Each day, Calla and her fragile heart are that little bit closer to death... but before she goes she'll prove to the world the boy she loves is no murderer.
🖤🖤🖤
With a life steeped in wealth and privilege, Calla Pierce should be protected from t...
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One year later...
"Just days ago, one of the most controversial and high-profile murder cases of our time has finally come to a close. Owen Kincaid was sentenced to twelve years for the murder of Damien Steele, the son of former MP David Steele. Steele resigned from his role as MP last month after revelations during the trial of his personal and business connections with the recently convicted crime boss Davey Taggart, and despite repeated calls for a criminal investigation, Steele remains uncharged. Chief Constable Alexander Pierce is currently under suspension after an internal investigation revealed the strong likelihood of evidence tampering and the withholding of vital information regarding his family's ties to the crime..."
"Turn that off."
"...the sheer wealth of controversies and revelations has created a shaky argument for prosecution and calls for the trial to be delayed pending further investigation. Kincaid continued to plead innocent, but forensic evidence and witness statements of his previous violence against the victim convinced a jury of his guilt after a three-day deliberation. And it seems we're not done with the revelations just yet. Now Internal Investigations officer Detective Samir Harrison, whose undercover investigation was integral to the suspension of Chief Constable Pierce, has made a statement."
"TURN. THAT. OFF," Dad bellows beside me, but I ignore him. He glares at me, his hands gripping the steering wheel even tighter. I turn up the volume and Dad hisses under his breath. My hands return to my lap, and I pretend not to notice them shaking. The knot in my belly is growing larger, not smaller, as we get closer to the prison. On the radio, Harrison clears his throat before speaking. I can picture the twitch of his beard as he does.
"Internal investigations continue to argue that further inquiry is required into the murder of Damien Steele and that the strongly suspected interference of Chief Constable Alexander Pierce and the victim's father make this conviction unsound. The defendant continued to argue his innocence and we will be supporting his legal team when they raise their right to an appeal..."
Dad grunts and switches the radio off from the small control on the wheel. I glare at him, but his eyes are black holes, focused on the road ahead. A flush of red creeps up his silver-dappled neck. He's wearing a fine-knit jumper under a simple coat and jeans. I'm not sure I will ever get used to seeing him out of his well-cut suits or with the messy stubble coating his face. And I'm not sure he will ever get used to not working.
"Calla..."
"Are we nearly there?"
Dad exhales and rubs a hand across his face.
"Just a few minutes away. I need you to not build your hopes up. I need you to remember it's been nearly a year. That prison is a place that changes you, that you have to become someone else to survive..."
"Did it change, Davey?" Dad flinches and glances at me. My words have cut like I needed them to. He falls silent and so do I. The generic world of concrete and brick passes by us in a blur. The silence between us is so thick it itches across my skin.
