Tribunal Chapter One
A blood-curdling scream rang through Isla’s house and she bolted from her bed. Not knowing what she’d find below, she picked up the baseball bat she kept next to the dresser and hurried downstairs.
“You’re that murderer,” she heard Desi say as she reached the bottom step.
She rounded the corner into the kitchen, where the two were in the middle of a standoff.
“No, I’m not,” said Milo, who was standing behind the refrigerator door as if it were enough to shield him from Desi.
“Isla! It’s that man,” she said, holding up her Stanley cup as if it were a weapon.
Isla hurried to get between them. “I know. I know. I told him he could stay. He’s my guest.”
“Who is she?” asked Milo.
“She’s my best friend, Desi, from next door.” Isla gave him an apologetic look as he relaxed.
“Would you put that thing down, Desi?” asked Milo, who stood shirtless, wearing nothing but his faded jeans. “She tried to hit me with it, which I’m pretty sure is not what the manufacturer intended.”
“Wait,” said Desi. “You two aren’t…” She gestured back and forth, looking at Isla as if she were the most irresponsible person in the world.
“No!” said Milo. “I was just coming down to grab a drink when she came in the back door and threatened me with bludgeoning.”
Desi gave Isla an apologetic look. “I just wanted to see if you had any of that good creamer. I wanted to add a little to my coffee.”
“You’ll need a whole cow for that cup,” Milo mumbled, regarding the size of her container.
“No,” she said, crinkling her nose at him. “Isla has this coconut stuff. It’s to die for.” She pulled her lips in tight as if she realized what she had said.
Isla reached around Milo for the creamer. “Here. You can take it home.” She was starting to regret giving Desi a key. “You really should have called first. I would have let you in.” She leaned the baseball bat against the counter. “And we could have avoided the confusion and threats of violence.”
Desi poured the creamer into her cup. “Well, imagine my shock when I saw him standing there digging in your fridge. The last time I saw him was on the local news, having been arrested.”
“Well, it’s fine, so that’s that.” Isla was glad to clear it up and didn’t want to go into his past. “You nearly scared me out of my skin with the screaming.”
Milo poured milk into a glass on the counter. “Is that the best weapon you could find in a pinch? What were you going to do with that thing? Get a homerun?”
“If I need to,” she said. “It’s the best I could do in a pinch. And I haven’t liked being here alone all night lately. So, I brought it out.”
Milo shook his head and chuckled. “Seriously, you should consider a firearm. Something small to fit your hand. A grown man like me could take that bat away from you and beat you with it.”
Desi’s eyes widened as she held on to her collar. “Um, Isla. Can I speak to you in private?”
The situation with Milo was clearly too much for her to handle.
Milo put the milk back in the fridge and shut the door. “I’ll just give you two a little time to talk.”
As he walked into the other room, Desi’s hand clamped down on Isla’s forearm. “Are you okay? He’s not forcing you to stay here, is he? Because I will help you make him leave.”
Isla walked over and started a pot of coffee. “No, he’s not holding me hostage, Desi. I invited him. He was going to stay at a hotel, but I told him that was ridiculous. I have enough room here, and frankly, I feel a lot safer having someone else in the house. It’s been creepy being here all alone. Thus, my slugger.” She gestured to the thing and realized how silly she must have looked.
“So, you invited an ex-con to stay with you? Yeah, that makes sense. You’ll be really safe.”
“He’s been proven innocent, Desi.” Isla thought Desi, of all people, would understand her desire to help. She had already explained how much getting him out of prison meant, and she wasn’t about to abandon him now.
“No, you got him off on a technicality. That’s not the same thing. You don’t know if he did it or not.”
“That technicality proved he wasn’t home when his wife was killed,” Isla clarified. “Look, Desi, I appreciate your caring, and I don’t mind you sneaking in to steal my creamer, but Milo is going to be here too. So, you should just get used to that. Besides, he doesn’t have anywhere else to go.”
Desi gave Isla a sideward look. “Um, yeah, he does. I’m pretty sure you bought his house. He can go there. All of his things are still there. He can dust them off and make himself right at home.”
“He doesn’t want to. There are too many painful memories there. And I can’t believe I didn’t even think of that. I feel bad.”
“Painful memories? You mean like the day he murdered his wife.” Desi closed the creamer and tossed the empty carton in the trash.
