How They Got Away With Murder | Book Three

Chapter Fourteen-Part Two

TW: Mentions of suicide

      It was deathly silent as the group moved to the living room, seating themselves before Connor. Karmen and Alyssa sat as close as they could while the others distanced from the boy. All of their expressions held variations of confusion and anger as they awaited his explanation.

      "So, you already know I was with Henry that night. I used his phone to check my voicemail and I listened to Annalise's. After that, I went to the house. It was open. I searched the place and saw it was empty, but I got kind of freaked out when I saw a shattered bottle on the ground. Then, I went into the basement. That's where I found him." Connor recalled, his eyes tearing up.

      "He was laying on the ground. He didn't have a pulse. Or maybe I just couldn't find it, I don't know. But his body was still warm so I started CPR."

      Bleary-eyed, Laurel spat, "Why didn't you call 911?"

      "Because I didn't have my phone."

      "There was a phone in the house." Asher pointed out, a hateful gleam in his gaze.

      "You weren't there." Connor sputtered. "You don't understand. I tried to save him." He paused for a moment in an attempt to recollect himself before he continued with the story.

      "H-he wouldn't breathe so I kept doing the compressions. But then, there was like a—like a crack—like a bone or a rib or something. I don't know. Maybe that's what killed him, you know, maybe like a bone punctured him or something."

      It hurt Karmen tremendously to watch her friend fall apart like that. She wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault, that Wes was dead either way, but Alyssa beat her to it.

      "No, Connor, he was hurt before you got there."

      Laurel sprung up from the couch, shouting, "Do not baby him right now!"

      Annalise held Laurel back before stepping towards Connor. She wondered how badly Annalise would scold him.

      "Connor. Did you see if he was hurt?"

      "No."

      "Are you sure? Because that would help us figure out how he died."

      "I didn't see anything!" The boy wailed. "He just—he just looked dead."

      Laurel scoffed. "Yeah, 'cause you left him there to die!" 

      In a panic, Connor added, "There was gas! I smelled gas. Whoever killed him cut the gas line."

      "You mean you cut the gas line."

      Annalise shook her head. "Laurel."

      "I swear I didn't do this!" 

      Minutes passed where there were no words spoken. All that could be heard was Connor silently weeping out of guilt.

      Laurel spoke first. "How are we supposed to believe you?"

      "Look at him!" Alyssa interjected, waving her hand at the rattled boy. "Look how guilty he feels."

      "Maybe because he killed him." Asher stated. 

      Karmen scowled before muttering under her breath, "I see you're back to being an idiot."

      "Why are you just telling us this now?" Bonnie asked, and when it was apparent that Connor was at a loss for words, Alyssa defended him once more.