Twisted Truths (Twisted Pine Academy Book 4) Read online

  Twisted Truths

  Twisted Pine Academy, Book 4

  Kai Juniper

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Note from Kai

  Also from Waltham Publishing

  Twisted Truths

  By Kai Juniper

  Copyright © 2020 Kai Juniper

  All rights reserved.

  Published by Waltham Publishing, LLC

  Cover Design by Marisa Wesley of Cover Me Darling

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, things, and events are fictitious, and any similarities to real persons (live or dead), things, or events are coincidental and not intended by the author. Brand names of products mentioned in this book are used for reference only and the author acknowledges that any trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.

  The author holds exclusive rights to this work and unauthorized duplication is prohibited. No part of this book is to be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.

  Chapter One

  "What should we do?" I ask Jackson, taking the phone from him.

  It's Devon's phone. The one he left at the homeless shelter that has a video of Braden confessing to killing Andrea.

  "We take it to the cops," Jackson says, starting up his Range Rover.

  "Wait," I say as he drives through the empty parking lot.

  "What?" He stops before turning onto the road.

  "How do we explain this?" I ask, holding up the phone. "Do we say we just found it?"

  "Tell them the truth. Say you found Devon's phone and that's what was on it."

  "If we tell them that, he'll get in trouble. What if he gets arrested?"

  "For what? He didn't kill her."

  "He withheld evidence. Or maybe the police would say he was an accomplice."

  "He wasn't an accomplice. He didn't do anything. He just overheard a conversation." Jackson pulls forward, looking left and right like he's about to pull out on the road.

  "Jackson, wait. I want to talk about this."

  He sighs, turning to me. "There's nothing to talk about. Braden killed her. The police need to know that."

  I look out the window, my heart aching at the thought of Devon being locked away.

  "I know he's not my real dad," I say, "but I still feel like he is, so turning him in feels wrong."

  "We're not turning him in. We're turning in a video he recorded."

  "That could get him in trouble."

  "He's not going to get in trouble. Even if he did something wrong, something he could be charged with, they'll never find him."

  "The police could find him if they wanted to."

  Jackson reaches over for my hand. "I know you want to protect your dad but think about Braden. Don't you want him locked away for what he did?"

  "Yes. I just wish my dad didn't have to be involved."

  "What about me? I'm involved. They're still looking at me as a suspect. If we turn this in, it proves I'm innocent."

  He's right. I wasn't thinking about that. The police have been focused on Braden but they haven't ruled out Jackson being involved. This would prove he didn't do it, which may help him in Kristen's case.

  I look up at him and nod. "You're right. We have to do this."

  "I say we go right now."

  "And just give it to them? Why don't we send it anonymously like we did with the video Alyssa sent?"

  "I think you need to explain this. Tell them where you got it. And I think it'd be best if you gave them the phone. Sending it through a tip line, they might think it's fake. This is the actual recording, taken directly from the phone. It'll prove it's legit."

  "Okay," I say with a sigh. "But I still feel bad doing this."

  He squeezes my hand. "You're not doing anything bad. You're helping people. Making sure this doesn't happen to someone else."

  Nodding, I look out the window. "Let's go."

  "Hey."

  I turn back to him. "What?"

  He leans over and kisses me. "It's going to be okay."

  But my gut tells me it's not. Something's going to go wrong. Or maybe this uneasy feeling is me not knowing if this is really the right thing to do. I know the police need to see the video but I don't like doing something that might hurt my dad.

  Why am I protecting him? He was barely in my life. And he's a drug addict. A liar. Someone who held onto evidence that let a killer go free. He's not a good person so why do I feel so loyal to him?

  "You okay?" Jackson asks as he drives to the police station.

  "No." I swallow and look down at the floor. "I don't want to do this."

  "You want Braden to get away with killing Andrea? Rumor, I thought we—"

  "That's not what I meant. I know we need to go to the police. I just wish we didn't have to. I'm tired of people dying and cops showing up at the house and investigators asking me questions. I just want to go back to having a normal life where my biggest worries were whether or not I passed a test."

  "I know," Jackson says, pulling into the police station. He parks right in front by the door. "But doing this will get you one step closer to a normal life. The Andrea case will be closed and Braden will be locked away."

  "He won't be locked away, at least not anytime soon. It'll take forever just to get a court date and then his lawyers will file appeals, which will delay everything by months."

  Jackson smiles at me. "Have you been going to law school on the side and forgot to tell me?"

  "I've been researching how all this works." I look at him. "I did it because of you. I wanted to know what's going to happen."

  His smile drops and he takes my hand. "I love you for that, but I meant what I said before. I don't want you wasting your life waiting for this to end. Like you said, it could take months, or years, for a decision to be made, and when it finally is, it may not be the one we want."

