Distortion: Shades Of Resolution Part 10

Lexie's felt her shoulders drop at the mention of her mother.

"She's right, Lexie," Jackson agreed. "There's only one person to blame for all this s.h.i.t."

Lexie looked up into Jackson's insistent gaze. Over the last few days they had both searched every square inch of her mother's house, trying to find the evidence she claimed to have. Their hours of searching gave them nothing. There was no sign that her mother was hiding anything. She did not own a safety deposit box, she had not hidden away a mysterious key. Her diary mentioned nothing in regards to the evidence. Lexie was at a loss and she knew time was running out.

As much as she wanted to believe Stodden was done with her, Jackson insisted that he was only waiting for the right time to make his move.

"What do you think you'll accomplish by going back? I don't understand," Lexie asked.

"This ring that I found..." Stephanie twisted it around her finger. "I want to be able to return it to the woman's family. What if this is a wedding band? I want her husband to have the piece of her she left behind." Stephanie wiped her eyes as they filled with tears. "I want to give them the answers I can."

Lexie nodded her head. She couldn't argue against that when she herself would want to do the same. She knew how much solace that ring had given Stephanie when she needed it.

"Officer Carlton said he would help me find out who the ring belongs to."

"I'll keep her safe," Nate added.

Lexie nodded to Nate. "Good." She trusted him and knew he would keep his word. She spread her hands on the top of the table and looked at them thoughtfully. She didn't want to meet Jackson's gaze because she knew he wasn't going to like what she was about to say. "I've already decided I'm going back to Belhaven too. John won't be expecting me to go back. What if we can use that to our advantage?" Lexie looked at Jackson. "Why can't we be the ones to make the first move? I don't want to be a sitting duck anymore."

Jackson began shaking his head. "No."

"If Stodden knows I'm there..."

"Absolutely not. We're not using you as bait," Jackson said firmly.

"Why not? You said no matter where I am, he'll find me. I don't want to draw this out anymore. I want this to be over."

"I can go after him myself. You don't need to be involved," Jackson insisted.

"Jackson's right. He knows what he's doing, Lexie. You don't need to be involved if you don't have to. You just lost your mother," Evan added.

Lexie narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I did just lose my mother but now I feel like kicking some a.s.s and taking what's left of my life back from that b.a.s.t.a.r.d." Lexie turned her anger toward Jackson. "You should understand more than anyone."

"Lexie..." Jackson started.

"Don't." Lexie held up her hand. "Don't you dare try to treat me like a delicate flower in need of protection. I don't want to be sheltered. I'm stronger than you think I am and I won't let anyone tell me to sit this out." Lexie threw accusatory looks toward Evan and Jackson.

"No," Jackson said. He clenched his jaw tightly and looked Lexie in the eye.

"It's my choice. I hate him as much as you. He's the reason my mother is dead and the reason Stephanie was hurt." Lexie stood up and shoved her chair back.

"You're gonna get yourself killed," Jackson said, refusing to budge.

"I may be the only one who can get close to him. He wanted me to know he's my father. That has to mean something. What if he believes I want to get to know him?" Lexie was determined to make Jackson understand that she needed to be a part of this fight. "I could earn his trust."

"I said no," Jackson raised his voice. Lexie and Jackson locked eyes, neither one of them refusing to submit.

"Lexie..." Evan started.

"Shut up, Evan," Lexie bit off as her eyes remained on Jackson's. She refused to be the first to break eye contact. Jackson was clenching his teeth so hard she wondered if they were about to crack.

"I need something stronger than this s.h.i.t." Jackson waved toward his cup before he walked out of the kitchen, opened the front door, and slammed it behind him.

"Well, that went well," Stephanie said, staring at the door.

Lexie dropped back in her seat with an exaggerated sigh.

"He's right though, Lexie, you don't need to put yourself at risk again. Jackson is trained for this sort of thing...you're not," Stephanie said quietly.

Lexie looked at her and then Evan's displeased expression. "I'm not scared to die for this," Lexie admitted.

"Oh Jesus," Evan said in a rush.

"I can't hide. That's what my mother did and look where it got her," Lexie added.

"Then I guess I'm coming too," Evan said.

"No way," Lexie and Stephanie both said in unison.

"You're going to that rehab facility your parents booked you into. You have your own battles, Evan. You have to start taking care of yourself," Lexie insisted.

"How can I go, knowing you're there?" Evan asked as he shook his head.

"You can and you will. Don't get me wrong; I have every intention of being here when you're released. When I was being held by John, I promised myself I was done being a victim. I can't live like that anymore. This is something I have to do, and I need you both to understand this."

Stephanie threw her arms around Lexie.

"There is no going back to before, is there?" Stephanie whispered. "I wish we could be carefree again. I would give anything to lie in the gra.s.s and look up into the sky like we used to. Talk about the lives ahead of us like they were going to be a perfect fairy-tale."

