Chapter 16: Chapter Epilogue

Leona hugged Elena after she untied her and the kids.

‘’Elena, you saved us. If not for you, we would have been dead.’’ She sobbed.

‘’Did you say anything to Ma- Kyle?’’

Leona shook her head. ‘’No, I would never, but he came home upset. We had an argument, and he turned the stove on because he said I can’t be trusted. Thankfully, someone heard us fighting and came over.’’

Leona wiped her eyes. ‘’Malik lied and said that our child was having a reaction and we didn’t know what to do, he lured the woman in and killed her. As soon as we left the house, there was an explosion and my home…’’

Elena took Leona by the shoulders. ‘’We need to get out of here.’’

She nodded and held her boys tight as they hurried outside.

‘’We need to call the cops,’’ Leona said.

‘’I did that before coming here, I even gave them the location to this place.’’

‘’How did you know where we were?’’

‘’Well, I might have had a tracker on your cars and phone.’’

Leona laughed and shook her head. ‘’It’s a good thing then.’’

The police finally came.

“Took you long enough,” Elena said angrily.

‘’They are in there.’’ She pointed at the building.

A few officers hurried inside with their guns out, but a male and female stuck around to take their statements.

“Sorry about that Mrs. Franco… and Mrs. Franco,” the female officer said.

“It’s Elena Perry. I never took on his name and I’m glad I didn’t either.”

‘’And just call me Leona, Mrs. Franco is all played out now.’’ She then sighed. ’’Too bad I can’t erase what they just experience like I can with their last names.

“Your husband had quite a few connections at a lot of stations, they were trying to hide the messages you sent. And all the reports you made.” The female office said after.

‘’I figured that as much. When they all told me to just leave it alone and that nothing could be done, I knew he must have had a few friends helping him.’’

Elena and Leona had finally laid their real, ‘husband’ to rest.

Elena felt like she got the disclosure she wanted, even though it was on an occasion she never expected, she was happy Kyle, and his scheming ways were put to rest.

‘’What about his parents?’’ Leona asked.

‘’Do you want to meet them?’’

‘’No, I don’t want anything to do with those people. I’m sure they knew about all this but was protecting him, there was no way they heard you calling him Malik this entire time and thought nothing of it.’’

‘’That’s true, and it had me thinking hard. But it’s all over now, and to be honest. I don’t think I want anything to do with them either.’’

Leona sighed. ‘’I don’t care what he said. I’m glad you are a nosy reporter; I wouldn’t be alive if not for you.’’

Elena took Leona’s hand, and they walked out of the cemetery together.

‘’Did you find somewhere to live as yet?’’ Elena asked.

‘’No, turns out not a lot of people like to sell or rent to a single mother because they fear I can’t make my payments.’’

‘’Well, I have a six-bedroom house if you are interested. And I know a school that could use a teacher.’’

Leona smiled at her. ’’Moving from Georgia to Chicago is big deal, but I think me, and the boys need the change.''