Betraying Innocence (33 page)

Ana

The bushes along the side of the house were nothing more than brittle bits of charred twigs and dirt. Ana stared at the mess under the fading light of autumn and sighed. The resemblance to her life was a little uncanny — charred remains of what had once been a thriving life.

“Ana
?” Her mother appeared on the front porch, a dishrag twisted in her hands.

Since
Vinny’s death, her parents had already decided not to leave her alone, but after the arson attack, they refused to let her out of their sight. It was a sheer miracle she was allowed to be alone in the bathroom. Ana didn’t mind so much, except things had become extra tense since no one wanted to talk about why Rafe had been in her room that night and why he’d been nearly naked. She knew her parents weren’t stupid and had probably put the pieces together, but she kept wondering when her dad would just snap and throttle Rafe. This new and accepting father was strange compared to the one who had been ready to beat any guy who came near her with a bat only months ago.

“I’m here.”

Her mother stepped off the porch and went to stand next to her. They stared at the bushes in silence for several minutes.

“I really liked those,” her mother said finally.
“Maybe the new owners will replant them.”

Ana turned to her. “Do we have to move?”

“Well, we can’t stay here, not after everything that has been happening. It’s just too dangerous.”

“But isn’t it kind of like running away?”

Her mother turned to her, her expression fierce. “Normally you know I would stand my ground and fight, but this is your life and your father’s life we’re talking about. I won’t take reckless chances with those I care about.” She squared her shoulders. “Now come inside. I don’t like you being out here alone.”

Resigned, Ana followed her mother inside and shut the door. They walked into the kitchen where she was passed the dishrag.

“Where are we moving to?” she asked.

“Not sure yet.” Ana was passed a plate to dry. “We’re waiting for your father’s boss to approve his request to transfer back.”

“Back? Like back to Ontario?” She dried and put the plate away, returning to take the cup she was handed.

“If possible.”

She stowed the cup into the cupboard. “Mom, I really don’t want to move.”

She was handed a spoon.
“Why’s that?”

“Jack and the others
for one. Chipawaha Creek has kind of grown on me.”

“Well, if we return, you’ll get to see Chelsea and—”

“I already told you about that. Chelsea and I decided it was better for our friendship if we parted ways after the move. It was just too painful.”

“Well, you can make new friends wherever we go.”

Ana sighed. “But I don’t want to make new friends … again. I kind of want to stay here.”

“This is about Rafe, isn’t it?”

Carefully avoiding her mother’s gaze, Ana shrugged. “I really care about him, Mom. Like a lot.”

Her mom wrung the sponge out, unplugged the sink and took the rag from Ana to dry her hands, all the while watching her.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you about him. Your father asked me not to.”

Ana blinked, her eyebrows disappearing into her hairline. “Dad asked you not to? Is he secretly plotting to kill Rafe in his sleep?”

Mom laughed, moving to hang the dishrag over the handle bars on the stove. “No, I think he likes Rafe in his own way. Your father may be over possessive at times, but he’s not blind or stupid. He might not like that you’re so close with a boy, but the alternative probably scares him more.”

Ana frowned. “What alternative?”

Her mom took a stool out from under the island and sat. Ana followed.

“I think he suspects that Rafe
plays a big part in keeping you safe. He won’t jeopardize that. I, on the other hand, would like some answers.”

Ana grimaced. “What kind of answers?”

“Like what was he doing in your room the night of the fire and how long has it been going on?”

Color leached into her cheeks, turning them a bright pink. “
I asked him to stay with me after what happened to Vinny,” she lied, knowing it was easier to explain than telling them she’d been staying at his house for weeks. “I was too scared to be alone.”

Her mom arched an eyebrow. “That’s it?”

Ana traced circles in the tiles making up the island, tactfully avoiding the other woman’s gaze. She nodded.

“And you’re being careful? Being safe?”

Just when she didn’t think the conversation could get any more awkward.

“Mom
…”

Her mom threw her hands up. “Well, it’s an important question, Ana. I need to make sure you’re taking steps to protect yourself. The last thing we need right now is
… is a surprise.”

“Geez!”
She rubbed a hand over her face, feeling the heat coming off her skin. She let her hands drop and forced herself to meet her mother’s gaze. “Yes, we’re being safe.”

Seemingly satisfied, her mother nodded.
“Okay, good. Condoms?”

“
Oh my God!” Ana leapt off her stool and stalked to the fridge.

“I’m just asking!”
She waited until Ana had grabbed a glass of orange juice and was in her seat again before continuing. “Condoms are great, but they’re not always reliable. Maybe we should making an appointment to—”

The phone rang
then and Ana had never been so happy for a distraction as her mother hurried to answer it.

It wasn’t as though she’d never had
the
talk
with her mother before. She’d known what sex was since she’d gotten her period. It had been awkward even then, but it felt extra weird now that she was actually doing the deed. It was weirder still that her parents knew about it. True they’d never insisted she wait until marriage, but she’d always known they secretly hoped she would. At least wait until college.

She exhaled, taking a sip of her drink.

Her mom hung up the phone and returned to the island.

“That was
the sheriff’s department,” she said, a tightness bracketing her mouth. “They have some questions for you.”

