Lured into Lies by Melanie Martins

Chapter 41

Manhattan, February 8, 2021

Petra Van Gatt

As we step onto the floor which holds the State Attorney General’s office, Eric takes us to a meeting room so that we can get the rest of the paperwork filled out and continue with our conversation. I find it ironic that his office is located in the financial district, on Liberty Street, which is not too far from where Gatt-Dieren is.

His assistant brings us some water while we all take a seat around the table. I sit between Matt and Carice, while Eric goes to his office before coming back with a few files and his laptop. Then he pulls a chair and sits in front of us.

A short silence ensues as Eric takes a deep breath before starting. “Your mom was an incredible woman.” I wasn’t expecting such a personal comment coming from him, but I appreciate his words. “I know you didn’t have the best relationship with her, but she truly cared for you.”

“Thank you,” I say just above a whisper.

Eric then opens his laptop and turns it to me. “Your mom sent me this video a few days before your wedding. She asked me to show it to you if something ever happened to her.”

My brows raise up in surprise at his statement, and I take my AirPods out and connect them to his laptop.

“Do you want us to leave so that you can watch it alone?” Matthew asks me, and his voice is so caring that it makes me smile.

“No, it’s okay.” I’m pretty sure I can handle watching a video of my mom without breaking out in tears. Or at least, I hope so.

With the screen positioned in front of me and my AirPods connected, I press play, and the video starts.

I watch Mom with her short blonde hair perfectly styled seated in front of the camera of her laptop, adjusting her blazer. “Petra, my little angel…” Her words trail off as she tries to remain calm in front of the camera. I can already see her eyes watering, and her expression deepening. She looks upwards, letting out a sigh filled with frustration. “Well, that’s harder than I thought.” Then she swallows, her gaze now dropping. Damn… I can hear my heart pulsing loud and hard inside my chest as I anxiously wait for her to speak. “If you ever see this video…” She finally looks at the camera, and I can see the tears resting on her eyelids, “it means I’m no longer alive.” How did she know that? How? “Eric most likely told you, which is why you are seeing this video today.” The accuracy of her words, the accuracy of everything she’s telling me… “Petra, never blame yourself for this. Alright, baby? Never,” she insists. “Eric has the key to my private vault; in there, you’ll find my will and all the evidence you need surrounding my death. I’m leaving my entire savings for you, and the house in the Netherlands, along with my shares of my nonprofit. It’s not much compared to your dad’s inheritance, but with my life insurance, you should also get something.” I close my eyes to rub my tired eyelids. I don’t think I have yet realized that this is real. This is Mom getting ready for her death. She knew it would happen. She fucking knew it. “After knowing about his past, I hoped you’d understand how twisted the man you are about to marry is, but alas, I was wrong. So I’m left with nothing but the truth to bring to the spotlight. If something ever happens to me, it’s because he or his family killed me. I know my time will come soon. Most likely after you get married, but who really knows for sure…” Mom sniffles, but some tears course down her cheek, and my heart is swelling seeing her like this. “As long as my memory remains alive in you, my body can go.” I shut my eyes tight again, because it hurts, it fucking hurts me to the core. “If I may ask, bury me near you, and, um, if you ever have a daughter, please tell her about me. Tell her who I was and why I died.” I give a sniffle, and I wish I could give her a hug and tell her that despite all our problems, I always hoped we would turn the page and move on. Mom takes a deep breath, staring away for a moment. “Well, I have to go. I’m sure one day you’ll understand why I fought the way I did for you.” She kisses her fingertips and blows the invisible kiss in my direction, and the video ends.

“Can I have a copy of this?” I ask Eric.

“Of course,” he says, already taking his laptop to share it via AirDrop. Once I receive the copy on my phone, a small smile escapes me because this is the only video Mom ever made talking directly to me, and I will always keep it with me.

Then Eric takes his laptop and goes back to his chair. “Petra, as you may know, my office has already opened an investigation regarding the death of your mom. We already have a few suspects and some very strong evidence of who is behind that.” He pauses for a beat, observing me with some pity in his gaze. “You probably recognize this…” he slides a file to my side, and as I open it, I find the same police report Mom showed me when I went to see her, which means Eric knows everything. He knows Alex and Dad are behind Janette’s death, and if my mom didn’t manage to tell Jan the truth, then I’m pretty sure Eric won’t waste time doing so.

