First to Fall Page 12

  Aiden decided to go home for his lunch. He needed to clear his head and he was hoping to make things right with Isla. He hated it when they were arguing and he needed her support now more than ever. He entered the kitchen, full of optimism, smiling widely, but his wife met him with a cold, hard stare.

  ‘Where the hell have you been?’ Her tone was accusing and she had her hands placed firmly on her hips.

  ‘I’ve been at work, where do you think I’ve been?’ His good intentions for a reconciliation were quickly evaporating. This wasn’t the kind of welcome he had been hoping for.

  ‘I called the office. You weren’t there.’ Her eyes were locked onto his, simmering with rage. He wished he hadn’t bothered coming home.

  ‘Where’s Meegan?’ he asked, glancing around the kitchen, noticing that she wasn’t there.

  ‘Answer the question.’ Isla’s voice rose a notch; she was close to boiling point.

  ‘Where’s Meegan?’ Aiden asked again, defying his wife.

  ‘She’s upstairs napping, now answer the Goddamn question!’ She was shouting now. He knew that he needed to calm her down else she would wake their daughter.

  ‘I was at the prison, working.’

  ‘At the prison!’

  ‘Yes, where my client is. For Christ’s sake, Isla. Why are being such a bitch?’

  ‘I’m the bitch? Oh, that’s rich!’ Her face was flushed with anger, her eyes still cold with fury. ‘You’re always at the Goddamn prison!’ she continued, venting her frustrations. ‘Do you think I’m stupid? Do you think I don’t know, that I don’t hear people whispering around town about what a beauty Brandy White is and how the gullible new lawyer in town is under her spell!’

  ‘You’re being insane!’ Aiden declared.

  ‘Insane?’ Isla laughed at the word. ‘I’m not the one who stabbed my husband to death, and is now moving on to someone else’s man!’

  ‘Isla, you’re being ridiculous’ Aiden just wanted to run out of the house and get some peace and quiet, but he knew that if he didn’t deal with his wife’s anger now it would just be waiting for him, even more intensified, when he returned home.

  ‘I’m tired of you visiting that whore in prison!’

  ‘What, Brandy?’ He could not conceal the element of shock he felt at his wife’s unreasonable aggression towards Brandy.

  ‘Don’t act all innocent, Aid. It won’t wash. You are always at that stupid prison, seeing that wretched woman. Does she bat her eyes at you? Does she tell you that you are her only hope? Bet it makes you feel like some big strong man!’

  ‘You are being completely ridiculous!’ Now he was shouting too. He hoped that for Meegan’s sake, she was managing to sleep through it all.

  ‘Am I? Tell me, is she pretty?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Tell me, Aid, is she attractive?’

  ‘Well…yes.’ He didn’t have the energy to lie.

  ‘I knew it! Everyone says how stunning she is. I should have known that you’d fall for her charms.’ Isla threw her hands up in the air and began to cry.

  ‘Don’t be so stupid! Just because she is attractive that doesn’t mean I’m attracted to her! Grow up!’

  ‘Lately, you are never here. You just come home to sleep! Do you have any idea how you are making me feel? I’ve never, ever felt this insecure in my life. All I do is exist for you, exist for keeping this home. I’m forgetting who I am and its driving me crazy!’

  ‘I’m trying, I am really trying, Isla, but you aren’t making this any easier on either of us!’

  ‘Did you even notice that I’d painted the lounge?’

  Aiden remained silent, knowing that he’d failed to notice the change of colour on the walls of the lounge, but knew full well that this was not the time to admit that.

  ‘Well, Aid, did you notice the fucking lounge or not?’ She was yelling again, her face contorted with anger, her eyes bloodshot and wet with tears.

  ‘No,’ he said quietly and hung his head, waiting for the inevitable tidal wave of anguished screams and curse words which were about to wash over him.

  ‘Do you even see me?’ Her voice was quiet which unnerved him, he was expecting anger and rage, but she had become oddly composed.

  ‘You didn’t notice my hair; more often than not you are too tired for sex. And now, you don’t even give a shit about our home.’

  ‘I do give a shit, I’ve just been…distracted.’

