“Sure.” He left the circle and found Nicole, waiting. She grabbed his hand and together they walked to the elevator, then out to the truck. A worried frown knitted across her forehead.
“You’re going to tell them?”
He sighed. “I don’t see any other way. Besides, I should’ve told them before. They’re my brothers, after all, and I think they can help.”
“How?”
“You’ll understand as soon as I explain it all,” he told her. “Where do you want to go? Back to the inn? I’d rather not tell this in front of Rick, Mary, and assorted guests.”
“Let’s go home.”
Jude glanced at her. “Home?”
Her smile remained as placid as a lake on a summer’s day. “I meant your house, Jude.”
He grinned. “Then home we go.”
They sat together on the porch steps as the evening shadows expanded into dusk. The wind turned brisk but they lingered, side by side, sharing the few moments of solitude. On the way from the hospital, they had picked up a ‘take and bake’ pizza. As it cooked, the delicious aroma of sausage and pepperoni spread through the house. It wafted outside and after about ten minutes, Jude said, “The pizza’s probably about done.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” she said.
By mutual agreement, they saved the heavy conversation for later and talked about small things as they savored the pizza. Afterward, Jude headed to the living room and settled into his recliner. He thought Nicole would sit in the other but she opted for his mom’s maple rocker. Her petite frame fit it, Jude thought, and when she began to rock with a slow, steady rhythm, it moved him.
“So, I guess I’ll tell you why I’m here,” he said. “Want me to start at the beginning?”
Nicole nodded. “That’s always a good place.”
“Well, like you know, I graduated from high school here after playing football,” he said. He paused to gather his thoughts for a moment. “Then I tried college for a couple of years but it wasn’t really my kind of environment. So I joined the Navy and did ten years. I was on battleships and submarines. I enjoyed both but after a few years I missed the land more than I loved the sea. I suppose I’m a landlubber at heart, so I got out and went to work for the DOJ, Department of Justice, for ATF. I’ve been a special agent for about five years, which just happens to be how long it’s been since my daddy died. I came home for the funeral and then reported to my supervisor in DC.”
“Does your family know?”
He shrugged both shoulders. “I never bothered to share that I’d made a career change. I worked for the government before, in the Navy, so it never seemed important. After all, I’m normally not here so it didn’t matter. And when I left after Daddy’s funeral, I wasn’t sure how my new job would go so I waited. I just never got around to telling them.”
A slight frown creased her forehead. “So your family thinks you came home to stay? And that you’re out of the Navy?”
“I think so. I’m going to tell them the truth now.”
“Will they be angry?”
Jude considered the possibility. “Maybe, but I doubt it. I think they’ll understand.”
She rocked the chair back and forth, the sound against the hardwood floors familiar. “I hope so. Tell me why you’re here, then, if it’s an assignment.”
“Okay. You know what ATF stands for, right?”
“Alcohol, tobacco, and firearms, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, that’s it. And the violations range from minor to international crime rings. There’s long been a problem in this area with making moonshine, illegal hooch. It’s gone from the old-fashioned hillbilly making liquor for his family or to thwart the government, to avoid paying taxes into big business. Homemade whiskey is making its way out of the Ozarks into other regions and across state lines. Some of it is such poor quality, with nasty ingredients like anti-freeze, that it’s killed a few. There’ve been cases where people have gone blind or been permanently disabled from the stuff. So when the Department of Justice decided to put a stop to it, they chose me. I’m from the area so they thought I could get familiar in ways an outsider never could.”
“That makes sense.”
“Yeah, it does. So they asked me to come back, gave me a time line, and hoped I could track down the moonshiners within six months. I came home in May and now that it’s October, my supervisor is riding my ass. I’ve hung around all the usual places, tasted more cheap whiskey in back road bars than you can imagine, and until the other night at the football game, I had nothing.”
Nicole’s eyes widened and she stopped rocking. “You found something there?”
“Yeah, honey. When I walked you to the restrooms, I stepped around behind to see what a bunch of guys were up to and I ran into Junior Wetzel…”
“That’s the guy who was at the hospital earlier?”
