7 Stories Down

Is The Truth Cheap? - Part 3 (FINALE)

After reading the first set of letters —the ones that applied to the jail sentence— I found myself in a tough position as a journalist trying to reveal the victimizer's side of the story.

—Jessica ID# 722-####

Dear and demanding reader... what I am about to reveal is the killer's side of the story, his interpretation and reasoning: his regrets and opinions on how life works. After having the opportunity to privately read a murderer's apparent honest confession, I will publish what I believe should be his last letter. Again, this, narrated through his moral compass.

. . .

Dear Jessica:

Yesterday's court hearing was postponed due to Dave's wife's inability to be present at the trial. I suspect that the footage of the incident at the mall, my turn at the stand, and the death row subject matter are too hard to digest.

As an arbitrary fact, my lawyer visited me hours after finding out that the session had been canceled. After greetings, just after sitting in front of me, he told me that they (the court) were planning to continue with my wife's murder case.

This, right after the end of Dave's trial.

It hurts me, that I haven't been completely honest with you in the last few letters, a journalist from the other side of the world who is willing to put her career in jeopardy for something she's not completely sure is the right thing to do. I don't know what it was that you saw in my eyes the day we met, but definitely I believe, or better yet, I like to believe that finally, God has intervened in my life. As I heard before, you have to do your part so that God's contribution has its effect. People don't tend to accept those parts of God's will that contradict their wishes. For me, I have accepted my faith, and I'm always willing to help others; it comes naturally in me.

Since my early 20s, I started to be in two different plains when walking through life. This could be very confusing, but the best way to explain it is that I'm multitasking. I'm hearing the people while they're talking to me and simultaneously I'm evaluating what's the purpose behind the conversation. The same happens when I see people socializing or doing any activity; I evaluate their body language and behavior, while I'm doing my own. I have had a lot of success with my suspicions, many of them turn out to be what I thought from afar. But more than a gift, I consider this a curse. Is through this that I'm doing my divine work. I have helped many people with their problems, many of them at that point in life when they have lost all hope and are ready to end it, or worse yet, ready to attack the morals of society. I accepted it because I had seen the hand of God removing the stones from my path.

Some years have passed and through ups and downs I've done my work, but this hasn't been enough to vanish my sorrow. Even knowing that I am doing the right thing, I suffer deeply when I am alone, trying to understand many things that happen in life; things that I consider to be unfair. I would like to begin my confession by saying that I'm completely convinced that I'm far away from being perfect. That I have seen myself doing those things that I condemn the most.

I met Darlene 10 years ago. I think she met me in my best moment. Mature, self-conscious, nature-oriented, and spiritually awake. She was a beautiful person, with lots of light. She saw life differently than I did, but still, we felt like we were the perfect match. She was 7 years younger than me and we had arguments due to the age difference. I knew from the beginning that we were not on the same page when we talked about those things that have yet to be experienced. I was always vocal; talking about everything that could have a negative effect on each person's personal life; some setback that could delay our individual progress in life.

All of this leads us to an appointment with a couple's therapist, Dave —who put a lot of effort into the well-being of our relationship. After a couple of sessions, I read Dave's body language and I knew in what kind of situation I was involved. Dave was right, I was meant to live life alone. He always said that I was an old soul who did not need to welcome anyone into his life. 

He was right, but where Dave was wrong was when he tried to convince me that I don't have the ability to read people's behavior. He rephrased my idea of 'more a curse than a gift' by saying it would be a gift if it comes from God, but it would be a curse if is a dirty job from the devil. He knew that I considered it a curse, and now he was persuading me to believe that the devil was more interested in me than God.

The truth is... He did it. Since that session, I have experienced many surreal things and I don't think they are just part of my imagination. Always, when I experience something, and something physical happens to me during the hallucinations, when I "wake up" I have it in real life; wounds, sweat, blood, torn clothes, etc. The other night when I wrote to you about the footsteps I heard, I knew it was her. When she visits me, the atmosphere changes and I can feel the same heavy energy. My eyesight becomes blurry, but my sense of hearing becomes sharper.

Jessica, she is here again...

If die tonight share my thoughts with whoever, don't let anyone else fall into that trap. He will disguise himself as a therapist or any other professional you can ask for help. It was him who killed her, I was there...

She was tougher, and for this reason, she haunts me ever since. She cares for me, that's why my vision becomes hazy —but not my hearing. I can hear her perfectly; focused on her murmur— asking me to say the truth. Today is different, I know that she is approaching, and she's alone. Her demands are the same, but the message is different; she's saying "Speak the truth; that will be cheaper. Don't underestimate your intuition, you've seen it."

I knew it! During the court hearing while watching the images I realized that he manipulated me so that I strangled him. That was unknown to me but now I am awake and willing to stop hiding.

There's a lot of tension building up in here; I'm starting to feel stressed and her voice is becoming quivery. I don't think she's getting scared, it must be the force with which he alters the environment with his passage. The lights started flickering, her voice is becoming weaker; this is a bond that he doesn't want to become greater.

He has reached me now, I can't hear anything but him; his deep breathing, and his electrifying presence. Everything vibrates, it feels as if each molecule present is so unstable that it will end up giving way. He's here, in front of me —I won't look up at him. I know why he's here —what I don't understand is why I still feel alive. Is he giving me an opportunity? Or he just wants me to look at him so he can watch me suffer? My hair stood on end. The temperature of the room started rising.

I think this is it for me.

Jessica; they will haunt you forever —the decisions you make. I can see now; as I was there— in each of those scenarios where I could've said no. Each of those moments where I knew I was doing the wrong thing. I've always tried to be a better human being regardless.

I always tried to be a better human being.

I will not move; I will not give way.
I'll try to describe as much as I can.
Fear not my dear unknown friend. Promise me th...

. . .

Attached is the newspaper article about Cade's death:

Today the man who killed his wife and attempted to do the same with his mental therapist has been found dead. A mysterious death, as called by the forensic scientists.
From the jail guards, nothing revealing or helpful was heard. The only unusual event they recall was a tremor followed by a brief power outage. The curious statements came from the forensic unit who were speechless with the scene found. One of them states, "There's not much to say at the moment, but lots to investigate."
The body was found sitting; stiff, with a letter in progress.
For the moment, the most relevant findings were: no blood at the scene, no signs of a suicide attempt, and the absence of physical abuse signs. A witness confidentially claimed to have heard that the deceased appeared to have his ears burned from the inside out.

.  .  .

Cade's death was declared a suicide case by the Forensic Pathologist. This was later reversed and re-ruled as an Anomic Suicide by a Forensic Psychologist. In Cade's will, I was the heir; I received a small box with a couple of letters and a heavily weathered hat on top of it.

—Jessica.