The Wrong Sister

I awoke the next morning exhausted. Lisa had made good on every single one of her threats in my nightmares the previous night. After I used the bathroom, I headed over to the coffee pot for some much-needed caffeine. Then I heard the sound of a key being inserted into the door’s lock. My heart started pumping furiously, and I thought I might faint from fear. “It’s just me,” Mariska said a few seconds later, pushing the door open. “My God!” I exhaled shakily, a hand pressed against my chest. “Why didn’t you at least knock first?” “I’m sorry, sweetie. I shouldn’t have scared you like that. I’ve got great news, though.” “What?” I asked, taking deep breaths and trying to slow my pulse. “The case is now in the hands of the jury.” I took a moment to let the detective’s words sink in. “So how long before a verdict is reached?” “Don’t know. We’re guessing it won’t take long, like a few days at the most.” She stopped and studied me. “What’s wrong? I thought you’d be thrilled.” “Oh, I am. It’s pretty exciting.” “But?” “But it’s just that…” Mariska sat down next to me. “It’s okay, honey. You can tell me whatever it is.” “I got stupid last night.” “Stupid?” I nodded. “I called Lisa.” Mariska quickly took a sharp breath, a mix of surprise and disappointment crossing her face. “Oh no, sweetie. Why did you do that?” “To tell her just what I think of her.” “Did you also tell her where you are?” “Oh, God no. Of course not. I just got so damn angry sitting here, thinking of what she’s put me through. It’s like it all got bottled up inside me, and I really needed to vent, directly to the source. I’m so sorry. But you said my phone wasn’t traceable, so I assumed one call would be okay.” “It’s not okay, Shaylin. The whole point of being in the program is that you don’t contact anyone you knew before, especially the person who’s the root cause of you being here.” “I’m so sorry, Mariska.” “Yeah, me too, but I think I understand. I’d be pretty angry too. What did she say?” I told the detective everything. “I totally regret calling and letting her have it as I did. She gave me nothing but nightmares all night long, too. I have no doubt that she wouldn’t hesitate to act on her words if she ever got the chance.” “She’s a very cold, callous person.” “Do you think I’ll be okay?” “Given that she only has so much time left as a free woman, yes. You’ll be okay. But you’ve got to promise me that you’ll never call her again.” “I promise,” I said. “Mariska, do you think there’s any way she might have somebody harm me if she does get convicted?” “There’s no way to know for sure. This is why it’s very important to keep away from the people of the past. I know it’s hard. I can’t imagine having to abandon my friends and family, knowing that they’d always wonder what the hell happened to me, all kinds of horrible scenarios going through their minds. But would you rather have them wonder and worry? Or would you rather take foolish risks and have them learn that you were killed?” “I understand your point. But where the hell do I go, and what do I do? Doesn’t the government usually help people like me get new jobs and new places to live? I don’t see how I can do it all on my own.” “You don’t have to,” Mariska said with a gentle, reassuring smile. “I have an extra room in my condo, though not much extra time for things like cooking and cleaning. I’m not a big fan of those things anyway, even if I had all the time in the world. So maybe you and your furry friend can be a live-in housekeeper and cook.” I grinned, surprised by my good fortune. Lisa was going down, and I was about to be given a place to live. Wow. Things really did have a way of working out, didn’t they? “We’d love that, Detective. How very generous of you to offer.” “First things first, though.” “What’s that?” “Do not use that phone unless you need to get a hold of somebody. That is, somebody in the police department who isn’t Lisa.” I gave a slight laugh. “No problem.” We chatted a little while longer, and then she left, promising to contact me as soon as the verdict was in. “If I’m unavailable to get a hold of you, someone else will. I mean, like it or not, you’re technically still Lisa’s wife, so someone is legally obligated to inform you.” “Oh yeah, that’s right. But what about the condo? What do I do with it?” “Well, you won’t be able to go there ever again, but we can help you sell it and pocket the money,” she said with a flash of a smile on her way out. I had an ear-to-ear grin going. I still would have preferred to live happily ever after with Lisa, as I would have with Stacey and Henry, but since that wasn’t possible, I could at least look forward to being safe. San Francisco was expensive. I could get a lot for the place, especially since it was on the beach. This way, I could earn my room and board with Mariska through cooking and cleaning, but still be able to afford my own clothes, personal items, and medication. If I were smart about it, I could eventually buy my own place in a cheaper area. The cost of living was low in Florida. Maybe I could buy my own manufactured home in a decent park there. I found myself pacing the room quite a bit that day and into the evening as I anxiously awaited a verdict that didn’t come. I didn’t understand why it was taking so long. From what I’d heard, the evidence seemed plentiful and rather clear. So what could be taking the jury so long to decide? Although they were screened for biased attitudes, I still worried that one jury member would hold out, seeing cops as little gods and putting them on pedestals. People often did that when it came to them—along with doctors, lawyers, and celebrities. No, I told myself firmly. There was no way she and the others were getting off. These crimes were too heinous for any jury member to give a shit what the defendants had done for a living. Instead, I chose to think positive thoughts and focus on moving in with Mariska, selling the condo, and not having to live in fear—at least while Lisa was locked up. As positive as I tried to remain, I couldn’t help but think that things had taken a rather quick and surprising turn for the better, almost as if they’d become a little too good to be true. I thought of how kind and generous Mariska was and how quickly she had offered me a room in her place. Then I tried not to think about the fact that everybody I lived with seemed to either die or go crazy.