The Way of the Guilty

by Jennifer Stanley

  Nodding numbly, she did as he suggested. Seeing Ashley seated primly in Lincoln’s office triggered the tears again, and the two sisters embraced. Neither one would let go. Eventually, they both broke into a stream of anxious murmuring, repeatedly checking to ensure that the other was truly unharmed. When they finally separated, the sisters gratefully accepted steaming cups of coffee from an ogling salesmen.

  “Lincoln will be here any minute,” Ashley said in a surprisingly steady voice. “You were so brave!” She reached over and squeezed Cooper’s hand. “You saved me! I feel so guilty about running away.”

  “Don’t,” Cooper scolded her. “You wanted to live. You wanted your baby to live. There’s no shame in that.”

  Ashley placed a hand on her flat belly. “Wait until he hears about this story when he’s older.”

  “Or she,” Cooper said with a smile.

  “Could you imagine?” Ashley giggled. “Poor Daddy! Four generations of girls!”

  Just then Lincoln rushed into the office. He gathered Ashley into his arms and covered her face with kisses. “My darling,” he murmured. “Oh, I should have known something was wrong with her. I should have been with you! Are you okay?” He pushed her away in order to look her over and then pulled her against his chest again.

  “I’m fine, sugar. We’re just a bit shaken, that’s all.” She smiled reassuringly at her husband, even though her hands trembled. “My sister saved my life.”

  Lincoln turned to Cooper. She had been too tired to move and remained seated in the stiff-backed office chair. He fell to his knees and, taking her hand in his, kissed it gallantly. “God bless you!” he whispered with a catch in his voice.

  Made slightly uncomfortable by the dramatic gesture, Cooper withdrew her hand. Smiling tenderly at her brother-in-law, she said, “I believe He already has.”

  19

  “Because he takes note of their deeds,

  he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.

  He punishes them for their wickedness

  where everyone can see them.”

  Job 34:25-26 (NIV)

  Rich Johnson pulled up to the front door of the police station to let Cooper out. She’d been too shaken to drive her own truck, and the policeman was eager to acquire her statement while events were fresh in her mind. Ashley had insisted that she was well enough to give her statement as well, so a reluctant Lincoln had chauffeured her to the station.

  “But the second you’re done, it’s straight home with you. I’m ordering in and you’re going to lie down on the sofa and rest. No more excitement for you for the next eight months, do you hear me?” He practically carried her to the car.

  Cooper was so tired, cold, and hungry that she barely noticed Nathan waiting for her in the station’s lobby. Looking dashing in a navy blue overcoat and a plaid scarf, he set down the brown bag he was carrying and scooped Cooper off her feet, kissing her all over. She wrapped her arms around him and her lips found his. She finally felt safe.

  “It’s a good thing Batman’s parking the car!” Cooper laughed and rested her head against Nathan’s chest. “He might arrest us for public display of groping.”

  Nathan didn’t smile. “I should have been at your side today. I just didn’t think a trip to the car auction would end with someone pointing a gun at you!”

  “How did you find out what happened so quickly?” Cooper asked quizzically.

  “Ashley called me from Lincoln’s office. She heard the cops say you’d both need to come down here and I figured you could use a shoulder to lean on.” He pointed at the brown bag. “I brought you some food, too. I figured cream of chicken and wild rice soup, a buttered roll, and a cup of hot coffee would give you the strength you’d need to make it through this interview.”

  Prying open the bag, Cooper almost cried when she smelled the soup and felt the warmth of the coffee cup seep into her palms. “I don’t think I’ve ever loved you as much as I do right now!” She kissed him again and he slipped his arm around her waist.

  At that moment, the figure behind them developed a serious throat tickle. “A-hem! Ms. Lee?” Investigator McNamara glowered. “Here I was, thinking we’d made such progress during our little chat in the Kroger parking lot. Yet, once again, you’ve stepped into the line of fire.”

  Cooper’s neck flushed. “I don’t think I compromised anything, sir. In fact, you’ll have plenty of evidence to put Aleksandra Ivanovich away and hopefully Albion, too.”

