Blind Faith (35 page)

“No, despite the reasons you just listed,” Will replied slowly, “there would have been a strong case if I hadn’t blown it by going after them.”

“I don’t understand.  What does that have to do with anything?”

“Tainting the evidence; I believe that’s what Porter’s attorney claimed.  He was very shrewd, the best money can buy,” Will said bitterly.  “The boys didn’t deny they were in the cave earlier that night, so any trace evidence found on you could be challenged because you could have picked it up from the ground.  And since condoms were used, there wasn’t enough DNA evidence to prove they had anything to do with the assault.  But what
would
have damned them all were the samples of your hair, saliva, and blood collected from their clothing and bodies.”

“You lost me again,” Serena confessed.
  “How could they have refuted that kind of evidence?”
 

“I was in the cave
,” Will explained.  “
I picked you up, carried you out of there, which means anything that was on you could easily have been transferred to me.  Coming into personal contact with those boys was the worst thing I could have done
. 
What you transferred to me could just as easily be transferred from me to them.  All they needed was a plausible explanation for having your hair and blood on them and I handed to them.”     

“It’s not your fault, Will,” she tried to console him.  “You couldn’t have known.  And I know this sounds horrible, but I…I’m glad you did it.”

The hug he gave her was fierce but the kiss that followed was incredibly tender.  “I was worried you might have doubts about being with me once you heard the whole story,” he admitted.

“Then you worried for nothing.  And you’ve steeped guilt on your own shoulders for no reason too.”

“I wish I could believe that, but I can’t help thinking they would have been prosecuted if I
had
left it up to the police to handle.  And my parents didn’t come right out and say it, but I overheard enough of their phone conversations with your dad to figure out the reason I was never charged with assault.”

Serena didn’t need to have it spelled out for her.  “He used the attack on me as a bargaining chip to keep you out of trouble.”

“He should never have done that,” Will asserted.  “It was wrong.”

“No…it was the right thing to do, the only thing he
could
do.  Let me finish,” she said when he started to contradict her.  “I know my Dad.  He doesn’t make snap decisions, or emotional ones.  He would have thought it out logically, considered every angle and possible outcome.  Be honest, Will.  What would have happened if he had pursued taking those boys to court?”

There was a long pause before Will answered.  “Best case scenario; a reduced sentence that would have cost their parents money they could well afford, and a slap on the wrist for Porter and his friends.”

“Exactly.  It would have served no purpose.  There was no real legal recourse, but in some small measure you extracted retribution from them.  Daddy couldn’t let you be punished for that so he used the only leverage he had.  He prevented them from ruining your life by using the threat of criminal prosecution against them.”

“Yes, and all the parents agreed to it, which means they
knew
their sons were guilty.  Protecting them from the punishment they deserved basically condoned their actions.  I don’t know how any of them can justify doing that.”

Serena took a moment to reflect on what he’d said.  “You’re probably right about them knowing their sons were guilty, but I doubt they tried to justify their reasons for shielding their children.  I imagine they did the same thing I did; try to get through each day without falling apart and hope that in time I could put it behind me and move on.”

“You sound as if you actually feel sorry for them.”

“I do,” she said, astonished by her own revelation.  “I never thought about it before; what it must have been like for the parents, what they went through.  How devastating to discover your child is capable of such…inhuman behavior and that nothing will ever be the same again because of it.  Their lives were shattered.  Granted, not to the same degree mine was, but they were still left to pick up the pieces.”

“I wish I could say I shared your compassion towards them but I can’t.  The only decent thing any of them did was to move out of the area.”

Serena knew all three families had packed up and left town within a few months of the attack.  She’d been roused from a nightmare by her mother who sat with her afterwards, calmly assuring Serena that the boys were long gone and she had nothing to be afraid of.  It helped to know they weren’t lurking around, waiting for the chance to catch her alone again, but something else began to nag at her.  Maybe she
was
safe from them, but they were still free.  They’d gotten away with it once; what would deter them from doing it again?  How many other girls would they prey on before someone stopped them?

She’d never had the courage to ask her parents, but she wasn’t afraid to ask Will.  “Do you know what happened to them?”

“Yes,” he said simply

“You don’t want to tell me?”

“Not particularly.”

“Will…”

“I know,” he cut her off, “I promised tell you everything.  Steven Bennett was killed in a car accident less than six months later.  A one car accident,” Will said pointedly.

“You think he killed himself?”

“The newspapers said he must have lost control of the car and plowed into a tree, but I have my doubts.  There was no alcohol involved and it was a clear night.  The article stated Bennett probably panicked and hit the gas instead of the brakes because there was no evidence to indicate he tried to stop the car.  Personally, I think the guilt was too much for him.”