“Hello again, Ms. French.” Sheriff Drewer leered at her from under his enormous cowboy hat as she followed her mom into the sheriff’s department an hour later.

The place was cluttered with rows of desks and chairs. There were doors lining the walls and a set of stairs leading to a second floor, but despite all that, there was hardly anyone there, except the sheriff and a handful of officers.

“
I was told this would be brief,” her mother said, resting a hand on Ana’s shoulder.

The sheriff spared her mom a fleeting glance, but his attention was focused solely on Ana. “
That all depends on how much Ana is willing to cooperate.”

“Fully,” her mother insisted. “We want to put this behind us as well.”

Drewer said nothing as he motioned Ana to follow him. He led them through one of the openings into a cramped little space with a metal table bolted to the ground and metal chairs on either side.

“Have a seat,” he said, motioning to the chairs. “I just need
a word with your mother outside.”

Ana shuffled to the closest chair and lowered herself into it. The door was shut behind her and she was left alone in a room that felt like the inside of
an icebox. She sat stooped in her chair, hands tucked between her knees, shivering as she waited for the sheriff to return.

He did, nearly fifteen minutes later with her mom in tow.

She gasped as she walked in into the manmade arctic. “Is it necessary to have it so cold in here?”

Drewer offered her a
biting smile. “AC’s been on the fritz for months. It’s not in the budget to fix I’m afraid. Shall we?”

Her mother took the seat next to Ana as Drewer took the one across from them. He opened the file in his hand onto the table and Ana couldn’t help stare at the horrific images of Vinny, his body bent
at an odd angle, all his bones snapped in unnatural directions, including his neck. He was naked, his entire body raw, exposed meat, the skin gone, peeled away. His green eyes bore back at her, accusing.

“Oh God…” She hadn’t realized she’d spoken until Drewer glanced up, his expression a bit too innocent.

“Something the matter, Ms. French?”

“Is th
is a joke?” her mother demanded. “Why are you showing her those?”

Drewer blinked those cold, blue eyes of his. “Well, it’s not anything she hasn’t seen. She’s the one who found the body after all.
”

She had, but Rafe hadn’t let her see. The moment they’d stepped foot into the basement and the swinging light had splashed across the pool of blood, he’d swept her into his arms and carried her upstairs. She hadn’
t seen more than a skinless leg. She hadn’t seen what had happened to Vinny. She hadn’t known it was him.

“What I can’t understand is what sort of person would do something l
ike this to another human being,” Drewer said, ignoring her mother’s glare. “What sort of sickness would it take?”

“Why are you asking her that? Ana didn’t do this,” her mother said.

“Perhaps, but I can’t say as much for Mr. Ramirez. He seems quite capable of this level of brutality.”

Ana shook her head. “No,
he didn’t. You’re wrong.”

Dr
ewer tapped his pen on the table, his narrowed eyes drilling into hers. “How well do you know Mr. Ramirez, Ms. French? You only just moved here, what? Three months ago? You can’t know him very well at all.”

Her shaking hands
balled between her knees. “I know him enough to know he could never do this.”

“Well, let me tell you that I’ve known him since before he was born. His mother is one of our own. I watched both of them grow up.” He reached into the front pocket of his flannel shirt and removed a pack of
Nicorette gum. He popped one from the crumpled tray and pushed it between his lips. He chewed while stuffing the rest back into his pocket. “My pa was sheriff before I was and his pa before him. Upholding the law is something my family has done for generations and I could tell you stories about that family that would make you run for the hills. Not a single good seed in the whole tree. Then there was his father … hoho! Now here was a man to be feared. As mean as a snake and just as cunning. He had more felonies under his belt than anyone I know.”

“Rafe isn’t his
father,” Ana said tightly.

“Isn’t he?”
His lips quirked. “Apples don’t fall far from the tree, Ms. French. Young Ramirez has his own share of delinquencies, vandalisms, shoplifting, and breaking and entering.” He tapped his fingers on they folder. “Did you think the boy you loved was the good guy here? No. He belongs behind bars.”

“Murder is a far cry from shoplifting
,” her mother said.

“Is it?” He shrugged. “Or
was it just another shoe waiting to slip? His father’s in prison right now because of murder. Killed his father in law that one.”

“Because he was beating on
Rafe’s mother!” Ana snapped. “He was protecting her.”

“The law isn’t for just anyone to take into their own hands, Ms. French.” Drewer leaned forward, wafting the air with the minty scent of his gum. “Was that what Mr. Ramirez was doing? Protecting you? Is that why h
e killed Vincent Andrews?”

“Rafe didn’t kill anyone!” Ana shot back.
“He was with me the entire time.”

“And who better to take his side?” Drewer smirked. “Did you help him? Did you hold
the knife for him as he killed the other boy?”

“That is enough!” Mom’s hands slammed into the table, cutting into the sheriff’s badgering with a metallic bong.

Drewer ignored her, but he sat back. “I’d like to know something. Two things actually. How did you immobilize Vincent Andrews? Our coroner could find no source of injuries, except that he’d been skinned, which brings me to my second question, where is his skin? We’ve searched everywhere for it.”