Andy Barber - Duplicity 💜

Chapter 4

Andy gets called into the office of his boss, Lynn Canavan towards the end of the day. He stormed into her office, wondering what the big to do was all about. "Are you firing me? What is going on Lynn?"

She only sighed, pointing to the seat next to her, "no Andy. Please just sit." She hesitated, looking at Andy, "there's been some new development in the Rifkin case, and I have some bad news. And I need you to promise that you're going to be calm Andy."

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he flattened his tie nervously. "Okay."

"The print that was found on Ben's sweatshirt came back with a hit. It is a match for your son Andy. It is a match for Jacob."

"No way. That can't be right." He surveys nervously, the report she places in front of him making his son the new prime suspect in this case. It couldn't be, not Jacob. Andy began to feel sick to his stomach as he shook his head furiously, "they go to the same school. Jacob is in his class, I'm sure there's some explanation for this." He leans back, seeing the concern on Lynn's face. "Oh my god, have you arrested my son?"

"We're going to."

Andy leapt to his feet, "please, you don't have to arrest him. He'll turn himself in. I'm begging you not to put him through all that." He watches Lynn sit quietly as he shakes his head, "do you have a warrant?"

"We are getting one now. And you need to get a lawyer for Jacob."

He sighed, resting his hands on his hips as he felt the same betrayal he was sure his son felt that morning. There was no doubt in his head that Jacob could have ever done this, but the same couldn't be said for his boss who sat in front of him. "You're going to ruin his life. He'll never recover from this."

Lynn sighed, lowering her voice, "I'm just following the evidence Andy, I'm sorry. I have to view him as if I would with any other suspect. You're being put on paid leave effective immediately."

Andy zones out the rest of her words, the loose platitudes she didn't mean, that she could never mean. He shakes his head, grabbing his coat to rush away home to try and catch Jacob before someone else found him.

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Andy groans as he pulls down the road he lived, seeing the circus already gathering. There were police cars everywhere as he pulled into the driveway. He got out of the car, making it to the front door as a warrant was provided. He sighed, letting them into the house as he sat on the back patio as Laurie arrived, no doubt as panicked as he was.

"Where is Jacob? He isn't home yet?"

Andy shook his head, "no. He wasn't home when I got here and as far as I am aware, they are still looking for him."

Laurie starts to pace, "where is he? He should be home by now. I don't understand."

"He probably got spooked by the cops and is hiding somewhere. We'll find him. Don't worry."

"Don't worry?! Don't worry? Our son is missing and he's just been accused of murder! How am I not supposed to worry?!"

Andy sighed, standing up to wrap her in a hug to try and console her. He heard his phone ring, seeing Allison's name pop up. He pressed ignore until she called again. He pulled away from Laurie, answering the phone.

"Allie, now isn't the best time..."

"Andy, Jacob is here at my place. He's scared and he says that the police think he killed Ben?"

Andy groaned, looking at Laurie, "thank you Allie. I'll be right there, okay?"

"Yeah. He's safe here Andy."

Andy hung up the phone, "Jacob is at Allison's place."

"What is he doing there?"

Andy shrugged, "the next safest place he felt besides home was her place apparently. I'm going to go and get him."

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Allison arrives at her apartment to find Jacob on the ground with his back leaning against the door. "Jacob? What are you doing here?" She saw the panic in his face as he stood up and she unlocked the door, ushering him inside. "Jacob.."

He shook his head, "they think I did. They think I killed Ben. But I didn't. I swear I didn't Allie."

She wrapped him in a hug as she tried to process what he was saying. "What do you mean they think you did it. Who is they Jacob?"

He took a deep breath, pulling away from her, looking at the ground, "when I was walking home from school, I saw police in front of my house. I panicked and came here. I'm sorry if I get you into trouble."

"Don't you worry about me Jacob. I'll be fine." She shook her head, trying to shake away what he just said, "I'm sure there's a logical explanation. Okay hon? I have to call your dad. I have to call Andy. You know that right?"

Jacob nodded, sitting on the couch, "I know you do. I'm sorry."

She groaned, pulling out her phone as she sat on the coffee table in front of him, "stop apologizing okay? I will call Andy. Don't worry Jacob." She hears Jacob mumbling nervously to himself as tears streak his cheeks.

"I didn't kill him. I swear I didn't kill him. I found his body and I thought he was hurt, so I went to turn him over and found him dead. I swear I didn't kill him." He looked back up at Allison and didn't see fear, but pity as she nodded, sitting next to him as she wrapped her arm around him as she called his father.

"It's going to be okay Jacob."

**Authors note**
I'm not one that likes to regurgitate from the shows or movies these characters are based from. But I realize not everyone may have seen Defending Jacob and there is quite a bit of it that is necessary for the re-telling of the story.
So I will do my best to paraphrase and only include the necessities as I rewrite the show the outcome. A lot of the set up is necessary though.
Sorry for the ramble. Hope you understood it 😂
-Ash