The Dead Secret

Lawrence, Kansas. May 13, 2020.

Veronica gets a call at work, It's from the hospital, letting her know her husband has been killed in a car crash. She falls to the floor crying. She already lost their baby, now her husband? She can't believe this is happening.

"Veronica? Are you ok?" a voice asks.

She looks up to see the police department's receptionist, "Hey, Addison." She wipes her eyes, standing up, "I- the hospital called. My- David was killed in a car crash."

Addison tenses for a second before replying, "Oh Roni, I'm so sorry."

"They need me to confirm that it's David."

"Go, I'll let everyone know where you went. Want me to take messages down for you?"

"Please do." She walks out of the station at a brisk pace.

She just wants to see if it's really him. The drive to the hospital was long thanks to rush hour. Once she finally gets there, she's taken to the morgue. Geez, the last time she was down here was as a rookie, to confirm that her partner was the one who was killed trying to stop a robbery in progress.

The director of the hospital asks her a few questions before showing her the body. One look at the body and she knew it was her David.

"Yeah, that's my husband, David.." She burst into tears.

Veronica leaves and heads home, in the downtown area of her small town. Her sister, waiting for her on the doorstep. Her sister was the EMT who drove David to the hospital, unknowingly.

"Sis, I'm so sorry." Emilia, her sister, says.

"First the miscarriage, now this?" Veronica cries, "This is one shitty year."

Veronica's phone rings, but she ignores it. It rings again.

"Hello?" She answers not wanting to hear it ring anymore." The voice says.

"Who is this?" She asks.

" The line goes dead before Veronica could fully process the words spoken to her by this mystery person. Her sister stands there in concern, wondering what the call could have been but Veronica forces a fake smile and Emilia goes into the kitchen.

She puts her phone back in her pocket. She begins debating on whether or not she should meet up with this mysterious person. After all it is a stranger… a stranger who knows about her husband's death- the lure of this person possibly being the killer themself in this ordeal is dangling in the back of her mind as she’s forced to choose what to do. She decides to go.

What could they mean by 'the truth of David's death'?

Veronica drives down to the coffee shop, gun and badge ready. She sees no one there.

A woman approaches her, "Hi, the man in the black SUV asked me to give this to you." The car pulls out of the parking lot as they turn to look at it.

"Thank you miss." Veronica says

'David's death wasn't an accident. The police system is trying to cover it up. Trust no one.' the note says.

No name signed. She felt her heart drop. If this person is telling the truth, she wants to know everything that she can. She wants the truth. And she will stop at nothing.

Flashback....

“I'm so sorry Veronica, you… you lost the baby.” the Doctor says.

“No…no no no no!” Veronica falls to the floor crying,

“Honey, baby maybe…maybe it wasn’t meant to be.” David says, trying to hold his composure.

“David, I spent thousands out of my retirement fund for IVF treatment, and we were in the second term. Then this shit happens.” Veronica stroms out of the room.

End flashback....

A week or two has passed. Veronica has yet to hear from the person who had told her her husband's death wasn't an accident.

The day came for David's funeral. Friends and family gather around. Giving Veronica their unconditional love and support. As the funeral comes to an end, the unknown number calls again.

"The person who killed David is at the funeral."

The line goes dead.

Is this some kind of sick game? Or is this person really trying to help?

“Who was that?” David’s mother asks Veronica.

“Wrong number.” Veronica replies, not wanting her mother-in-law to be more upset at the thought that David could have actually been murdered.

“Honey, go home and get some rest. You’ve had it rough the past couple of months.”

“Ok. Will do, Mama Jenna.”

Veronica drives home, only to see a woman on her porch.

“Can I help you?” Veronica asks.

“Is David around?” The woman replies.

“Ma’am David passed away last month.”

“That can’t be, I just found out I’m pregnant with his baby.”

David had an affair? The woman realizes who Veronica must be.

“Ma’am I assure you I had no idea he was married. We met at a bar, I was wasted getting over a break up, now I’m rambling.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s just a lot to take in. Do you want to come in for some tea, perhaps?”

Veronica wanted to make the woman feel at home. David would have wanted to be a part of this child's life.

“It wouldn’t be weird for you?”

“Not at all. David would have wanted to be a part of the baby’s life. If that means I fill in for him, then no, it's not weird for me.” Veronica smiles full heartedly at the woman.

“My name’s Maddison.”

“Hi Maddison, my name’s Veronica.”

The two went inside where they sat down for a soothing cup of chai tea. They discuss the idea the two had for raising the baby as two friends. Both enjoying one's company, until there’s a loud bang coming from upstairs.

Veronica has a cat so she thought it might have knocked something over, but the cat was asleep on Maddison’s lap.

