Outer Masks - Chapter 21: Peach Loses It

The Next Day 

Rory had found it impossible to sleep last night, tossing and turning as everything her parents told her last night refused to leave her mind despite her best efforts.

She did not end up going to the housewarming after her parents left, ignoring the calls and texts she had gotten from Max before he finally gave up.

There... Candace Stone had tried to file a police report before she went missing, but there was no evidence against Joe that he tried to... that he tried to kill her, so the police didn’t make an arrest or bring him in for questioning. Rory thought as she laid on her back, staring at her ceiling.

But even without that evidence, that didn’t stop the police from making a small, forgotten note about Candace’s claim that mom and dad were able to dig up after years of looking for dirt. 

The very notion that her brother could be capable of brutally murdering a woman, his ex-girlfriend at that, and burying her body in the middle of the woods to hide his crime, made something her skin itch.

Then there’s her brother, Jimmy. According to the nurses at the psychiatric facility Candace admitted him to, he killed himself five months ago, and from the moment he learned of his sister’s disappearance to the day he died, he was adamant that Joe was behind it. But Jimmy also had a history of suicide attempts and had been admitted into the hospital in the first place because he tried to kill himself six times and for trying to attack his own mom with a knife. Can his claims really be trusted when he was so obviously mentally unwell?

She could accept Joe going out of his way to out Peach just to ruin their friendship, even though it made her want to cry, but murder was way too insane for her to believe, to want to believe.

As she thought about Peach, Rory knew that the worst thing she could do right now was keep what Walter and Amber had told her to herself and not sharing it with Peach. 

Her parents wanted to tell Peach but had acquiesced her request that she be the one who tells Peach instead. And now Rory found herself clutching her phone trying to figure out the best way to do so and struggling to find her resolve.

I mean, this shouldn’t be too hard, I just need to tell her that my brother, someone she already doesn’t like, outed her to the world because of how much he hates her and because he wanted to destroy our friendship, I’m sure she’ll take it well. Fuck, who am I kidding, Peach is going to lose her mind.

Rory rolled onto her side, groaning loudly because no matter how she phrased it, things would end badly. Anxiety twisted her stomach as she dragged her hands down her face before pushing herself upright in bed.

Most of all, Rory feared that telling Peach would fracture their friendship beyond repair, certain that Peach would not be able to look at her the same way in light of her brother’s actions. 

But she knew that stalling was not going to make this any easier and may only make Peach believe she has known the truth for far longer than she does or than she has chosen her brother over her and is seeking to protect him at her expense.

Eventually, Rory managed to gather enough courage to turn on her phone and call Peach. 

The phone rang three times before Peach answered; her voice coming through guarded and with restrained anger. “You know, I’ve been trying to give you some grace because of everything with Hailey, but at some point, it starts to feel like you're purposely avoiding me instead of just needing space, Hayden. Honestly, you couldn’t even reply to me once just to let me know you were still alive? I had to hound Max like a fucking creep just to make sure you were okay.”

Rory sighed. “I know, I’ve been an ass lately.” 

Peach exhaled sharply. “Understatement of the year.”

“And I’m really sorry for ignoring you, I shouldn’t have handled everything differently. It’s just... seeing Hailey again made feel like I was that fucking desperate, naïve girl that I was back in high school. And it doesn’t help that she keeps trying to message me on socials.” Rory explained, thinking about how Hailey had even gone as far as making fake accounts just to try and apologize, making her weary of even touching her phone ever since their interaction at the arcade. 

“She’s trying to message you?” Peach asked, her voice losing its earlier bite, becoming monotonous and cold. 

Rory winced, aware of what this particular tone meant whenever the other woman utilized it. “Y-Yeah, she is but that’s not why I called. I wanted to ask if I could come over, I need to tell you something, something really important.” 

Peach paused for a moment, hearing the change in Rory’s voice. “What’s so important that you can’t just tell-” 

“Peach, please,” Rory said softly, the word cracking in the middle. “I don’t want to do this over the phone.” 

