Baby Doll, page 23
“Hey, little man, you’re up early.”
He squealed, reaching out to grab her, his tiny hands and feet flailing. Abby picked him up and settled back into bed. The sun wasn’t up yet, but the birds were chirping, signaling that night would soon be coming to an end. She held David close, inhaling his sweet, fragrant baby oil scent, and drifted off.
At some point, she woke, searching for David. She glanced up and saw Lily at the changing table, putting a new diaper on him.
“Rise and shine, sleepyhead. It’s almost seven thirty.”
Abby shot up like a jack in the box, not wanting to be late. But she stopped, doing a double take as she stared at Lily. Her sister’s beauty wasn’t showy. Lily’s red bob was sleek and smooth, a silver barrette holding back her bangs. Her tailored gray pants and white silk blouse gave her a polished, confident appearance.
“I must have missed my alarm. Can you get David fed? I’ll be quick like a bunny.”
“I’d be honored.”
Lily tickled David, who giggled happily.
“Come on, handsome. Let’s get you some breakfast.”
As they headed downstairs, Abby fought to control her nerves. She stood in front of her closet, trying to decide what to wear. She scanned her wardrobe, dozens of options to choose from, but in the end she chose a similar pair of gray slacks and a black V-neck sweater. It was a sweater she’d considered burning a million times. A sweater that had, in her mind at least, caused so much of their suffering. She hadn’t worn it but she’d kept it as a reminder of what she’d lost. Abby slipped it on, realizing that she had lost so much weight it fit perfectly. After all these years, she told herself, this sweater would be her armor. Today it would protect them all.
Abby made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, and found Lily and Mom glued to the morning news.
“Abby, did you hear? Someone burned down Rick’s cabin last night,” Lily said in disbelief.
Abby stared at the TV, watching the news report as they showed the charred remains of Rick Hanson’s “torture den” and speculated on who might be responsible.
“Can you believe it?” Lily asked.
“I guess someone got tired of it being a tourist attraction,” Abby said.
She moved toward the fridge, trying to keep her expression neutral. Mom wore a troubled look.
“If that bastard uses this to get out of the plea deal, God help me, I’ll kill whoever did this.”
Abby stared at her mother in disbelief. Leave it to Mom to say the one thing Abby hadn’t thought of. Abby quickly moved over to Lily.
“Don’t listen to Mom. They’ve got video of the cabin, the physical evidence; they’ve got your statement, Shaina’s statement. No fucking way he’s getting out of this now.”
“Aunt Abby, language.”
Sky was looking at Abby with disappointment in her eyes.
“Swear jar, Aunt Abby.”
Abby went over to her purse and pulled out a five-dollar bill. She handed it over to Sky.
“At this rate, you’ll have college paid for by the time you’re twelve.”
Sky giggled, and Abby grabbed the remote and flipped off the TV. They’d had enough of that nonsense. The cabin being gone was a good thing. She’d done a good thing.
The rest of the morning flew by in a blur. Wes arrived at eight thirty. He’d agreed to look after the kids, which Abby was grateful for. She needed to know they were protected. As Lily and Eve made their way to the car, he pulled Abby aside.
“Last night was unexpected.”
“I know…”
“I got your note and it meant everything to me.”
“I’m glad.”
She went to leave but he pulled her close to him.
“I want you and David to come live with me. I want us to have a real discussion about making that happen…”
“We will. After today, we’ll talk about everything.”
He smiled, and then he kissed her. Abby sank into him, wishing she could hold on to him like this forever. But she couldn’t lose her mojo now.
After a quick drive through light traffic, they parked underneath the Lancaster courthouse and were ushered through the back entrance, avoiding the throng of reporters and onlookers who’d gathered on the steps, eager to hear the sordid details of the sentencing.
