“He’s stronger than you might think,” Jason smiled back. “He’s luckier than some kids—he had you as a mother.”
The elevator doors opened and they both looked over to see Officer O’Brady walking toward them.
Cheryl stood up and walked over to him. When they got closer, she rushed at him and threw her arms around his waist. “I cannot thank you enough for everything you did—for finding my son, in time.”
Jason walked over to join them and shook the officer’s hand. “She’s right—thank you, Officer O’Brady.”
Thomas guided them both back to the sofa and said, “Let’s sit down. It’s been a long, long night, and I’m running on adrenaline right now, but I wanted to stop by to see you both before I headed home. I wanted you to hear some things from me, before the media has a field day with everything.”
Cheryl nodded. “Okay—everything happened so fast last night. We really don’t know what happened, except for the call that Jimmy was alive—that’s really all I remember—that’s all I was focused on.”
Thomas removed his hat and sat down in the chair next to the love seat. “The other two boys involved in all of this—David Mizen and Michael Bozeman—have both cooperated fully since they heard about Kirk’s death. I think they’re both in a state of shock right now; they really don’t realize how much trouble they are in—this is something that their rich parents won’t be able to fix with money either.”
Jason put his arm around Cheryl and shook his head. “Forgive me if I don’t feel any sympathy for them.”
Thomas nodded. “That’s completely understandable, Jason. One thing I wanted you both to know is that the county prosecutor has already gotten involved. He intends for both boys to be tried as adults for the parts they played in the murders of Norman Weissman and Stella Seiber, as well as kidnapping charges. David has turned state witness, so he will probably receive a lesser sentence. Michael did lead the police to the gun that was used to kill Stella, so that will help him some, but both boys will be behind bars for a very long time. Their childhood has ended.”
Cheryl nodded but saw something else in the officer’s eyes—something she couldn’t quite identify. “What aren’t you saying, Officer O’Brady?”
Thomas cleared his throat. “One thing we didn’t know—both boys confirmed that Jimmy was with them the night that Norman Weissman was killed.”
“What?” Cheryl exclaimed. “That can’t be—not Jimmy!”
“How do you know they aren’t lying about that?” Jason asked.
“We’ll have to wait until Jimmy wakes up, of course, until we can question him about that night; but, the homeless woman who was hit by a car the day after that murder—Peggy Jensen?”
“PJ?” Jason nodded. “Yeah, she’s the one who cleared Skipper of the charges.”
“Well, she also saw four young boys who were there that night. The only one she could positively identify was Kirk Blankenship; both David and Michael put Jimmy at the scene, too. So, we will have to talk to him as soon as he wakes up. I’ve asked the nurse to notify me, personally, when he does wake up. I want to be the one to question him.”
Cheryl was in shock. She couldn’t believe that Jimmy could have been involved in a murder; he would have come to her and told her about it. She knew it. “Okay, okay,” she finally said. “I’m glad it will be you.”
Thomas stood up. “You might, also, want to know that Kirk left his father to drown in the lake at their lake house. Ernest Blankenship survived. He’s on the second floor now, but should be released to go home tomorrow.” He paused again and shuffled uncomfortably.
Cheryl looked up at him. “Let me guess—it’s about my mother?”
Thomas rubbed the back of his head. “You know, I truly believe that the Lord works in mysterious ways. Who would ever have thought that Olivia Rae Blankenship was your mother.”
“In title and name only,” Cheryl stiffened. “She is one woman who knows nothing about what it takes to be a mother. Last night was the first time I’ve laid eyes on her since I was 15 years old. She threw me out of the house when she found out I was pregnant. My father helped as much as he could by helping my grandmother support us both. My mother divorced him a month after I left—after that, we both lost complete touch with her—not that either of us really gave a damn about what had happened to her.”
“Well, she’s gone by several names since you last saw her,” Thomas answered back. “It would appear that she’s maintained a certain lifestyle these past 15 years by marrying well and divorcing quickly—usually with a substantial settlement. I have no doubt that is exactly what she had in mind when she first met Ernest Blankenship.”
“She’s a real piece of work, alright,” Cheryl smiled. “I hope that life eventually deals her the hand that she deserves.”
“Well, that might just happen. It seems that Mr. Blankenship’s housekeeper has been keeping a thorough log of Rae’s activities over the past four years. She has pawn tickets that your mother kept—it seems that she pawned several expensive pieces of jewelry owned by the first Mrs. Blankenship. That will be the first thing that we investigate—something tells me that we’ll be finding a lot more evidence to use against your mother.”
“She never even spoke to me,” Cheryl said, shaking her head. “Never acknowledged me at all while we were at the station.”
Jason wrapped an arm around Cheryl’s shoulder and kissed the top of her head. “Don’t give your mother a second thought, Cheryl—she’s not worth it. I’m just so glad that this whole ordeal is finally over…”
The door to Jimmy’s ICU room opened and a nurse came out. She walked over to the couple and smiled. “Your son is awake, and he’s asking for you both.”