Veronica’s hand goes for her gun right away, “Maddison, stay here. If I shoot, run.”

Maddison freaks out, “No please don’t leave me.”

“Ok, follow me.” They walk up the stairs quietly, Veronica presses a finger to her lips. She sees a shadow move across the wall. “Run.”

They race down the stairs out the door and to the neighbors house. Pleading for them to call the police.

Once the police arrived there was no one in the house. Just a revolver, loaded. Veronica’s husband's finger prints on the handle.

A week and half pass of Veronica and Maddison staying at a hotel. Maddison is getting closer to her due date. A two and a half months left, but her water breaks, leading Veronica to rush her to the hospital. The doctors have to sew her cervix shut. Maddison has to stay in the hospital until the baby is able to survive outside of the womb.

Veronica goes to her house to change and on her way out, she notices a note taped to her front door.

“Crap.” Roni says as she books it for her car. What she failed to notice was her current partner Coleen waiting for her by the car.

“Veronica. I need you to let us help you with this case.” Coleen says.

“Not now Coleen. My friend is in the hospital.” Veronica replies, getting in the car.

“That wasn’t a request.” Coleen adds.

“Coleen no, I’m doing the case alone.”

Coleen looks irritated but forces a smile, “Let me know if you need anything.” She walks off to her car.

Veronica’s phone rings. It’s the unknown number.

"Lose the woman she's burying evidence."

“When do I get to know who you are? And why are you helping me?”

"Time will tell, and I'm helping because David helped me."

“How do I know I can trust you?”

"Well you can't, but I'm just here to do the right thing."

“True. Can I at least have a hint of who you are?”

"A friend that worked a major case with you. Three years ago."

“Ok, that helps a bunch. I only had four major cases three years ago.”

The line goes dead. Well that helped her a lot sarcastically speaking. Veronica tries to think of many ways to lose the woman she thought was a colleague. Her safest bet was to ditch the car.

She drives to the local shopping center and walks in. Wondering aimlessly for a few minutes before using her badge as leeway to sneak out the back. She ubers to the hospital and has Maddison sign herself out. A mysterious person enters the room.

“Hello, Veronica.” He says, "I assume you got my note, today."

As she turns she sees him “Chadwick. Good to see you again. How do you know all this about David?”

“Who’s this?” Maddison asks.

“My brother…Our way out.” Veronica says.

“I work for the FBI. The CIA has a hit out on Veronica because she locked up the drug lord. The CIA has an inner circle working a drug ring. Of course, overlooked by the head of the CIA.” Chadwick says.

“Still doesn’t explain the note signed J.” Veronica says.

“David was planning to fake his death to go undercover. But the boss had other plans. And if you didn’t know the CIA and the FBI don’t always get along. There’s a feud between the two branches. Hence why I signed J. No one goes by J in the office.” Chadwick says.

“How will we know where we’re safe?” Maddison asks.

“Well, I’m taking you two out of state. I already have new documents for you guys waiting at the house. I’ll be staying with you guys for as long as I can.” He says.

“This is dangerous and crazy, what happens if they find us?” Maddison asks.

“They won’t. Give me your phones. I'm putting them in a bank lockbox. I’ll activate new phones for you guys once we’re in town.”

The three of them head to the car, but right as they are about to hop in, Chadwick is shot. Veronica loses it at the sight of her brother’s lifeless body hitting the floor.

“Roni, we have to go! I called the police anonymously. We have to go if we want to get outta town alive.” Maddison cries.

“I'm sorry Chaddie…” Veronica whispers tears running down her face.

They take his car and leave town.

Secret identities. Poor Victoria, never thought this would happen to her. Maddison stays at the cabin whenever Veronica leaves.

It's been five days and there was a home birth for the child. Chadwick’s husband helps as much as he can, staying up all hours of the day to keep lookout for anyone that can threaten their saftey or investigation.

“Peter, you don't have to be out here all night. Let me take a shift.” Veronica says, going outside with a couple cups of coffee.

“No, it’s fine. Chadwick told me that he might die during this case. He- He wanted you to have the RV. I’ll drive you to where I parked it last week. Out of state.” Peter says.

“Peter, it's not safe for you.”

“ It’s not safe for you out there either.”

“I can handle my own.”

“You have two others to worry about now. One of them being a child. A child who's not even a week old. Not to mention the fact that it was a home birth. Maddison could have died.”

“Peter…I want you to be safe. I can’t lose any more family.”

“Well, I can’t lose you either, Roni.” Peter says.

Peter’s eyes start to water, “Chadwick was my husband, you’re still family.”

Gunshots ring out in the distance. The warning from the neighbors for they have been discovered.

"We have to go, now." Peter says.

They run in and grab the bags, baby, and help Maddison to the car. But they are to late, they have been discovered,