Not a single seat remained open in the courtroom. Family members, reporters, and true-crime fanatics sat squashed together. It was still a spectacle, Abby thought. Even after all these months, people were still absorbed in their story, reveling in the tawdry details of what Rick Hanson did. Abby saw Missy slip into the courtroom, along with her Brooks Brothers parents. The DA had told them that Missy wanted to speak out against Rick. There was a part of Abby that thought she wouldn’t come, but she had. Missy appeared years older than the last time Abby had seen her. She was gaunt and her dark hair was cut short and streaked with gray. She wore all black as if she were in mourning.
Lily leaned over to Abby. “She looks terrible, doesn’t she?”
Abby shrugged. “She’s proof that guilt will destroy you. Don’t feel bad for her, Lil. She’s got to live with her choices.”
Lily didn’t say a word. They’d argued about Missy and the fact that even if she suspected something was off, she could never have truly known the depths of his depravity. Abby didn’t care. If she had even a shadow of a doubt about someone, she’d do whatever it took to uncover the truth. She didn’t have a shred of sympathy for Missy Hanson and she never would.
Abby watched as Rick’s mother, Agnes—a fragile, broken woman—was led into the courtroom. She kept patting at her eyes with a tissue as she took a seat in the front row behind Rick. Abby had seen her on an episode of one of those true-crime shows. She’d always imagined Rick’s mother to be some white trash junkie, but Agnes appeared to be a simple, decent woman; a lower-middle class single mother and dental technician who’d thought she’d raised a wonderful man. In her eyes, Rick had been a dedicated educator and devoted husband. Agnes couldn’t deny the evidence, or that’s what she’d told the reporters. But when they asked her about Rick, she said she’d always love him.
“I know what he did. He’ll have to face his maker and answer for his actions, but he’s my boy. I’ll always love my boy.”
Rationally, Abby understood what Agnes meant. But as much as Abby loved David, she couldn’t imagine standing by him if he did something like that to someone. She simply couldn’t imagine. A murmur began spreading through the courtroom, and Abby saw the deputies leading Mr. Hanson in. He was wearing a crewneck and a white button-down shirt with a striped blue tie, his jet-black hair freshly coiffed. He could’ve stepped right out of a J. Crew ad. She remembered him doing his best Dead Poets Society impression, leaping onto desks, inspiring them all, making them think—even for fifty minutes—that there was no better place to be than AP English. And even now he was still so smug and so damn shiny, as if he’d just come from the yacht club. His mother began to weep. He shook his head.
“I’m okay, Mama,” Mr. Hanson said, his voice calm, soothing. “I’m okay. Please, don’t cry.”
If you were unaware of the atrocities this man had committed against innocent women and children, you might have pitied him. Instead, Abby was hit with a wave of disgust that anyone cared about this waste of a human being.
A few moments later, the Honorable Betsy Crabtree entered the courtroom, and court was called into session. There was a lot of legal back and forth between the lawyers and the judge. Abby tried to follow what they were saying, but after a moment, she gave up, deciding none of the legal jargon really mattered. She snapped to attention when she heard the judge ask if Mr. Hanson’s victims were prepared to speak. The order of the testimony had been decided by Elijah for maximum impact. Missy went first, her voice soft but powerful. Abby watched Rick but he barely even blinked.
“When I met my husband seventeen years ago, I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world. He was intelligent and charming, dedicated to his work and to our marriage. I believed that he was a good man. Sadly, I have come to terms with the fact that I ignored the signs that he was evil, ignored the signs that he was using me for my money. I cannot change my role in any of this. But I am not here for Rick. I am here to apologize. To Lily Riser and her family. To Shaina Meyers and her family. And to Bree Whitaker’s family. We cannot escape the past. We’re bound by it. All I can say is that I am sorry for all that you’ve lost. I am so sorry for the wounds that Rick inflicted upon you. I will never be able to escape the things that he did nor my role in not seeing who he truly was. But I am truly, truly sorry.”
Missy sat down, sniffling into her tissues, her mother patting her gently. Abby appreciated her sentiment, but her resolve didn’t budge. That bitch deserved every moment of suffering she endured and then some.
