Free The Happiest Day by Sandy Huth Page B

been having an affair and we were together, in your
bed all night.  We discovered the bodies around seven and called the police. 
He’ll suggest to the court that there was an intruder in the house.  Frederick
had many enemies; it could have been anyone seeking revenge.”
    “Norris, I wasn’t
home all night.  I was at Peter’s until five o’clock.”
    He couldn’t have
looked more shocked.  “What?”
    “I’m sorry I lied
to you.  I was embarrassed…I had gotten drunk after what Frederick tried to do
to me on the terrace and Peter let me sleep there.  He woke me up and took me
home…I had only been asleep for a couple of hours when you came to get me.”
    “Shit,” he
muttered, rubbing his hand on his forehead.  “This could ruin everything.”
    “I’m sorry.  I
didn’t want to lie to the police, but they separated us and I didn’t want to go
against what you may have told them upstairs.”
    “It’s O.K., it’s
O.K.,” he said, thinking.  “Listen, did anyone see you at Peter’s?”
    “No, I don’t think
so.  It was late, we didn’t see anyone.”
    “So, if we can get
you to tell the court that you and I were together most of the night, at least
for those crucial hours, only Peter can dispute your word.”
    She nodded.  “I
guess so.”
    “But there’s no
way he can prove that you were with him, right?”
    “No, I wouldn’t
think so.”
    “The court will
have no choice but to believe you.  Why would a young woman risk her reputation
by admitting to an affair with her guardian?  Only if it’s the truth and she
needs to save him from false accusations.”  He sat back and smiled.  “This will
work, Rachel, if we’re willing to stick by our story.”
    “What will the
family say?   They’ll hate me.”
    “They’ll be
shocked,” he admitted, “but eventually they’ll only be happy that I’m free and
things can return back to normal.  Rachel, will you do this for me?  Will you
save me the way I saved you so many years ago?”
    Put that way,
there was no way she could refuse.  She nodded dazedly.  He smiled triumphantly
and squeezed her hands.  “ And we
know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those
who are called according to his purpose .   We’ve done God’s work here today,
Rachel.”  He called his attorney back into the room.
    Leonard requested
a special hearing with the judge and the prosecutor’s office the next day. 
Norris’ intentions were to let his happen quietly, without the family being
present, but Peter and Bert heard about it through the grapevine and were
present in the courtroom.  Beside them sat Maryanne, Geoff, and Laurie.  When
Rachel entered the courtroom and saw them, she felt a rush of panic.  Leonard
held her firmly by the elbow.
    “It’s all right,”
he said in a voice only she could hear.  “They’ll learn to accept it.”
    He led her to the
where they sat and Maryanne looked over with a scared smile.  “I don’t know
what this is about, do you?”
    “There…there’s
some new evidence,” she stammered.
    Maryanne grabbed
Rachel’s hand tightly in her own.  “You mean Daddy might be released?”
    Peter leaned
forward and looked down the row at Rachel.  “What evidence?” he demanded. 
“What’s going on?”
    Leonard turned
from where he sat in front of them.  “Here comes your father.”
    They led Norris
into the courtroom, in handcuffs.  His eyes scanned his family, stopping on
Rachel and smiling crookedly.  He pursed his lips slightly towards her,
mimicking a small kiss.  Rachel felt the blood drain from her face as Maryanne
looked at her again.  “What was that about?” she asked, a tiny frown between
her eyebrows.  “Rachel…”
    “Quiet,” Leonard
hissed.  “Here comes the judge.”
    After the judge
was seated, he looked sternly at Leonard.  “Mr. Winston, I’ve been informed
that you requested this special pre-trial hearing due to new evidence.