Down the Broken Road
Page 23
“I understand, ma’am…” He looked back at Rachel. “Uh … we just wanted to tell you that, officially, your daughter is no longer suspected of the crime for which she was … that we were attempting to arrest her for.”
“I coulda told you she shouldn’t have been no suspect in the first place. If y’all woulda just listened the first time around.” Bailey paused for a moment to cough and adjust her glasses. “Is that all you came here to tell me?”
“We would also like to let you know that we’ve identified the men responsible for—”
“You can save all that for Tyler’s family. It don’t have nothin’ to do with me.” Her voice cracked and her lips quivered. “I lost my girl. I can’t go back into my house no more. And I sure as hell can’t sell it. What am I supposed to do?” She pointed at Brandon, who looked like he knew that something was wrong but continued to push his trucks around because he didn’t know what else to do. “That little boy is leavin’ me at the end of this month. I wish I could take care of him, but I can’t. I’m too old now. I gotta give him up for adoption.”
Rachel’s eyes were welling. She stepped closer and said, “I’m sorry.”
Bailey looked at her in disbelief. “You’re what?”
Penter said, “Mrs. Bailey, we recognize that this was a tragedy. But our investigation was done in accordance with—”
“I’m sorry,” Rachel said louder. “I’m sorry that I didn’t know earlier that your daughter was innocent. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to talk her down before she pointed her gun at a deputy. And I’m sorry that you and Brandon have to live the rest of your lives without her.”
“Hmph. Well, you didn’t apologize for shootin’ her.”
“I can’t be sorry for that.” Rachel wiped her eyes. “That’s a hard thing for me to say. And I’m sure it’s even harder to hear, but that’s how it is. Lauren put a man in danger, and it was my duty to protect him.”
Bailey took a minute to absorb that. She said, “So that’s it, then?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Rachel said. “That’s it.”
“Well, I guess you all have told me what you came here to say.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Rachel turned and went to the door, opened it but hesitated for a second. She glanced across the room and saw that Bailey’s eyes were still on her. There was sadness, but no anger. Perhaps a hint of appreciation for her apology. And that was the best Rachel could hope for.
Outside, Penter closed the door, jogged down the steps, and fell in beside her. They walked quietly until they got to Rachel’s car. Then Penter gave her a weak smile and said, “I guess they can’t all be happy endings.”
Rachel looked back at Bailey’s trailer. “It’s good enough for me.”
Author Biography
While J. R. Backlund’s heart resides in North Carolina, where he was born, his parents transplanted him to the Sunshine State before he was old enough to put up a fight. Prior to writing his first novel, he studied journalism at the University of Florida, then took a thirteen-year detour in construction management before getting back to telling stories. He lives in Jacksonville with his wife and their three furry children—they don’t like it when he calls them dogs.
ALSO AVAILABLE BY J. R. BACKLUND
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This is a work of fiction. All of the names, characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real or actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 by Jason Backlund
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Crooked Lane Books, an imprint of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.
Crooked Lane Books and its logo are trademarks of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.
Library of Congress Catalog-in-Publication data available upon request.
ISBN (hardcover): 978-1-68331-740-1
ISBN (ePub): 978-1-68331-741-8
ISBN (ePDF): 978-1-68331-742-5
Cover design by Melanie Sun
Book design by Jennifer Canzone
Printed in the United States.
www.crookedlanebooks.com
Crooked Lane Books
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First Edition: October 2018
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