrow,” Nicholas said. “You might have a conscience, but men like Jeremy don’t.”
“Oh believe me, I know,” Hunter said. He thought of how angry Jeremy was that Vanessa was still alive, and how he never bothered to ask about Opal. Like he didn’t care at all. He just wanted to hurt Vanessa. More than he already had.
“Okay.” Nicholas stood up and walked to the door. “I’ll go bug the hotel room, and we’ll be all set.”
“Thanks for your help,” Hunter said and held up a hand as Nicholas walked out.
He sat back down long enough to text Vanessa and tell her they were all set. Then he headed out to complete one final task.