“That’s him. He handed me a jar of moonshine and dared me to take a drink. So I did, to see if it was what I thought. It was and damn poor quality. He had shared it around with some kids, Josh included. And I imagine it’s what ol’ Junior was drinking when he hit David’s truck. Before, it was my job and a duty. Now it’s personal. It makes me want to see justice done all the more.”
“Jude, I understand.” Her voice sounded so sad. She sighed and then stood up. He thought she would come to him, but instead Nicole paced the floor. “I’m glad you told me and I agree, you should tell your family. Why didn’t you before?”
Even he didn’t really know why but he told as much of the truth as possible. “The less they know, the safer they’ll be,” he said. “Now I need their help to see it through.”
“Oh.” Nicole walked over to the window and fingered the lace curtains his mother hung decades ago. He had taken them down and washed them when he moved in, a good thing now. “I hope you won’t think less of me when I tell you about my past and my ex-husband.”
“Honey, I’m not one to judge someone based on another person’s actions.”
She turned to face him. “I hope not. Here’s the short version. My husband, Simon Norris, had a big insurance agency in Memphis. McAdoo, by the way, is my maiden name. I started using it again after the divorce was final, right before I came to Missouri. Anyway, he was crooked. He cooked up schemes and defrauded the parent company more times than I could count, and that’s just the ones I know about. I imagine there were more. He didn’t treat me very well. I always wanted children and he didn’t. Simon expected me to keep the house perfect and to be available anytime he wanted me, whether it was for a quickie or to be on his arm at some social gathering. He ran up gambling debts down at the Tunica casinos and in some backroom poker games. I never quite managed to be the wife he wanted. I was never smart enough, pretty enough, or could do the right thing at the right time.”
Jude listened and although he knew most of it, hearing it made him angry. She kept her eyes on the floor as she spoke and something in her demeanor prompted him to ask, “Honey, did he hurt you physically?”
Nicole lifted her head and nodded. Tears shimmered in her eyes. “He did, a few times. He forced me to tell lies to the hospital. Once, he knocked me down the stairs and I told them I tripped and fell. I said the coffeepot handle came off in my hand to explain the second-degree burns when he threw his cup of coffee at me.”
Rage threatened to erupt and send Jude across state lines to visit Mr. Norris in prison. “If I ever meet that son-of-a-bitch, I’ll kill him.”
A faint smile crossed her lips, then faded. “Thank you, but he’s not worth it. I’d rather put it all behind me and move forward.”
He opened his arms. “Then come here and let me hold you.”
“There’s one more thing I have to say, then I will. Simon hated my folks and tried to sever the relationship. They didn’t care for him and loathed how he treated me. So he wrote up an expensive policy on their home and put his name as the beneficiary. Then he burned down their house and they died in the fire.”
Her
level voice told Jude more about her grief than if she’d stormed or wept. “I’m sorry, Nicole,” he told her. “I can’t begin to know what to say to make it better, but I’m sorry.”
A smile lit her face like sunshine after a hard rain. “Thanks, Jude. They caught Simon, though, and he’s in prison for both arson and murder. I’m sorry it happened but now I’m glad in a weird way, because if it hadn’t, I’d still be unhappily living my old life in Memphis. I’d rather be here with you.”
“Oh, honey.” His voice broke on the endearment and then she came into his arms. He pulled her onto his lap and they shared the recliner, not kissing, just holding tight and loving.
Chapter Eleven
In his earliest memories, Sunday dinners were special. His mother’s fried chicken often graced the table and if not there might be a roast beef or a ham. Jude remembered that she always baked cake or pie on Sundays, a special dessert to savor. Although the farmhouse lacked a proper dining room, he’d kept the same table in the kitchen, one long enough for six Ryker kids and two parents to fit. After Mama died, the tradition of an old-fashioned Sunday dinner faded away over the years. By the time Jude left for college, then the Navy, such meals were nothing but memories. Even holiday dinners were held elsewhere, at Adam’s or Esther’s home.