“He didn’t do it,” Isla stressed. “And stop saying that. Besides, I didn’t want him to go and stay in a hotel. It’s a waste.”
“That’s another thing that worries me. Are you sure he’s not just using you for your money?” Desi’s face was tight with concern. “I mean, he basically lost everything. God knows what a man like him would do if he’s desperate.”
Isla lowered her voice in case Milo could hear them in the next room. “He doesn’t know how much money I have, Desi. I don’t exactly go around advertising my situation.”
She lowered her voice to match Isla’s. “Well, good. Don’t. I’m really worried about you. I know you wanted to help him, but this is above and beyond if you ask me. Hell, that ship sailed when you bought his house.”
Isla gave her a sideward look. “We’ve been over this.”
“Okay, fine,” said Desi. “But still. I’m worried you’re inviting trouble into your house.”
“It’s fine,” Isla insisted.
“You’re the best friend I have. And you are living with a man you don’t even know. What if he is dangerous, Isla? Maybe he didn’t kill his wife, but he could still be a dickhead. Lord knows, they’re everywhere these days.”
“Well, I kind of do know him. During the trial, they told us everything about his life.” She knew all about what he did before Nell’s death, and it wasn’t like he was the scourge of society. “He had a nice job and home and was ready to settle down and create a family. He’s a good man caught in a nightmare.”
“I still think it’s a mistake. I don’t want you to wake up one day and realize you regret it.”
That didn’t even seem possible to Isla. She smiled at Desi and shrugged. “It’s not forever. It’s just until he gets on his feet.”
“He looked perfectly fine on his feet while digging in the fridge,” said Desi. “And who drinks milk straight like that? Put some damn coffee in it at least.”
Isla grinned at her friend. “Now you’re just nitpicking.”
“Well, would it kill him to put on a shirt?” she grumbled. “Scratch that, you should have some benefits to him living here. At least he’s pretty to look at. He must have been working out in jail.”
“Maybe it’s all that milk.” Isla chuckled. “And it’s not like that.”
She watched the coffee start to fill the pot and took her mug from the cupboard.
“Do you mind if I have some?” Desi asked, bringing her massive tumbler closer.
“I thought you had coffee,” said Isla.
“No, I haven’t made any yet. I was going to make some here before Milo Ford scared the hell out of me.”
“So, you’re taking my creamer and now my coffee?”
She popped the lid off of her cup. “I’ll share the creamer.”
“Oh, so nice of you to share my creamer.” Isla grinned and rolled her eyes, enjoying teasing Desi.
Desi gave her a sly grin. “It’s really good. I’ll buy us some more.”
“I’m holding you to that,” said Isla.
“So, what are you going to do with a man living here?” Desi asked. “Is he going to find a job or something? Perhaps I can keep an eye out for him, just to get him out of here sooner.”
“Actually, we’re not looking for work.” Isla could already tell by the look on her face that she didn’t like the sound of that.
“We?”
Isla nodded. “For the moment.”
“Oh, right. How silly of me,” said Desi. “I forgot, you have money, a house, a car, and all the food he can eat. Why would he need a job? He can just mooch off you.”
“We’re not just settling in to play house and drink milk all day,” Isla said. “We’re going to be busy figuring out who killed his wife.”
Desi looked confused. “Won’t the cops do that now that he’s been proven innocent?”
“You’d think so, but no. The DA doesn’t like the taste of the egg on their faces, and they won’t admit they messed up with Milo, so the chances are slim. Unless something falls in their lap, they’ll just leave it as is.”
“That’s insane,” she said. “So, if he didn’t do it, and you say he didn’t, that would mean that there’s a killer on the loose in Daybrook.”
“Yes, there is.”
Desi shook her head. “That’s crazy.”
“I know. I thought so, too. That’s why we’re going to look into it. Everyone else refuses to.” Isla sighed, watching the coffee brew. “It’s funny. Growing up, I trusted that the police and the courts were keeping us safe. Then you deal with them and find out they’re just as human as the rest of us. They make mistakes sometimes and they can be petty and just plain bad at their jobs.”
Desi nodded. “I guess so, although it’s not a comforting thought.”
“Sometimes justice needs a helping hand,” Isla said. “Finding the truth is important to Milo and me. Maybe he’ll find the closure he needs so he can move on. Losing Nell has been very painful for him. And for me, this whole process has really opened my eyes to the flaws in our justice system.”