Judge Crabtree turned to Bree’s mom, Elizabeth Whitaker. She was a tiny woman, drowning in a floral dress two sizes too big. Her coke-bottle glasses could not hide her haunted eyes or ravaged expression.
“My daughter Bree was an honor student. She was a cheerleader who loved making people happy. She didn’t have to get a job, but she wanted to pay for her own prom dress and her senior trip to Europe, so she decided to wait tables. She is… she was such a special soul, and that man; he stole her from all of us. The only comfort I have is knowing that she’s with her Savior. The only other comfort is that Rick Hanson will have to pay for what he’s done.”
Silence reigned in the courtroom for several long minutes. The judge cleared her throat. “Mr. Meyers, would you care to make a statement?”
Shaina’s father Bert stood up. He was sweating, dabbing at his forehead with a handkerchief. His hands trembled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a torn-off piece of notebook paper. He read, each word loud and punctuated with loss.
“My daughter used to laugh. Nonstop laughter could be heard in our house at all hours of the day. I am lucky, because my daughter is alive, but the laughter is gone. Rick Hanson did not kill my daughter but he stole her from us. She doesn’t sleep. She barely eats. She may never be that same joyous, happy-go-lucky girl, and I may never… I may never hear my daughter laugh again. I am not a believer. It might be easier if I were. All I know is that whatever happens to Rick Hanson will never be enough. No punishment will ever be enough for what you’ve done to all of our families.”
He sat down, his wife holding his hand and leaning into him.
“Miss Riser, it’s your chance to address the court. Whenever you’re ready.”
Abby fought to control her own nerves. She gave Lily an encouraging nod. “You’ve got this.”
Lily slowly stood up, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles on her slacks. In spite of Lily’s trembling, on the surface, she appeared completely composed. Lily stared right at Mr. Hanson, and still he didn’t blink or show even a hint of remorse. Abby gripped her hands, fighting not to lose control. She wouldn’t ruin Lily’s moment. She couldn’t. Lily began.
“I lost three thousand one hundred and ten days. During my imprisonment, my father died. My sister battled drug and alcohol abuse and nearly took her own life. My first love fell in love with someone else.”
Abby flinched but Lily kept going.
“I missed prom and graduation. I missed so many things everyone here would take for granted. Sunrises and sunsets. Eight birthdays I had to endure without my best friend, without my twin sister, Abby. A lifetime of moments and celebrations and experiences I can never get back. I thought about coming here and telling you all the things Rick Hanson did to me, physically and emotionally. But I realized that’s what he wants. He would want to relive that pain and suffering that he inflicted on me. What I’m here to say today is that I don’t care about Rick Hanson. He’s nothing to me. He’s nobody. And it’s funny, because that’s what he tried to make me into—a nobody. And he failed. I am glad the courts have chosen to give him the harshest of punishments for what he did to me and to my daughter and to my family, but it won’t matter. Because Rick Hanson is a man without a conscience. For those of us he hurt, for myself and for Shaina and Bree, and all of our families, the only thing we can take comfort in is that he cannot hurt us anymore. Do you hear that, Rick? You can never hurt us again.”
Mr. Hanson’s face remained impassive as Lily sat down. Abby was so proud. She leaned in so only Lily could hear her. “You are the shit.”
Lily smiled, tears welling in her eyes, but she didn’t cry. Abby knew she wouldn’t cry. Not here. Not in front of him. Lily just sat there so strong and courageous. Go fuck yourself, Mr. Hanson, Abby thought as she hugged Lily close. Go fuck yourself.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
RICK
Mr. Hanson, would you care to address the court?” The owl-faced judge stared back at Rick, her disdain for him on full display. He gazed around the packed courtroom, taking in all these people who’d gathered here because of him. He saw his mother, her tear-stained face studying him. He’d told her not to come but he knew she wouldn’t listen.
“You’re my boy. I’ll be there for you ’til the end.”
He felt sorry for her, for not realizing who he was, or refusing to accept it.