“And…the others?” Serena asked, surprised that Steven Bennett’s tragic ending made her feel sad.

“Brian had several more run-ins with the law and ended up doing time for robbery.  Last I heard, he was working at an auto repair shop on the west coast.  Lee took a different route in life, stayed out of trouble, and eventually became an accountant.  As for Porter, he got some girl pregnant his senior year in high school and married her a few years later when they were expecting their second child.  He works for his brother, Rick, who owns a successful real estate company in southern California.”

“How do you know all that?”

“I made it my business to know,” Will told her.  “
Now
, can we go to bed?”

“I suppose we should get some sleep,” Serena conceded when Will stood up.

“Sleep?”  He scooped her off the sofa and headed towards the bedroom.  “Who said anything about sleeping?”

It was quite some time later as Serena lay in Will’s arms, exhausted but deliciously satiated, that she realized the paralyzing fear she’d carried around with her for years was gone.  She wasn’t foolish enough to believe she could brave an encounter with Randy Porter or any of the others without serious trepidation, but she felt confident it wouldn’t result in a complete melt down either.  And yes, there were definite reservations about going to the cave
,
but no matter what happened, she would be strong.  She had to be.

Dreams never come without a price
, she thought.  And her dream was to have a life with Will; a
normal
life that included marriage and children and going on family vacations.  If that meant returning to the place it all began and reliving the horrors of that night then she would do it.  Serena wanted it all.  And she was willing to pay the cost to get it.

Chapter 17

“What the hell are you doing here?”
  Will shifted his body to block the doorway, unmoved by the hostile glare McKinley shot at him.

“I came to see my sister,” McKinley’s reply was glacial.  “Surely, you didn’t think I came here to see you.”

Will’s expression remained impassive.  “
Call
first the next time.  We were just on our way out, but I’ll be sure to tell Serena you stopped by.”

Undeterred by his cold reception, McKinley brushed past him and managed to make it as far as the living room before he caught up with her. 

“Where is she?”  McKinley demanded.

“I told you, we were on our way out so I’m afraid your little visit will just have to wait.”

“Is she in the kitchen?” 

McKinley attempted to go around him but Will was prepared for it this time.  Gripping her by the arm, he propelled her back towards the front door.
 
“You’re leaving. 
Now
,” he growled.

“How dare you manhandle me!  You can’t keep me from seeing Serena…”

“Watch me.”  Will yanked the front door open.  “You can call her tomorrow.  If she wants to see you, I won’t stand in the way, but she
has
enough on her mind today and I am
not
going to let you upset her.”

McKinley stopped struggling, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.  “What do you mean she
has
enough on her mind?  What’s going on?  Where are you taking her, and why are you so determined to keep me from talking to her today?”

“It’s none of your business what’s going on
or
where I’m taking her.  I just don’t want you to upset her, and since
Serena’s
last few encounters with you have been less than pleasant, I don’t trust you to be alone with her.”

McKinley’s cheeks turned a vivid shade of scarlet, but whatever scathing remarks she was about to unleash on him went unsaid.  As if on cue, they turned their heads towards the hallway where Rufus had just emerged.  Serena
appeared a few seconds later,
a warm smile lighting her face.

“I thought I heard voices,” she said.  “I was so afraid you
had
changed
your mind about coming with us.”

For a moment, Will was too stunned by what she’d said to realize Serena thought it was Rose at the door.  “Honey, it’s…”

“I hope you remembered to bring the flashlights,” Serena said as she made her way across the foyer.  “It only occurred to me while I was talking to you this morning that you and Will would need them.” 

Will nearly groaned out loud.  He let go of McKinley’s arm and reached for Serena, drawing her close to his side.  “It’s not Rose,” he spoke softly.  “It’s McKinley.  But she was just leaving,” he added when he felt Serena stiffen.

“I was
not
leaving,” McKinley shrieked, “I was being shoved out
the door
by your body guard!”
 
She shot Will a heated glare.  “I demand to know what you’re up to.  Where are you taking my sister and why would you need flashlights?”

“I told you, it’s none of your business,” Will ground out.

“It…it’s okay,” Serena interjected, “I don’t mind if she knows.” 

“It is
not
okay,” he disagreed.  “She’ll do her damnedest to persuade you not to do it and you’ll fall right back into that world of self-doubt she
has
been keeping you in.  And spare me the wide-eyed innocence routine, McKinley,” Will’s voice was filled with disgust.
 
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.  You undermine Serena’s confidence every chance you get.”