There are no words to express what I feel. No words to explain how blank my mind is. I notice my breath has stopped for a few seconds as I remain blinking at the report with parted lips. A gush of air finally rolls out of my throat, and then there are tears leaving my eyes and streaming down my cheeks. I sniffle in a failed attempt to prevent them to fall, but the pain I feel is too great. “Nothing will ever happen to your mother,” I remember Alex saying. “I promise you.”

Matt puts his hand on my back, rubbing it to give me so strength. After I calm myself down, I take a few breaths and ask, “Do you have any evidence that Alex was involved in my mom’s death?”

“We have clear evidence about his involvement in her abduction, yes. So it’s not hard to make the link between her escape and her death.” Eric takes his phone and presses a button for something to play.

“Hey, how are you?” My heart sinks into my gut recognizing Julia’s voice. It’s a call they taped from Alex’s phone.

“Hi Julia, look, I just spoke to Petra, and it seems like Carice, Tess’s attorney, just reached out to her.” My jaw drops hearing Alex’s voice. Fucking asshole! He knew since the beginning Mom was abducted! He fucking knew it! “I’m not sure what they talked about, but Petra is having some suspicions, so be careful.” My breathing grows dramatically dense, my chest rising and falling at an amplitude that is borderline heart attack inducing. I can’t believe he lied again. Fuck…

“Should I ask Tess to talk to Petra?” Julia asks.

“No, she could tell her the truth even if it’s the last words she says. We can’t risk it.”

The last words she says? Oh my gosh… I cover my mouth as I try to silence my heart, but the betrayal is so great that it takes everything in me to hide my pain.

“You’re right. I will ask her to do a voice message to Carice to appease her, then.”

“That would be great, yeah. Be careful with the GPS tracking. Make sure your agents take care of it.”

“I know. Well, talk later.”

“And this is just the first conversation we intercepted,” Eric tells me. “To put it bluntly, your in-laws and your husband are done.”

Rage. I think the boiling blood in my veins comes from rage. Rage because I married a man who made a promise that he never intended to follow. Rage because I disregarded the only person who told me the truth, and rage because I let myself get lured into his fucking lies.“How did Mom manage to escape?” I ask.

“That’s classified information,” Eric replies, leaving me even more shocked than before. “We can’t say how without making sure you are cooperating with us.”

“I can’t cooperate,” I tell them. “Despite her death being a tragedy, I can’t help you out.”

“You can’t?” Carice snickers at my answer, looking away with disdain in her eyes. “After everything you just found out about Alex and your in-laws, you are still on their side? How blind can you be?” Carice shakes her head, her eyes looking away for a moment. “Your mom was right; he really got you under your skin.”

“He’s my husband, Carice. I can’t go against him. Marital privilege is still a thing in this state.”

“There are exceptions to every rule,” Eric interjects. “They abducted your mom and then killed her minutes before she could meet with you to tell you the truth. If you don’t help us, then you’ll become a suspect with motive.”

What! “Me? I did nothing,” I retort immediately. “I just want to stay out of it!”

“I’m afraid you don’t really have a choice here,” he replies, his tone cold and contained.

My heart takes a reel at his words. “What do you mean?”

“You are either with us or against us,” Carice interposes.

But Eric takes over with a more composed posture as he says, “If you don’t cooperate, you’ll be considered a suspect, and we will have to arrest you.”

“This is a joke, right?”

But Eric doesn’t seem to be joking, no, and he remains steadily looking at me. “You had just as much motive to kill your mom as your in-laws and your husband.” I can’t believe it! So that’s why they brought me here? To consider me as a suspect if I don’t cooperate? “You knew Tess was a threat because of what she knew, who knows if Alex didn’t get your consent before going ahead and killing her.”

“That’s a lie!” I tell them. “I have absolutely nothing to do with this.”

“Except she died here in New York and no one else knew she was here but you,” Eric points out.

I keep looking at them in total disbelief at their little insinuation. “A lot of people knew; Carice knew, you and Matthew too.”