For the first time in more years than he cared to count, the table had been set with his mother’s ancient blue willowware dishes. He had managed to find a tablecloth, too. Thanks to Nicole’s efforts, the delicious aromas of a meal in the making floated throughout the house. A large roast ringed with potatoes and carrots would come out of the oven soon and she had also baked a ham. A large pan of corn simmered on the stove and Nicole had made a double batch of biscuits, ready to bake when the roast finished. On the countertop, an oatmeal cake with coconut icing waited for dessert.
“I’ll make the gravy last,” Nicole said. She pushed back a few stray tendrils of hair from her face. “What time are they coming?”
“I told them one or one thirty.” Jude had invited his brothers over for dinner so he could talk to them without interruption. After debating whether or not to include his sisters and the families, he decided to wait. First, he’d share with the men, then they could tell the rest of them if necessary. Since his culinary skills were minimal, he’d enlisted Nicole’s help. Besides, she knew the truth. “It shouldn’t be more than a half hour or so now.”
Jude expected three different vehicles but his brothers arrived together, riding in Elijah’s Dodge truck. Country fashion, they came around to the back door and didn’t bother to knock but strolled inside as Nicole pulled the biscuits from the oven. Noah whistled his appreciation.
“Shit, the old place looks nice, Jude. I didn’t know you’d cleaned it up this much.”
“Had to,” Jude said. “Come on in, you all, and grab a seat.”
They took their places at the table as Jude helped Nicole carry the food. Steam rose from the various platters and bowls as he settled into the end seat. Without thinking about it, he asked a brief blessing, an old habit he thought he’d grown out of a long time ago, and they filled their plates.
“So, Jude, what’s the story?” Elijah asked. “You’ve called us over and we’re here.”
“Don’t you want to eat first?” Jude grinned. Rykers hated bullshit—must be in the DNA.
Adam swallowed a bite of roast beef. “Damn, that’s good,” he said. “No, we can talk and eat at the same time, if you don’t mind. I’m curious to know what’s going on, and a little worried, too.”
Jude shook his head. Guess I’ll always be the little brother and the blackest sheep of the clan. Funny, I don’t mind the way I used to. “No need to worry, Adam,” he said. “Here’s the deal—I’m not in the Navy any longer.”
After a moment, Noah snorted. “Well, that’s not news. We all know that or you wouldn’t be home. I don’t know what happened, but…”
“I haven’t been in the service for more than five years now,” Jude said. This time, they went silent. “I wasn’t in the Navy when I came home to bury Daddy.”
“Now you’ve got my attention,” Elijah said. “So what in hell have you been doing, Jude?”
“I work for the DOJ,” he told them. “I’m a special agent for the ATF division. I live and operate out of Washington, DC, but I’ve been just about everywhere these past few years.”
The three other Rykers at the table exchanged glances. Adam spoke first, his voice soft and even. “I’ll be damned, Jude. I never figured.”
Noah whooped aloud. “I told you he was probably some kind of cop or something,” he said. “I said that a long time ago and since he’s back.”
Elijah put down his fork. “Now I understand you talking about justice, Jude,” he said. “Tell me this, are you back home on a case?”
“It’s why I came, yeah.” Jude said. “I’m here to find and bust a major illegal moonshine operation in this part of the state. And since May, I hadn’t found a lead until the other night.”
Adam’s eyes widened. “Junior Wetzel, I bet.”
“Yeah.” Jude sketched how he’d come across Junior passing around a jar of moonshine and described their conversation. Noah’s expression soured when Jude mentioned that his son, Josh, had been one of the group, although he’d left when he saw his uncle. Everyone knew Junior’s role in David’s accident and as he explained how they could help, the brothers nodded.
“I need your eyes and ears,” Jude told them. “Someone around here knows damn well what’s going down, or at least suspects it. I don’t imagine Junior’s acting alone. I’m pretty sure he’s not the brains behind the operation. It’s too big for that but he’s a low-level player and he can lead me to the whole shooting shebang. I’ll do the investigation and tromping over the hills to find the still, but you can help me do it a hell of a lot faster. Will you?”
