Vargas said, “In other words, if someone is doing wrong you can act and be blameless?”
“Exactly. The only judgment anyone should care about it is by God.”
“After your talk with Minister Booth, is that when you decided to seek revenge?”
“No, not immediately. Frankly, I knew what it meant intellectually, but despite what these people had done to me, it was a frightening prospect to realize.”
“What happened?”
“I studied the Bible. There were numerous examples, like Romans 13:4, ‘If thou do which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain; for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.’ Then I listened for God to speak to me. When he did, I began to do his work.”
“Was the first Jeremy Kelly?”
“Yes. I realize it was a selfish pursuit, but it was my first. The geography and time that had passed gave me confidence I would be unnoticed and able to continue to purge evil.”
Emotionless, Dwyer told us he rented a car, driving straight through to Indiana, where he paid cash for a motel room. He arrived in Green Bay the next day, shot Kelly dead, and was back in Florida two days later.
I said, “If not for the shell left behind and the red-light ticket, it was almost perfect.”
Dwyer shook his head. “There was someone fishing out there. Can you believe it? You couldn’t eat anything out of that river. When he shined the light my way, it made me nervous, running off with only one of the shells.”
“How did it make you feel?”
“I’m not saying I wasn’t petrified, but it was exhilarating. There was finally justice, and the world was better off with men like Kelly out of the picture. He was a waste of humanity.”
“Why didn’t you go after Hagan right away?”
“From the onset, I wanted to go after Hagan. But I couldn’t show God it was just about me. I felt I had to remain unselfish, do his bidding. He was sending me to cleanse evil, and there was plenty under his roof at The Spirit of Fellowship Church.”
“The motivation for killing Kelly and Hagan is clear, but what about the others?”
“They were evil personified. In James 1:41 we’re instructed, ‘Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent.’”
“How did you get along with Hannah Booth?”
“She actually thought like I did, that Minister Booth was too forgiving and wasted too many resources on people that would never change.”
“You liked her but framed her?”
“I didn’t like her personally. She was playing around on the minister. Hiding the gun in her office was a perfect way to teach her a lesson.”
“Hannah Booth was unfaithful to her husband?”
“Yes. Ronnie Sales was the latest.”
Vargas and I exchanged glances. Sales lived off Conners Boulevard, near enough to Wiggins Pass. No wonder she didn’t want to tell us where she was the night of her DUI arrest.
“You placed her hair on Parker’s body?”
He nodded. “I really wasn’t attempting to frame her. I knew it would place the focus on her. It worked, didn’t it?”
Chapter 54
Switching to a new blade did the job. My face was as smooth as it had been in a long time. Twenty minutes late, I sprayed a dose of the Chanel cologne Mary Ann got me and buttoned the shirt she’d given me on my birthday. Before starting the car, I sent a text that I was on my way.
Weaving my way through tables filled with tourists, I spotted Mary Ann seated at a table facing the Gulf. Sipping from a tulip-shaped glass, she saw me and smiled. I was off the hook. Kissing her, I ran my hand down her bare shoulder. It felt like silk. She had the smoothest skin on the planet.
“You started without me?”
“I wasn’t going to mention you being late.” She pointed to the beach. “Consider yourself lucky, I could sit here for hours.”
“It’s a perfect night with the perfect woman.”
“You do something wrong, Frank?”
“Me? Never. Just appreciating what we got.” I picked up the wine list. “After the hearing today, we need to celebrate when we can.”
The wine list was short and overpriced. I ordered a Ketel One with cranberry and an order of chips and salsa.
“I know, it was weird today. I felt bad for Dwyer. He never had a chance to live a normal life.”
“Don’t go liberal on me now.”
“No, it’s true, Frank. He had his life ripped apart when he was just a little boy.”
“I know, just kidding. But he’s going where he belongs.”
“I feel we kinda misled him.”
“He’s nuts but not insane. Dwyer got a life sentence, which he sure deserved.”
“And in Florida, life is life. He’ll never get out.”
“Amen.”
“I wish there was a way, you know, like reprogramming or something, to give him a second chance.”
“You’re watching too much sci-fi. But talking about second chances. You heard who it was that went into that burning building off Imperial?”
“The man who saved all those kids? Who was it?”
“That guy with all the tattoos, from Booth’s church.”
“The one who did all those stints in prison?”
“Yep. That guy Corbin is a heck of an advertisement for Minister Booth’s second-chance program.”
“And you said it was a waste of time.”
“I was wrong—dead wrong.”
“Again.”
“Don’t I get a second chance?”
She leaned in, brushed her lips across my cheek, and whispered, “You’re gonna get more than that when we get home.”
The End
I hope you enjoyed reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, I’d appreciate it if you would write a quick review on Amazon or your favorite book site. Reviews are an author’s best friend and even a quick line or two is helpful. Thanks, Dan
Other Books by Dan
Luca Mystery Series
Am I the Killer—Book 1
Vanished—Book 2
The Serenity Murder— Book 3
Third Chances—Book 4
A Cold, Hard Case —Book 5
Coming Soon – Book 6 A Luca Mystery
Other works by Dan Petrosini
The Final Enemy
Complicit Witness
Push Back
Ambition Cliff
You can keep abreast of my writing and have access to free and discounted books by joining my newsletter. It comes out just once a month and also contains articles on self-esteem, motivational pieces and pieces on wine. It’s free. www.danpetrosini.com
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