Empty Fingers

An Innocent Acquisition Editor

Jack
I was somehow able to get a good attorney to come to my aid. I had left SIP heading home. I had just put my briefcase in my trunk when I felt something over my mouth. I fought but to no avail., there were several big men holding me and put me in my trunk after gagging me and securing my hands and ankles. I hear a woman and I black out. The next thing I know I am reeking of alcohol and pot. I am shoved into the drivers seat of a smashed car. I can't keep my eyes open as I hear someone calling EMTs. I feel someone checking my blood pressure and they are taking photos when I finally get my eyes open. I am handcuffed to a bed a hospital bed, the last thing I recall is being with a woman who was trying to sell me her manuscripts and I told her to go through SIP to submit them. She brought me a drink from the bar and that was all I remember. I hadn't had any alcohol since I got plastered at the office party and Roach had to drive me home. Apparently they found me behind the wheel of my car, but there are questions that are being asked about exactly what happened. Apparently they have my car 8n evidence and think I wasn't even behind the wheel. I don't know how I got behind the wheel, I recall the drink and the woman, but I can't seem to remember getting in and driving my car. I recall a dark place but thought it was a dream.

Carla
I finally chat with Jack Hyde and he is no help at all and really can't remember being behind the wheel of his car. He has no idea how he was behind the wheel and they said that they couldn't figure out how he could get in it to begin with because he is 6'4" and when they found him it was like he was stuffed into the drivers seat with no seat belt on and no head injury. With the number of questions around this wreck an investigation was started and the blood work done came back and he barely had any alcohol in his system. No pot in his system either. They noticed the smell of chloroform when they checked him out. The tests don't match the wreck, but with no footage we can't figure out who was behind it. We might have major problems here and might not be able to sue him. We need to try though. Luckily she was insured and her losses will include her twins as well. I am working with her on this case.

Melissa
I am dealing with moving to an apartment and selling our home. I can't look at it anymore. I found a nice place that has security around the clock. I have packed everything up and given all the baby's things to a charity that came and picked it up. I lost more than my husband and my twins, I lost my ability to have any more children. I knew when they rushed me to surgery, because I heard the surgeons discuss it. I have no one left. No one at all. I pack all our photos up and store them in the back of the closet. I look at his desk and the books he still needed to complete and the envelopes that need to be sent out. I then see the publishers name and it is SIP and I mail them out with my name and new address on it.

I am sent the life insurance money, Carla Steele helped me with everything including burying my husband and babies. She finally encouraged me to name the twins. David jr and Mindy Ann and they are buried on each side of their father and a bench is there in case I visit. Jacks insurance is fighting me and losing. The life insurance was definitely enough for me to live on the rest of my life. Royalties are going into our joint account, I contacted SIP about them paying them directly to me after showing proof of death and our marriage license. Carla handled a lot of this and even helped get me through moving.

Six months later I am looking at a two million dollar settlement from Hyde's insurance company. Hyde was found not guilty of being legally drunk or smoking pot. Photos were taken by the cops and the EMTs and those got him off of the charges. Civilly he was found liable for the accident. I got another million for losing the ability to have more children. Carla found letters addressed to David threatening to kill him, they were locked in his safe. It was about the book he just wrote and it hit the bookstores two months before he died. The person had an alibi.

Jack
My car insurance is out of control. It was taken to court and they finally settled the matter for major damages. Along with a new car and over three million dollars she is still getting medical treatment and psychological treatment to get through her losses. I wasn't found guilty of anything but I feel guilty of it all. I have had someone investigate and find out who the women were that night. They had something to do with all of this. The footage has been looked at and blown up, but I don't know who she is and no one has ever seen her before or after that night. My insurance company has told me to move forward and forget about the situation or I will need to see someone.

Just as soon as you start living again something happens that drags you back. In my case I caught sight of the woman walking out of a building close to where I work and she is following a man. I don't know who it is but she definitely has him in her sights. I can't see who it is, but he came out of the same building. I definitely need to call the investigator and tell him.