Jayden's Innocence: Village of Shadows, #2

By Sue Perkins

Life is hard when Jayden is released from prison. 

No one wants to employ him and his family want nothing to do with an ex-con. He retreats to a quiet village with no amenities to hide from the world.

Jayden decides the only option is to clear his name. He did not embezzle the money from his employers but knows all prisoners swear they are innocent. 

Will anyone believe him?

Sophie lives in the same village and is willing to help him prove his innocence plus she has the skills to do the investigation.

Their quest draws them closer but danger follows every move they make.

Will their search make things worse for Jayden or will they clear his name?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Caishel Books
• Release date: Feb 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386056089

Sue Perkins

Sue Perkins grew up in Devon, England and emigrated to New Zealand with her family. Sue and her husband live at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. Her interests include writing, reading, genealogy and aqua jogging. Sue’s first romance novel was released in May 2007, quickly followed by a fantasy trilogy, more romance books, young adult and middle grade novels. Visit Sue Perkins webpage to discover more of Sue’s books, including her fantasy romance novels and middle grade level fantasy books. Her aim is to write a full length epic fantasy novel. The outline is complete, and Sue hopes to finish it by the end of 2018.

Book preview

Chapter One

Jayden closed the door and dropped his bags to the floor then leaned against the wooden frame while he took his bearings. The furniture in the cottage consisted of an old fashioned lounge suite, wooden dining room set and chintz curtains at the windows. Not his style at all. Did he have a style? Probably not. He'd spent the last four years in prison and behind those walls a bleak no frills style dominated.

He levered himself upright and went to examine the rest of his domain. A basic kitchen led off the dining area and on the other side of the house he found the bedroom and bathroom. Nothing fancy, but definitely more comfortable than a prison cell.

Jayden collected his bags and dumped the clothes on the bed then took the groceries through to the kitchen. He'd eaten a good meal on his way here so all he really needed was a drink. While he waited for the kettle to boil he went out into the back garden. Six foot stone walls enclosed the weed covered ground with a small pathway leading to the front garden. Over the top of the back wall Jayden could see trees crowded together and the canopy of branches rustled in the breeze.

The kettle clicked off as it came to the boil and Jayden went inside to make a mug of tea. He sat at the dining room table clasping the hot drink and wondering what his future might hold. None of his family wanted to know him and he'd had nowhere to go upon his released from prison. His probation officer had suggested this place. Apparently the previous tenant had been an ex con too, but he'd committed some offence against a neighbour and had now returned to prison.

Jayden knew he couldn't stay here for more than a few months and in the meantime he needed to get a job as his savings wouldn't last forever, especially now he'd bought a car. This had been a necessity as Deden had no public transport. Getting a job might be difficult with finance being the only thing he knew. No company would want to engage a person who had been convicted of fraud. The fact he'd been innocent didn't matter if no one believed him.

He felt strange having the whole house to himself. For so long his days had been divided into everything happening at certain times, but now he had the freedom to go to bed when he wanted, eat when he felt like it and get up when he wanted. No longer would the noise of the other inmates disturb his rest and he didn't have to look out for unwanted attention from others.

The sun set and he still sat at the table. Eventually he turned on the light and pulled the curtains, then grabbed a pen and paper to write down his to do list.

First he wrote See if there's any way to prove my innocence - this means finding the true culprit.

To be honest he thought the task beyond his capabilities. He would need access to the company records and although he knew himself to be good with figures, when it came to computers he only knew how to use the software connected to his job.

After thinking for a while he wrote another to do item. Find employment.

Again a seemingly impossible task, but one he would have to address, probably before he tackled the first task.

Other jobs didn't seem particularly urgent. He could tidy the garden as and when the weather permitted and once he found a job he could look for a more permanent lodging. Thank goodness for his savings, plus his aunt had always believed him innocent and when she died the old lady left him a small inheritance. Jayden felt he owed it to the kind relative to clear himself of the charge.

He leaned back and stretched his arms above his head. He'd done enough for today and placing the cup in the sink, he retired to bed.

NEXT MORNING JAYDEN stood before the bathroom mirror as he prepared to shave the dark growth on his chin. The face looking back at him looked pale and his dark eyes had lost the aliveness he'd had before his incarceration. Black hair drooped over his forehead and a dark shadow covered his chin and lower cheeks.

If I go for a job interview in this state, I've very little chance of getting past reception.

Great, now he'd started talking to himself. He took his breakfast out onto the small stonework patio behind the kitchen. The sun shone brightly down on a patch of bright yellow flowers planted at the edge of the earth. He'd brought paper and pen out with him and after staring blankly at the sheet he decided it would be best to go into town and buy a newspaper, get a haircut, then search through the situations vacant.

In the middle of the afternoon he returned to the village feeling absolutely washed out. He'd taken his curriculum vitae with him and had a stationer run off several copies. Each one had been given to a prospective employer, but as the hirer scanned the words on the paper, he could tell when they reached the history of the past few years, as each one without fail had handed his paperwork back to him and expressed regret they couldn't offer him a job.

His temper erupted as he entered his front garden. They wouldn't even give him a chance. What had happened to accepting he'd done his time and deserved a second chance? He would haves to prove his innocence to get a fair deal. Jayden kicked the weeds at the edge of the path and when they refused to break, he knelt down and snapped the tops off. A laughing voice interrupted his brutal attempts at weeding.

It's best to pull them up by their roots you know. Breaking the tops off will only let the weeds grow again.

Jayden looked up but the sun dazzled his eyes and he could only see the outline of a woman. The light came from behind her and threw the front of her body into deep shadow.