Death Vetoes The Chairman (Lizzie Crenshaw Mysteries Book 7) (35 page)

“What’s going to happen to Ethan?” I asked T.J.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if the FBI aren’t able to prosecute Edward right now, where does that leave Ethan? Does his deal with them still stand?”

T.J. rubbed the back of his neck. “At this point, yes, I’m afraid so. Everything has been approved and is in writing. They can’t just cancel the it because Edward is facing different charges.”

“So you mean to tell me he’s still going to get away with his assaults on me, and all those other women?” I said angrily. “Tell me how that is fair.”

“It isn’t,” T.J. said.

“So he gets to do what he wants to, with impunity, while dozens of women like myself have to suffer in silence?”

“I’m sorry, Lizzie. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s the one we have right now.”

“Why don’t you tell that to all of his victims? To Trixie and her mother? I can’t deal with this.”

“This is why you need to find a support group and talk about it, Lizzie, so you can learn to deal with it,” Jake replied.

“Why are you trying so hard to convince me, Jake? What have you done?”

“He didn’t do it,” T.J. replied, “I did. I have an old friend who used to be an FBI consultant. She specializes in people who have been victims of assault.” I didn’t say anything. “You won’t have to check into a hospital or anything. She’s got some vacation time coming, and she’s willing to come here, if that’s what you want.”

“I don’t know…” I said.

“Please, Lizzie, you need to do this,” T.J. said. “I can’t stand to see you withdrawing from everyone and everything. What’s it going to hurt to at least talk to her once? All you have to do is just listen to what she has to say. If you don’t like what you’re hearing, you can leave.”

“And you two won’t interfere?”

“I promise I won’t,” he assured me.

We looked over at Jake. “What?” he said.

“You’ll stay away. No trying to take care of things. That’s not your job anymore.”

“No, it’s mine,” T.J. said.

“Right now, it’s mine,” I told them.

“So you’ll do it?” he said.

“I guess so,” I said reluctantly.

Jake checked the time and stood up. “I’ve got to go. Check with Ellen, and set up a meeting with Bruce to go over those website ideas.”

“I’ll see when he’s is available, and we’ll go from there.”

“Sounds good. Call me if you need anything.”

“I won’t,” I told him, “but thanks for the offer.” I walked him to the front door. “Take care of Trixie for me, please. I don’t like it when she’s mad at me.”

He gave me a hug. “I’ll take good care of her, don’t worry. I’ll keep in touch, let you know how things are going.”

We watched him leave. “You aren’t just giving me lip service about meeting with my friend, are you?” T.J. asked as I closed the door.

“I said I’d meet with her.”

“I know what you said, but…”

“Stop it, T.J. I’m dealing with this the best way I know how to right now. My best friend isn’t speaking to me, I feel responsible for what happened to Owen, and I have more things on my plate right now than I can handle. Don’t push me. Just step back and let me breathe.”

“You don’t have to handle any of this by yourself. I’m right here.”

“Maybe that’s the problem.” I looked at him. “Maybe I’m not dealing with the attacks because in the back of my mind, I know that I can turn to you, and you’ll do your best to make things all better. But that’s not going to help me if I can’t face what happened. I don’t know. I’m so confused, I don’t know whether I’m coming or going sometimes. Right now, I can only deal with what’s in front of me.”

“I understand,” he said. “But I’m not trying to take away all your problems. I’m just trying to be there for you. I’m not going to walk away, but I’m going to stand beside you. If you need a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, or you just want to talk, I’ll be there. You just have to ask. Talking to a counselor isn’t going to be an instant fix. There’s no waving of a magic wand to make the hurt and pain go away. The ones that survive are those that have a good support system, and that’s what I plan to do for you. All you have to do is reach out, and I’ll be there.”

I stared into his eyes for a minute, and then I held out my hand.
opkins and T.J.Ho

AFTERWARD

When I first started writing this book, I didn’t intend for it to become so serious. Normally, I try to keep the Lizzie stories lighthearted. But the further I got into the story, the more I realized it was a story that needed to be told.

According to the website,
www.rainn.org
, on average, there are 293,066 victims (age 12 and older) who are victims of rape and sexual assaults each year. That’s one sexual assault every 107 seconds. 44% of the victims are under the age of 18. 80% are under 30.

68% of sexual assaults are never reported. Even worse, 98% of rapists will never spend a day in jail or prison.

I have a very good friend who is a survivor of sexual assault, and she contributed greatly to this story. Every reaction that Lizzie has, her family and friends have, are spot on, as she said to me several times. I had to remember to tell her when I had sent her a particularly difficult scene, so it wouldn’t catch her offguard. I could not have done this without her. By accident, I learned from another friend that she, too, was a survivor, so I asked her to read the story as well. Her response was the same, although she told me that she wished she was as strong as Lizzie was.

That made me stop and think about Lizzie, and her reaction to her attacks. She is a strong woman, very self-reliant, and not prone to asking for help. I believe she is trying very hard to give off the appearance that she is still the same strong woman she has always been, but the cracks in that tough exterior are there. I hope this will give Lizzie a chance to grow in a new way.

Asking for help is a character flaw that I share with Lizzie. I don’t know how many victims of any type of assault are afraid to get help, but please, don’t be afraid to reach out. There are plenty of places to get help. Contact your local police department, your doctor, even your pastor. Go to
www.rainn.org
, or call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). There is a list of resources there for every state. You are NOT alone.

I hope that Lizzie’s story helps one person.

You are NOT a victim. You ARE a SURVIVOR.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The daughter of a Methodist minister, I’ve spent most of my life in Texas and New Mexico. I graduated from West Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in 2000. Among my many titles, I am a daughter, sister, granddaughter, wife, mother, and writer. I currently live in North Texas with my husband, while my only son lives two states away (empty nester at last!)
Death Vetoes the Chairman
is my seventh Lizzie book.

I enjoy hearing from you! Follow me on my Twitter page @authorTeresaW, my Facebook page,
www.facebook.com/teresaleewatson
, my blog,
www.myfunnyviewoflife.com
, or send me an email at
[email protected]
.