  ‘By that whore!’ The anger in his wife was rising again.

  ‘It’s not like that. It is a difficult case.’

  ‘No, it isn’t, Aiden. She killed her husband, she is guilty. What is difficult about that?’

  ‘There’s more to it, I know it!’ He slammed his fist against the table in frustration.

  ‘She is just a manipulative monster who has got you wrapped around her little finger!’

  In her anger, and full of spite, Isla grabbed Aiden’s faithful, blue mug from the side. The mug which meant so much to him, which he had drunk from time and again, that he had loved for so many years. She took the mug in her hand and in one swift movement, threw it at the wall just beyond Aiden’s head. He heard it whirl past before the ceramic smashed against the wall and shattered. He heard each shard fall to the ground, destroyed. He didn’t turn to view the massacre, he didn’t want to give his wife the satisfaction of a reaction.

  ‘You have no idea what you are talking about!’ Aiden roared, his mind no longer worrying about disturbing Meegan, instead pushed to the limit by his wife’s constant bickering. He strode over to her, full of purpose and angry intent. He placed his face so close to hers that their noses were almost touching. Isla cowered in fear. She had never seen her husband this mad before, she knew that she had taken things too far.

  ‘You are a self-involved bitch who has no idea what she is talking about,’ he hissed.

  With that, he turned on his heel and marched out of the kitchen without looking back.

  ‘Aid,’ Isla cried after him, sobbing. ‘Aid, please.’

  But her cries were in vain, he was already gone. He had taken all he could from his wife for the day. He’d probably pick up some flowers on the way home to help smooth things over, but for now he needed to get away. Brandy was due to stand trial for murder in a week, he knew that he had to do something, and fast.

  Isla stood alone, weeping. The remains of what was once the blue mug looked up at her, a painful metaphor of her marriage. Did she pick up the pieces and try to mend something so badly broken, or did she simply toss it out with the trash and replace it? As she stood there, in a strange town, feeling abandoned by the man she had sworn to love for the rest of her life, she had no idea what to do.

  ‘Aiden, are you sure that you have thought this through?’ Edmond’s face was pale and worried.

  ‘Yes, Edmond, I’m really sure.’

  ‘It’s just,’ he sighed deeply, ‘you are new to town, you are only just starting to get to know people. If you choose to do this, on your head be it. I’ll play no part in any of it.’

  ‘You won’t have to.’

  ‘I’m sorry but I can’t be involved at all, I hope that you understand.’

  Aiden understood. The moment he had told Edmond Cope of his plans the portly man had turned ashen. He had closed the blinds and sent Betty out for coffee, even though there was plenty. It all seemed extremely cloak and dagger.

  ‘What you are proposing to do, it will upset a lot of very important people,’ he was whispering, fearful.

  ‘I’ve no doubt. But I wouldn’t do anything without running it past you first.’

  ‘I’m glad that you did but you must be prepared. Once news gets out, people will be angry, you must expect a fair amount of backlash.’ Aiden was already aware of what to expect. He knew that many people, such as Buck Fern, would relish any excuse to be hostile towards him.

  ‘But what makes you so sure? How do you know that she isn’t lying? I’ve learnt to never trust a beautiful woman. The
more plain a lady is, the less lies that she can get away with.’

  ‘I believe her.’ And Aiden did. He believed in her so much that he was willing to sacrifice his reputation, possibly even his career.

  ‘It is just hard to take in. Brandon…a wife beater?’ Edmond shook his head. ‘He was always such a nice lad. I knew that he liked a drink or two, but then who doesn’t?’ At that moment, after Aiden had delivered his shocking decision to him, Edmond needed a drink more than ever to steady his nerves. His mind was racing as he worried about Avalon’s reaction. What if his offices were vandalised? What if he himself were attacked?

  ‘Is your case solid?’

  ‘Solid enough.’ Aiden was confident with his evidence. ‘There are just a few holes that I need to sort out, but it is nothing much.’

