Chapter 46: Claire’s POV
We go through security and search and are brought to a private room where we’re instructed to knock on the door twice if we want to end our visitation early for any reason. Leo pulls out my seat for me as we both sit and wait to see my brother. I see Matthew being brought in, chains fastened to his hands, feet and waist. An overstatement in my eyes. Matthew was no danger to anyone other than himself. And lately, he had turned his life around and was doing so well for himself. It saddened me to see him here after all the work he’s put in to become a better person
I watch as they carefully remove his chains and cuffs and close the door, leaving just and Matthew to speak.
“I’m thankful that you came Claire. And thank you for accompanying her, Leonardo. I know this must be hard.” He says quietly as if she’s ashamed of himself.
“What happened, Matthew?” I ask as I place my hand over his to redirect his eye contact to me.
“I got up in the morning and got ready for work. And about two hours into my shift, I hear a commotion outside and it’s a whole truck full of police officers. Next thing I know, I’m being hauled away and brought here. They said someone left an anonymous tip that I was a drug–dealer. They looked through my place and found bags and bags of opiates and narcotics. But I swear to you, Claire – I didn’t do this. You know I would never touch that stuff after what happened to pops. I know better than that. They even drug tested me when entering me into the system and I came out clean. They’re not mine!” He gave me a look of desperation. He was praying that I would believe him.
“I know, Matthew. It’s okay. We’re going to figure this out.” I say as I touch his cheek to settle him. He rests his face against my hand slightly before continuing.
“I have to get out of here. I’m innocent and Starla’s pregnant. I don’t know what to do and I didn’t have anyone else to call.” Starla? That must be his girlfriend. The word pregnant pulls at my heart strings. Matthew hadn’t known about my pregnancy.
I feel Leo’s hand touch my thigh under the table and can feel it squeeze as he feels my pain combined
with his own. He lost his son too.
“Did they say anything about who placed that anonymous tip?” Leo asks.
“That’s the thing – it was a man using a pay phone from another city. That could be anyone.” Matthew was right. It could be anyone but it was almost too coincidental that this happened right after I was being watched?
“Did he have an accent?” Leo asks immediately.
“I don’t know.” Matthew says as he shakes his head.
“Here’s what we’re going to do – an old friend of mine is the warden and I know a detective or two. Claire and I will go talk to them and see what evidence they have that they can share with us. We’ll work from there on trying to get you out. Okay?”
Matthew nods in agreement as I sit in disbelief. Leo was genuinely going to work through every outlet to free my brother and I was beyond grateful. Matthew had done nothing but try to extort him and yet he was willing to use his resources to save him for me.
