Chapter 9- Ghost from my past

Walton did not know what day it was again because he had been there for a while.

Just the sound of the overhead light, but it was always on and off, and the grey walls were nothing significant,no day, no night.

He did not knoitts was three days ThTheks

there only thing was that he was losing his mind

He was sitting on the floor with tears in his eyes; he was lost.

Theywent back in memory lane to remember what happened in the past, to memories he had buried a long time ago

About twenty five ago.

Walton was about twelve years old, playing in dad’s office, while the father  Richard James was on the phone, shoutingatn someone.

"Who do you think you are to threaten me, so you want to take all I have worked for?" Richard said

He was trying to be quiet. Young Walton was so scared of how the father was shouting and was feeling for the person on the other side of the call.

"I did all the work myself day and night n, nobody helped  me, nobody saw my pain or came to my aid, I won’t allow you to destroy it!"

He was angry, and he dropped the phone from his hand.

Then he noticed Walton sitting there.

"My boy, come here, don’t be scared," Richard said

Walton walked over slowly.

His father put his hand on his shoulder. "Don’t forget the day. Remember that name. Robert Kane. He is a destroyer. A coward. And he will do anything to bring us down."

"Why, Father?" Walton asked.

"Because he is afraid of building his own business,so he looks for other people’s businesses to destroy out of jealousy."

Walton was in full support even thoughhe dod not understand everything his father had said.

"I know that one day the company will be yours, youmust be brave and strong, never show your weak point or men like Robert will eat you raw."

Young Walton looked at his father and promised never to show his weak point.

I will never let anyone destroy him

Walton sat on the cold floor and discovereddhe was wrong alone.

His father was wrong, too.

That strength did not lie in being harsh or strong; it was not letting the wrong people into your space.

Real strength was what Maria had shown him. The one to stay by someone, even when the world has turned its back.

The ability to choose love or fear.

He was only concerned about building walls.  Pushing people away. Trusting no one.

And it had left him alone.

But Maria...

She passed through thewalls without stress.

"I have failed you father, I’m so sorry. He said l,, looking at the ceiling."

The door opened

A guard stood there. "Someone is calling you."

Walton's heart skipped. "From who?"

"Your lawyer."

He was taken to a small room to answer the phone call.

Walton answered the call, "Mr. Thompson?"

"Walton," the lawyer's voice was excited. "Maria found something. Something big."

"What?"

"Proof," Mr. Thompson said. "Proof that Robert Kane is behind everything. The murder. The frame job. All of it."

Walton could not stand, so he had his seat on the small chair there. "How sure are you, Thompson?"

"Yes, Daniel was hiding the audio recordings and emails in a USB drive. Maria found t. She opened it. And all we need is in it. Robert Kane orderedMarcus Chen to kill Daniel and frame you."

Walton was so weak that he could not speak up.

"I will be presenting this to the court today. This will change everything. Thompson said. I promise you, Walto,  and you will be out of there in no t..ime"

"Robert Kane," Walton said. "so he came back to hunt me after all these years."

"Do you know or have you heard of  him?"

"he was my father’s enemy. Why will he come back to hunt me? What did I do to him??” Alton said, “he won’t have you. Thompson responded.

"he will fight on this to the end; he won’t have you."

"Where is Maria?" Walton asked suddenly.

"She is with me. At my office. She's been working non-stop to save you, Walton. She is ... she is s incredible.

Walton felt so calm in his spirit,“ May I speak with her??”

"Hold on."

Maria was given the phone immediately

"Walton?"

When he heard her voice,he broke down into tears.

"How are you, Maria? I heard what you have been doing". Walton said

"I told you I will make sure the pay," she said.

"You should be doing this.  Robert is a very dangerous man. He killed Daniel. He could kill you,too."

"But I don’t fear him," Maria said.

"You should."

"Welll,l too late now," she said. "I’m already in, so I can’t back out now."

Walton's eyes closes "Why are you helping me, who treated you badly?"

There was a long silence.