Carice steps in. “Yes, but we don’t have any motive to kill her… unlike you.”

The fact that I’m being suspected to have killed my own mom is beyond offensive! I feel tempted to leave the meeting, but it’ll only get worse if I do so.

Matt lowers his voice and says, “Petra, if you don’t cooperate with us, then you will be considered a suspect like your husband and his family.” His eyes hold genuine concern as he keeps observing me. “It’s a very serious homicide, and being an accomplice can get you fifteen years.”

Fifteen years? This is a nightmare. I don’t want to go to jail, that’s the last thing I want. Fuck… What am I supposed to do? “What does it mean if I cooperate?” I ask Eric.

“It means you will be removed from the list of our suspects and granted immunity. But in exchange, you will need to be a witness and help us in our investigation against those who might have killed her.”

“So you’re basically telling me to go against my husband and his family?” Of course that’s what they want, and despite being furious at Alex, I can’t go against him. “It’s impossible, I can’t do it.”

“What is right is never impossible,” Carice says.

“Petra, this is your ticket out of this mess. Think wisely which side you want to be on,” Matt warns me. “If they find anything that can make you an accomplice, you can get fifteen years easily. Is that what you want for your future? Fifteen years behind bars?”

Why on earth is he trying to scare me like that?

“I have to talk to Alex…”

“This deal is confidential,” Eric points out. “He can’t know you will be cooperating with us. That’s the essential part of the plan.”

“But that’s betrayal!” I chide.

“That’s what he did to you, no?” Matt replies, his tone quite aggrieved. “He abducted your mom behind your back and lied to you about it. Don’t you care about that?” he asks. “Or are you an accomplice?”

“I’m not an accomplice to anything,” I snap. Despite hating the tone Matt is speaking with, I have to admit he’s right; Alex betrayed my trust and broke the promises he made to me. Yet, I remain on the fence whether or not to accept this deal. Especially because it feels like they are trying to coerce me to get me on their side, so I look at them and say, “I need to talk to my lawyer.”

* * *

Fortunately, Anna Griffith, Emma’s lawyer, who happens to also now be mine, didn’t take long to cancel her plans and be on her way to see me. Once she arrives, she first holds a private meeting with Eric, Matthew, and Carice in Eric’s office, while I wait patiently in the meeting room for her to come back.

After over an hour waiting, my attorney finally walks in so that I can have a face-to-face with her.

Anna sits in front of me and takes from her briefcase a pen, a notebook, and her phone, which she places on the table in between us. “This talk is going to be recorded so that I can work on your defense,” she tells me. “Rest assured, that’s only for me.” She then opens her notebook and takes her pen. “I’m gonna ask you a few questions and please be very honest with me because this is not a case to take lightly.”

I nod, my stomach in a total knot. I’ve never seen her so serious and worried before.

“Did you know that your husband was behind Janette’s death?” Jeez! I can’t believe that’s the type of questions I’m gonna have to answer.

Since I know she’s here to help, I answer as honestly as I can, without putting Alex in trouble. “Yes, Mom told me about it when I went to see her in Rotterdam.”

“Did she also tell you that your husband threatened her after reporting him to the police twenty years ago?”

“Yes, she told me that.”

Anna looks down to her notes and then proceeds. “The first voice message you received from your mom was on the fifth of December on your wedding day, correct?”

“Yes.”

“You called her back, but her line wasn’t going through, so you also left her a voice message, is that right?”

“Right. And in it, I asked her to call me back.”

“Did she call you back?” Anna asks, most likely already knowing the answer.

“No, she didn’t.”

She reads a few more lines on her notebook and says, “On Christmas Eve, you tried to reach her again, and since you didn’t manage to, you left another voice message right before Carice called you. Is this correct?”

“Um, yes, I tried to call Mom many times between my wedding day and Christmas, but her line never worked.”

“What did Carice tell you when she reached out to you?”

“She told me she hadn’t spoken to Mom for about twenty days and that the police were looking for her since she was now considered missing,” I explain, trying to remember as much as possible. “She then also asked me to speak to my husband and ask him if he knew something.”

“Did you speak to him?”

“Yes, and he told me he wasn’t involved.”

