Chapter Eight
The doctor came and checked granny. She was in the last stage of osteoporosis. Her bones had become brittle and she was anaemic, weak and dehydrated. She had not eaten a proper meal for the last three months without anyone to look after her. The doctor prescribed some medicines to improve her bone health and also medicines to improve her haemoglobin levels.
"Make her eat home cooked nourishing meals along with the medicines and she would be fit as before," said the doctor.
After he left, Jade went to buy some food items and necessities for granny. She returned and made some chicken soup and fed it to granny with bread. She gave her medicines.
"There's more soup in the kitchen, granny. If you're hungry, there's milk and cereal too," said Jade.
"I'm feeling better already. Thank you dear. You go, I will eat that if I'm hungry. I'll sleep now," she said.
"Ok, I'll come in the evening and cook dinner for you. Ok?" Said Jade and granny nodded.
Jade kissed granny and left. She wanted to tell granny that they were trying to reopen Dustin's case but decided against it. Without any substantial proof there was no surety that they could reopen the case. She went home and got ready for her extra class at college.
After college, she again went to make dinner for granny. She made her a stew and rice and fed her.
"Drink a glass of warm milk before you sleep, ok?" She instructed granny.
"Yes dear, I will, thank you. Will you switch on the TV, please?" Her granny asked.
She switched on the TV and handing out the remote control to granny, she left to go home. She looked after granny for seven months.
After seven months, she received a call from Harrison. "Ma'am, we've located the culprit at a small village in Louisiana. His name's Johnny Brownhill. Used to work as a bodyguard of a local political leader but now because of a few drunken mishaps, he's been out of job for the last one year. So he has lost his political backing now. Our men are shadowing him. The moment we get some evidence we will nab him," said Harrison.
"Good. What about the officer who duplicated the reports?" Asked Jade.
"We've found him. He has owned up and willing to help only if we don't hand him over to the higher authorities," said Mr Harrison.
"That's good news. So have you started searching?" She asked.
"Yeah, he's coordinating with sheriff Chase McGuire and they're hunting everywhere for it," said Mr Harrison. "Also your brother Jayson Meyers has taken an interest in the case. He's thinking of how to get more evidence. Now it's a matter of a few months. We will get evidence and open up the case," he said.
Jade was happy with the latest developments in the case. She was sure that with Jayson now taking an interest in it, things would speed up. It still wasn't time to inform granny. She wanted some evidence to crop up and then she would surely inform granny.
The next two months, Jade dedicatedly looked after granny and bought her medicines. She had started her internship at a boutique in the marketplace where Karen's friend Valentina worked too. It wasn't far from granny's restaurant and she was happy. Before classes in the morning she cooked for granny and in the afternoon after returning from college, she went home, freshened up, had lunch and then went to work. After her working shift, she cooked for granny, ensured that she was fine and then returned home.
When granny started feeling a lot better, she started cooking again. It was her passion and she was happy to be able to cook again. In two more weeks granny was back to her form.
"Granny let's open the restaurant again," said Jade and granny agreed. She called in one of her old employees to get the restaurant and it's kitchen cleaned.
After a week's cleaning, they could again open the restaurant. Granny was very excited and she called back her cook too.
A few customers came in curious as to why the restaurant was closed for so long. They had coffee and cakes with granny and talked to her. They demanded the workshops that Jade and granny used to conduct. So, again the workshops started like before and money poured in. Granny was very happy and so was Jade.
After a month, Mr Harrison called her to update her,"Yes, Mr Harrison, tell me what news you have to give me," said Jade.
"Ma'am the original fingerprint report has been found and the sheriff has arrested Johnny Brownhill. He's under police custody but hasn't yet accepted his crime. Your brother, Jayson Meyers has applied for a reopening of Dustin's case. As soon as the court accepts his petition, he would start pleading innocent on Dustin's behalf, " said Mr Harrison.
"Thank you Mr Harrison, that's the best news I've heard so far," said Jade with a smile on her lips.
"There's more. Your brother had also announced a cash reward for anyone who could provide us with evidence and the person's anonymity would be kept intact. So I think we will get to collect more evidence now, "said Mr Harrison.
"Yeah, I think so too. Do keep me updated Mr Harrison, " she said. He disconnected the call and Jade happily went to work. In the evening she would tell granny.
She couldn't concentrate much on her work. She started thinking about Dustin's release and how granny would react. Would Dustin be happy to see her?
Then she remembered what he said to her and all her enthusiasm to meet him went away. No, he wouldn't be happy to see her. Who was she? Just a simple girl who crushed on him? Who he was just playing with? Who thought it to be the real thing and fell for him instead?
She sighed and went to granny's house after work. She told granny everything that had been going on since that talk with Rosalie. Granny was ecstatic,"Do you think they really would release him?" She asked Jade as tears of happiness fell from her eyes. She couldn't contain her happiness. Tomorrow she'd be visiting Dustin. She would have to tell him what Jade had done for him in spite of his cruel words to her.
"Yes granny, Jayson's announced a cash prize for anyone who could provide evidence," said Jade.
"But I have no money to pay him," said granny, worried.
"You don't need to pay granny. Jayson's loaded. He'll pay. He gets so involved in his cases that he would do anything to give justice to those who need it," said Jade.
"But why would he spend so much?" Said granny.
"Because of my happiness," she said shyly and granny grinned and hugged her to her bosom.
"I might have done something very good that I now have you, sweetheart. You're a godsend to me," she said and kissed Jade's forehead.
"I love you, granny," said Jade
"I love you too, sweetheart," said granny.
A whole month went by and the restaurant was picking up. The news of the arrest of Johnny Brownhill brought more customers to the restaurant. The case reopening created quite a stir in Travis Springs and those who were against the Moore family too started changing their judgements. The bar sales picked up.
All the old employees returned. Richardson too heard about the arrest and came back from Virginia, where he was hiding with his family. Johnny Brownhill had threatened to murder his two children if he stayed at Travis Springs and opened his mouth, so he had escaped.
So, everything was going well and everyone was eagerly waiting for the court to accept Jayson's petition.
