Midnight Angel [Jenlisa FF]

~'~'~ Chapter 24 ~'~'~

Well, Jennie took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders, she would just have to make sure he believed her. "I'm ready," she said to Lisa.

Lisa smiled and squeezed her hands. This wasn't easy for her, Lisa knew, but she also knew she realized the importance of talking to Ryan. she'd seen the change in her eyes, from stark fear to acceptance to determination. Her courage awed her. She was prepared to face whatever was to come. And she would be right there by her side.

Within moments, both Lisa and Jennie had joined Ryan down in the living room. Ryan was seated in one of the chairs, so Lisa led Jennie to the couch and sat down next to her. she could feel the tension in Jennie's body, but she was holding on. The best she could do for her now was to get everything out for Ryan to hear so they would know whether her friend believed them and could help.

Lisa leaned forward and picked up the file of papers Ryan had brought, the one that contained the printouts of all the information Lisa had sent him. "There's a lot that's not in these papers," she started off by saying.

"Yeah," Ryan nodded. "I kinda got that feeling. So why don't you fill me in on the rest."

So, Lisa did. she relayed to Ryan every single thing she'd learned since she got involved with Jennie and her past. Starting from the beginning, she told of the ghost stories, what she'd seen, meeting Jisoo and Jin and all they'd told her. Then she moved on to realizing Jennie was alive and how they'd come to meet. From there, she explained all she'd learned from Jennie herself, and about her own research that led to the conclusion that Jennie had been set up.

All the while, Ryan listened stoically, taking in each and every word Lisa said. Near the beginning, he'd pulled out a notepad and occasionally jotted down some notes for personal reference. he never interrupted once with questions, only listened.

Jennie remained silent as well, allowing Lisa to tell the story of her life. It was strange, she thought, hearing about the things she'd been through being told in such a factual, detached monologue. She'd lived through it all, but hearing it told this way was just...odd. She had to admit it all sounded so fantastical, like a twisted Hollywood plot. Only, this hadn't come from some writer's mind. It had all happened. To her.

When Lisa finished, Ryan set down his pen and thought for several long, drawn out seconds. Finally, he raised his eyes to Jennie. "Anything you want to add to all that?" he asked her.

The first words that came to mind were what Jennie said. "I didn't kill my family."

Ryan stared straight at her, saying nothing for a moment. Finally, he gave her a small smile. "I believe you."

Jennie's mouth dropped open in shock. He believed her. It was that simple. She'd thought he would question her, try to tear her story apart and call her a killer. But he wasn't doing anything like that. She had a sudden urge to throw herself on him and say thank you, but she was too frozen to do anything.

Instead, Lisa voiced the same thoughts Jennie had. "You believe her, just like that?" Not that she wasn't grateful Ryan seemed to accept the whole story, but she couldn't help but be weary at such a quick announcement.

"Honestly, it was pretty clear from the information you sent me. None of the evidence adds up to what the cops here said it did, and I went over it all thoroughly." Ryan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. "They tried to say this was a crime of rage, Jennie's rage, and her instability. But the crime scene doesn't match that. It was all too pretty, too controlled. That's not normal."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. There should have been signs of struggle, but it was like they were laid out," Lisa pondered aloud.

"Exactly. That reeks of a professional, not some girl gone crazy." Ryan winced and looked apologetically at Jennie. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way."