Then Maria said,, "because someone needsto. And because... because I choose to."

Those words melted his heart.

I choose to.

Not because she had to. Not because of the contract. Not because of money.

She chose him.

"Maria," he said,  "when I'm out of here... if I'm out of here..."

"When," she corrected. "when your out of there."

"WheI'mmim out of here," he conti,ued. "I'm going to love you with all I have because you deserve it.”

She caught her breathon the other side

"Are you sure of what you just said?" she said.

Looking at his watch, the guard shouted. "Time's up."

"I need to end the call now," Walton said.

"I understand," Maria said, "but we will soon meet... I promise”.

"Let me trust you on that," he said.

The line went dead.

Walton was still staring at the phone for some minutes before dropping it down and allowing the guard take him back to his priso..n

The prison did not look dark again

There was hope for him.

Maria was still looking at the phone in Mr. Thomspon office

Hheart er was beating fast, she thought it would come out of her chest.

HearingWalton'sn voice really meant a lot to her.

She realized this was not about evidence or proving a point.

This was personal.

"Maria?" Mr. Thompson said gently. "Madam, are you okay?"

She looked up and faced the lawyer and asked, “Whenare we going to the court?”

“Now,because I have a meeting in an hour.ur"

"Maria, Please you have done enough.gh "

"But I insist," she said

He just had to agree. "Alright. Let's go."

The prosecutor's office was very beautiful b, but people had to wait in line because iitwas a very important place.

Before a woman came out of his office spoke with them.

"Mr. Thompson, he will call for you soon,n" she said

She then took them after a few minutes into an office. There was a man seating on the desk. This was Prosecutor Donald Pierce.

"Mr. Thompson, I hope this is very important. You know I’m a busy man," Pierce said

"it is very important that it contains all the evidence that can turn the case around and expose all the charges against Walton James."

Pierce lookedat the USB drive like it was a time bomb, what evidence?"

"Emails and audio recordings, and how ththeyilled Daniel and put a false allegation on Walton."

Pierce's eyes opened wider. "Robert Kane? The businessman?"

"Yes."

"What you're saying is a very serious accusation, you know right?"It’s not an accusation, it’s the truth."

Pierce took a look at her. "And you are?"

"Maria James. Walton's wife."

He looked at herand said, “I will take a look at it now.”

"Of course," Mr. Thompson said. "But once you do, you will see that we are right about this matter. Walton James is innocent. And Robert Kane is the real murderer."

Pierce put the drive in the computer.

Maria saw how his face changed, ed and he became angrier; he had been lied to all this time.

Ten minutes later…he sat well on his chair and relax

"My God," he said.

"You now see it right?" Mr. Thompson said.

"This is..." Pierce touched his head with his hands and asked  If this is real—"

"It is real," Maria said. "Daniel Kesser hid it before he died. He was sure that someone iswasfter his life. And he left proof."

Pierce looked at her with new respect. "You found this?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"I stopped at nothing,, Maria said

Pierce said, “I will check how real this is and get back to you.”

Howlong will this take?" Mr. Thompson asked.

"A few days. Maybe a week."

"A week?" Maria said, her voice started increasing. "My husband is in isolation. He is suffering. We need to get work and bring him out now”.

"Mrs. James," Pierce said. “ I cannot just release someone noin murder case just like that without verifying theinformation I have received.”

"But you heard the audio recordings and email, you know it'ss re,l," Maria said

"And I will check it and let you know," Pierce said

Maria was very mad and wanted to throw the table at his face, but she forced herself to calm down.

"okay fine," she said. "One week. But if he is not out by the end of the week, I will be forced to go to the media”.

Pierce was shocked. "That will not be very wise, Mrs. James."

"I don’t care about anything you say. I want my husband out. I don’t want to be wise again. I don’t look like a patient person.

Mr. Thompson put a hand on her arm. "Maria—"

"One week," she said again, staring at Pierce.

The prosecutor stared back. Then he agreed. "One week. You have my word."

After the lawyer left, the lawyer turned and looked at her and said that it was too much to threaten a prosecutor like that.