EPILOGUE
- Heaven -
Welcome Home
Martin stood at the large screen with Max, Bertie, and Doug. He waved his hand and the images of Jimmy at home with his parents disappeared. He sighed and turned around. “Well, I must say, there is never a dull moment down there, is there?”
Doug shook his head. “Nope, one thing about it—life on earth is never dull. It looks like Jimmy will make a full recovery.”
“Yes, he will,” Max smiled. “I never doubted that he would tell the truth about what happened that night with Norman. That will side well for him when the authorities make their decision about what to do about his involvement.”
Doug nodded and smiled. “Thomas O’Brady told me that, most likely, Jimmy will receive probation for the part he played in all of that. He told the police everything he saw regarding Stella, too.”
“You know,” Bertie grunted. “I have to admit—she wasn’t on my list of favorites, but I hate that she had to die like that.” She turned to look at Martin. “I don’t suppose she was saved in time, was she?”
Martin shook his head. “No, Bertie. It didn’t really matter when or how Stella died. I don’t think she ever would have asked forgiveness for all her sins and accepted God as her Lord and Savior. Some people never do…”
“That’s too bad,” Max turned and put an arm around Bertie and Martin. “If people only knew what hell and damnation was like, and that it was real, I think the majority of them would make very different decisions.”
“Yes,” Martin nodded. “There are many people who think that Heaven doesn’t really exist and that they’re living in Hell while they’re on earth.”
“If they only knew—and believed,” Doug sighed. “Listen, I hate to leave all of you, but there’s someone I need to see while I’m here today.” He turned and floated quickly away into the whiteness of Heaven.
“Oh, I bet I know who it is!” Bertie laughed. “I’m sure he’ll tell us all about it later tonight.” She punched both Max and Martin hard against their shoulders and laughed. “I’ll catch both of you later. I have a lot to tell my husband about what went on this week. He enjoys hearing about everything from week to week—he said it’s better than any mystery book he’s ever read.” She didn�
��t wait for their replies—she simply shimmied away.
“She’s always so dramatic,” Martin said. “I mean, she could have simply floated away, but no, our Bertie has to make a production out of every exit, doesn’t she?”
Max laughed. “Bertie will never conform, Martin—she will never be the angel that you want her to be. You’ll just have to learn to accept that.” He turned back to the screen. “Can you show me what’s going on with everyone else, now that things have finally come to a close—for now, at least?”
“Oh, indeed!” Martin waved his hand and the large white screen with scrolling black lettering appeared. “Let’s see, now…who first?”
“Peggy Jensen,” Max nodded.
Martin flicked his hand again and Peggy’s life story appeared before them. “She is healing nicely, and will be transferred to a rehab center. It may be another couple of months before she is able to leave and function on her own. I have, no doubt, that Peggy will return home and make amends with her family. Her mother and sisters have already reached out to her.”
Max nodded. “What about Joe and Bernard?”
Martin snapped his fingers and Joe Sander’s story appeared. “Joe became a grandfather, for the first time—let’s see—oh, yes, it looks like the baby was born at the exact moment that Kirk Blankenship died. He’s going to be pitching in to help coach a Little League football team for the kids in his neighborhood. It looks as though the tight end his wife left him for dumped her a few months after she kicked Joe out. She’s trying to win Joe’s favor back again, but—that may take a lot of work on her part.”
“And Bernard?”
“Ah, yes—our leader of the three stooges,” Martin smiled. “It would seem that Bernard completely read his family wrong all those years ago. He thought that they only wanted him for the material things for which he could provide them, but that was all in Bernard’s head—it wasn’t true. His family has never given up looking for him, and waiting for him to come home to them. Now that he has, things will be very different, I believe. Oh, look! It looks like Bernard even agreed to go to church with his family this morning—now, that is progress!”
Max nodded. “I almost hate to ask about Ernest Blankenship.”
Martin sighed. “That one is heartbreaking. He has lost his only son—and before you even ask—no, Kirk Blankenship will never be reunited with his mother in Heaven. It was too little, too late for him, I’m afraid. Ernest is grieving, as one would expect him to, but he has turned his pain and grief over to God—and, God will get him through this. It may take a while, but Ernest will get through this. He’s lucky to have Miss Prissy by his side, too. Now that one! She’s a true believer—she will have a great impact on Ernest and his ability to move past all this.”
“What about the two other boys—David and Michael?”
Martin puckered his thick lips and shook his head. “Their fates and destinies are still up in the air, but it will be up to them to come to terms with what they have done. It will be up to them to accept blame and show true remorse. I have a feeling that David will come to terms with everything before Michael does—if, Michael ever does! Regardless, they will both have many years behind bars to think about the consequences of their youth.”
Max scratched his head in thought. “Oh, yes…and, Officer O’Brady?”
“Recently promoted to detective, largely in part to the role he played in all this,” Martin nodded. “That is one fine individual, that one is. He has a good heart.”
“Yes, he does,” Max smiled.