“Carice calls you again on the thirty-first of December to give you an update, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you go on with your life, until yesterday when your mom calls you and wants to meet you at your dad’s residence in Park Avenue, today at one p.m.?”

“Yes.”

“You wait for her there, but only Carice, Matthew and Eric show up, letting you know that she died.”

“Correct.”

“Alright…” she closes the notebook, stops her phone from recording, and ponders for a few moments everything I had just told her. “This is now off record,” she informs before she leans in and asks, “May I ask you why you don’t want to take this deal?”

“Because it means I have to cooperate with Eric and betray my husband,” I tell her, despite knowing she might not like my answer. “It seems quite obvious to me.”

“I understand that, but if you reject his deal, you will be arrested and charges will be pressed against the both of you for homicide. You knew your mom had escaped and was on her way to New York, even Matthew texted you letting you know she was on her way to her hotel.” She sounds genuinely concerned as she continues, “This isn’t a good sign at all.”

I heave a long sigh because I know Eric can be a son of a bitch and I know nothing will stop him if he wants to destroy me. If I reject his deal, I’m sure he will go against me with the same hate and conviction as when he went against my husband.

“If you don’t want to take the deal, let me know and we’ll discuss your defense after the arrest.” She pauses, taking a deep breath. “But as your attorney, I’d suggest you to side with your late mother, and protect yourself from prosecution.” What the hell? I can’t believe she is also siding with them! “Your husband has got a great lawyer to defend himself, and I’m sure he’d prefer for you to take this deal than risk jail time for being considered an accomplice.”

I rest my head between my hands in total despair and confusion. Fuck…

“Petra?” Her voice is smoother and more carrying than before. “I know it’s hard, but it’s a deal that protects you. We can negotiate your cooperation with them, but having an immunity in this case is important.”

“But even if I cooperate, can I legally testify against my husband?” I ask. “Don’t we have marital privilege or something?”

“Yes, but there are several exceptions to this privilege, it’s not entirely bullet-proof,” Anna tells me. “For instance, under our state law, marital privilege protects only communications that happened during the marriage. Meaning you can be compelled by the court to answer questions about communications that happened before getting married. Plus, the privilege can be lost under the ‘crime/fraud’ exception, where both spouses planned or committed a crime in collaboration with one another, which is why Eric is offering you this deal at all.”

I shake my head, totally lost at what I should do. What kind of monster did I marry? The disappointment I feel for him is unbearable. Because of his lies and broken promises, he’s now risking the future of our family and forcing me to do things I don’t want to do.

“I—I need to get some fresh air…”

* * *

Across the road, I find a small park with some greenery and trees where I can disconnect from a reality I can barely cope with. I sit on a bench, taking a few deep breaths in and out. Then I close my eyes for a moment, trying to tame my unsteady heart. Yet, all I can think of is the deal Eric offered me: immunity from all this nightmare as soon as I cooperate with the justice department to bring my husband and his family down.

“Your attorney told me I’d find you here.” I jolt back into reality as my attention goes to my right and I see Matt, casually walking in my direction. “May I?” He points at the available space beside me on the bench.

“Yeah, sure.”

As he sits beside me, I give him a quick smile before I look again in the void, busy ruminating.

After a few minutes of silence, though, I hear him sighing and saying, “I know it’s a hard decision for you, but…”

“I’m pregnant,” I announce, looking down at my lap. I don’t know why I told him that, but I needed to get it off of my chest and share the news with someone. “Having a baby while the father is in jail is not really what I hoped for when I married him.”

Matt keeps staring at me, his expression revealing nothing. “Does he already know?”

“Not yet, I just did the test yesterday,” I say, feeling a mix of shame and regret to have ended up in this situation. “I want to check with a doctor first to make sure there’s a heartbeat.” I pause to take a breath, inhaling deeply. “I hope this time it will go alright.”

“This time?” Matt repeats, his eyes narrowing on me in confusion. “You were already pregnant before?”

“Yeah, last year, when I had the accident,” I tell him.

“Fuck,” he blurts out. “How many weeks were you?”

“Thirteen.” I smile at him, trying to light up the mood a bit.

But Matt remains just as perturbed. “I’m so sorry, I, um, I didn’t know about your loss.”

