For the Love of Justice

Chapter Twenty Two | It Was An Accident

The next afternoon, I was packing my over night bag to stay at Stella's becaue it was friday, the night of her brothers party. I'd gotten home from school relatively quickly, and was just coming down the stairs when I heard the front door open, keys falling on to the bench a few moments later.

"Spence?" I called, reaching the bottom level as my sister, tired and worn, came in to my sight. "Hey. You look shattered."

She sent me a tired smile, flopping down onto the large couch in the living room. "I can't feel my feet." She groaned, kicking off her boots with her eyes closed. "Remind me why I wanted to be a detective again?"

"Because you want to save the world, remember?" I said, laughing at the grunt that came out of her mouth at my response. "Seriously though, big shift?" 

"Yeah. I worked the night shift too, there was a bit of a complication to my case recently." Spencer said, fighting a yawn. "But right now I'm going to order some take out, shower, and go to bed." She glanced at my bag slung over my shoulder.

"Oh right, you're going to Stella's. I forgot, do you need a ride?" 

"No, I'm good. You get some sleep." I smiled, walking over to sit down next to her. "God knows you need it." 

"Is that you're way of telling me I look dreadful?" 

"In kinder words, yeah." 

Spencer gave my shoulder a gentle push, but then wrapped her arm around my shoulders. "Now, I'd say no drinking but that's inevitable, but no drugs, unprotected sex-"

"Spence," I laughed, standing up. "This is me we're talking about here." 

"I know." She cracked a grin. "But maybe one day you'll take me by surprise and I'll have to pick you up from the police station." 

Rolling my eyes, I stood up and grabbed my bag from where I'd dumped it on the floor, double checking I had my phone in my pocket before turning back to a half asleep Spencer and smiled. "I'll be home tomorrow, do you have the day off?" 

Spencer shook her head slowly, "But I'll try to finish early. We can do something." 

I nodded, leaving the house with a wave in her direction. Stella's house was only a ten minute walk away, so I started down the footpath in the sunny late afternoon, content with the peaceful walk. 

My mind soon strayed to something that wasn't so mellow, however, and a brief swell of anger passed under my skin as I thought of what I'd found out yesterday, about how Samson was actually the one who had been driving the car during the accident, and how he'd let Marley take the blame. 

All this time, a whole year on, and he'd let everybody believe he was innocent. He'd let Marley suffer the rejection and disgust of other peers and towns people, become an outcast, experience the consequences of what Samson should be dealing with, not him. 

But then I remembered Marley's plead; to keep it a secret. 

That didn't sit right, but I had to respect it. His reasoning was genuine and I could understand why he wanted to just leave it.

But Samson was going to be at this party tonight, and I was deathly afraid I'd let something slip. 

It wasn't the sort of secret that your best friend made you swear not to tell, but you let it slip to another close friend, but with her knowing it's still harmless. This secret, Marley's secret, it could damage people. 

It could ruin Jamie's family, all over again. The aftershocks would be huge. 

I knocked on the door at the same time as I sighed, and Stella's face met me a few moments later, her hair half straightened, half tied up, her eyes wide with excitement.