There was a long pause on the other end before Peach loudly sighed. “You’re kind of scaring me right now.” 

“I know,” Rory said, a small smile gracing her lips. 

“Fine,” Peach said finally. “Come over.” 

Rory swallowed. “Okay.” 

“And Rory?” 

“Yeah?” 

“If you disappear on me again, I swear to God-” 

Rory interrupted Peach when she began to chuckle. “I won't, I promise, Peaches.” 

Peach huffed, and Rory knew that Peach was rolling her eyes even though she could not see her and could picture the exact way her lips would twitch when she was trying not to smile. 

“Just get over here, Hayden,” Peach said before ending the call. 

Rory gently tossed her phone, watching it land on the other side of the bed and looked up to stare at the ceiling, debating if it was too late to back out. 

This is going to fucking suck... 

~X~

Am I really going to do this? Beck thought to herself, as she stepped into Mooney’s bookstore, taking in the familiar scent of paper and cleaning products. 

To her relief, Ethan was not working at the counter, and instead standing there, going through the cash register was the man who had texted her earlier that day, asking if they could see each other. 

Joe looked up when he heard the bell over the front door ring, smiling as watched Beck enter the bookstore. 

It’s like you never left, Beck. Joe thought as he set the drawer back into the register and stepped out from behind the counter. 

“I wasn’t sure you’d come,” he said lightly. 

Beck shrugged. “Neither was I.” 

“I thought it might have been too soon after-” 

“It’s not,” Beck quickly said. “Joe, I wasn’t lying when I said that I wanted us to be friends, and friends can hang out with each other without it being weird.” 

Joe raised an eyebrow. “Even though we decided to become friends again last night?” 

“Why should that matter? Unless it bothers your girlfriend?” 

Still jealous, I see. Joe smiled faintly. “Karen’s not the jealous type.” 

“So, then what’s the problem?” Beck asked quietly. 

Joe held her gaze a second longer than necessary. “Nothing, I trust myself.” 

Beck crossed her arms lightly, scanning the shelves as an excuse to look away from him. “So, what did you want to show me?” 

Joe stepped closer. “I found something I thought you’d like.” 

He reached behind the counter and pulled out a first edition copy of one of her favorite books, handing it to her. 

Beck’s breath caught despite herself, brushing her fingers over the cover of Jane Eyre. “You remembered?” 

“I remember everything about you,” Joe said softly. 

Beck looked down at the book, her fingers tracing the edges. “You didn’t have to do that,” she murmured. 

“I wanted to,” Joe replied. 

And for a moment, the bookstore felt smaller and quieter, like it, and the rest of the city had disappeared, leaving just the two of them at this moment. 

Beck's smile grew softer. “Friends don’t usually buy each other expensive first editions copies of books.” 

“I find it hard to believe that Peach, Annika, and Lynn have never done something like this for you before now,” Joe said. “They’re your best friends.” 

Beck’s fingers tightened around the book. “They have, it’s just… it’s different with the girls.” 

For as long as she had known them, Beck had mixed feelings when it came to the wealth and success of her friends. 

She could not deny that knowing three of New York's wealthiest and most connected women had its advantages and allowed access to a world she would not have been able to reach on her own. 

But a lot of the time, Beck could not stop the resentment she felt from building within her. Peach, Annika, and Lynn never had to deal with struggling to pay their rent or felt anxiety when they bought something well out of their price range or had to worry about paying off their student loans. 

Joe looked at her expression carefully. “You deserve nice things, Beck, and you should not feel bad about accepting them, especially from people who really see you for you.” 

“And you think you see me?” Beck asked. 

“I do,” Joe said without hesitation. “I know our relationship did not end the best way, but you can't tell me that what we had wasn’t real and that I don't know the real version of you. We both understood each other better than anyone else ever could.”

Beck swallowed, her fingers tightening slightly around the book. For a second she let herself believe Joe's words, that someone understood and accepted the messy parts of herself. 

“So, I don’t see why I would be able to see every part of you.” Joe said. 

Maybe I need to dial things back a bit. Joe thought as Beck remained silent, staring at him wide eyed. 

