October Academy

Chapter 76

FOUR YEARS LATER

"They had convinced Acacia when they interrogated her that I must have been the one to shoot Perry. That I must've been involved with the Class Killer the whole time, because how else would I have known they were at the train? They used her trauma against her."

"She betrayed you?" Marina asks.

"They manipulated her. They needed someone to take the fall. The people weren't happy with the Class Killer being dead, they wanted revenge, and they wanted to dish out the punishment. I was the scapegoat." I clear my throat.

I think briefly about Marina and Ben, how life was so simple back then, when they were together. I think about the time she told me she wanted to be a journalist. I never would have guessed I would be her story.

"What about Darcy? He would have stood up for you."

"He did, at the start. Until I had to betray him, too."

"You saved his life," she says, matter-of-factly, "When you were taken to the court-house from remand, there was an attempt at your life. Your first instinct was to cover Darcy's body with yours, sustaining bullet wounds in the process, even though Callum was closer to you."

"I couldn't let Perry's death have been for nothing." And I couldn't let Darcy die.

"Do you still love him?"

I pause. "Four years rotting in a jail cell makes even the most loyal question their faithfulness."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Love is irrelevant. In the end, I am alone."

She hesitates, then moves on to her next question. "What will you do when you leave here?"

"Well, any figure skating offers I had were obviously withdrawn. Ironically, demand for my art has gone up. Ben's been selling it for me."

"Wrap it up ladies," a warden says, coming to the door.

"Thankyou for your time," Marina says with a smile. "I believe you, if that makes any difference."

"If you could change their names, that would mean a lot."

"I will. And Jade," she pauses, reaching out for my hand, "I'm sorry this happened to you."

I nod.

"It's your lucky day, Fernwood," the warden says, taking me by the arm and dragging me away. "Your appeal was granted," he says. "You're a free woman."

"It's Blackwell."

"You have a phone call." He leaves me in the hallway between freedom and isolation.

I take the phone from the wall, leaning against it's metal enclosure.

"Are you satisfied with yourself? Now will you leave my family alone?" his lulling voice is harsh and crisp.

"Don't act like you're the one who's suffered, Darcy," I snap.

"Maybe things could have been different, if you hadn't blackmailed my father."

"Would he have paid for my lawyers if I hadn't? Maybe things could be different if you weren't a part of the exact institution I'm going to ruin."

He scoffs.

I continue, "We both went through the same thing – we both had people we loved murdered, covered up as a 'suicide'. But you chose the murderer."

"I chose my family."

"No, you chose your inheritance."

He pauses for a long time. "You will come for dinner tonight. You will delete the video and we will say our goodbyes."

"For you to poison me after I've finally reached the end of this hell?"

"You saved my life twice. I'm an honourable man, you have my word."

"Your word means little when you have the insurance of wealth and power."

"I loved you for a long time. Trust that, if nothing else."

"I will never trust you again."

"Just come to fucking dinner so we can finish this."

"Just you. Alone."

"Okay." He hangs up.

"Collect your things," the warden tells me.

There's only one thing in my cell I need to take with me. A flimsy hand bound book with pages worn thin from re-reading.

The only parts of Perry I can touch.

I walk out of the prison. The sun hits my skin and it almost burns. I bring my hand up to shield my eyes. The steady hum of a car engine shuts off, and I pull my hand away to see who has come to collect me. For a moment, I think it's Nick Kane, ready to call the hit and run. For his nightmare to be over. Sometimes I think it was him who ordered my assassination attempt the day I went to trial. Deep down, I know it was.

Two men step out of the car.

One is Callum.

One is my brother.

"Hello, sister," he says. "Let's finish what we started." 

The end

_________________________________

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