One Door Closes

Chapter 4

Emma's P.O.V.
Five years ago...

I hated capitalism. I hated that simply because a few kids had rich mommies and daddies they got everything they could possibly dream of. I didn't have rich parents. I didn't even have parents. Therefore, I didn't mind stealing from big companies.

Over the years, Neal and I had started to separate from his friends. They went deeper into the criminal world and Neal and I tried to be regular citizens. Apart from the fact that neither of us had an official job and we both got by on stealing for over two years now.

There was something about it. I liked the feeling of potentially being watched while doing something illegal. My body always trembled with adrenaline, but over the past years I'd learned how to repress that. I was able to act casually as I stole vegetables. Yes, in the two years I had gone from chocolate bars to vegetables. Neal focused on people's wallets and phones and though I didn't condone it, we desperately needed it.

So, apart from the stealing and living our full lives in a car when we weren't sneaking into hotels, we were nice, normal people. I didn't have any friends, I didn't have anyone beside Neal.

That was why it hit even harder when I discovered he'd gone far into the underworld. To this day, it was incredibly stupid that I didn't notice the way he'd gotten himself involved with major drug dealers, thieves and other big criminals.

He got arrested for drug dealing and robbing a jewelry store. That was why I found myself sitting in a police station on my birthday. Neal had promised me a nice dinner to celebrate me turning twenty, but he'd never shown up. The cops, however, had.

"You've been married to Neal Cassidy for almost two years now, haven't you?" I didn't like being interrogated. The room was musty and dark and I knew there were people looking at me that I couldn't see.

"I have." I sipped my water and wondered if the policemen knew how lucky they were to have access to water at all times. They could go home and shower after a long day, they didn't need to break into some shoddy motel.

This was the moment I realized just how tired the entire Bonny and Clyde act made me feel. I was exhausted. The adrenaline of stealing had run out and I slumped in my seat.

"So you knew his affiliations with the underworld?"

I shook my head. I knew this was a lost case. I knew there was no way I could convince these people that I had nothing to do with any of it. I'd done some light stealing, I hadn't known any of Neal's businesses, he'd kept me out of it.

They repeated the question. So I asked for a lawyer.

~~~~

Three years ago...

My case didn't go to trial. The policemen didn't file charges eventually, because I'd given them all the information on Neal I could possibly gather. I had connections to the world they were so interested in, without even knowing it, so I helped them with another case.

I got a job as a receptionist in an office and at a hair salon, to pay the one fee my lawyer had given me for the only interrogation he'd helped me with. Fortunately that meant it wasn't very expensive, but before I got my jobs, I didn't have a cent to my name. This first lawyer wasn't Graham. Graham arrived when I decided to divorce Neal.

He was kind and just a good man. He listened to me whenever I needed him to and he was the only one I had after losing Neal to prison. I hadn't visited my husband in jail, except to deliver him the divorce papers which were now lying in front of me, fully signed.

"You did it." I looked up at Graham and he poured me a drink. I couldn't suppress a smile as I followed Neal's signature with my fingertip. It would be the last time I'd see it. I'd never have to do anything with Neal again.