“I can’t imagine losing someone I love,” she said. “And then being accused of killing them?”
“People will always think he killed her unless we clear his name. So, if you could take it easy on him, I’d appreciate it.” She really wanted them to get along. “I still love our visits and don’t want you to be a stranger.”
“Fine, I’ll take it easy. And you don’t have to worry about me. I’m not going anywhere. Who else is going to look out for you?”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. I need all the friends I can get right now.”
Desi shook her head. “I mean, I’ll try. But I’m still not sure how you can close your eyes having someone like him here all night. He’s been in jail for a long time. I’ve seen Shawshank. It changes a man.”
“I think the county lockup was slightly more pleasant than Shawshank.” Isla knew playing nice would be tough for Desi, who loved to speak her mind. “Try harder for me.”
“Fine, but if I come over here to borrow creamer and find you dead one morning, I’m going to kill you.”
“You’re overreacting,” she said with a giggle. “Milo is no killer.”
“I stand by my opinion that you are jumping into this whole thing without thinking through the consequences. But I’ll ease up the best I can.” She poured some of the coconut coffee creamer into Isla’s coffee from her cup and filled the rest with coffee.
“Easy, there,” said Isla as she poured almost the entire pot. “I still have my bat.”
Desi laughed. “Hey, I’m taking it on the road. Besides, I have a long day ahead. Some of us still have to work for a living.”
“Good,” Isla said, smiling. “Then you can afford to stop by the store on your way home later and buy more.”
“Coffee and creamer. At the top of my list.” She gave Isla a wink and headed out.
When she was gone, Milo walked back into the kitchen, wearing a shirt this time. “Is the coast clear?”
Isla put her hand on her forehead and gave him an apologetic look. “Yeah, I’m so sorry about that. I should have warned you. I gave her a key when Aunt Delta passed away in case she needed anything while I was out. We kind of look in on each other.”
“And raid each other’s refrigerators?” Milo shook his head.
“No, just her.” Isla gave a soft chuckle. “She’s just worried about me. I hope you understand.”
“No, I get it.” He let out a long breath and his shoulders sagged. “Even though I’ve been set free, I got convicted. That’s the part people still remember. Once you’ve been labeled something as awful as a murderer, it’s hard to get past it.”
“Right. But you will. That’s what’s important now. We have to move forward. Both of us.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “Well, maybe I should do it somewhere else. Your friend is right to be worried. Any stigma I carry with me can bleed onto you. People may not like having a guy like me stay here in their neighborhood.”
“I don’t care what they think,” Isla said. “Most people are idiots. You’re not a danger to them, and they should all know me well enough to know that I wouldn’t put them or myself in any danger. It’s ridiculous. They can grow up. You’re not going anywhere.”
“You may not like the pushback you’ll get.” Milo shrugged. “I’m just warning you and leaving that on the table, just in case. I don’t mind going to find some other place if it gets to be too much. So, just let me know and I’m out.”
“Nonsense. Now, stop wasting time worrying about that. We have work to do.”
Milo shook his head. “I’m not even sure where to start.”
“I know just the place,” said Isla, leading him to the set of sliding doors in the foyer. She pushed them open and gestured to the dining room beyond. It was full of Aunt Delta’s things that she had been packing away since her death. And there was still a bit to do before she was done.
“What’s all of this?” he asked.
“It’s some of my aunt’s collectibles and china that I wanted to pack away for safekeeping. And now that you’re here, and well, we have a mission, I thought we could use this room for our mission control.”
“Mission control?” He cocked a brow and glanced at her.
“Base of operations?” she asked with a shrug. “I don’t know what to call it. It doesn’t matter. We can make it whatever we want. I just thought we could clean it out and use the table with our laptops to do some research.”
“No, I get it. I like the idea.” The corners of his mouth lifted, but he didn’t quite make a smile. “I just want to find out who killed my wife. And why.” He walked over and picked up one of the taped boxes. “So, are you going to tell me where to take this?”
“Upstairs to the attic,” she said. “We’ll have to crowd Aunt Delta’s room a bit, but I don’t think she’d mind. She would have been sitting right here at the table with us, trying to find the killer.”
As he walked out with the box, he stopped. “Thanks, Isla.”
Before she could respond, he walked to the stairs.
“You’re welcome,” she said, even though he was already gone.
