Shadows of Deceit

Chapter 15: we found her

The air was heavy with anticipation and dread. The officers made their way to the front door, where they were met by a group of anxious family members.

Scott stepped forward, his expression grave. "I'm sorry to inform you," he began, his voice weighed down by the solemn news he carried, "that Joseph has passed away in custody."

The family's collective gasp echoed through the foyer as tears welled up in the eyes of Barbara, Cooper and Rose stood frozen by the sudden news. They couldn't believe it.

Carter, stood off to the side with a cold smirk on his face, seemingly unaffected by the tragic news.

As the family tried to come to terms with the shocking revelation, Matthew approached them and handed Barbara a folded piece of paper. "This was found in Joseph's cell," Mathew said gently, "I think you should read it."

Trembling, she unfolded the paper and began to read aloud:

My Dearest Barbara,
I don't know to whom should I write this letter to but by the time you read this, I'll be long gone, and the weight of my pain and despair will be lifted from my shoulders. I couldn't bear to continue living in this world, where the weight of suspicion and betrayal suffocated me at every turn.

I can't begin to describe the depth of the hate I feel for this family. The way they whispered behind my back, the accusations that tore at my soul, and the judgment that weighted down on me like chains. Their eyes, filled with suspicion and doubt, burned into my mind, torturing me with their unspoken accusations.

Barbara, you were the only one who truly cared for me, cared for this cursed family, you stood by my side. Your unwavering support was the only light in the darkness that consumed me, and I am eternally grateful for your love and compassion.

But even you couldn't save me from the suffocating weight of suspicion and betrayal that engulfed me. I couldn't go on knowing that I've been abandoned and tainted by the accusations that tore my world apart. What do I even have here? What do I have outside of these cells?

Please inform Carter, that scheming, conniving snake, the one responsible for tearing our family apart. He's the one who took Charles from us, and yet he stood there with a cold smirk on his face, wholly unaffected by the suffering he has caused.

Goodbye, to the family I never had. I leave you with a heavy heart. I hope you live with the guilt and shame of your actions forever.
Joseph

With tears streaming down her face, Barbara clutched the note to her chest. The weight of the words, the pain of her brother-in-law despair, hung heavy in the air. The family gathered together, holding each other tightly, finding solace in their shared grief, even Mary couldn't shake the weight of this burden, for the first time in her life, Mary felt guilty for something she wasn't responsible for.

Carter, however, stood apart, his face a mask of indifference as he watched the family mourn. But beneath the facade, a flicker of unease lit in his eyes, as the weight of Joseph's accusation settled heavily upon his conscience. The mansion, once a place of opulence and joy, now echoed with the absence of two brothers, torn apart by tragedy and suspicion.

Carter's fists clenched with a blazing fury as he read Joseph's accusatory note. "How could he?" he seethed, his voice trembling with anger and disbelief. "How could he blame me for something so heinous? I loved Charles like a brother, and he was taken from us too soon." Carter confronted the rest of the family, his eyes burning with indignation. "dumb accusations! accused me of murdering Charles! How could he be so callous and incorrect? I would never betray Charles like that. He was my best friend, and I loved him like family."

"you sure did" Cooper crossed his arms, he was ready to get into a fight with Carter "you're the one who accused Joseph of this murder, you don't like the taste of your own medicine?"

"not specifically but have you forgotten that you also stood against him?" The room fell into a tense silence, every eye fixed on Carter as he spoke with fervor. "I understand that Joseph was hurting, but to lash out with such baseless accusations is unforgivable. I demand to be heard, to clear my name of this slander. What if he's trying to get back at me?"

"so you admit you're an asshole?" Now it was Rose's turn to speak.

Barbara, her eyes heavy with grief and guilt, stepped forward with a shaky voice. "Carter, we..." she stopped. There was something different now, Carter smirked, Barbara's eyes turned from grief and guilt to fear... And something else "we believe you." she said.

"Hold on, who's we?" Cooper argued.

"There's no evidence for Joseph's accusations, we can't just assume it's Carter. He's an asshole but he's not dumb." Barbara explained, the letter crumbling as her hand curled into a fist, holding herself back.

Carter nodded fiercely, his voice resolute. "I swear on everything I hold dear, I did not harm Charles. There must be another explanation." He turned his gaze to Barbara who returned it with a frown "and I will do everything in my power to find the truth and clear my name. I cannot let Joseph's misplaced blame tarnish my reputation or Charles' memory."

After the scene unfolded, leaving everyone confused, Matthew approached Scott "we found her" he whispered to him "we found Anne Scott, she was in the railway station, taking a train to Edinburgh, we arrested her."