When we woke in the morning, it was to the sound of a knock on the hotel door.
Bleary-eyed, I stumbled out of bed and answered it. It was the policeman who’d driven us here last night. He told me he was there to take us to the station.
He waited in the lobby while Cece and I dressed. I just threw on some yoga pants and a T-shirt. I didn’t bother to shower. I ran a brush through my hair and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth.
I saw my face in the mirror. My eye was black and swollen. On my chin was another large dark bruise from where Damien had head-butted me.
Tears swam in my eyes as images of the night before filled my head. I started to shake uncontrollably. I had to sit on the edge of the bathtub to steady myself.
I forced the tears to stop. Then, I got to my feet. Eyes avoiding the mirror, I brushed my teeth.
When I came out of the bathroom, Cece was sitting on the bed, waiting for me. Her efforts to dress were about the same as mine.
She stood up, came over, and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
I jerked back, staring at her face. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” I told her firmly.
“I let him in,” she said. “I didn’t know it was him.”
Cece had never met Damien.
“How would you have known? It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”
“No.” It was her turn to be firm. “The only person to blame is that sick fucker, Damien. You saved us, Daisy. You saved my life.” A tear rolled down her face.
I brushed it away. “You lied for me,” I whispered. “You’re going to have to lie again at the station. You shouldn’t have to do that.”
“You’re not going back to prison. I will do anything to keep you out of that place. You’re my best friend. My family. I protect my family.”
I bit my quivering lip. “Kas…he’s in prison…he took the blame.”
“He loves you,” she said.
It was all she said. All that needed to be said.
We left our hotel room and headed downstairs to the lobby where the officer was waiting.
He drove us to the police station.
We were taken into separate interview rooms, and I spent the next few hours telling the same story that I’d told them last night. One officer listened while the other made notes.
I wasn’t even afraid that I might make a mistake and trip myself up. By that point, I was too weary to care.
All I wanted was to see Kas, to know how he was, but no one was telling me anything.
Every time I asked, the answer would be the same. “He’s with our other officers, being questioned, as you are.”
After I finished giving my statement, I was offered some food. I accepted a sandwich even though the thought of eating was the furthest thing from my mind.
I was taken aback when I saw who was bringing my sandwich to me. It was the detective who had arrested me all those years ago.
He took the seat across from me and handed me the sandwich. Then, he proceeded to tell me that Jason Doyle had been found dead in his home early that morning. His body had been there for a day before anyone had found him.
“Suicide,” he said. “Jason slit his wrists,” he said.
And, also, a letter had been found on him, tucked inside his jeans pocket.
It was a confession about the robbery. He said that Jason had detailed everything about the night of the robbery. How it was him and Damien who had planned it. Jason had given him my access card while I was sleeping. Damien had used my key to gain access and rob the place. Then, he’d returned to my place and given Jason the key back along with some jewelry to plant in my apartment.
Just as I had believed it had happened all along.
My name was cleared. After all this time, that black mark against my name was gone.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about Jason being dead.
Relief, I guessed. It was hard to feel anything else.
The detective led me out of the interview room. Cece was waiting for me in the waiting room along with the nice officer who’d driven us here.
He offered to take us back to the hotel. Exhausted, I thanked him and took him up on his offer. We sat in the back of the police car as he drove us through the streets of London.
I watched people walking around, living their everyday lives. Nothing had changed for them.
But, for me, everything had changed.
I would never again be the same.
The officer dropped us at the hotel and told us that they would be in touch soon.
Cece and I got out of the car. I had planned to tell her about Jason as soon as we got to our room, but the minute we walked into the hotel lobby, my eyes locked on Jesse.
He was sitting in a chair, waiting for me, his face lined with worry.
And I burst into tears.
He’d seen the news. Seen what had happened to us. I hadn’t even called him.
I felt like the worst sister in the world. But he didn’t care about that. He just cared that I was okay.
He rushed to me, nearly knocking me off my feet, wrapping his arms around me.
The surge of love I felt for him buckled my knees. So, I clung on to my baby brother and sobbed on his shoulder, telling him how sorry I was.
I was supposed to be the one taking care of him, but there he was, taking care of me.
He hushed me. He told me he was sorry. Sorry for ever doubting me.
That made me cry harder. Then, I heard a sob come from Cece beside us.
Jesse pulled her into our hug, and the three of us stood together, holding each other.
My family.
But there was one person missing.
Kas.
He’s still missing.
Well, not missing in the real sense of the word. Just missing from my life.