  "I'm not leaving you, Jackson. I love you. I'm not letting you go through this alone."

  He looks frustrated with me, but I'm not changing my mind. He matters to me more than anything else. I couldn't just go on with my life knowing he's here, fighting for his freedom.

  "We'll talk about it later." He opens his door. "Let's get this over with."

  "Wait. I don't think you should go in there."

  "Why?"

  "Because you're already in trouble. I don't want them thinking you're somehow involved in this."

  "I'm already involved. And I'm not going to get in trouble for turning in evidence."

  "They could think you made it up. Like you made this video to make yourself look innocent."

  "I couldn't make a video like that. Those aren't actors. Everyone can see it's Braden and Brock on that video."

  "Brock!" I grab Jackson's arm. "I just realized he's going to be arrested too. He knew about this and didn't do anything."

  "He SHOULD be arrest
ed. He knew Braden killed Andrea but let her parents and the police waste time and money investigating the case. And he made ME a suspect, which has made my life hell."

  I let out a breath. "Okay, I'm doing this." I open my door. "But you stay here."

  "I'm not staying here. You're practically shaking. You're not doing this alone."

  He gets out of the car and meets up with me on the sidewalk, taking my hand as my other hand grasps Devon's phone, trying not to drop it. Jackson wasn't exaggerating. I'm shaking, but I don't know why. I should be happy about this. I'm finally taking down Braden. His reign as king is over. No more owning the school. Making rules for everyone. Being treated like a god because he plays football. It's time for him to pay for what he did. To Andrea. And Jason.

  "What if they already arrested him?" I ask, stopping at the door.

  "For what?"

  "Jason," I whisper as a cop walks out the door, glancing at us as he passes by.

  "He's not getting arrested for that," Jackson says. "That video doesn't prove anything." He opens the door. "Let's go."

  We walk into the police station and go up to a desk where a guy is sitting, typing on a keyboard.

  "Excuse me," I say, my voice shaky. I clear my throat. "I need to talk to someone about some evidence."

  He looks up. "Evidence of what?"

  "A crime," Jackson says. "Could we meet with someone privately?"

  The guy stands up from his desk, looking at us suspiciously. "What is this in regards to?"

  "An open case." Jackson looks back at the people sitting in the chairs behind us. "We'd rather not discuss it here."

  The guy stares at Jackson. "Novak. That's you, right?"

  "Yeah, but this isn't about that case. It's for a different case. Can we please speak to someone privately?"

  "Jillian," I blurt out. "She's one of your investigators. We'd like to speak to her."

  The guy's brows draw together. "How do you know Jillian?"

  "I talked to her before." I glance at Jackson. "About the other case."

  The guy seems confused, then nods like he suddenly realizes who I am. "The Halliway girl." His eyes bounce between Jackson and me. "What's going on here? Are you two here to make a statement?"

  "No," I say, frustrated. "We just need to talk to someone about something we found. Can I talk to Jillian or not?"

  He picks up the phone, his eyes remaining on us. "Hey, Jillian. I have some kids here who want to talk to you. The Novak kid and the Halliway girl." He nods. "I'll bring them back." He sets the phone down. "Right this way."

  He takes us to the same room where I was questioned. My throat goes dry being in here again and my stomach doesn't feel good.

  "Relax," Jackson whispers to me.

  "She'll be here in a minute," the guy says, closing the door as he leaves.

  Jackson turns to me. "Who's Jillian?"

  "The investigator who questioned me about Kristen's death," I whisper. "She hates rich kids. If anyone's going to take action after seeing this video, it's her. She'll want to take Braden down even more than us." I glance around the room. "You think they're recording us?"

  "No." He looks down at my hands. "Where's the phone?"

  I take it from my pocket and set it on the table.

  "Try the passcode. Make sure you can unlock it."

  I try it and it opens. "We're good."

  A smug smile crosses his face. "The fucker's finally going to get what he deserves."

  "I still can't believe he did it. What do you think will happen after they see this?"

  "I don't know. They've already arrested him once. They might just add to the charges. It's probably up to a judge to decide."

  "What does that mean? He gets to stay home until the trial?"

  "Probably, unless the judge thinks he'll run."

  I turn to Jackson. "I can't live with Braden after this. He'll kill me. Like literally kill me for turning him in."

  "You'll stay with me. You won't be going back there."

  "What if Brock tries to stop me? I'm a minor. He could legally force me to live with him."

  "Not if he wants to be in my dad's movie. He's more worried about his acting career than who you're living with."

  "Your dad may not give him the part."

  "Let's see how this goes before we start worrying about that."