Then there was Missy. Talk about a disaster. She looked as if she never left the house: so pale and gaunt, her roots showing, her clothing hanging off her. It was unfortunate but not surprising.
But it was Lily, his Lily that he couldn’t stop watching. Her hair was ridiculous. Why the hell would anyone want to be a redhead? It just didn’t make sense. But despite that, she still took his breath away. At least until she opened her mouth. Then he wanted to punish her. He wanted to tell her to stop lying. Why didn’t she mention any of the good times they’d shared? What about all the things he’d done for her? The outstanding education he’d provided for her, the books he lavished upon her and Sky. What about Sky? Lily couldn’t deny that he was a great father. He’d allowed her to raise their child together and yet she said nothing about it. Nothing at all.
When he woke up this morning, a part of him hoped that Lily would come to her senses and realize that she’d loved him too. That their life was something special no one would ever understand. But she was a lost cause.
He was lucky he’d found Angela. She was really going to come through. She had slipped him a note before he was transported, and everything was on schedule. Her shithead cousin was at the rendezvous spot, she’d left her kid with her mother, and she had clothes and toiletries for him. She’d wanted to come to court but he worried that she might draw attention. He told her just to stick with the plan and they’d be together soon.
Rick had spent the morning ignoring the guards’ taunts, warning him about all the new “boyfriends” he’d have in prison, warning him that he’d be lucky to survive a week. Rick had ignored them, dressed in the suit and tie his mother had delivered. Knowing these guards were confined to this hellish existence while he was about to bust out of this place was the best revenge.
Now it was his turn to speak. His moment in the spotlight. He knew that he’d be analyzed, that morning talk shows would dissect every mannerism and nuance in his behavior. At least that’s what he hoped. Rick stood, bowed his head, and did his best to project contrite remorse.
“I know that I’ve been labeled a monster. I do not think that’s true. I think… I think I am a sick man. But I know that is no excuse. I accept my punishment and promise that after today you won’t hear from me again. I will disappear into oblivion, but I hope that my victims can find peace and happiness from here on out.”
Pleased with himself, Rick sat down. He wanted applause and adulation but the silence was pretty satisfying. Lily stared straight ahead, never once meeting his gaze. Her sister, on the other hand, was boring holes into him. Rick hated to admit it but she was actually kind of hot now in her tight black sweater that perfectly hugged her curves. Maybe he had made the wrong choice. Maybe. He looked back up at the judge, wanting all of this to be over. In just a few short hours, Rick would be speeding down the interstate, while all these idiots wrung their hands in disbelief. All Rick had to do was get through the rest of this ridiculous dog and pony show and he was home free.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
ABBY
Abby wanted to laugh. How pathetic was that? Rick hadn’t even tried. She’d heard him keep a room full of bored teenagers engaged for fifty minutes and that was the best he could do? He really was a pathetic piece of shit.
Abby listened as the judge read the sentencing, which included words and phrases such as “depravity” and “monstrous acts,” “vicious disregard for human life” and “a lack of empathy that made him a danger to anyone who came into contact with him.” Then the judge reached the part Abby had been waiting for.
“The defendant will spend the rest of his natural born life behind bars without possibility of parole.”
A cheer went up in the courtroom.
Judge Crabtree banged her gavel. It was all over. For a brief moment, Abby felt like her job was done. She stood up, celebrating with Mom and the attorneys, all of them hugging and congratulating one another. Everyone but Lily. Her sister stood motionless, staring over at Mr. Hanson. Abby went to take Lily’s hand, but Lily unexpectedly broke free, making her way over to him. Startled, Abby quickly followed. A guard stepped forward to block Lily’s path from Mr. Hanson. Lily gently raised her hand.
“Please, I need one second,” Lily said, pleading with him.
The guard sized Lily up, deciding almost instantly that she wasn’t a threat. Abby watched as the guard stepped back and Lily moved forward. Rick gazed tenderly at Lily, as if he’d known she would come to him.
