Page 129 of Matlock
Simon blinked, then glanced down at his ankle like he’d forgotten it was there. “Right. Yeah.”
“We’ll meet you all at the diner,” I called to King, who nodded in acknowledgment.
Simon’s parents exchanged a look, and his mother said, “We’ll see you there, sweetheart.”
Simon nodded, and we started toward the courthouse exit. The crowd was thinning now, people filing out into the bright afternoon sunlight. I kept my hand on Simon’s back, guiding him through the press of bodies.
We were almost at the doors when I heard it.
“Billy, I said back off!”
I turned, and so did Simon. Sadie was standing near the far wall, her face flushed, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Keys stood beside her, his expression a mixture of frustration and anger.
“I’m just trying to help,” Keys said, his voice tight.
“I don’t need your help!” Sadie snapped. “I don’t need you hovering over me like I’m some fragile fucking doll that’s going to break!”
“Sadie—”
“No!” she shouted, her voice echoing through the hallway. “Just leave me alone, Billy. I mean it.”
She turned and stormed off, leaving a heavy silence in her wake. Keys stood there for a moment, his jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists. Then he turned and walked in the opposite direction, his shoulders rigid with barely contained rage.
Simon took a step forward, his instinct to follow his sister written all over his face.
“Simon,” his father said, catching his arm. “Let her go.”
“Dad—”
“She needs time,” David said firmly. “She’s safe now. Let her have some space.”
“I tried that last time,” Simon said, his voice rising. “I gave her space, and look what happened. She ended up—”
“Alan can’t hurt her anymore,” David interrupted. “She’s safe. She’s here. And she needs to process this on her own terms.”
Simon looked torn, his gaze darting between his father and the direction Sadie had gone. I could see the war playing out in his mind, the need to protect her, the fear that something would happen if he let her out of his sight.
I stepped closer, my hand finding his shoulder. “Your dad’s right,” I said quietly. “She’s safe. And she knows where to find you if she needs you.”
Simon’s eyes met mine, and I saw the doubt there. The fear.
What if Rosalind goes after her?
The thought hit me like a punch to the gut. Rosalind’s threat had been vague, but the implication was clear. She wasn’t done with this. She wasn’t done with any of us.
But I couldn’t tell Simon that. Not here. Not now.
“I’ll call Keys,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I’ll make sure he keeps an eye on her. Okay?”
Simon hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Okay.”
“Good,” I said. “Now let’s go get that monitor off so we can celebrate.”
Simon nodded again, but the tension in his shoulders didn’t ease. He was still worried. Still afraid.
And I couldn’t blame him.
We made our way through the courthouse hallways toward the clerk’s office. The administrative area was quieter than the main courtroom, with fluorescent lights humming overhead and the faint sound of phones ringing in distant offices. A few people passed us, but mostly it was empty, the only sound the echo of our footsteps on the tile floor.