Joe soon felt relieved when Beck let out a breathy laugh. “All of this is a little intense for a friendship, don’t you think?” 

Joe smiled and eased back a step. “Maybe I just take friendship seriously.” 

Beck rolled her eyes. “Thank you.” 

Joe watched the way she held the book, like it was something fragile and far more important than it was. 

“You don’t have to thank me,” Joe replied. “I like doing things that make you happy.” 

Beck nodded once, clutching the book to her chest. “Friends?” 

“Friends,” Joe echoed. 

The bell above the bookstore door jingled as someone stepped inside, breaking the moment. 

Beck glanced toward the sound, then back at Joe. “I should go,” she said, though neither of them moved right away. 

Joe watched her walk toward the door, although Beck did not look back at him this time. His gaze lingered on the door long after it shut, already missing her. 

Beck, everything about you is unfinished and I’m the only one patient enough to complete you. I can work with being friends with you for now, or whatever other excuse you want to make justify trying to get close to me again. I know that it will only be a matter of time before you’re mine again. 

Joe was confident that Beck would soon give into the undeniable pull between them, and everything would fall back into place. 

A part of him did think about what he would do about Karen once he and Beck were back together, but the thought quickly left his mind as he pictured how adorable Beck looked when she accepted his present. 

~X~

Across the city, Rory was stepping out of her car, looking up at Peach's townhouse with trepidation, anxiously bouncing on the heels of her feet as she tightened her fingers around the folder in her hand. 

I think I’m going to be sick. Rory thought, knowing that once she walked through Peach's door, there was no version of this that Rory could come up with where everything would stay the same. 

Rory did not have to wait long after ringing the doorbell for Peach to answer; her expression was already sharp and suspicious. 

“You answered the door pretty fast, were you standing behind it, waiting for me?” Rory jokingly asked, smiling as she tried to calm her nerves and make the other woman stop looking at her the way she was. “Damn, you must have missed me more than I thought. Don't worry, Peaches, I'm finally here to free you from your existential-” 

Rory nearly tripped over herself when Peach grabbed her by the collar, yanking her through the doorway and into the parlor. 

Why was that so hot? Rory could not stop her gaze from falling onto Peach’s lips and then the hand that was still tightly gripping her shirt. 

For a moment, the two of them stood close enough to each other to share the same breath. 

Rory’s heart pounded, and she could not tell if it was because of how anxious she felt, how close they were standing in front of each other, or the way Peach’s grip on her shirt had tightened even further. 

“Don’t,” Peach said quietly. 

“Don’t what?” Rory asked, breathless. 

“Don’t deflect, dumbass.” Peach said, finally letting go of Rory. “Especially not when you show up looking like you’re about to confess to a murder.” 

Rory had to fight the flinch that wanted to overtake her body when Peach said ‘murder’, unable to stop herself from thinking about Candace Stone.

“What is that?” Peach asked after leading Rory into the living room, pointing at the manila folder in Rory's right hand. 

Rory glanced at it, rolling her shoulders as she looked back at Peach. “I... My parents, they... they hired a private investigator and were able to figure out who leaked that picture of us at your mom’s party.” 

Peach’s eyes darkened, flickering to the folder, then back to Rory’s face. She immediately clenched her fists, surprised as after her father’s efforts to find the leaker, her expectations of ever receiving closure, dwindled with each passing day.  

“Who?” She asked. 

Rory swallowed. “Look, Peach, before I tell you I just need you to-” 

“Rory, I don’t need a fucking preamble. I need a name so just say it already.” Peach said, her patience growing thinner. 

“It was Joe.” 

The room went completely still, and Peach blinked once, the revelation sitting in her chest  

“What?” 

“My brother,” Rory forced out. “He... He broke into the security room of a building near the Chelsea Arts-” 

Peach did not let Rory finish explaining, ripping the manila folder out of Rory's hand, opening it and quickly reading its contents. 

Rory watched as Peach’s expression change as she read, her jaw tightening, her lips pressing into a thin line as the pieces clicked into place. 

