I'm Afraid I Won't Be Able to Leave

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: You Are Free

”This is taking too long.”

Leah Sinclair was getting antsy, but Asher Keating gently held her in place, carefully drying her hair. Her cold had only just cleared up; she’d get sick again if she went outside with wet hair.

When her hair was finally almost dry, Leah Sinclair suddenly froze. ”Asher, I’ve been in here with you for so long. What about the people outside...”

After Asher Keating arrived, he had restructured the president’s office. Besides Sean Yates and Edward Yates, no one knew about their relationship.

Asher Keating knew what she was worried about. He squeezed her chin reassuringly. ”It’s fine. Edward Yates knows what to say.”

Hearing him say that, Leah Sinclair stopped worrying. ’If Asher says it’s fine, then it must be fine.’

When the two arrived at the police station, an officer asked, ”What took you so long?”

Leah Sinclair answered, a little embarrassed, ”The gasoline... was a bit hard to wash out.”

”Ah, that makes sense. Still, you’re lucky the guy isn’t very bright. If he’d used a lighter or sulfuric acid today, you would have been in serious trouble.”

The officer glanced at Leah Sinclair. Such a beautiful girl, tsk. It would have been a real shame if she’d been disfigured.

Leah Sinclair glanced at Asher Keating, then back at the officer, asking, completely baffled, ”Not very bright? What do you mean?”

The officer pointed to his own head and said, ”This here. It doesn’t work too well. He only seems to recognize his dad—Winston Lawson, the one you all sent to prison. We just questioned him for a long time, and all he could do was repeat a few jumbled sentences.”

Leah Sinclair frowned slightly. ’If his brain doesn’t work well, does that mean he’s mentally ill? I remember the law makes it difficult to convict people like that.’

”Alright, go ahead and give your statements for now.”

The officer assigned two people to take Leah Sinclair and Asher Keating’s statements separately, while Sean Yates waited outside. With eyewitnesses and the surveillance footage they had pulled, the evidence in this case was solid, so it would be processed quickly.

Lynn Lawson still needed to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he was faking it or was genuinely mentally impaired. This would affect certain aspects of his sentencing.

As they were leaving the police station, Leah Sinclair saw Winston Lawson’s wife. She was standing dazedly by the entrance; who knew for how long. After a moment’s hesitation, Leah walked over.

”Mrs. Lawson.”

Winston Lawson’s wife looked at her with a blank expression, and it seemed to take a moment for her to realize Leah was talking to her.

”Hello.”

She greeted her in a low voice, then bowed to Leah. ”I’m so sorry. I know this had nothing to do with you. I tried to stop Lynn, but I couldn’t.”

”Please, don’t do that.”

Leah Sinclair quickly helped her up. ”This whole thing... forget it. It’s over, and I’m fine.”

”No! It’s my fault for not raising him right. That’s why he turned out just like his father! His dad deserved to go to prison—he’s an animal! But Lynn...” Mrs. Lawson started crying, her body trembling.

Her crying made Leah Sinclair uncomfortable, but she didn’t know how to comfort her. Winston Lawson was in his forties, so his wife should have been about the same age.

But the woman before her had a head half-full of white hair and a face covered in wrinkles. You could have said she was in her fifties and it would’ve been believable. ’To be married to a man like that, with a son like this...’ Leah felt a pang of sorrow for her.

Asher Keating walked over. Seeing him, Mrs. Lawson grew fearful and stammered, shrinking back, ”President Keating.”

He glanced at Mrs. Lawson and said coolly, ”Yes. We’re waiting for the results of Lynn Lawson’s evaluation.”

”I know, I know. I’m sorry, President Keating, for causing you trouble.”

”You should be thankful nothing serious happened this time. Otherwise... never mind. You’re free now. Take care of yourself from now on.”

After saying this, Asher Keating took Leah Sinclair’s hand and walked away.

”Thank you, President Keating.”

Leah Sinclair heard her say this from behind, but when she turned back to look, Mrs. Lawson had already turned and was walking in the opposite direction.

After getting into the car, Leah Sinclair asked urgently, ”Asher, what did you mean by that just now?”

Asher Keating looked at her, considering how to explain it, but Leah spoke first. ”Was Winston Lawson’s wife also involved in what happened today?”

Asher Keating was a little surprised. ”Tell me what you think.”

”I thought it was strange from the beginning. When Lynn Lawson held me hostage, his mother looked very anxious, but her crying... it just felt... fake.”

Leah Sinclair frowned, trying to recall the scene. It had been chaotic, but she remembered Mrs. Lawson was just wailing dramatically off to the side, not making any other moves. That feeling was different from how a mother who was genuinely worried about her son becoming a murderer would act.

During her sophomore year of high school, Leah Sinclair had gotten into a fight with Jack Sinclair and his friends. She had really lost it that time.

Just as she picked up a brick from the ground and was about to bring it down, it was Grandma Sinclair who had rushed forward recklessly, desperately clinging to her leg, kneeling on the ground and crying, begging her to put the brick down. If something happened to Leah, what would her grandmother do?

So, because Leah Sinclair had experienced a situation like that before, she was able to notice the strangeness of it in hindsight.

Asher Keating’s lips curved into a smile. ”You’re quite observant.”

”I... I’ve been through something similar before. But that’s not important. The important thing is...”

”Been through what?” The smile that had just formed on Asher Keating’s lips vanished.

”...I got into a fight with my cousin once. I almost smashed his head in with a brick, and my grandma begged me to stop. I remember her reaction was very different from Lynn Lawson’s mother’s reaction today,” Leah Sinclair answered, feeling a bit guilty.

Asher Keating stared at her, and his gaze made Leah Sinclair feel awkward. ”I was young then, and more impulsive. I couldn’t control my emotions. I’m not like that anymore. Look, I’ve had several run-ins with Morgan Sterling, and I haven’t laid a hand on him.”

Asher Keating clicked his tongue and pulled her into his arms. ”There’s nothing to be scared of. I’m here. Next time you want to hit someone, just do it.”

He finally understood why Leah Sinclair had asked him what would happen if she couldn’t control herself and hit Morgan Sterling that time he had invited them to the Zenith Club. He had thought she was joking, but now he realized that was her true temperament, just worn down by life.

Leah Sinclair let out a chuckle. ”So, she was involved in today’s incident, wasn’t she?”

Asher Keating motioned for Edward Yates to tell her what they had found, and Edward began to speak.

”When we were investigating Winston Lawson, we found out he had married into his wife’s family. Her family was well-off. Ten years ago, his parents-in-law were killed in a car accident that he more or less orchestrated. After that, he had Lynn Lawson change his surname back to his. And Lynn... he had an illness when he was younger, and his mind isn’t all there. Winston Lawson would frequently take him to see prostitutes to... take care of his... biological needs.”

”As for his wife... we’re still looking into it. Her family owns a small gas station, so getting gasoline would be easy. We just don’t know if she prepared it on purpose or if Lynn Lawson took it himself. But either way, if Lynn is ultimately diagnosed as mentally ill, she can have him committed to a psychiatric hospital without any questions asked.”

”So, that’s why you told her she was free, Asher?”

”Mhm. Are you mad at me? For not telling the police.”