Chapter 29 The horrible truth
Five guards, along with the priest and the warden are making their way towards Joshua's cell. The commotion in the hall gets louder. A forensics car speeds to its destination. Mickey and Wally's car is joined by additional cars. Joshua is handcuffed and surrounded by guards. He walks humbly and accepting towards the execution chamber as the crowd of visitors stands and watches him. The warden is talking to the guards performing the execution and finally explains something to Joshua whose face gives off nothing. The warden stands before the crowd and explains as Joshua is put in the chair. Esteemed visitor!
"Ladies and gentleman! Joshua Solomon is accused of murder in the first degree. His appeals were turned down"
He peeks at his watch. Its five minutes to 9pm.
"In five minutes the red light in front of you will be turned on…"
He points to the light that signals the beginning of the process
"A few seconds later 20 thousand volts will be going through the defendant's body. Immediately after that a doctor will examine his body, confirm his death and at that point he will be placed in a black body bag. As the current is turned on the chamber's glass window will be covered by a black curtain according to the last wish of the defendant. Well…if no one has anything to say about that…we'll begin the execution in a few minutes".
Every one watch the clock hypnotized. Abraham, Michelle, Eve and Gideon's faces are tense…the warden continues
"It's 9pm now and the execution will begin"
The warden takes a small bow, reaches the chamber and signals the five guards to begin. The guards pull the black curtain shut, lock the chamber and walk into a side room where the current is operated from. The current is turned on by five guards flipping five switches which only one of them turns on the current. This is done so the guards don't know who turned on the current. The TV cameras keep filming; they all stand up and watch the chamber curiously and anxiously. The red light in the upper part of the room is turned on and from inside the chamber long currents and sparks can be seen for about 30 seconds followed by the obnoxious smell of charred meat. They all twist their faces in dislike aide from Abraham whose eyes glint and an evil smile appears on his face. Eve mumbles quietly
"An eye for an eye…a tooth for a tooth…thank you God…my son Isaac was murdered by that monster, takes good care of my son"
They all still stand on their feet shocked. The warden and the five guards along with a doctor in a white coat, all wearing gloves and masks on their faces enter the chamber and pull open the curtains and the silent smoking corpse is revealed like an apocalyptic vision. Abraham continues to smile as everyone turns their heads until they gather up the courage to look back at the chamber. The doctor finishes examining the body and leaves the chamber with the warden. The guards release the restraints from the body and place a black plastic bag next to it. They put the body inside the bag with indifference zip it up and take out the body through a side door which connects the chamber to a hallway. They all whisper…Murmur…talk excitedly as they prepare to leave...Suddenly Mickey, Wally and plain clothes man, some holding video cameras and microphones burst into the hall and block Eve, Gideon, Abraham, Michelle, Abraham's friends and the lawyer's paths. Mickey stands taller than them all and explains softly
"Hello. We are glad this whole affair is behind us…but don't leave yet…I want you to accompany us we need to talk to you all"
They all wonder and seem unsatisfied but wait curiously. Abraham hugs Michelle when suddenly he feels a hand holding his shoulder. He turns around, surprised to see Wally and Mickey smiling at him. Five plain clothes man accompany them and Abraham realizes they are the media. Several of the newscasters in the hall join the group curiously wishing for a scoop. Abraham and Michelle murmur hello and Abraham quickly adjusts his clothes and smile like a seasoned politician everywhere and especially towards the cameras. Mickey and Wally watch him and then each other. Mickey shakes his hand
"Congratulations Abraham…we're finally rid of the monster…may he burn in hell!"
Wally pats Abraham on the shoulder affectionately
"You've been waiting for it for so long, Abraham! Now you can sleep soundly! Right?"
"Of course Wally! You have no idea what I've been going through…how I've waited for this moment!! I thank God!"
He starts feeling impatience and uncomfortably tense
"Well, if you don't need us anymore, Michelle is much tiered and we need to go home. I'm guessing Eve and Gideon would like to leave too".
Wally continuous indifferently
"Of course Abraham!! I understand you!! But before you go I wanted to return this to you"
He holds out his fisted hand to Abraham "this is yours Abraham. Take it and you can leave"
Wally opens his fist and inside it lays the cursed bracelet! Abraham pales and retreats for a second but immediately smiles as if nothing happened…Mickey and Wally's men mover forward silently. They approach Abraham
"You're wrong Wally…it's a beautiful bracelet but it isn't mine…you can keep it! Goodbye!"