“Oh, and the best part about Thomas? Even he doesn’t know it yet, but he will before this time next week.” Martin laughed out loud. “I love it—I do! Thomas and his wife, Dottie, will become parents for the second time—with another set of twins!”
Max laughed out loud. “That is wonderful news! It’s a good thing he got a promotion out of all this. Oh, I’m curious about Cheryl and Jason, too. I don’t suppose you care to share a little of your insight into how that relationship might turn out, would you?”
“Well,” Martin wiggled his shoulders. “I don’t normally like to spoil the ending for anyone, but—YES—things will turn out marvelously for the two of them. Marriage is on the horizon, as well as permanent jobs for them both. All we have to hope for now is that Cheryl and Jimmy can continue to guide Jason down the religious path he needs to take.”
“Somehow,” Max grinned, “I don’t think that will be a difficult thing for them to do.” He sighed and took Martin’s hand. “Well, I think I’ll be off now, my old friend. I’ll catch up with you before we head back to the café.”
“Tsk, tsk!” Martin shook his finger at Max. “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”
Max went over the list of characters in his head. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Cheryl’s mother, of course!” Martin giggled. “Oh, I’ve saved the best for last. It’s true what they say, you know—what goes around comes around!”
“Meaning?” Max smiled. “You look like you’re about to burst.”
“Now, don’t get me wrong, Max—I will continue to pray for this woman’s soul, but a small part of me was hoping that this woman would finally get what she has dished out all these years.”
“That’s not a very Christian way to feel and think, Martin.”
Martin shook his head. “No, of course it isn’t, and I will have to ask for forgiveness, I’m sure, but…that woman was caught trying to sell more of Elizabeth Blankenship’s jewelry. Ernest reported the jewelry as stolen, and Olivia Rae has been arrested. Her husband has filed for divorce, and she has no money of her own to hire a fancy attorney to get her out of this mess. If the stolen jewelry wasn’t bad enough…” Martin laughed out loud. “Well, the night she stormed out of the police station after seeing Cheryl there, she got drunk and propositioned an off-duty police officer.” He giggled again. “She was charged with prostitution, no less!”
Max shook his head. “Oh, my goodness. I know exactly what Bertie would say about all that!”
The both felt invisible punches against their shoulders and heard Bertie’s raucous laughter. “Heh, heh! Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it fellas?”
“B-E-R-T-I-E!!!!”
Doug wasn’t sure if he would see Skipper today or not, but he was hoping he would. He had been ecstatic to find out that Skipper had arrived in Heaven because he wasn’t completely sure of what Skipper’s religious beliefs had been.
He wandered through several valleys before he finally reached the one he had in mind. He stood at the top of the hill and looked down on the lush, green grass, the blue sky and white clouds, and the flowers and butterflies filling every empty space.
He spotted the lone Veteran at once; Skipper was only about 100 yards ahead of him—walking down the hill, into the valley of soldiers. There were soldiers from almost every war—soldiers who died during World War I in 1917, all the way up to soldiers who had fought the War on ISIL. There were hundreds of thousands of them, and they all lifted their right hands in salute to Skipper as he made his way slowly down the hill.
Skipper stopped in mid-stride and stood motionless, looking down at the sea of soldiers below him. Tears of joy soaked his face when he saw all the young men he had fought with in Vietnam—all of them, healthy and whole again. He walked slowly into their arms and for the first time since his brother returned home—damaged from the Korean War—he felt loved and accepted for whom he was, and for what he had fought.
Doug joined the band of soldiers and hugged Skipper tight. “Every winner has scars, my friend. God will not look you over for medals or diplomas…but, for scars.” Doug hugged Skipper again. “I read that a long time ago, and always thought it especially applied to those of us who died as soldiers. Once a soldier…always a solider. You’re just marching with a different Army now.”
A gentle breeze began blowing through the valley and every soldier stood still and closed their eyes. They all knew what was coming next, because it had happened to each
of them, in turn.
“What is that?” Skipper asked Doug. “That breeze—it feels different from any I’ve ever felt before.”
“Just wait—close your eyes—and listen, my friend,” Doug smiled as he closed his own eyes.
Skipper closed his eyes and felt the warmth, love, and joy that surrounded the valley. He felt the breeze as it blew across his face, and he felt two strong arms embrace him—he knew, instinctively, that it was not Doug who hugged him now. Tears flowed freely from his eyes and a huge smile covered his face when he heard his Father speak.
“WELCOME HOME, MY SON…WELCOME HOME…”
“…whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” James 4:14:15 (NKJV)
THE END…yes, really, this time!
READERS: Thank you so much for taking the time to read my third book in THE HEAVENLY GRILLE CAFÉ series—STAR-SPANGELED REJECTS. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. If you did, please consider telling your friends about the series, and posting a short review on Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend, and your reviews are very much appreciated. — J. T. LIVINGSTON
If you enjoyed the poetry in this final story, feel free to check out the complete book of poetry, entitled, “Eyes of the Eagle”, by Edwin C. Livingston, available online at Lulu.com.
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