She then let the folder fall onto the coffee table as a hollow laugh escaped her. 

“That psychotic, obsessive, self-righteous...” Peach’s breathing turned uneven. “I knew it, I knew there was something wrong with him.” 

Rory frowned. “Peach-” 

“Did you know about this?” Peach asked as she turned back around to face Rory, fury still evident in her gaze along with tears in the corners of her eyes. 

Peach felt a sense betrayal and humiliation at the idea of Rory possibly protecting Joe and knowing about, or even participating in his horrible actions. 

“What?” Rory’s eyes widened. “No, of course I didn’t know, I would never do something like this to you, to anyone. I only found out yesterday, and I came straight to you, I swear.” 

“And you didn’t think to call me immediately?” Peach shot back. 

“I know, but I needed to make sure it was real,” Rory said, her voice cracking. “I needed to make sure I wasn’t about to accuse my brother of something insane.” 

Peach let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. “Insane? He broke into a building and told the entire world that I'm bisexual. That is more than just insane.” 

“I know!” Rory shouted, finally losing her composure. “I know it's fucked up.” 

“No, you don’t,” Peach’s voice cracked. “Do you understand what he did to me?” 

“I do understand,” Rory said as she took a step closer to the other woman. “I understand being exposed like that, being outed the world l before you’re ready because of some bullshit reason, I would never do that to you. I would never let anyone hurt you like that on purpose.” 

Silence stretched between them, charged neither of them knew what to say. 

“And what are you going to do about it?” Peach finally asked. 

Rory hesitated and that was all it took for Peach’s expression to shift, hardening. 

“So that’s it,” Peach said softly. “You bring me evidence that your brother committed several crimes to humiliate me and destroy my life, all because he's a jealous little freak who wanted to ruin my relationship with my best friend and with you and you don’t know what you’re going to do?” 

Rory clenched her fists. “It’s not that simple-” 

“It is that simple,” Peach snapped, glaring at Rory. “And if you’re even considering protecting him, then you’re not on my side.” 

Rory’s chest tightened. “I am on your side, I came here, I chose to tell you-” 

“Oh, good for you, do you want a cookie for doing the bare minimum, Hayden?” Peach said sarcastically. “Honestly, I can't believe that you’re trying to defend that asshole! What the fuck is wrong with you?! How can you even-” 

“I'm not defending him! And right now, it looks like you’re the one who doesn’t fucking understand shit!” Rory yelled, the emotions that she had been bottling up inside herself, bursting out. “Joe is my big brother! For years, he was my protector and the only long time the only family member I fucking had! He’s been with me through hell, and he's one of the few people in the world who knows everything about me. I fucking love him, so excuse me if it’s hard for me to accept that less than twenty-four hours ago, I learned that he’s not the man that I thought he was for decades! How would you feel if you found out one of your parents did something like this? Are you telling me that you would just immediately jump to condemning them for someone else?” 

Peach stared at Rory blankly, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed heavily through her nose, anger and despair dripping off her. 

She hated that she could understand where Rory was coming from, and seeing Rory care so deeply for Joe, only served to anger her further, not believing that he deserved it. 

I’m going to kill that bastard! I’m going to rip off his fucking head and leave nothing left of him behind. Peach thought, thinking about all of the various ways she could destroy Joe Goldberg. 

She knew from the day she laid eyes on him that Joe was not to be trusted, that there was something off about him and she despised herself for not having been able to prove it to everyone sooner. 

Peach then bent down, picked up the folder, flipping through it again with deliberate care. 

“What else did Water and Amber find out about him?” Peach asked, refusing to believe that this could be everything Joe could have done. 

Especially because she did not believe Walter and Amber would have hired a private investigator just to find out who leaked the picture of her and Rory kissing. They must have already suspected that he was capable of something far darker. 

Peach started thinking about the brunch she had with the Haydens when she was first trying to figure out why Joe had not mentioned having a sister and the discrepancies in the story the two gave for not being raised together. She remembered how the smiles on Amber and Walter’s faces had quickly disappeared and how nervous Rory looked when she mentioned Joe’s presence during her and Rory’s second meeting at the bar. 

