Part 11
It had been a few days since the event and the Topaz family was home, safe and sound. The three decided it’d be best to stay home for the week to ensure Olivia’s swift recovery as well as cherish every moment together.
It was Saturday morning and Olivia was finally up to visitors. She’d declined anyone else coming in at the hospital besides her moms. She didn’t want to hash anything out with Annie and Chloe. She wasn’t ready yet.
But she’s agreed to a ‘get well soon’ brunch when Cheryl offered. Her family just wanting to see she was okay and to thank her. If it wasn’t for Olivia they could have all been hurt. And the destruction more severe.
La Bon Nuit was in pretty good shape. The hallway took the brunt of the damage. Veronica took the opportunity to renovate and expand the dining room into that area, the walls having already been partially knocked down. They’ll probably be another party soon to celebrate it.
Olivia was sitting at her vanity, slowly getting ready. She just got her stitches out yesterday so she had to change the bandage on her forehead and clean the wound. She wasn’t going to do much more than that. Sweats and a bare face would have to do.
While she was fixing her hair into a ponytail there was a soft knock at the door.
“I’ll be down in a minute mom!” She said not realizing everyone had already arrived.
The door opened a crack and Chloe spoke through.
“It’s me and Annie…can we come in?”
“Sure,” Olivia replied softly. She had no idea how this conversation was going to go.
The two girls filed in and Annie closed the door behind her. Olivia turned around on her stool to face them while Chloe took a seat on the bed and Annie got comfortable on the beanbag chair on the floor.
“You look better,” Annie started, trying to break the ice.
“Thanks. Yea, my moms told me you guys visited. That was really nice. Thanks,”
“We were so worried about you, we should have been there for you, been better friends to you. I’m sorry,” Chloe wanted to make sure she said everything she needed to say.
“And I don’t think your crazy. I’m sorry you thought that we- I was just confused I guess. I didn’t understand you and how you were feeling.”
“I’m sorry too,” Annie added in, “Although it was mostly Chloe’s fault,”
“Hey!” She shouted with laughter.
“Okay, that might be true, but I promise never to doubt you again no matter what it may be. Because I’d want you to do the same for me.”
Olivia let out a deep breath she’d been holding since the girls came through the door. She got up and gave both of them a hug.
“It’s okay, I still don’t really understand what happened,”
“What did your moms say? Annie asked returning to her spot on the floor.
“Well, they sent a psychologist to check in while I was in the hospital and they recommended I go to therapy. But I don’t think they really believe it. I don’t know if it will even happen again,”
“Maybe your psychic! Like That’s So Raven!”
The three girls laughed feeling all the tension slip away.
“Olivia sweetie, foods ready,” Toni spoke through the door. She peeked in to make sure everything was okay and was happy to see all the girls together.
“Everything good?” She asked.
“Yeah,” Olivia responded with a smile.
Everything was pretty much back to normal, Olivia was even due to go back to school on Monday. She had a pretty great weekend laughing and smiling with family and friends.
-
“Olivia Topaz to the principals office, Olivia Topaz to the principals office,”
She had just walked in on her first day back, what could they possibly want?
Olivia hastily stoped at her locker before making her way to the office where she is greeted by Mrs. Bell.
“Welcome back, Miss Topaz, the police are here to see you,”
The police? She thinks to yourself. She’s already told them everything she knows.
“Thank you Mrs. Bell,” she says putting on a smile to disguise her nerves.
When she walks further in she finds Principal Weatherbee behind his desk and two officers to his left. She recognizes one as the man who questioned her at the hospital.
“Miss Topaz, please, have a seat,”
She did as she was told.
“We’ve got a lead on the identity of the perpetrator, we were hoping you could confirm it for us,” the officer asked before handing her a file.
She accepted the folder with a small nod before slowly going to open it. Just as quickly she snapped it shut along with her own eyes.
“That’s him,” she spoke softly.
The officer looked satisfied.
“Thank you,” he said. “We were able to run his remains for DNA and it matched with this man. He was a patient at Shady Grove,”
The psychiatric hospital? Why would he possibly want to cause havoc to a business?
“Now that you’ve confirmed, we can close this case,”
“Close the case?”
“The suspect wasn’t supposed to be released from the hospital, we’re ruling it as an isolated incident due to psychiatric conditions,”
“So you’re saying the reason he did it was -“
“Because he was crazy.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“We appreciate you’re help Miss Topaz, you’re dismissed,”
“But-“
“Miss Topaz, please return to class,”
Principal Weatherbee finished with finality.
But she was having trouble letting it go, something just didn’t add up.
-
“Hey Baby, how was school?,” Toni was just coming down the stairs as Olivia was shutting the front door behind her.
“Can we talk? Where’s Mommy?” She asked putting her backpack down and off to the side.
“Yeah, yeah, come on she’s in the kitchen,” Toni replied crinkling her eyebrows together. She put her hand on Olivia’s back and guided her into the other room.
“Liv!” Cheryl said upon seeing her.
“I was just pulling these out,” she continued while setting down the hot tray of cookies and grabbing her spatula to plate some for her. Olivia muttered a small thanks in response and made herself comfortable at the kitchen island.
“The police came to school today,” she brought up after Toni delivered her a glass of milk.
“Oh yeah?” Cheryl continued to plate the cookies while subtly trying to gauge Olivia’s feelings on the matter.
“Yeah, they said that they were able to figure out who the man was with his DNA and they just wanted me to confirm it was who I saw,”
“And?”
“It was him. They said he was a patient at Shady Grove who got out and the reason he did it was just because he wasn’t in his right mind,”
“And does that make you feel better?” Toni asked.
“Honestly?…No. It just doesn’t make sense to me that this was all a freak incident. If he wasn’t sane then how would he have been able to build a bomb?”
“Well, you don’t know what his illness was, maybe he wasn’t as far gone as they thought,” Cheryl tried to reason.
“Mom. Mama.” She paused looking down at the counter and trying to get her thoughts together.
“What if it wasn’t his plan? What if he was doing it for someone?”
“Well, I suppose it’s possible but they haven’t found anything to lead them to that conclusion,” Toni said.
“They’re just gonna close the case but I don’t think it’s really solved. I think this person is still out there. I don’t think we’re safe,”
“Okay baby, take a breath. Let me do a little digging at work tomorrow and check in with Sheriff Keller and Mayor McCoy.”
“Okay…thank you for believing me,” She replied calmly. She’d learned from that horrible night and she trusts her mothers will believe and support now, her no matter what.
“Of course baby, we’re here for you, and you are always safe here,” Toni said giving Olivia a kiss on the cheek while stealing a cookie from her plate.