"Life was perfect then, I will never forget it." Lexie squeezed her back tightly.

Lexie looked out the front window as she watched Stephanie and Nate drive away. She gave one last wave as they drove out of sight. She had said her goodbyes and she needed to believe Stephanie would be all right without her. At first when Stephanie mentioned she wanted to go back to Belhaven, her initial response was fear, but now that she had time to think about it, she understood how it would help Stephanie heal. Even though Stephanie was planning to go to Belhaven as well, they were headed in different directions. Stephanie would still be far from any fallout from what she was attempting to accomplish.

It made knowing that she would be confronting John easier because she knew both Stephanie and Evan would be out of harm's way.

Evan walked up beside Lexie and pushed the curtains aside. Jackson was sitting on the front step. He hadn't moved since he had walked out. He had his earbuds in as he stared off into the distance.

"The only reason Jackson let me tag along the first time was because he made me promise that once he got you back from John, I would keep you far away from him," Evan confessed thoughtfully.

"From Jackson?" Lexie asked and Evan nodded.

"I was more than happy to agree. I hated him. I thought he was the worst person to be in your life." Evan released the curtain and dropped down in the armchair close to him. Lexie glanced at Jackson before she turned toward Evan. "Not to mention I was jealous because of the way you looked at him."

"Evan..."

"Let me finish," Evan stopped her. "I don't think he was expecting you. I don't think he knew at the time what you would become to him. I don't think I could keep you away from him if I tried now. The more time I spend with him, I realize he might be the best person in your life. He's fierce, he knows how to fight, he fears nothing but losing you. He looks at you and I know that he would tear down the entire world if he needed to-for you. I can't believe I'm going to admit this, but I think even Alex would approve." Evan ran his hands down his face.

Lexie shook her head with a smile. "Wow, what happened to my Evan?"

"I don't f.u.c.king know. Did I just trip you out?" Evan asked.

"A little," Lexie admitted. "But I could get used to this new side of you."

"You should go talk to him," Evan encouraged.

"Yeah, I know."

"Do you know when Cherry is supposed to get back?" Evan asked, rubbing his stomach.

"She was planning on staying at the diner until after the supper rush. She'll be at least a couple more hours." Lexie glanced at the clock on the wall. Cherry had taken a liking to the diner and found a very comfortable place among the employees. Molly was grateful for the help since one of the girls had recently had to leave to attend school full time. Cherry's management skills were exactly what the diner needed. Lexie was grateful, because at this point in her life she couldn't run a business. Cherry was more than happy to step in and had more than enough experience to make the transition easy.

"She promised to bring me back some pie. I'm gonna take a nap till she gets back." Evan wandered off down the hall.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

Terence Masten "Christina Mayfield, Clara Montgomery, Rachael Clayton, and Rose Holzman were all at the Obelisk club within days of their disappearance." Haffey leaned against the table, spreading pictures of the women out in front of Masten. "I know this was not a coincidence. I'm sure if I keep digging into the rest of your victims, I will also find connections." His eyes were drawn to each one of them. He knew them all intimately, but there was one face that stood out more than the rest...Rose Holzman. He couldn't resist the urge as he raised his shackled wrists and touched the photograph. He could remember every detail about her as he closed his eyes and relished the memories he had.

"I want to know John Stodden's involvement. I know you didn't abduct these women without help. I want details and confirmation and I'm sure we could find a way to take the death penalty off the table."

Terence looked up into Detective Haffey's dark eyes. "What do I care? I have nothing left to live for."

"You have a wife and a son," Haffey offered.

"My wife can't the stand the sight of me, and my son, well...let's just say she made sure he felt the same. I can't even begin to imagine what they think of me now," Masten said as he ran his fingers along the outline of Rose's photograph.

"It looks like the men in here don't like you much, either," Haffey pointed toward his face. It was true that since he had arrived he had been targeted. The bruises on his face and the cut on his brow confirmed it. His high profile case had gotten a lot of attention and many of the guards had very strong opinions on the matter.

"Seems so," Masten replied flatly.

"You were the mayor for years; don't you have some small part of you left that wants to do something good for your city?" Haffey pleaded, placing her hands on the table in front of him.

Masten looked up into the dark, seductive eyes of the detective. She was desperate; he could smell it. She wanted to find the weak link in the chain to bring down John Stodden. A part of him wanted to hand over the b.a.s.t.a.r.d that allowed those men to take what was his. He had finally found his Rose again and she was taken away from him. John had promised him that no one would come looking for those women on his doorstep.

"I've always hated this f.u.c.king town," Masten responded without feeling.

Detective Haffey slid a pad of paper and pen in front of him. "Everyone has a price, what's yours?"

A knock on the door visibly irritated Detective Haffey. She grabbed the handle and opened the door just a crack. Terence couldn't see who it was, but he could tell she wasn't happy.