“It’s okay,” I say straight away. “I didn’t tell you either.”

“May I ask you something?” I nod, curious to know his next question. “Why do you exclude me so much from your life?” My eyes widen in surprise; that’s definitely not a question I was expecting. My lips part, not knowing what to say or do. “Like there are so many things you keep to yourself and never let anyone see.”

Well, maybe because you were against my relationship just like Mom was?Yet, as I look at where my relationship with Alex led me, I can only come to the conclusion they were both right from the beginning. “I know, Dad says I’m a closed shell.”

“You don’t have to be like that with me.” He pauses, his hazel eyes still pinned on me. “I know you’re going through a lot, but if you need anything, I’m here.”

“I just…” My eyes drift down as I search for the best words to put on. “I feel so betrayed.” As I look at him, Matt remains mute, but I see no judgment in his gaze, only empathy and willingness to help. “A few days before our marriage, I asked him to promise me to leave my mom in peace; No more lies. No more secrets. No more deaths,” I tell him. “I forgave him for so many lies, so much shit, but this…” I shake my head, my heart feeling empty. Just like his empty promises. “I knew his past would catch him sooner or later. And now, with all the evidence against him…” I exhale loudly, my anxiety spiking. “I’m so scared he’ll go to jail. And worst of all, your dad wants my help.”

“I know you are conflicted between helping us or not, but… Petra?” I look at him in the eye as he says, “You married a criminal—a man who killed the daughter of his close friend, and instead of telling him the truth and face the consequences for his actions, simply buried the body and moved on.” The reality check hurts more than I would like to admit. “And now he just killed again, most likely thinking we weren’t tapping his phone and that he could get away with it. He’s a fucking criminal.”

“I’m insane to love him, I know…” I heave a sigh, perfectly aware that I forgave that man—that criminal, as Matthew said—way too many times. “I’m ashamed at myself, believe me…” I cut eye contact, staring away for a moment. “I used to have standards and morals, but I forgave him so much more than I’d ever forgive myself for.”

“I think your mom deserves justice,” Matthew tells me. “Regardless if you liked her or not, I think she had legit reasons to be concerned about you, and, at the end of the day, she paid the ultimate price.”

“I know… I’m all for a proper investigation and trial.” I remain pondering my attorney’s advice. As she told me, I can always negotiate the terms of my cooperation with Eric and his team, but at least I won’t be considered a suspect. “If Alex goes to jail, do you know the minimum he can get?” I ask, my heart tightening at the word jail. Just the simple thought of it leaves a terrible taste in my mouth.

“I’d say between fifteen and twenty-five years.”

“Wow…” That means he wouldn’t even see his child growing? Jeez… How unfair life can be.

Today must be the worst day of my life; not only did I find out my mom died at the hands of the man I married, but he might spend fifteen years in jail while I end up raising our child alone. What kind of marriage is this?

“Do you know how many weeks along you are currently?”

My eyes widen at his unexpected question, pulling me back from my thoughts. “Um, I don’t know yet, but I’d say around ten weeks since I didn’t get my period for the past two months.”

“Can I go with you to the doctor?”

“Matt!” I snap, thinking he’s joking or something.

“What? I’m serious. If you want, I can go with you and give you some support.”

I can’t help but chuckle at his reply. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I know, but I want to.”

Shaking my head at his offer, I say, “It’s not you who is supposed to go with me.” Except that we both know if Alex is sentenced to jail, he won’t be able to go. And that is the most terrifying reality ever. I just hope it won’t happen.

“All I’m saying is that if you need anything, I’m here.” His caring attitude brings a smile to my lips, and my stomach flips slightly. It feels good having a friend like him by my side, especially without a criminal past. “I can find the best books about pregnancy and schedule you to see the best obstetrician in the city.” Matt seems even more enthusiastic about the pregnancy than I am.

“Thank you for everything,” I tell him, before opening my arms to give him a hug as my emotions clog my throat. I rest my head against his and, reveling in his warmth, I say, “I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like you.”

I truly do not. Matt can be an ass when it comes to philosophy, but apart from that, he has always cared for me—much more than I cared for myself.

His hands keep rubbing my back, giving me some much-needed comfort and strength. “It’s gonna be alright.”

