Chapter 5: Aftermath
Chapter 5:
“What is it Sam?” Luis asked.
“Apparently when you called Sheridan at the cabin she knocked the phone off the hook. Even though Antoine cut the phone connection, the power was still connected and it kept recording what went on there.”
Sam and Luis walked into the interrogation room where a tape player was set up. “Some of the tape was hard to hear because they were in a different room, but we had the tape digitally enhanced and now we can hear everything that went on. We should be able to use this tape as evidence against Antoine.”
Sam pressed play on the tape player.
Luis: Sheridan pick up the phone if you can hear me. Sheridan pick up the phone. The killer didn’t want Crystal he was after you. Sheridan you’re in terrible danger.
[Thump thump (Sheridan knocked the phone off the table)]
Sheridan: (crying) Luis I’m here, help. Luis can you hear me? Please come.
Antoine: Apparently this Luis is smarter than I thought. Unfortunately for you
this means you have much less time to live.
Sheridan: (crying) Antoine please don’t do this.
Antoine: There is no escape for you. Understand? You give me trouble and your
death will come much sooner than you think.
(Sheridan is sobbing in the background.)
Sam paused the tape. “This is where we had to have the tape enhanced because Antoine took Sheridan into the bedroom.” Luis clenched his teeth and Sam started the tape again.
Antoine: Now it’s time for Antoine to have a little fun.
Sheridan: (screaming and crying) NOO! LUIS! NOOOOOOO!
Antoine: Ha! Luis? He’s still in Harmony. There’s no way he gets here in time.
And even if he does, you’ll already be dead.
Sheridan: (screaming) Nooo!
Antoine: You like it rough huh. Good.
Sheridan: Ahhh! You’re a pig!
Antoine: Careful Madamoiselle, you do not want to make me angry.
Sheridan: (screams) Arrgghh! (She hits Antoine) How’s that for rough.
Antoine: Now I am angry! Leaving before the fun starts.
Sheridan: Get the hell off me!
Antoine: You can resist all you like. It only makes it sweeter.
Sheridan: Ugghh. (She elbows Antoine in the face)
Crash (Antoine hits the lamps and falls to the floor.)
Sheridan: ugh, arrhh.
BANG…..Thud.
“That’s where the tape ended,” Sam said. Luis’ hands were clinched into fists so tight that his knuckles were white.
“Oh my god, he tried to…”
Luis and Sam turned around and saw Ethan standing in the doorway. “How long were you standing there?” Sam asked.
“Too long,” Ethan answered solemnly, “did he, did he hurt her?”
“No,” Sam said, “she got away from him. She’s pretty tough, she never stopped fighting.”
“She didn’t say anything to you?” Luis asked, “I thought she might talk to you about it.”
“No,” Ethan answered, “but she was pretty upset about, uh, something else this morning.”
“I really think we need to find her someone that she can talk to about it, someone she can open up to,” Sam said.
“I don’t think we need to worry about that,” Ethan said.
“Why?” Luis asked.
“Just before I left Pilar went into Sheridan’s room with a plate of chocolate chip cookies,” Ethan said, “that means they were going to have a ‘girl chat.’ Sheridan talks to Pilar about everything, we’ll everything except for Luis.”
“Why don’t they talk about Luis?” Sam asked.
“Well I know that I wouldn’t want to talk about Gwen with her mother, especially if she just found us in bed together,” Ethan laughed, “but Sheridan and Luis haven’t exactly been getting along that well lately and Sheridan doesn’t want to say anything that would cause problems between them.”
“What did I do to Sheridan that is so bad she doesn’t want my mother to know?” Luis asked, “I just don’t understand what I did that was so bad.”
“You really don’t know why she got mad at you?” Ethan asked.
“No, I have no idea,” Luis said, shaking his head, one minute things were fine and then she just flipped out on me and got all mad. The same thing happened this morning.”
“That’s why I came here,” Ethan said, “I think it’s about time that you and Sheridan talked about what’s going on and she’s never going to tell you why she’s mad at you herself. She’s too proud and stubborn.”
“That’s for sure,” Luis muttered.
“Before I tell you anything I need to ask you something,” Ethan said, “ do you care about Sheridan?”
“Of course I do.”
“Would you ever hurt her or use her?”
“What the hell kind of question is that! I would never do anything to hurt Sheridan,” Luis yelled.