  The door swings open and Jillian walks in, wearing black pants, a white shirt, and a black leather jacket.

  "Novak and Halliway," she says, shutting the door. "I have to say I'm a little surprised to see you two here together." She sits across from us. "Do you have something you'd like to tell me?"

  "We're not here about the Reynolds' case," Jackson says.

  Jillian leans back in her chair, folding her hands and resting them on the table. "So what is this about?"

  "Andrea's case," Jackson says.

  "Andrea Goletti," Jillian confirms. "Your former girlfriend."

  "We have evidence," I blurt out, picking up Devon's phone. "That's why we're here."

  "What kind of evidence?" Jillian asks, taking a notebook and pen from her jacket.

  "Evidence that proves Braden did it."

  She nods and writes something in her notepad. "Braden Halliway? Your cousin?"

  "Yes," I say, taking a breath so my voice doesn't sound shaky.

  Jillian scribbles in her notepad, then looks up at me. "So what is it?"

  "A video." I unlock the phone and open the video. "Just watch it and you'll see."

  I offer her the phone but she doesn't take it.

  "Where was the video taken?" she asks.

  "At the house. Brock's house. In the living room."

  She sets her pen down and sits back. "So it was taken in private. Did the people in the video know they were being recorded?"

  "No. I mean, I don't think so. Someone else took it. Someone who wasn't in the video. I think they were standing off to the side or maybe in the hall. It's hard to tell. Just watch it and you'll see." I set the phone down in front of her.

  She slides it back over to me. "I can't watch that video."

  "What do you mean you can't watch it?" Jackson asks, sitting up straighter.

  "It's not evidence. It won't stand up in court." She gets up. "If that's all you have, we're done here."

  Chapter Two

  "Wait!" I jump up, grabbing Devon's phone. "The video shows Braden confessing to killing Andrea! You're not even going to watch it?"

  "If it was taken without his consent, it won't hold up in court. In the state of California, it's against the law to record someone without their consent."

  I slump down in the chair. "You've gotta be kidding me."

  "I'm sorry, but that's the law. It doesn't matter what's on the video. It can't be used in a trial."

  "Fuck," Jackson mutters.

  "So the other one doesn't count either," I say.

  "Other one?" Jillian asks, her brow ticking up.

  "The other video." I look at Jackson, who does a quick shake of his head, telling me to keep quiet. But I want to know about that video I sent, and if anyone even watched it.

  Jillian returns to her seat. "What other video are you referring to?"

  "The one showing Braden giving drugs to Jason. I sent it anonymously. Did you see it?"

  "I did." She pauses, her eyes on me. "How did you get the video? It was my understanding you weren't living here at the time."

  "I wasn't. A friend gave me the video. She didn't realize Braden was on it until just recently. She saw him giving Jason those pills and wanted me to show the police."

  "Who was it?" Jillian asks. "Who took the video?"

  "I can't say. She didn't want anyone to know. That's why I sent it anonymously. But it doesn't matter because you just said videos can't be used in court."

  "They can if they're taken in public. That video was taken at a football game so it could be used as evidence."

  "So Braden will be charged?" I ask.

  "That video didn'
t show any wrongdoing," Jillian says. "For all we know those could have been vitamins he was giving his friend. Or candy."

  "It's Adderall," I say. "Braden has them in his locker at school. You can go there and find them and match them up to what's on the video."

  "We can't search his locker without cause to do so, and as of now, we don't have enough for a case."

  "So he just gets off?" I say, getting angry. "Those pills killed Jason!"

  "Miss Halliway, I suggest you stay out of this and let us handle things." She stands up. "I need to get back to work. I'll show you out."

  "That's it?" I get up. "You're not even going to watch this?" I hold Devon's phone out to her.

  "It was taken illegally," she says. "Giving it to me could get YOU in more trouble than the person in the video. I advise you keep that to yourself, or better yet, destroy it."

  Jackson gets up. "Let's go."

  "I can't believe this!" I say, still looking at Jillian. "Braden admitted what he did! He admitted he pushed her off that cliff! The video shows him telling his dad. Both of them knew what happened that night! And you're telling me that doesn't matter?"

  "Rumor." Jackson takes my arm. "We need to go."

  "I want an answer." I pull away from Jackson and go up to Jillian. "You're seriously telling me this confession is worthless? You're going to let a killer go free because of some stupid law saying you can't record people?"

  "Unfortunately, yes." She points to the phone. "Who took the video? Where did you get it?"

  "I found it on the phone. Someone left it behind at a homeless shelter."

  "What were you doing at a homeless shelter?"

  "I was, um," I glance at Jackson, "looking for someone."

  "Who?"