She sighed. “I told Milo I would take care of it. Deep down, I was scared. I had no idea what to do. But I couldn’t leave Noah like that. He had become a part of our family. He would come over to our house and have dinner with us. He would play with Milo for hours. They were best friends. I decided to call Hope and tell her. When she answered the phone, I suddenly got cold feet. I couldn’t tell her Noah was dead and that Milo was responsible for it. Instead, I told her Noah was in trouble and he needed her help. I told her to go to the lake.” She paused and then said in a low voice, “I never imagined she would end up being blamed for his death.”
“She did,” Hammel said. “And she paid a steep price for it.”
“I know,” Joyce said, “and my heart ached for her, but this was Milo. My only son. He meant everything to me.”
Hammel’s eyes were hard as steel. “Noah was Hope’s only son as well. He meant everything to her too.”
Joyce fell silent.
Hammel stood up.
“What will happen to Milo?” Joyce asked.
“He will be charged for Noah’s death, but as he was a minor at the time of the event, he will be given leniency. You, however, will be charged for accessory to murder. You let an innocent woman with mental illness torture herself with the belief she had murdered her only child. I will make sure there is no leniency in your case.”
Joyce broke down in tears.
ONE-HUNDRED FOUR
One week later
Callaway returned to Camden Mental Health Facility. He found Hope seated at a bench across from the facility. She was beaming as he approached her.
“You look good,” he said.
“I feel good,” she replied with a smile. “You have no idea the weight that’s been lifted off my chest. I told everyone that I would never hurt Noah. No one believed me. But you proved them all wrong.” She stood up and then hugged him. “Thank you, Mr. Callaway. Thank you so much.”
Callaway almost teared up. It was moments like this that confirmed why he chose to be a private investigator.
They sat down on the bench. “What will you do now?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “I’m just enjoying the feeling that I was not responsible for what happened to Noah.”
Callaway nodded. “Have you decided if you want to stay here? I mean, you are no longer guilty of a crime. You are free to go wherever you want.”
“I’m going to stay for now. I still need time to adjust to being on my own. I haven’t fully overcome my illness,” Hope said. “Plus, I like being close to August. He’s gentle and polite, and he makes me feel good. We’re going for ice cream later today.”
“That’s good to hear,” Callaway said.
Hope said, “Do you know who called me yesterday?”
Callaway shrugged. “No.”
“Ian, my ex-husband. We spoke for almost an hour. We both cried. I think I cried more. He said he was sorry for what happened between us. He didn’t know who to believe when they said I was responsible for our son’s death. I can’t fault him for that. It must not have been easy for him to lose a son at Erie Lake and have a wife go to prison. I’m happy he’s started his life again. In fact, he’s promised to bring his children to see me. He wants me to get to know them.”
Callaway smiled. “I’m glad everything is working out for you, Hope.”
“It’s all thanks to you,” she said.
She pulled out an envelope and held it out for him. He knew there was three thousand dollars inside it, money he could use now that he had bailed Dean out with the ten grand he had saved, but he pushed the envelope away. “I told you I wouldn’t take your money.”
“No, you said if you were able to provide me with closure, then you’ll accept my money. I have my closure, and I have my peace of mind.”
Callaway thought for a moment.
Come on, Lee. You did a good job. Plus, you know you won’t blow the money. Not now.
He smiled. “I did say that, didn’t I?”
He took the envelope and stuffed it in his pocket.
Hope and Callaway stood up. Hope smiled at him. “I will never forget you, Mr. Callaway. You’ve given me hope for the future.”
“You always had hope,” he said.
She looked confused. “How so?”
“It was always in your name.”
Hope’s smile widened, and then she laughed.
ONE-HUNDRED FIVE
Fisher was at her desk when Holt walked over. “The James Riley case is officially over,” he said. “I just handed the sergeant the paperwork. Riley will never set foot outside a prison for the remainder of his life.”
“Good work, partner,” she said with a smile. “You were right all along that it wasn’t a hate crime. I should have listened to you from the beginning.”
Holt looked away for a moment. He then turned to her and said, “I have a confession to make.”
She raised an eyebrow. “A confession?”
“I had an ulterior motive for not wanting it to be a hate crime.”
“Okay,” Fisher said, sounding unsure.
