Be With Me

Chapter 65

"Thank you for coming." The lawyer shook his hand.

"I don't have much time; there's somewhere I need to be soon." James said looking at the watch.

"It's ok. I just thought it was better if we spoke in person than over the phone. Tony explained your case superficially, but I need to understand what you exactly want. What your doubts are, so I can advise you better." The lawyer explained.

James ran a hand over his hair. His head was killing him. Again, not even the coffee or the aspirin saved him. Things were turning worse every day for him and running out of control.

"My son died, he drowned in our pool. We used to have this fence with a gate to prevent him to go there when we weren't watching. It was exactly to prevent this type of accident. The day he died; we had a barbecue. Just me, my girlfriend and him. Rafi had been in the pool in the morning, but she says she closed the gate when she left, and I remember seeing it closed too. When we noticed our boy was missing the gate was opened. It could have been the case that he had learned how to open the gate by himself and he went there, but Liam was very afraid of it, exactly because we were always so afraid he'd go there, it was some imposed fear, so I don't believe he'd go there by himself." James started to tell.

"Did they perform an autopsy in the hospital?" The lawyer asked him, clearly he was interested in what James was telling him. Being experienced as he was, he knew parents were right 90% of the times, they knew their kids and their habits better than anyone else.

"Yes, he had his lungs filled with water, there's no doubt he drowned." James said.

"But you think someone opened the gate?"

"I think someone opened the gate. I am quite sure someone opened that gate." He affirmed for the first time ever after Liam's death.

"Mr. Hetfield, I have to be honest... it's been a few months, so even if there were evidences, they must be erased by now and how it is possible that someone could go inside your property?"

"We lived in my girlfriend's parents' property, but the main gate was broken, so it would have been quite easy for someone to go in there. My girlfriend, well Rafaela remembered this yesterday. I need to know what happened to my son, you have to help me, please."

"Calm down." The lawyer raised a hand in a gesture. "So, there was in fact a chance that someone could go in after all?"

"Yes. The staff there didn't see anyone. I remember they were asked that, and they said no, but maybe the person that was fixing the gate knows. He hasn't been interrogated; we didn't remember that detail with the despair we were living."

"Ok, that is something. Do you have the contact of the company that fixed the gate?"

"I don't, but I know Rafaela's mother does. It's the same company that built us the fence around the pool." He said.

"Let me take care of the details. I don't want you to get too excited with this, it might be the case that we won't find anything. I have a few friends in the police, so I won't have trouble to convince one of them to open a case. My experience tells me that parents always know better, so I am going to help you. I'll let you know when the investigation starts."

"Thank you so much." James got up and shook the lawyer's hand.

"Tony told me to do my best here, guess he's a friend." The lawyer told him.

"He's Rafaela's doctor. She tried to commit suicide and he treated her, seems like they developed some sort of friendship, and he's been helping me too. It's been quite some hard times for us."