  “We’ll see.” McNamara sighed. “I’m going to conduct your interview. ‘Batman’ has bigger fish to fry.” One side of his mouth stretched into the beginnings of a smile, but then was quickly brought into line. He eyed Nathan. “You may join Ms. Lee if you’d like. I can see that it may require some kind of specialized tool to separate the pair of you, and the lobby vending machines are fresh out of crowbars. Candy bars and coffee we’ve got.” He looked back and forth between Nathan and Cooper. “Would you care for some refreshment before we begin?”

  “I’m all set, thank you.” Cooper showed him the coffee cup in her hand.

  McNamara gave it a longing glance. “Ah, the good stuff. I’m trying to cut back a little, so it’ll have to be water for me.” His eyes flicked toward the lobby doors. “Let’s get started. I hear this layer of ice is going to be covered by nearly a foot of snow in the next few hours. You need to be off the roads by dark.”

  In the stark interview room, McNamara kindly fiddled with paperwork, the recording device, and the thermostat in order to allow Cooper a few swallows of soup before she had to start talking. When her bowl was half-empty, he looked at her expectantly and touched a button on the recorder. He stated his name and rank as Cooper sipped her coffee. He then uncapped his pen and his expression became one of fixed concentration.

  It took nearly two hours for Cooper to complete her statement because McNamara painstakingly dissected and reviewed every word she said. When he asked her to repeat her exchanges with Alek in the file room for the third time, she lost her temper.

  “I’ve told you twice! She sends the cars to Russia to be sold, probably by her brothers who own a dealership there, and China White gets imported to the States in return.”

  “Through Double A Auto?” McNamara ignored Cooper’s outburst and tapped his chin with the top of his pen. “The heroin is inside the cars sent from Russia?”

  Cooper thought hard. “Alek never clarified that point. I don’t know how the drugs get into the country, but Norfolk’s a major shipping port and that’s where Double A is located, so I’d guess that’s what happens, but she didn’t spell that out.” Cooper sighed, weary to the core. “Alek said they used Double A to train people like Maria and Miguel. She didn’t mention where the drugs were hidden.”

  McNamara made a notation on his legal pad. “Let’s go through the sequence in which Ms. Ivanovich’s firearm was discharged.”

  Cooper closed her eyes for a moment. She was so tired that her thoughts were growing muddled. “I can’t,” she whispered and suddenly all she could see was the blood leaking out from Edward. She stared at her hands, but the vision before her was the stain spreading across the carpet and the sticky, red circle pooling beneath Edward’s shoulder. She pointed at the recorder, her lips trembling as she tried to control her voice. “Turn that off. Please.”

  Complying, McNamara touched the machine. He dug a tissue from his pocket, passed it to Cooper without staring directly at her face, and then bent to study his notes.

  “Now I want to know something.” Cooper was hoarse from talking. Her coffee cup was empty and though she was no longer hungry, the food had only served to amplify her fatigue. “What was Edward’s role in all this?”

  “He’s been an informant for several months now. Edward made contact with Johnson while serving the tail end of his sentence.” McNamara capped his pen and laid it down. “I don’t know the details, but I believe Mr. Crosby had a profound experience toward the end of his stay at Jail West.” He smiled slightl
y. “ ‘After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.’ ”

  “Is that a Psalm?” Nathan asked.

  “Isaiah,” McNamara said. “Edward knows much about the illegal drug trade in this city and he proved to be an invaluable asset. But to be of any help, he had to keep a hand in the pie. His cab has been quite handy in recording conversations and capturing the faces of some the city’s most prolific dealers on film. Richmond’s specialized drug task force has been working to bust Albion Ivanovich since Edward’s release.”

  “But how did Edward know that I’d have a flat tire the night my sister found Miguel in her garage?” Cooper rubbed her eyes. “Why follow me? I don’t know anything about the drug trade.”

  McNamara shifted in his seat. “I am of the opinion that Mr. Crosby became an informant to impress you. I believe he’s been looking for a chance to repay you for giving him the courage and the confidence to change his life. In short, he was following you that night and was thrilled to be there to help you.”