  ‘I just hope she is telling the truth, for your sake.’ Edmond was genuinely concerned for the young lawyer. He had seen Brandy White, she was the most dangerous type of beautiful in his eyes. She didn’t lure you into bed with hungry eyes and moist lips, instead she found a way into your heart, with her soft features and angelic nature. She was the sort of woman who, if she said the sky were green, you’d believe her. He was fearful that she had worked her magic on Aiden. Edmond berated himself for not having handled the case himself. He felt as if he were feeding Aiden to the lions and, try as he might, it seemed the young man was hell-bent on self-destruction.

  ‘It might not even work.’ Edmond tried another tack: planting doubt in Aiden’s mind.

  ‘It has to. She can’t die for this.’

  ‘You are young, stubborn and idealistic. But surely, from your work in the city, you have seen that the law is far from black and white?’

  ‘I’ve had some tough cases, but this, I can do something, I can help. I have to do something, Edmond, if I didn’t, I could never live with myself.’

  ‘And if she still dies?’

  ‘Then at least I tried.’ Aiden was full of courage and optimism, qualities which had left Edmond long since, and he admired the young man. If only he could see what trouble he was about to unleash upon himself. But if it were true, if Brandon had beaten Brandy, what good would that information do now? He was dead, nothing could change that. But these allegations would hurt those he had left behind, who were still raw and grieving for him.

  Aiden could sense how uneasy Edmond was.

  ‘I will not speak of this again to you. It is my decision, and any backlash that comes from it is mine to deal with,’ he said, trying to calm his colleague’s nerves.

  ‘Then, I’ll let you get on with it. You need to alert the courts that this is no longer a murder trial. That you will be attempting to have Brandy White tried for manslaughter.’

  Hearing it aloud made Aiden all the more certain that he was doing the right thing. If Brandy was found guilty of manslaughter, under federal law, she would serve a life sentence, rather than have her life ended as if she had committed murder. Brandon’s death had not been preordained, it was a crime of passion, and anyone in Brandy’s position would have done the same thing. He knew that the people of Avalon would not welcome the revelation that their beloved hero was a monster behind closed doors but the truth needed to come out. In his line of work, too often Aiden had seen guilty men walk free because fear kept their victims silent. The only way to end abuse, suffering, was to speak up. Brandon would lose his halo, but perhaps the town would stop vilifying Brandy and just realise, as he had, that she was just a kind, loving woman, driven to do something awful.

  In a small town, news travels alarmingly fast. It wasn’t always a good idea to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes, standing by and not saying anything can land you in even more trouble. Edmond waited until Aiden had left and he had heard his car drive away, thenwith a heavy heart he picked up his phone and dialled. He knew how things worked in Avalon, he knew that it was important to keep friends in high places.

  ‘Clyde, hello,’ he said as the other end of the line picked up. ‘I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news regarding Brandy’s case…’

  Chapter Nine: Don’t Be Fooled

  Aiden had anticipated that once news got round that he was going to try and change Brandy’s plea to manslaughter, people would be unhappy. Perhaps even downright rude to him. He was standing at the gas station filling up his car and could feel numerous pairs of eyes boring into his back. When he looked around, familiar faces who normally greeted him with a smile either looked away in disgust or gave him a stony glare. He told himself that in time their anger would subside, but he was hurt by their attitude.

  When he stopped to grab a coffee, the attendant was brisk, and when he turned his back to leave the young guy clearly called Aiden a dick. He was trying to rise above it, to remember that all these people who were so quick to cast stones didn’t know the whole story like he did. He did wonder how they could already know about the intricacies of the case, but he didn’t dwell on it for too long. He was quickly learning that in a town as close-knit as Avalon, news travels faster than fire.

  As Aiden came into Cope and May Solicitors at Law he found himself wishing his day away. He wanted nothing more than the cruel whispering and the hateful looks to stop. It was like being back in high school. A place that had seemed so friendly and welcoming now appeared vicious and segregated. He hoped that in his workplace he would find a sanctuary from the accusing eyes and harsh tongues. He was wrong.

  ‘Morning, Betty,’ he greeted her with all the cheer that he could muster.

  ‘Mr. Connelly.’ Her tone was cold; she didn’t even look up from her computer to acknowledge him. He sighed with disappointment and went into the office.