"Do I look as if I care? Letthem get to work and stop dragging their feet."

"I understand. But we need to be smart about this."

"I’m being smart, I want them to get to work already.

Mr. Thompson smiled slightly. "You're learning."

"Sorry to say, but I was trained well," Maria said.

As they walked towards their car park

Unknown number again.

She almost did not answer. But something made her.

"Hello?"

"So you went to mmeetthe prosecutor." woman's voice.

Maria stopped walking. "And so… why are you following me?"

"I'm a friend has I said before."

"Friends don’t do like that, following people up and down," Maria said.

The woman laughed. "Fair enough. But I'm calling to warn you. Robert Kane knows you found the USB drive."

Maria's blood ran cold. "How?"

"He has people everywhere. Eyes and ears. And now he knows you're a threat."

"Let him know I’m not afraid of him,let'ss him go and rest."

"You should be. He had Marcus Chen killed to keep him quiet. Why do you feel he won't hurt you?

"Okay, that wicked man killed Marcus, too?" Maria said.

"Found him this morning. Hanging in his apartment. They're calling it suicide. But we both know better."

Maria felt sick.

Hearme out now," the woman said. "Get security. Don't go anywhere alone. And watch your back. Robert Kane does not leave loose ends."

 Maria asked again. " I want to know why you're helping me?"

"Because I don’t want someone to stand in my way."

"dDDid heill someone you loved too?"

"yes my brother, five years ago,  and he made it look likenothing happened.

"Then help me," Maria said. "Come forward. Testify."

"I cannot do ththatt Robert will kill me too,, ,but I can help you frohere. Okay, okayay, but can I know your name?" Maria pleaded.

Silence came between them on the phone.

woman said, "Sarah. My name is Sarah Chen. Marcus was my brother."

The line went dead.

Maria stood there in shock.

Marcus Chen's sister.

She had been trying to warn Maria all along.

"Maria?" Mr. Thomspon looked back and asked. "Is everything okay? You look pale."

"Marcus Chen is dead," she said. "They killed him."

"What?"

She told him everything Sarah had said.

Mr. Thomspon was scared, so Robert is cleaning up his mess and getting rid of anybody twhoay want to stand in his way.

"So we have to get smart and work fas,," Maria said. "Before he gets rid of us t ,too

Then again, Maria sis itting alone in the mansion

This time was too afraid about everything going on for herself

For Walton.

Robert even killed Marcus to keep things hidden. What will he do to Walton if he finds that the evidence has been leaked?

She picked up her phone to call the detention center.

"I want to speak with Walton James ." Then someone answered,“ The prisoner is in isisolationn”

"Madam, visiting hours have closed for the day. Someone might try to hurt ..m.”

"I’m not visiting, I  want to make sure he is safe."

"Madam, we keep all our prisoners safe —",

"Hey you listen to me, there is a man named  Robert Kan, e    andandwant to make sure extra security is placed on my husband."..here was silence.

Then the officer said, "I will tell the warden in ccharge thatI cannot promise you anything."

"Please make sure he is safe," Maria said

"I will do my best," the officer said.

The line went dead.

Maria was just down there feeling helpless at that point

She wishes she could drive to the prison. Break down the doors. Get Walton out of herself.

But she could not.

All she could do at that pointwass wait a while.

That everything will be fine.

While in prison, Walton heard that Marcus was dead from two guards ddiscussing saying he committed suicide

But Walton knew better.

Robert Kane was cleaning house.

And Walton was next.

He looked at the door and stood up. He felt different this time.

He felt anger.

Pure, burning anger.

Robert Kane had taken everything from him. His freedom. His reputation. His peace of mind.

And now he was threatening Maria.

Then he knew Robert made a big mistake.

Walton knew how to fight for what belonged to him,im and he was ready to do that for Maria...nd this time around, he was not fighting a lost battle; he was not fighting alone.

He said, “Robert better come for me fast because I’m coming for .you” he said this through the darkess .