“Yes,” Adam said.
“Hell, yes,” Noah chimed in.
“You bet we will,” Elijah told him.
Jude smiled. “I knew you would.” Brothers, he thought, you could count on them. “Let’s eat.”
After the meal, the Rykers lingered. They asked questions about Jude’s work and offered insights into the community he’d missed after years away. Jude learned who had drinking problems and who ran on the wrong side of the law.
“Sierra’s funeral is Tuesday,” Elijah said as Nicole cut generous slabs of cake. “Half the county will be there. I bet Junior shows up and I wouldn’t doubt whoever else may be involved does, too. David wants to go but he won’t be able to so I told him Tania and I would be there in his place. Jude, since as far as anyone knows, you don’t have a regular job, I thought I’d ask you to stay with David at the hospital to keep him company.”
“I can do that, sure. How’s he doing?”
“He’s healing. It’s gonna be awhile, though, with his busted leg and the emotional damage. He thought the sun rose and set on that girl so he’s having a hard time with her death. He’s been blaming himself and I’ve told him he shouldn’t.”
Talk turned to the past as they shared memories. After Elijah and Noah headed off to the barn in search of some of their dad’s old fishing lures, Adam turned to Jude with a worried frown.
“Kid, tell me the truth,” he said. The old nickname, familiar during childhood and unused for decades, put a warm glow around Jude’s heart. “Is your work as a special agent dangerous?”
Jude shrugged. He made a mental tally—shot twice, stabbed once, beaten hard enough to require medical care six times in five years—and he nodded. “It can be, Adam.”
“Is that why you didn’t tell any of us why you’re back?”
“It’s a big part of it, yeah,” Jude replied.
Adam pondered his answer but he looked troubled. “What happens after you finish here, if you find the moonshiners? You leave and go back to Washington, DC, and don’t come back for another five or ten years?”
Although that had been his plan when he returned,
Jude wasn’t certain. “I don’t know, Adam.”
“Or do you want to stay and build something with that woman?”
He wanted to, very much. If he’d learned nothing else by coming home, Jude realized he belonged here. He fit, like the right size shoe to a foot. And he’d reinforced his beliefs in the power of family. His love for Nicole provided a powerful persuasion, too. She might fit into his life in DC, but he had trouble visualizing it. “I’d like that, Adam, but I just don’t know. First, I have to get through this investigation before I can think about it.”
“Fair enough,” Adam said. “I’m glad you’re back for whatever reason, and I’d like to see you stay. But for Christ’s sake, be careful, Jude.”
“I plan to.” He would—there was too much to lose if he wasn’t.
After his brothers had gone, Jude fiddled with the old stereo from his teenage years until he tuned in a country music station. He settled into his recliner and Nicole joined him, sitting in the other one at his side. The aroma of the meal remained in the air, providing a comforting sense of home. “So, do you think it went well?” he asked.
“I do,” she replied. “They weren’t mad and promised to help.”
“Yeah,” he said with a long sigh of contentment.
“So what happens now?”
“Tomorrow I start nosing around to see if I can find out anything about where Junior’s getting his supply, but I have to be low-key about it. Then Tuesday I’ll sit with David at the hospital while everyone else attends his girlfriend’s funeral. It’s gonna get busy now.”
Nicole reached over and put her hand in his. “Did you mean it? Would you like to stay?”
“You heard me and Adam, I guess.”
“Yes.”
“Then you know I would, honey. I need to get through this investigation first, though, then see what happens.”
“I’m good with that,” she said. They sat, hands linked, in a comfortable silence for some time.
Although it wasn’t evening, the sunlight faded and the sky viewed through the windows darkened. Jude hadn’t bothered to check the weather forecast but when he heard the first patter of rain, he grinned. He enjoyed rainy days when he had time to do nothing but enjoy. They listened to the radio and sometimes spoke. He savored her hand in his and dozed, he thought, in a brief nap.
Ryker’s Justice Page 8