Chapter 523 Testify Against Charlene McKinney The police officer thought it would be unkind to snuff out Deirdreâs hope, so he asked tactfully, âDo you
have any solid proof, Miss McKinnon?â
âProof?â
âWe canât sentence someone based on heâsaysâsheâsays. We need more witnesses and evidence.â
âDonât I count as an eyewitness?â
âYou do, but since youâre blind, the defendant can easily weasel her way out of this accusation. Itâs reall y hard to make a solid case if youâre the sole witness.â
A person came into Deirdreâs mindâand the color in her eyes darkened. She thinned her lips. âI⦠I know another eyewitness, but I donât know if sheâs willing to help. Regardless, Iâ
m willing to try. Can you help me summon this person? Then Iâll talk to her alone.â
Maeve OâKeefe was brought in a while later. Despite her seemingly calm expression, she was gripping the edge of her
skirt tightly as though she had predicted this outcome. The police escorted her into an interrogation roo m, where Deirdre was already waiting.
The older woman almost could not recognize the latter even as she sat across from her. Deirdreâs face
was almost fully healedâif one were to look over the scars, they would be quickly sucked in by her head- turning beauty.
Suddenly, Charleneâs malicious envy, as well as all the other schemes the woman had cooked up just t o erase Deirdreâs existence, made sense.
In truth, Maeve was happy to see Deirdre well and unharmed. Sitting across from her, she said gingerly ,â Miss McKinnon.â
Deirdre had been casting her eyes to the table placidly until she spoke. Lifting her head, she asked, âIs
your daughter safe?â
Maeve froze. A moment later, she realized Deirdre was asking about her daughterâs abduction, and her eyes watered. âYes! Oh God, sheâs safe!â
Of course, she only learned her daughter had never been in danger after a long time. How could she know that her daughter would play ball with Charlene and pretend to be in danger all to get some money?
Ashamed, Maeve added, âI didnât think⦠Youâd be concerned about her or me, Miss McKinnon. I thought⦠I thought youâd never want to see me again.â
Deirdre closed her eyes and steadied her breath. âYou didnât mean to put me in danger, did you?â
Maeve wiped tears away from her eyes. âOf course not, dear.â She chuckled, morose. âThough I guess
you donât believe me, do you?â
âYouâre wrong. I believe you.â
Maeve stared at her at a loss.
âI believe you were forced to play your role in the abduction because they left you no choice, but it does nât change the fact that you abused my trust and were an accomplice to the harm they inflicted on me.
Do you know why they abducted me?â
âThey⦠They want you to leave Mr. Brighthallâs side,â replied Maeve, but her face was pale with uncertainty.
âNo. Charleneâs motive has been murder all along.â
Every bit of color was drained from Maeveâs face.
jumped off a cliff to save myself.â Deirdre continued.
âMy survival was a miracle. It was more than likely that the water would swallow me whole. I could have very well died that day.â
Maeve covered her face. She was guiltâridden, and even her voice was cracking and trembling. âGod⦠Iâm sorry.â
Deirdre was unfazed. âYou feel sorry for me? Well, if Iâm being fair, I should have told the authorities that youâre one of the accomplices, but I didnât. Because I need your help.â
Anxiety gnawed on Maeveâs mind. âWhat?â
âI need you to testify against Charlene.â
âWhat!?â The older woman cried out. She clenched her hands so hard that her nails turned white. âMâ
Miss McKinnon, you-â
Deirdre cut her off.
âDonât disappoint me any further, Mrs. OâKeefe. I want to see Charlene be served the comeuppance tha longer.â
She had been staring ahead at Maeve without breaking eye contact. âThis isnât a request that you can accept or reject. This is me giving you a chance to redeem yourself. This is your one chance to Maeve met Deirdreâs gaze for the first time.
She used to be too meek to stand up for herselfâholding herself in such low regard that she would suffer so much pain in silence.
But now, Deirdre had grown to become a strong, brave woman