“I’m sorry Luis, but I had to ask,” Ethan said. “The night that you were on a stakeout at the wharf and you kissed Sheridan, who did you call after you talked to her on the phone?”
“After I got off the phone with Sheridan I came here to the station to book the drug dealer we busted. I changed into my uniform and went out on patrol. Then I called Sheridan but I got her machine and left a message. Why?” Luis asked.
“Are you sure you didn’t call anyone that night besides Sheridan?”
“I’m positive. Why is it so important who I called that night?”
“After you and Sheridan got off the phone my father came over to see her. He started giving her a hard time about going out with you. She got mad and decided to go talk to you. When she got down to the wharf you were on your cell phone,” Ethan said.
“That must have been when I was leaving her a message,” Luis said, “but I never saw her. Why didn’t she say anything?”
“It was before the message. She walked up behind you, that’s why you didn’t see her. She heard you telling the person on the phone that you were just using her to get revenge on the Cranes for what we did to your family. You said that she was so starved for love that you could get her to do anything you wanted and you called her a spoiled princess.”
Luis just stared at Ethan with a disbelieving look on his face, “that’s impossible. I never called anyone else. I never said anything like that. Why would she think it was me?”
“She said she saw your face and she heard your voice.”
“But it’s not true. I would never say anything like that. She doesn’t really believe that I would use her does she?”
“She didn’t want to,” Ethan answered, “but she saw you. She kept saying that if she hadn’t seen you herself she never would have believed it. She was really upset. Sheridan worst fear was always that no one would ever really love her. And every time someone would hurt her or use her it just made her believe more and more that she would never be happy. But you were like the man of her dreams. You hate our family and you don’t want anything to do with our money. When Grandfather tried to bribe you to stay away from her you refused. She finally felt like it might be possible for her to be happy. She even stood up to my father and Grandfather when they tried to stop her from going out with you. But then when she heard that phone call she was devastated.”
“But why didn’t she just tell me what she heard?” Luis asked.
“She didn’t want you to know how much you hurt her. In our family we are told never to let people see your pain, that it is a sign of weakness. In fact, that’s why Father convinced Sheridan to go back to Paris. He said that she shouldn’t talk to about what happened because she would look like a fool for having believed you and if she went to Paris she would never have to see you again.”
“Julian and Alistair!” Sam said, banging his fist on the table, “they’re behind this.”
“What?” Ethan said.
“They didn’t want you and Sheridan getting involved. I told you they would do anything to keep you apart,” Sam said, “They didn’t want Sheridan to tell you what she heard. That’s why Julian forced you to take that deal.”
“What deal?” Ethan asked.
“Julian had the kidnapping charges dropped and in return I had to agree never to see Sheridan again,” Luis answered, “he said if I broke the deal he would have me thrown in jail. He knew I’d figure out they were involved if Sheridan ever told me what she heard.”
“But I don’t understand Luis,” Ethan said, “Sheridan said she saw you. If you didn’t make that phone call then how…”
“An imposter!” Luis yelled, “I always suspected that they were behind the Martin imposter but now I’m sure of it. They must have hired another imposter to trick Sheridan so she would hate me.”
“I can’t believe they would be so cruel to her,” Ethan said, “they practically said I told you so when she told them what she heard. They kept telling her that they were only looking out for her, but they were the ones who hurt her, not you.”
“Ethan why did you decide to tell me about this?” Luis asked.
“Because Sheridan is confused,” Ethan answered, “Sheridan really liked you and then when she heard all that stuff at the wharf she was really hurt. She really didn’t want to believe it was true. Then you kept rescuing her and worrying about her and taking care of her. Despite what you told Sheridan, I don’t think you would risk your life like that for just anyone.
After whatever exactly happened this morning between you two, Sheridan was happy, smiling and laughing even after everything that happened last night. But I mentioned what happened at the wharf and she got really upset and now she thinks that you were just pretending to care about her so you could use her again. She is so confused by all this and it’s hurting her, she needs to know the truth. I want Sheridan to be happy and I think you can make her happy. I know that in her heart that’s what Sheridan really wants and I think it’s what you want too.”
“I have to go,” Luis said.
“Where are you going?” Sam asked.
“I have to go see Sheridan and convince her that I didn’t say those things.”
“What are you going to say?” Ethan asked.
“I don’t know,” Luis answered, “but I’ll think of something. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
To Be Continued...