Rory looked away, her gaze falling onto the floor as her jaw clenched. Once again, she was forced to think about Candace and her brother's possible involvement in her disappearance. 

Peach went still. “What are you not telling me?” 

“It doesn’t have anything to do with you, Peach,” Rory said, her voice thin and brittle. 

Peach straightened slowly, staring at Rory angrily. “What. Are. You. Not. Telling. Me?” 

Rory threw her head back and sighed, closing her eyes. “Peach, it really doesn’t-” 

“If your parents found it important enough to tell you about it, then it does have everything to do with me. I want to-no, I need to know everything that your brother is capable of.” 

Rory stared at Peach for a moment, debating if she should tell Peach the truth, knowing that this secret was far more serious than Joe outing Peach. 

“Joe had a girlfriend before he started dating Beck; her name was Candace Stone,” she said finally. 

Peach did not blink as she listened to Rory recount everything that her parents had told her about Candace and what they suspected happened to her, and why Joe had decided to anonymously release the picture of them. 

When Rory finished, the room felt smaller, and Peach stood perfectly still for several seconds. 

Peach let out a sharp exhale through her nose. “So, Joseph Goldberg is a crazy, possessive stalker who goes around murdering his exes when they piss him off, and you didn’t think this is something I should know? What if he does the same to Beck?” 

“There isn’t any evidence to prove that-” 

“Oh, fuck off, Rory,” Peach spat. “That’s bullshit and you know it! A woman accuses your brother of trying to kill her and then disappears afterwards, and that’s not supposed to be suspicious? Not to mention that her brother, who also claimed that his sister's ex-boyfriend had something to do with her disappearance turns up dead in the psychiatric hospital he's staying in five months ago, and we're just supposed to believe that it was as suicide? How can you even— the park! What if that was him?” 

Rory's brow furrowed as she watched Peach's eyes widened and her mouth slowly fall open in horror, confused by the sudden change. “The park? What are you talking about?” 

“Do you remember when I was attacked while doing my morning jog through Central Park?” Peach asked. 

Rory nodded her head. “I do.” 

Peach clenched her fists. “A few days before, Joe was warning me about having a stalker after I accused him of stealing my laptop and searched his apartment for it.” 

“Why would think that Joe would steal your-right, not important, please continue,” Rory said when Peach glared at her. 

“After he told me that I had a stalker who was the one messing with my stuff, I end up getting bashed in the head with a rock. God, I fucking thanked that little bitch for warning me.” Peach said, her face twisting with disgust at her own stupidity. “He orchestrated it, he was trying to fucking kill me, and when he failed, he played the concerned boyfriend, worried about his girlfriend’s best friend.” 

Every strange inconsistency surrounding Joe, every ill feeling she got whenever she was nearby him started to make sense, and she hated how easily she allowed her friends, Rory, and even Joe himself to convince her to reluctantly give up her investigation into Joe, making her think that she was being overly paranoid. 

Peach’ heart raced and her breathing became shallow as fear crawled up her spine and settled into her bones like ice. The feeling clashed with the rage she had since Rory first arrived, her body beginning to shake as her thoughts raced. 

“Hey,” Rory said softly, gently placing her hands on Peach’s shoulders. Peach, breathe, you’re spiraling.” 

“N-No,” Peach said, her body shaking even more. “H-He…He's going t-t-to…” 

“It’s going to be okay,” Rory said, raising her right hand and holding the side of Peach's face. “He doesn’t know that we know, he won't try anything again because he thinks he's won. And even if he did, I won't let him near you again.” 

It took a few minutes for Peach’s breathing slowed, allowing Rory to hold her steady as the tremors finally eased beneath her hands. 

When Peach finally pulled back, the panic was gone from her expression as she blankly looked up at Rory. 

“Are you going to choose him over me? You said it yourself that you didn’t want to believe that your brother was capable of something like this,” Peach said quietly. 

