Chapter 16

Mark Huston looked at his young, exhausted client and tried to find the
best way to phrase his words. He knew she had had a bad night and
what he was about to tell her wasn't going to make things any easier for her. He spoke as gently as he could. "I'm going to be honest with you, Laura. This isn't looking good for you."

She looked up wearily at him, and rubbed her temples. "No shit."

"Maybe we should go over your story again," he suggested.

"My story?" Laura snapped. "I've told you my story three times already. I'm not going to slip up if that"s what you're thinking."

Mark sighed. "You don't have to be so defensive, Laura. I'm on your side."

Laura turned her head to the side, blinking back the tears. "Can I see my mother now?" The desperation sneaked into her voice.

"I'll go get her," Mark agreed.

Laura got up and paced the interrogation room. The closed spaces were already starting to get to her, not to mention these damned handcuffs. She absently rubbed her irritated wrists as she became more agitated. Being alone did that to her.

She thought she remembered it all, but what if she hadn't? What if...? A wave of nausea hit her hard and it took all her strength to keep it under control. She heard the door open and ran to her mother, who enveloped her in a warm hug. Tears pricked Lesley's eyes as Laura began sobbing into her shoulder, her slim body shaking with the emotional release.

"It's okay, baby," Lesley soothed, rubbing Laura's back in a circular motion. "Let it out."

After a few minutes, Laura began to calm down and looked up at her mother. "I didn't do it." Her eyes bore into Lesley's, ready to find any hint of doubt.

There was none.

Lesley wiped the tears from her daughter's face. "I know, Laura."

"You believe me?" Laura asked.

"Of course I do. You're not a murderer, Laura."

Laura opened her mouth to respond, but Lesley silenced her by placing two fingers on her lips. "That was different. You didn't plan for him to die."

Laura whispered, "I was almost beginning to think that I had..."

"No," Lesley said firmly. "Mark is meeting with Scotty and he'll tell Mark what happened exactly as you just did."

Laura released a shaky sigh as fresh tears began to fall again from her reddened eyes, this time from relief. Her mother believed her, Scotty had been there. She wasn't a killer. She wasn't a killer.

"Come on, baby, let's sit down," Lesley said as she led Laura to a chair.

"Where are Amy and Dad?" Laura asked.

"At home, we didn't want to overwhelm you," Lesley explained. "They'll come tomorrow."

"Good," Laura said, a small smile coming to life on her face. It was getting easier to breathe now.

They passed the time talking about simple things. Laura even managed a laugh as she thought of Lee Baldwin allowing the same lawyer to represent her and Scotty.

"How is Scotty?" Laura asked.

"He's fine, honey. Lee says he's ready to fight this all the way."

Laura nodded. "So am I. I'm not going to give up."

The familiar determined look on her daughter's face almost made Lesley cry with joy. "That's my Laura," she smiled proudly, her eyes bright. She glanced at her watch and grimaced apologetically. "I have to go."

"It's okay," Laura reassured her. "I'll be okay. I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too" Lesley hugged her daughter tightly to her before getting up and walking towards the door. She turned back and winked. Laura smiled and winked back.

When the door closed, she laid back into the chair and let herself relax, feeling all the muscles untangle themselves from the tight knots they had been in. She was going to get through this. For the first time, she believed it.

"Laura."

Laura quickly raised her head, and instinctively moved back. Trying to cover, she said coolly, "Stefan."

Stefan walked over to sit in a chair opposite hers, the table between them giving them both a feeling of protection.

"Why are you here?" Laura asked. She couldn't help but notice the dark circles under his eyes... and the hostility radiating from the green depths.

"To assure you that what you have done will not go unpunished," Stefan stated simply.

There was no wavering in Laura's voice as she said, "I had absolutely nothing to do with poisoning Alexis."

Her audacity caused Stefan's veiled anger to erupt. He moved forward and his hands darted out and grabbed Laura's, holding them forcefully, but not exactly hurting her. Laura stared down at their joined hands and then back up at him, fear etched in her face, her body frozen in place while her heart pounded almost painfully against her chest.

"Now you listen to me," Stefan seethed. "You tried to kill my cousin." He paused and looked down at their hands, suddenly very aware that they were still touching. His grip loosened and Laura took the opportunity to wrench her hands from his grasp and place them on her lap, thankful that he couldn't see them shake.

Stefan recovered and continued his condemnation. "Do you honestly believe that I'm going to let you get away with that?"

All the fear in Laura was transformed into righteous anger. "I'm going to say this one more time. I had absolutely NOTHING to do with poisoning Alexis! And I don't care if you don't believe me."

Stefan smirked. "It isn't me who you should be concerned with convincing. Only the authorities."

"I'm not a murderer," Laura said quietly.

"What about David Hamilton?"

Laura's eyes widened at the mention of the name.

Stefan's words were filled with self-satisfaction. "Oh, yes, I know about him. I made it my business to find out everything about you."

"Before or after Alexis was poisoned?" Laura challenged, already knowing the answer, and wanting very much to wipe that smug look off his face.

Stefan's whole posture stiffened, his jaw clenching. "That is inconsequential."

Laura smiled mockingly. "Right."

"It is only now that I see you for the treacherous witch that you are. You may try to convince others of your innocence, Laura, but your past shows the opposite is true. How did it feel to take someone's life?"

"Stop it." Laura curled her hands into fists.

He was just getting started. "Did you enjoy pushing him to his death, relished the sound of his skull cracking under the pressure?"

"Stop it! Stop playing with me, you bastard!"

"I am merely curious. Your parentage also leaves much to be desired. In 1961, Lesley Williams, a college student, begins an affair with one of her professors. He is a married man."

"Leave my mother out of this. She has nothing--"

"The affair produces an illegitimate child. You. In short, your mother was a whore, your father an adulterer."

"And your family's the Brady Bunch from Hell," Laura retorted angrily. "I'm willing to bet that Rick is more of a father to me, his adopted daughter, than Mikkos ever was to you, his own blood. Did he ever hug you, praise you, tell you that he loved you? Did you even care he was dead or was it an inconvenience to go to his funeral?"

The question hung in the air unanswered as she stopped speaking. They stared at each other in the deafening silence, each licking their wounds. The after effects of the insults they had given and received started to take clearer form. The bitter anger at the other for pushing all the right buttons, anger at themselves for letting it affect them, disgust at their weakness for feeling any guilt, and even more disgust at the underlying attraction that both had felt at their touch.

The room was becoming infinitely smaller, their closeness intolerable, choking.

"I think I should leave," Stefan said.

"I think so, too," Laura replied.

He got up slowly from his chair and looked down on her. "But make no mistake, Laura. One way or another, the pain you have caused will be returned to you tenfold."

"Go to Hell," Laura spat.

"I'm already there."