  ‘Oh, Mr. Connelly,’ Betty called after him. Aiden hoped that perhaps she was going to apologise, say that she was just caught up in the combined mentality of the town and didn’t mean to be rude to him. He looked at her in hope.

  ‘Mr. Cope won’t be in today, he is sick.’

  ‘No,’ Aiden thought to himself, ‘he is hiding.’ He knew how bad the aftermath of Aiden’s decision would be and had wisely chosen to ride out the storm at home.

  He shut himself in his office, thankful to be alone. He toyed with asking Betty for a coffee but decided against it.

  When people believed that he was going to help send Brandy to her death, they admired him. Now that he was sticking his neck out to save her life he was being vilified. Brandon had truly managed to brainwash all those around him. The truth of it was, that no one wanted to accept that Brandon, who they held in such high regard, was violent and abusive, because of the implication it meant for them. It would mean that an entire town turned a blind eye as an innocent woman was constantly beaten, and that would make them bad people. To witness an injustice and not speak out is almost as bad as committing the wrongdoing. If Brandon had done all the terrible things that Brandy had said he had, it meant that Avalon wasn’t this close, loving community it tried to portray itself as. It would all be a lie. It would mean that it was as cold and as lonely a place to live in as any big city. Aiden was threatening to not only tarnish Brandon’s image, but also the entire town’s. It was little wonder that they now hated him so much.

  Isla Connelly was doing her best to adapt to small-town life. She was accustomed to cocktail parties, designer clothes stores and sushi restaurants. The only thing the people of Avalon seemed to keep manicured were their gardens. She felt like she was on another planet rather than in just another state. She missed her friends, she missed her penthouse, and she missed dry martinis and massages. But most of all she missed herself. Ever since they moved she felt that as each day passed, a small part of her faded away. Social events now consisted of high school football games and church instead of hitting the town with girls or dining out on the finest cuisine. But she knew why she was here. Aiden was becoming a stranger; she had felt it for a long time. It got to the point where she no longer knew how he took his coffee because he was never around long enough for her to make him one. Rather than become a
statistic, they had packed their bags and turned their back on their old life, hoping to make a fresh start and learn from the mistakes that they had been making. But Isla knew all too well that old habits die hard. Her rows with Aiden were breaking her heart yet she couldn’t help but lash out at him. As stupid as she knew it was, she was jealous of Brandy White. She needed her husband to support her, instead he was off helping a murderer. Yet in her heart she still knew him enough to know that if he were fighting so very hard for Brandy, he must have sensed that there was something there worth fighting for. Aiden had his faults, but he was a sincere, kind and loving man. He was the last of a dying breed. This was why Isla painted on her smile with lipstick, as she did each day, and took Meegan out in her stroller, determined not to give up.

  It was a pleasant enough day as she pushed her daughter along the street. She wanted to make things right with Aiden so she was headed to the small grocery store in the town centre to pick up a few essentials to cook him a special dinner.

  ‘What shall we make for Daddy’s dinner tonight?’ she asked Meegan, who was currently entranced by the penny wheel she was holding, watching with glee as it blew in the gentle breeze.

  ‘Mashed potato!’ she yelled excitedly.

  ‘We can’t just give Daddy mashed potato! He needs a proper dinner.’

  ‘Squirrel!’

  ‘Ick, can’t cook him squirrel, silly.’ Then she noticed, from Meegan’s outstretched hand pointing, that squirrel had been an observation rather than a suggestion. Isla laughed to herself. There was an abundance of wildlife in Avalon, something which they didn’t have in the city, unless you counted cockroaches and rats. Meegan adored watching butterflies in the garden or listening to crickets at night. Isla was even toying with the idea of taking the little girl horse riding when she was a bit older. Isla had always wanted a horse, and now perhaps, she would be able to.

  With the sun on her back and the clean air in her lungs, Isla was finally starting to feel as though she was settling into country life. As she navigated the stroller through the doorway of the grocery store she was greeted with a smile by Andy, the elderly owner. She waved and began wandering the few aisles, collecting what she needed. She hooked her basket to the back of the stroller to stop Meegan loading it up with random goods. However, this didn’t stop the little girl, as when Isla looked down to check on her she was holding a box of crackers, a jar of peaches and a packet of spaghetti.