Rory did want to believe that Joe could be the kind of person who would do any of this, but after speaking to her parents and now Peach, it was becoming harder not to question if the version of Joe she loved all her life had ever truly existed. 

She could still remember clearly the day that Joe had taken their mother’s gun and shot Raphael. 

She had been five and once again Sandy had cheated on Raphael with another man, refusing to admit to the affair. Raphael had begun beating Sandy, a regular occurrence in their household, ignoring everything else around him as he used his partner as a punching bag. 

Like always, the moment she had heard Sandy and Raphael arguing, Rory ran out of the living room as quietly as she could and hid under her bed. Whenever her stepfather would become irate, he would enviably turn his attention to her, and eventually at that age, Rory knew that Raphael hated her and would not blink twice if he accidentally killed her during one of his episodes.

After years of having to stand back and do nothing in the face of the abuse himself, his mother, and sister endured at the hands of his father, Joe snapped, taking the gun from the closet Sandy had hidden it in and shot Raphael in the back of his head. 

Rory remembered running back to the living room when she heard the gunshot, seeing Joe standing over Raphael’s body, blood coating the floor and the walls. Joe had a blank expression on his face as Sandy tearful praised him, calling him a good boy for protecting them. 

To this day, Rory never knew how to feel about the whole situation, she hated Raphael and was not saddened by his death, but the looks in Joe's eyes after he shot his father, and the lack of emotion he showed whenever Raphael Passero was mentioned, unnerved her. 

But that event had something that she had always written off, attributing it to simply the breaking point of a traumatized kid who did not want to be reminded of that time in his life. 

Could killing… could killing Raphael have been the start of this? Rory thought, hating that she stared wondering if killing Raphael in self-defense could have given her brother a taste for blood. 

“I don’t want to choose,” Rory admitted, her voice raw. “But if it comes down to it… I won’t protect him.” 

Peach searched her face for hesitation. “And if he comes after me?” 

Rory did not hesitate this time. “Then he’s not my brother anymore.” 

Silence filled the room; Peach slowly nodded once, filing that answer away for later. 

She then turned away from Rory, picking up her phone and unlocking it with deliberate calm. 

“What are you doing?” Rory asked cautiously. 

Peach did not look at her. “I'm not going to let that asshole get away with this.” 

“So, you’re calling the police?” Rory asked. 

Peach let out a humorless laugh. “The police? Fuck no, at least not now, your brother slipped through their hands once already, I’m not making the same mistake.” 

When she found her father's contact, she took a deep breath before she pressed it. She had not spoken to Barry in a few weeks; things were still tense between them after the photo was leaked and her refusal to go to the ‘therapist’ that he had recommended for her. 

“Peach?” Barry said, answering the call after only one ring. “I thought we agreed that if you were not going to-” 

“Daddy,” Peach said, interrupting Barry. “I know who caused all of this.”

~X~

Two Day Later 

Joe could stop himself from smiling as he walked down the street, holding a bouquet of roses in his hand. 

Beck had agreed to get coffee with him, strictly reminded him that it was just an outing between friends. But Joe knew better; Beck had never been very good at staying away from him, and this had become especially true ever since she discovered that he was dating Karen. 

He remembered having to fight the smile that wanted to appear on his face when Karen had come to him a few hours after they had run into Beck while on their date, showing Joe that Beck had liked one of her new posts on Instagram which was a selfie of Joe and Karen during one of their movie dates. 

It’s good to know that you’re just as invested in us as I am, Beck. I had thought things would have been easier if you had realized this months ago, when I told you that I loved you, instead of trying to run from your feelings in the beds of others, but I see now that this was a necessary challenge for us to overcome in our love story. We both needed to see just how antagonizing it feels to walk through life without each other, to know that no matter what we did, or who we tried to replace the other with, our love would never dimmish. Joe thought as the cafe Beck was waiting for him in, adjusting the bouquet in his hands, selecting the best angle for when Beck would first see him. 

He spotted her through the café window before she noticed him sitting at a small table near the back, fingers wrapped around the mug in front of her. 