“I knew the moment we labeled it a hate crime, the attention would go from it being a city issue to a national one. That would mean the feds would get involved, and we would lose the case. I so badly wanted to catch the killer. I wanted justice for those women. I did not want some guys in suits from Washington bringing the killer in. I wanted us to do it.” He paused and then said, “I want to apologize for being selfish. You were right all along that there was a connection to the Men’s Support Alliance.”
“Yeah, but you did end up being right that it wasn’t a hate crime,” Fisher said. “James Riley didn’t kill those women because he hated them. He did so for financial gain.” Fisher’s nose wrinkled with revulsion at that. “And if you think about it, he hated the men’s movement more. He used them to hide his evil and vile crime.”
Holt made a face. “So, we were both right?”
“I guess so.”
“Well, I still want to make it up to you,” Holt said. “Lunch is on me.”
“How about this?” Fisher said. “Why don’t you and Nancy come over to my place and have dinner with Lance and me.”
Holt’s eyebrows shot up. “Have dinner with you guys?”
“Yeah, why not? Would Nancy be up for it?”
Holt smiled. “I think she’ll be just as excited about it as I am.”
Fisher smiled back.
ONE-HUNDRED SIX
Callaway doubled-checked the apartment to see if everything was just right. He had spent the day doing laundry, mopping the floors, vacuuming the bedroom carpets, and cleaning the toilets. He wanted the place to be spotless.
He had already gone out and picked up a bucket of fried chicken and fries, and on his way back, he had grabbed a container of ice cream for dessert.
He was washing dishes when there was a knock on the door. He quickly dried his hands with a towel and opened the door.
“Hi, daddy,” Nina said with a wide smile.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said, giving her a big hug. “Are you excited about staying at daddy’s place?”
She beamed. “I am.”
Patti handed Callaway Nina’s backpack. “She has everything she needs for the night.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Patti leaned down and gave Nina a hug. “Now, you be a good girl, and make sure to stay out of trouble, okay?”
“I will,” Nina replied with a wink.
Callaway had a feeling Patti wanted Nina to keep an eye on him, so that he stayed out of trouble.
“What do you guys have planned for father and daughter night?” Patti asked.
“First we’ll have dinner, then we’ll watch a movie, and then it’s straight to bed,” he said. “In the morning, we’ll have Nina’s favorite.”
Nina asked, “French toast with maple syrup?”
“You got it, kiddo.”
Nina jumped up and down, her eyes glowin
g with glee. “Yippee!” she shouted.
Callaway said to Nina, “Why don’t you take your stuff to your room? I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Okay, daddy.”
When she was gone, he turned to Patti, “Thanks for letting her stay.”
“You’ve earned it, Lee,” Patti said.
“You know,” he said with a grin, “you can stay over too, if you want. I have two rooms.”
She smiled. “If you keep this up, Lee Callaway, you might just get your wish one day.”
As she walked away, he felt like jumping up in the air and shouting “Yippee!” too.
READ LEE CALLAWAY’S INTRODUCTION IN THE ROSE WATER (ECHO ROSE #4). CLICK THE LINK TO GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY!
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Thomas Fincham
HYDER ALI
The Silent Reporter (Hyder Ali #1)
The Rogue Reporter (Hyder Ali #2)
The Runaway Reporter (Hyder Ali #3)
The Serial Reporter (Hyder Ali #4)
The Street Reporter (Hyder Ali #5)
The Student Reporter (Hyder Ali #0)
MARTIN RHODES
Close Your Eyes (Martin Rhodes #1)
Cross Your Heart (Martin Rhodes #2)
Say Your Prayers (Martin Rhodes #3)
Fear Your Enemy (Martin Rhodes #0)
ECHO ROSE
The Rose Garden (Echo Rose #1)
The Rose Tattoo (Echo Rose #2)
The Rose Thorn (Echo Rose #3)
The Rose Water (Echo Rose #4)
STANDALONE
The Blue Hornet
The October Five
The Paperboys Club
Killing Them Gently
The Solaire Trilogy
THOMAS FINCHAM holds a graduate degree in Economics. His travels throughout the world have given him an appreciation for other cultures and beliefs. He has lived in Africa, Asia, and North America. An avid reader of mysteries and thrillers, he decided to give writing a try. Several novels later, he can honestly say he has found his calling. He is married and lives in a hundred-year-old house. He is the author of the LEE CALLAWAY series, the HYDER ALI series, the MARTIN RHODES series, and the ECHO ROSE series.
The Broken Mother Page 25