  Cooper flushed. “Well, if he wanted to do something wonderful for me, he’s certainly accomplished that. By hitting Alek with his motorcycle helmet, he saved Ashley’s life.” She frowned. “Won’t Edward be in terrible danger now? If he testifies against the Ivanovich siblings, everyone will know he’s been leading a double life.”

  “After the trial, he’ll leave the city. We’ll be keeping him in a safe house until then.” McNamara stood. “Edward’s in surgery now and I’ve been told the outcome looks good. I’m going to head over to the hospital as soon as I file my report.” He eyed his water cup with disappointment. “I’d be glad to call you later with a status update.”

  “Do you have enough?” Cooper inquired as Nathan held out her coat. “To put those creeps away?”

  McNamara held out his open palms. “The case against Aleksandra is strong. Even though she tried to eliminate the people who posed a threat to her profits, she’s left a paper trail. Without the testimonies of Maria Gutierrez and Nina Vargas, however, the case still has cracks.”

  “Because Nina was the crooked DMV employee,” Cooper surmised. “She was integral in keeping the scam a secret.”

  “Correct.” McNamara absently rubbed the stubble on his chin. “She turned a blind eye to any questionable titles coming from Love Motors and made sure the titles were sent to the lien holders exactly as Maria entered them into her database.”

  Nathan shook his head and said, “Two families of criminals. Maria paid a serious price for her duplicity, and, from what Cooper told me, it sounds like she’s gone into hiding for the rest of her days. Probably in another country.” He put a protective arm around Cooper and gave McNamara a hard look. “I need to know, sir . . . is there any threat to Cooper’s safety?”

  “There’s little danger of repercussion. Albion will be in custody within the hour, and this time, I suspect he won’t be let out on bail.” McNamara shook his head. “Even if he was set free until the trial, he’ll behave like a Boy Scout until the verdict comes in. Those theatrics, several sizable donations to the campaign funds of certain lower-level politicians, as well as a minor detail called insufficient evidence, have helped Mr. Ivanovich avoid any real jail time thus far.” His eyes grew dark and the policeman clenched his jaw and jabbed the metal table with his index finger. “But it ends now. Either his sister sings or he loses honor for letting her take the fall for him. A loss of face isn’t good for business. His days of lording over this city are done.”

  Cooper thought about the various government agencies who might be involved in an international smuggling ring. “I hope justice doesn’t get buried under a mound of red tape.”

  McNamara chuckled and opened the door for her and Nathan. “You just pinpointed my greatest fear as an officer of the law. I’m not afraid of being shot or of being killed in the line of duty. Just keep me away from the damned paperwork so I can do my job.” He walked swiftly toward the lobby, the sound of his heavy boots echoing down the spacious hall. When they reached the set of double doors leading to the outside, he turned to Nathan. “I wish you and this young lady would join a bowling league or a supper club. If you two became overloaded with hobbies, I might not run into her at any more crime scenes.”

  Affronted by the suggestion, Cooper opened her mouth to reply when McNamara said, “I say this with the deepest respect: Why not devote your extra time and talent to volunteering? Become a Big Sister perhaps? Who knows? If Albion Ivanovich or Hector Gutierrez or Miguel Ramos had had someone to look up to, perhaps they’d have a chosen a better future for themselves.”

  “I don’t think it’s that simple,” Cooper responded.

  “Neither do I.” The policeman smiled sadly. “But I’d like you to go home now and stay out of trouble.” He gave her a fatherly pat on the back and then marched back down the hall.

  “Come on.” Nathan pulled her close as they stepped into the falling snow. “I’m going to run you the hottest bubble bath you’ve ever had in your life.”

  But Cooper fell asleep on her bed to the sound of the tub filling with water.

  For the first time in over a year, Cooper missed church. It wasn’t intentional—she merely slept through it. After Nathan tucked her in the night before, fed her crabby kittens, and tiptoed down the stairs to assure the Lee family that both of their daughters were tired, but otherwise physically sound, he drove home.

  Cooper woke around noon and swam to the surface of consciousness only because Moses was chewing on her earlobe. Specifically, the feline was tugging at Cooper’s small, silver hoop with his teeth while simultaneously digging into the flesh of her cheek with his front legs.