Joe stepped inside, the bell above the door chiming softly, Beck looked up and a smile quickly graced her lips. The look in her eyes was one that Joe never got tired of seeing, one that made him feel like he was the most important person in whichever room he was standing in. 

There is nothing better than this; you are everything, Guinevere Beck. 

Hours later, Joe was still riding high from his coffee date with Beck when he entered his apartment, only for his good mood to dim somewhat when he spotted his girlfriend sitting on his couch. 

I really shouldn’t have given her a key. 

“Hey, baby,” Karen smiled, jumping to her feet and immediately kissing Joe, and he kissed her back just convincingly enough. 

“How was your day?” she asked brightly, looping her arms around his neck. 

“Good,” Joe replied smoothly, keeping his tone light as the word slid off his tongue as easily as every other lie, he had told that day. 

Karen beamed at him. “I was thinking we could order Thai tonight? Stay in? I feel like we haven’t had a real night together in a while.” 

Joe smiled down at her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “That sounds perfect.” 

Karen stepped away to grab her phone, humming softly to herself as she pulled up the delivery app while Joe sat down. 

Joe did not have a moment to relax before the sound of something pounding against his front door echoed throughout the room. 

Karen jumped. “What the hell? Are you expecting someone?” 

Joe frowned, already standing. “No.” 

The knocking came again, harder this time and with enough force to make the door shake slightly, and Joe quickly crossed the room and opened the door just far enough to see who it was. 

Two police officers stood in the hallway, badges visible and hands resting casually near their belts.

“Joseph Goldberg?” The taller one asked, staring at Joe coldly.

What the fuck? Joe’s stomach tightened, though his face remained pleasantly blank. “Yes?” 

His mind raced as he wondered why the officers were here, thinking about every possible loose end that could not be as buried as he thought they were, and Candace’s missing corpse was the first thing that came to the forefront of his thoughts. 

The two officers glanced at each other before the shorter one pulled out a pair of handcuffs from his belt, and pushing the door open as his partner forced Joe’s hands behind his back. “You’re under arrest for unlawful entry, criminal trespass, harassment, and the illegal distribution of private materials.” 

Karen gasped from behind Joe, her eyes widening as she stared at her boyfriend. “Joe? What are they talking about? Why are they arresting you?”

“It’s just a big misunderstanding, Karen,” Joe said as the cuffs clicked around his wrists. He turned his head slightly as the officers started to guide him into the hallway. “I didn’t do anything.” 

The taller officer tightened his grip. “You can explain that at the precinct.” 

Karen stood frozen inside the apartment, her phone still in her hand as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. 

Joe forced himself to breathe evenly as they walked him toward the stairs, seeing the adjacent apartment door opening from the corner of his eye. When they reached the stairs, Joe lifted his head and saw Paco and Claudia standing there watching in shock. 

“Hey, where are you taking him?!” Paco tried to rush forward, but his mother was faster, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him close to her chest. 

“It’s okay, Paco,” Joe said, forcing a reassuring smile onto his face. “They just need to ask me a few questions.” 

Paco’s eyes started to become glassy. “But you didn’t do anything.” 

Joe held his gaze. “I know.” 

Claudia pulled Paco back as the officers guided Joe down the stairs, tears now freely falling from his face as he watched one of the only adults in his life that was wholeheartedly kind to him being taken away. 

Unlawful entry, criminal trespass, harassment, and the illegal distribution of private materials, this has Peach written all over it. Joe thought as the police officers pushed him through the front door of the building. 

It must have been the building’s security footage that gave me away. I can’t believe that I forgot about that, I had gotten too overconfident in my abilities. Once again, she’s trying to get between us, Beck, she isn’t just doing this because of the picture, I know she’s not. But it doesn’t matter, I’m not going to let that Park Avenue princess think she’s won, even if she does have the Salinger name backing her every move; I’ve survived far worse than this. 

As one of the officers opened the back door of their patrol car and guided him inside, Joe caught a glimpse of his reflection in the darkened window, seeing how it failed to match what he was feeling inwardly.