* * *

We find ourselves reunited in the meeting room where Anna will negotiate my immunity and the terms of my cooperation. To my surprise, I notice there’s a camera mounted on a tripod standing behind Eric. Are they recording the meeting?

“It’s not recording,” Eric answers, and I wonder if I asked my question out loud. I also wonder why it’s sitting there if it’s not actually recording anything.

Once we are all seated, Anna finally gets started. “My client agrees to cooperate in the case, but the terms and limits of her cooperation must be clearly stated and defined, so that there is no confusion.”

“There are only two things we want from you, Petra,” Eric states, counting on his hand. “One—that you agree to be one of our witnesses. And two—that you record as many conversations as possible between you and our suspects so that we can get a confession on tape.” Fuck… I can’t believe he is asking me to do that. “Needless to say, this deal is totally confidential. No suspect can be aware of it.”

“What if Alex finds out?” I ask him. “My husband is not stupid, he’ll most likely figure out that I’m helping you out. Are you gonna cut me out of the deal if that happens?”

“If you cooperate, we won’t make a fuss about it, no.” I notice how Anna is taking notes of what he just said, which slightly puts me at ease. “But obviously, if he finds out because you told him to help him out, we might have a problem.” My eyes drift down as I remain pondering his words. “Look, I’m a flexible guy; you help us, we help you.” Eric leans back on his chair and then adds, “We just want to bring justice to your mom. She deserves it.”

I cannot disagree with his statement; Mom put her life at risk for me, and because of that, she lost it.

“So, to recap: Petra will be a witness and answer your questions during the trial, and she will also provide taped conversations that can help to advance the case?” Anna asks, reading from her notes.

“That’s it,” Eric answers back.

Anna turns to me and, lowering her voice, she asks, “What do you think?”

While being a witness doesn’t bother me, I can’t say the same about recording private conversations between Alex and I without his consent. Jeez! After everything he has done to me, why do I still care so much about him? I’m in this position right now because of him and his lies. He doesn’t deserve my sympathy, loyalty, or help!

“And, um, is taping a private conversation even legal without consent?” I ask, although I’m in a meeting with the State Attorney General himself.

“Yes,” Anna answers me. “Since New York’s wiretapping law is a “one-party consent” which means that only the one who is recording needs to consent to it, but the taped conversation must take place in New York.”

Without much will to speak, I just nod at them.

Then Eric opens the file that lies in front of him and takes from there what seems to be a contract. “It’s a Statement of Cooperation,” he explains to us, before giving it to my attorney. “Petra needs to read it out loud in front of the camera and then sign it.”

My jaw drops at his request. “What?”

“We need to have a recorded declaration from you,” he says like it’s no big deal. “You just have to stand up, look at the camera, and read the statement out loud.” Well, now I know why they placed a camera there.

After scrutinizing the document attentively, Anna passes it to me, and I also read it first silently in my head. Wow. Having our deal written in black and white tenses my entire body, but I make a conscious effort to shelve my emotions and feelings as I read sentence by sentence. After Eric turns the camera on, I stand up, the document in my hands, and, despite the hammering in my chest, read the statement out loud. “I, Petra Van Gatt, agree to cooperate with the office of the State Attorney General and the Department of Justice in the prosecution of Alexander Van Dieren for the alleged homicide of my mother, Tess Hagen.” All the air has left my lungs as I say those words. I pause for a beat, hoping somehow I will wake up from this nightmare, but alas, I’m still here in the meeting room, standing in front of the camera. So I take another breath and proceed. “In exchange for immunity, I accept that I will be a witness in the upcoming trial and provide taped conversations that can help the case. I shall only assist the prosecution and not the defense and keep my cooperation totally confidential.” This looks more like a confirmation that I will be a mole under the guise of a wife. But ultimately, Alex betrayed me first, and I can’t forget that. I told him many times to never take me for granted and to stop keeping secrets from me. Yet, my husband never listened, thinking he could get away with it by constantly lying to me. And this, right here, is just a consequence of his lies. “If you become too forgiving, even the most honest man might feel tempted to take advantage of that,” I remember Julia saying at the Christmas Eve party. I just didn’t realize at the time that it wasn’t a warning, but a revelation.