"I said no interruptions," Haffey said, displeased.

Masten couldn't hear the voice on the other side of the door as he picked up the pen and began writing his demand on the paper.

"On whose authority?" Haffey spat angrily. "G.o.d dammit."

The door swung open and two guards came in to collect him. "Let's go." Masten dropped the pen and watched Haffey lean over the table and grab the notepad. She read his conditions before she looked over the paper with narrowed eyes.

Terrance chuckled before he was led from the room. "See you soon," he called back over his shoulder.

His shackles rattled as he moved, both his wrists and ankles bound. He was led down the long hallway of beige painted concrete blocks toward the holding cells. So many scratches and marks had chipped away at the paint from years of abuse. He could hear the rise in voices of the inmates as they drew nearer, like the hum of a beehive. At this time they would all be collected in the common area, waiting to be herded outside for a brief reprieve in the fresh air.

Masten's mind was filled with thoughts of Rose. If he breathed in deep, he could still smell her sweet scent when he would press his face against her hair. He knew she was scared of the dark by the way she would tremble. She didn't like being held behind bars and she had pleaded to be free of her cell, but it was too dangerous*someone might have seen her. He wondered if he would have granted her the ability to feel the sunlight against her skin, would she have run from him in the end?

He knew she had grown to love him as he did her. She had confessed her feelings for him. If he would have had more time, maybe things would have been different. He was robbed of the only happiness he had known.

Now it was only anger that sizzled deep in his stomach. He had nothing else left because it was all stripped away from him.

When his shackles were removed and he was directed to join the others, he hung back from the crowd of judgmental eyes that followed his every movement. He hadn't spoken a word to anyone since he had been locked away with them. They were all common thieves, sc.u.m of the very city he had tried to wean them from over his stay in office. He would not pretend to be one of them.

Normally he was kept separate from the others, but today was different. He didn't bother to question why he was now being herded into the crowd, because he wanted to feel the sun. He hadn't had the opportunity to be outside since he arrived. He wanted to know what it would have felt like for his Rose to have been able to have the luxury after months in the dark.

He hung back, waiting for the others to walk down the hall and through the exit doors until he approached. He could feel the warmth of the sun long before he actually stepped out the door. Long chain link fences guided them down a path until it opened into a courtyard. Many of the inmates had already spread out over the gra.s.s when he stepped out on the gravel.

The sun felt hot and revitalizing on his cooled skin. He tilted his face up and smiled. He should have given this to her. He should have brought Rose out into the sun where they could have enjoyed this glory together. He knew she would have smiled. He would have loved to see her face aglow by the sun.

Terence continued down the path, avoiding eye contact with anyone lingering along the fence. He knew how delicate these situations could be. Someone b.u.mped into him while he walked past.

Masten was annoyed to be disrupted from his peaceful thoughts of Rose but he kept his mouth shut. He wasn't about to begin any trouble. Someone else b.u.mped into his other side, but this time he noticed a raw sting from the impact. Terence looked down and noticed blood on his shirt. The bright red color spread across the fabric as he watched in strange disbelief. His finger caught in a hole in his shirt where the blood had originated. They had stabbed him. The two puncture wounds began to thrum with pain as the saturation of blood connected on the front of his shirt. A few men began to gather around him, none of them with any mercy upon their faces. His initial flee response quickly dissipated when he noticed he was surrounded. Masten realized that this was his final moment. There was no escape from the death that loomed over his head.

He closed his eyes and tilted his face up to the sun. "I'm coming, Rose," he said as he felt a sharp stab into his stomach and another in his neck. Terrance dropped to his knees as weakness swept through his body. He could hear the whistles of the guards faintly in the distance, but they were too far away. He did not fear his death because he knew his love was waiting on the other side.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

Lexie Lexie opened the front door and walked out on the step. She noticed Jackson's shoulders tense despite the fact that he had his earbuds in. She couldn't understand how he could pay attention to anything else with the music playing so loud as she sat down beside him. Her instinct was to lean into him, but she wasn't sure if he would accept her touch. He seemed so angry.

Lexie pressed the pause b.u.t.ton on the iPod clenched in his hand. He pulled the ear pieces out and looked at her. His eyes looked so dark and stormy; she didn't know how to begin to calm the emotions that shone through.

"Will you come with me? I want to show you something." Lexie stood up and held out her hand. He looked at her for a moment before he accepted it. Lexie was relieved with her small triumph. She led him toward the garden shed in the backyard.

The door was already open as she neared. She hadn't thought about it until now that the men would have searched it. She opened the door and noticed most of her mother's gardening supplies scattered on the ground.

Lexie picked up a shovel and placed it back against the wall. "It was neater than this before...but not much," Lexie admitted with a sad smile. "Mom loved to garden."

Jackson remained quiet as Lexie watched him right a few pots.