Abraham continues to smile his Santa's smile, hugs Michelle and prepares to leave but Wally blocks his path
"It's your bracelet Abraham!! Why don't you want it?"
He gives Eve the bracelet
"Recognize it?"
Eve looks at the bracelet curiously as Abraham begins to shake in rage. Eve smiles in sadness
"Wait! Yes…I remember now!! It is Abraham's! I bought it for him a month after we met…I was stupid and blind once".
Abraham snaps at her
"And you still are!! You are a stupid whore…the blood of the devil runs through your veins"
He turns to Mickey with a look of a small boy about to weep.
"You're right…the bracelet is mine!! I'm sorry I must have forgotten about it"
He smiles at everyone and holds the bracelet in his fingers
"I lost it a month ago before Isaac disappeared…let's go Michelle…we're going home"
Abraham and Michelle turn and start to leave as Mickey signals his men. Wally holds Abraham forcefully
"You're not going anywhere!! Abraham! I am arresting you for the murder of Isaac! You killed your son in cold blood and you're going to jail!"
At this impossible moment…this unbelievable moment when time stands still! My dear friends, you, whose eyes are riveted to this paragraph…stop! Close your eyes…tighten your lips…turn of your thoughts… and let the great silence…the intoxicating peace wrap you up…merge within you! Do you wish for his death? Kill his brutally…kill him softly…kill him with an executioners smile! Do you long for forgiveness? Take him into your embrace…hug him to your heart!! Bless him! And still Mickey's words echo around the hall unforgettably… the brain wants and is incapable of grasping it
"I arrest you for the murder of Isaac!! You killed your own son in cold blood and you're going to jail!"
Abraham crazy laughter hits them like a freezing gust of wind in the hot desert sands.
"Have you lost your mind? How dare you say that to me? I will sue you…you'll have to work for the rest of your lives to pay me for the shame, suffering and anguish you just caused me. You think because you have uniforms, guns and cuffs you can badge law abiding citizens? I'll make sure you're kicked off the police force like dogs!! You idiot!! Psychopath!! I hope you're murdered too, idiot!"
Eve, pale like everyone else snaps at Mickey
"You should be committed! I was his wife for three and a half years and I know him better than you! He may be disturbed, he may be bad, he may be a liar and a manipulator but he is not a murderer!! He didn't kill Isaac!"
Wally and his men hold Abraham's hands and cuff him despite the protests of eve and Michelle! Abraham's eyes look around like a rabbit in a cage and turn into two slits of evil and hatred!
"Why are you cuffing me? Don't waste your time!! You have no proof or evidence against me!!"
He laughs disparagingly
"I won't sit in jail for a second…I have a great lawyer…you are such losers! Idiots!"
Wally interrupts Abraham's tirade
"Wrong again, Abraham!! Don't underestimate the police….we are happy to tell you that we got search warrants for your house and car. We examined your car and found blood…we checked the storage in your house and found gloves and parts of Isaac's clothes stained with blood…fake mustache and beard stained with blood found in your house and car match the ones you found in Joshua's house. We found a rake and shovel in your garden shed. After taking soil samples from them we matched them to the soil in the landfill. You'll be surprised…we also have witnesses! I can even tell you how you did it Saturday morning you put a sedative into Michelle's tea to make her tired…we found the bottle in your storage! After seeing her drowsy you put gloves on your hands, put makeup on and dressed like Joshua… we found the gloves, wig mustache, beard and clothes! You then attacked her and got her unconscious. You call Isaac into your car and when he was there you choked him to death and put him in the trunk of your car! You opened the Iron Gate wide and placed Joshua's pen in the yard and went back to sleep as if nothing happened until the moment Michelle woke you and informed you that Isaac was missing! Saturday evening you told everyone you are going to search for Isaac and you make sure you are seen in different places. We have witnesses who saw on Saturday night at one thirty am arriving with your car to the woods. While in the woods you make sure Joshua is sound asleep…you put Isaac's body, looking like Joshua, into Joshua's car and drive his car using keys you had made on your previous visit to the woods. The key store salesmen identified you. You drive Joshua's car to the landfill, hide Isaac's body in the garbage pile and when José sees you, you don't run but make sure he sees you well because you look like Joshua! You leave in Joshua's car and return it quietly to the woods. In Joshua's car are signs and evidence of Isaac because you placed them there! You again return to your own appearance and drive back to your house at 4am, check Michelle is asleep and put the rake and shovel back into the shed, take a shower and get into bed! You act like a frightened worried father, appearing on national TV with Eve, asking for Isaac's return and even promise a reward for it. You join in the extensive search along with thousands of good and kind citizens, take part in the funeral and after we ask about suspects you suddenly remember to tell us about knowing Joshua. About the fact that Isaac and Michelle were with you there…how you intentionally, masked as an accident, told him your address and identifying the pen found in your yard. You completed your plan knowing the verdict Joshua will bring an end to the affair for the police and the public and for you!! Everything did happen like you planned it...it was the perfect murder… unfortunately when you realized you lost your bracelet at the landfill it was too late to go back and look for it…you were sure the bracelet would be buried in the garbage pile and never be found!!"