  Gently batting him away, Cooper opened her eyes and looked at the clock. Confused, she checked the time against her watch. At that moment, Miriam pounced on her foot and sank her teeth into the skin of her big toe.

  “Okay, I’m up!” Grabbing the kittens, she kissed each of them on their pink noses and got up to feed them breakfast. “I’m starving, too!”

  Her head was deep in the refrigerator when someone knocked on the door.

  “It’s just me!” Maggie called out. “I almost used the phone, but then I thought, now that’s right silly. I can make my way through a few inches of snow to bring my own child somethin’ to eat.” She placed two grocery bags on the counter.

  Cooper smiled as she observed her mother’s church outfit. Maggie wore a peach pants suit, a string of pearls, and a pair of black, knee-high rubber boots. “You look so pretty, Mama, right down to your boots. And here I am, still in my jammies. If you’d come up here ten minutes ago you’d have found me dead asleep.”

  Maggie shuddered. “Don’t you use words like that today, sugar. Your mama simply can’t take it.” She dabbed her eyes, sniffed, and then enfolded Cooper into a warm embrace. “Your daddy snuck in here ’round ten this mornin’. I made him come up, just to see if you needed anythin’. He said you were gettin’ what you needed most and I guess he was right.”

  “What did you carry up here?” Cooper pointed at the bags. “It’s only me.” She watched with interest as her mother spooned three-cheese macaroni onto a plate and then added a small mound of peas. “You make a dent in this while I brew coffee.”

  Cooper dug into the macaroni and sighed with pleasure as she chewed the butter-soft, creamy noodles topped with a crisp cheese crust. “Just what the doctor ordered. What’s in the other bag?”

  “Cookies,” Maggie answered as she dumped measured tablespoons of coffee into Cooper’s machine. “Three dozen Magnolia’s Marvels Comfort Cookies.”

  “Yum. I haven’t had those in ages. I think the last time you made them was after Drew broke up with me.” Cooper speared peas with her fork, thinking of how wonderful it felt to not experience even the slightest pang of sadness when she thought of her ex. Now that she had Nathan, Drew had become a distant memory. “But three dozen? I won’t fit into my jeans!”

  Shredding a piece of chicken breast for Moses
and Miriam, Maggie laughed. “They’re not all for you! Your friends are comin’ over after church. I begged them to get here in time for a meal, but they insisted it’d only be a brief visit.” She touched Cooper on the cheek. “They just need to see you with their own eyes and listen to your story, I suppose. We were so grateful to Nathan for fillin’ us in last night. Otherwise, we’d have been pacin’ the boards until dawn.”

  Cooper’s food stuck in her throat. “I’m sorry. I never meant for you to worry.”

  Maggie sat down at the table and took her daughter’s hands in her own. “When you love somebody and they’ve made a narrow escape from a real danger, you wanna hold them so bad it hurts.” She smiled through her tears. “So you hug those folks hard when they get here, because they truly love you. You’ve some fine friends, Cooper, and a real keeper in Nathan Dexter.”

  Nodding, Cooper said, “I know that now. I promise, Mama. I’ll never make the mistake of forgetting that again.”

  “Good.” Satisfied, Maggie patted her hand and stood, smoothing the wrinkles from her pants. “I’ll see you for supper.” She hesitated at the door. “And Grammy wants me to tell you that no matter what nonsense you got up to yesterday, you still have to take Columbus out for his walk.”

  She left to the sound of Cooper’s laughter.

  20

  “Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.”

  Psalm 37:37 (NIV)

  A few weeks later, the members of Sunrise Bible Study met at LifeWay to peruse the large selection of studies. It was Nathan’s turn to choose and each member tried to influence his decision.

  “Let’s do Experiencing God,” Savannah gently suggested. She tapped on the bookshelf where the study was shelved with her cane. “I’ve heard it’s simply life-changing. This is where the clerk said you could find a copy.”

  “We haven’t done an Elizabeth George study yet,” Trish piped up, patting her striking houndstooth turban. “I think we should alternate between male and female authors.”