Everyone present in the courtroom and watching TV stand frozen in shock. Michelle shakes and is supported by a police officer cries out in terror as she weeps
"Oh my God!! Anything but that!! I married a murderer!! I'm raising a murderer's baby inside me?!"
Gideon, horrified, supports Eve from collapsing as she cries
"You killed our son! How could you kill your own son? With your bare hands? How could you continue with your life as if nothing happened? You can't even be called out chillingly…. murderer…you're a soulless creature…you are evil personified!"
Abraham smiles indifferently and answers bitterly
"It's your fault! You preferred Isaac over me…and he paid for it!!"
He turns to Michelle
"You're no different than her….you preferred the baby in your stomach and he would have paid for it too! It's true you're at fault but your kids have repaid your debt!"
He adds meanly
"In the bible God tested Abraham with the binding of Isaac!! This time I tested God!! God is not perfect!! I'm perfect"
He laughs diabolically
"You can't do anything to me!! I am the new God!! I planned Joshua's execution and it worked, didn't it? I proved I am perfect!! I am absolute evil!!"
Like drops of poison that seep into your brain, Abraham's words shakes everyone up and they retreat…humans don't know this sort of evil…and don't know it exists. Mickey starts laughing and approaches Abraham ominously, shaking Abraham's peace.
"You're not so perfect Abraham!"
He smiles nastily
"You want to see why?"
He signals a cop by the entrance door to the hall
"We found an old friend of yours who wants to say hello...I'm sure you'll be glad to see him"
A familiar figure approaches them and everyone are amazed, sure they are seeing a ghost as Abraham mumbles in terror
"It can't be…"
Abraham can't grasp what his eyes are watching! Something horrible is happening to him. He metamorphoses and becomes a wreck, a pathetic figure without essence! The smile on Joshua's face widens as he steps forward still wearing his charred prisoner's outfit. He looks like a surreal vision of the apocalypse.
"But we all saw you were executed"
Abraham stammers, ally laughs
"No Abraham! We planned a big show for you. The execution had to go as scheduled so you wouldn't suspect anything and it worked! Why do you say, Abraham? Do we deserve an Oscar or what?"
Everyone are still watching Joshua with their mouths open…they still can't grasp the run of events and the surprises landing on them one by one, aside from Abraham who again metamorphoses frighteningly. His genius plan failed…he wanted to prove he was perfect, that he was above everyone else or God but the police made a fool of him...mocked him and stole his strength and genius cunningly! His body shakes uncontrollably…his face twisted with hatred and he screams
"You are not going to do this to me!! You took everything from me…you took everything I was going to have…"
Suddenly and without warning his body jumps forward like a bullet and with his cuffed hands he jumps through the glass window of the eighth floor. His body breaks the glass to shreds as the TV cameras film the event and the horrified screams of everyone present are heard. His body lands on the concrete floor of the parking lot and a large pool of blood gathers around it. Eve and Michelle both faint!! Abraham's eyes manage to focus on the jail for a few seconds and on the cursed bracelet he was holding and then burn out.