“People like that don’t just let you walk away.”
She swiped a few stray tears. “I made him go to counseling. Told him I’d tell your dad if he didn’t. Neil didn’t like it, but he did it. I thought he was doing better.” She flicked a glance at him and shoved the napkin pieces away. “I searched his room every day and never found anything else. He had that good job at the construction company. He was going all over the city working and he seemed happy enough. Every once in a while he’d get an out-of-town job. He was doing well. I thought.”
School had never been Neil’s strong point, and their parents hadn’t pushed the issue when he’d dropped out to work full-time. As long as he was working, they were happy to let him live with them until he saved enough to go out on his own.
“Then one afternoon, he’d just come home from an out-of-town job. I checked the bathroom and found a little pouch of white powder. When I asked him about it, he took it and said it wasn’t what I thought. He was just holding it for a friend.” Tears clouded her blue eyes and she swallowed hard. “I’m not stupid, Jordan. I figured he was using again. He denied it, of course, but I knew.”
“Oh, Mom, why didn’t you say something?”
“I hadn’t said anything to your father the first time. This time I was going to say something, and Neil knew it. He stormed out and I never saw him again.” Her voice cracked on the last word. Jordan squeezed her fingers and she took a steadying breath. “He left to go on that trip to Mexico. I was trying to figure out how to tell your father before Neil came home. The next call we got was from Neil saying he was in jail, that he was being wrongly held. And then later, from the police saying he was dead.”
“You kept that from me?”
Jordan and his mother swiveled as one to see his father standing in the doorway, face pale. The sick look in his eyes shouted his betrayal. Jordan’s stomach sank.
His mother sighed and nodded. “I did. And before you say anything, I thought long and hard about it before I did it. I was scared your heart couldn’t take it.”
“Then we have a lot to talk about.”
“I guess we do.”
Jordan rose. “I’m sorry.”
“Why did you decide to tell us this now?” his mother asked.
Before Jordan could answer, his father asked, “It’s because of Katie Randall, isn’t it?”
Jordan considered acting like he didn’t know what he was talking about, but couldn’t do it. “Part of it’s about her. I won’t lie, I’m interested in dating her and getting to know her better.” He paused and rubbed his eyes. “I’ve been debating whether to say anything to you since I read the autopsy report.”
“Wish you’d said something before now,” his dad said.
Jordan looked him in the eye. “No, you don’t.”
Tears filled his father’s eyes, and he blinked them back. “I’m not sure I believe it.”
“I know. It’s hard to swallow.” He glanced at his mother, who stared at her hands. “Talk to Mom. Work it out. Don’t let Neil’s death destroy you two. He may have been into some bad stuff, but he loved you guys.” A sob broke from his mother’s throat, but she nodded her agreement.
Jordan hugged each parent, letting them cling a little longer than usual. “I’m sorry.” He couldn’t seem to stop apologizing. Because he really was sorry. Sorry Neil had gotten into drugs. Sorry his mother had carried such a burden. Sorry his dad was feeling betrayed by his new knowledge. And sorry Neil was dead.
“Could we pray together?”
His mother’s shaky question rattled him. Of course they needed to pray. He nodded and pulled his father to his feet. The man stood silent, refusing to say anything, but Jordan’s mother gripped his hand and he didn’t pull away. Jordan prayed from his heart, asking God’s divine intervention in this painful way. And forgiveness for all involved.
“Amen.”
“Amen,” his mother whispered.
Jordan looked at his parents. “I was wondering if Katie could come in.”
His mother looked startled. “What?”
“She’s in the car.”
“All this time, you’ve left her there?”
Jordan felt heat rise from his neck. “I needed to talk to you first.”
“No.” Jordan’s father took a deep breath. “I’m not ready to see her.”
“But Dad, I told you what happened. It’s not Katie’s fault.”
“She still arrested him and put him in that cage with those animals.” Stubborn pain glinted in the man’s eyes and Jordan knew it might be hopeless to argue, but he had to try.
“Because Neil was driving drunk. He even took a swing at her. You’re still in denial, Dad. You’ve got to realize that continuing to blame Katie for Neil’s decisions isn’t going let you heal. It’s just going to keep your bitterness boiling until one day it’s out of control and you have nothing left except that bitterness.” Jordan knew he sounded harsh, but coddling his parents and handling them with kid gloves hadn’t helped them move on. Still, he took a deep breath and softened his tone. “Think about it, Dad. You’re going to grow into a bitter old man if you don’t let this go.”
His father jerked as though Jordan had reached out and punched him. He turned on his heel and left the room.
“Give us some time.” His mother took a deep breath. “I have a feeling we’re going to be talking a lot over the next several hours. Probably days.”
Jordan nodded. Maybe she was right. Seeing Katie right now wouldn’t be good. They both needed to process what they’d just learned about their dead son.
He gave his mom another hug. “Call me if you need to. I’ll check on you later.”
She nodded and Jordan headed for the front door, hoping Katie wasn’t ready to kill him for making her wait so long.
FOURTEEN
Katie was ready to kill the man. She was sore all over and had a headache that wouldn’t quit. Thankfully he’d left the car running with the heat on, or she’d be freezing, too. It was only the fact that she was warm that kept her from biting his head off when he slipped into the driver’s seat and gripped the steering wheel.
Then she got a glimpse of the pain on his face, and her anger melted like ice cream on a hot summer day. She reached over and placed a hand over his. “Are you going to be okay?”
In one move he pulled her into a hug, burying his face in her neck. Stunned, she sat there, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders. A shudder went through him. “That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I’ll be all right. I just pray they will be, too.”
The need to comfort him swept over her and she just let him cling to her in spite of the physical pain his embrace caused her.
He shifted to place lips over hers. A light kiss at first, as though he was saying thank you. She felt his deep sorrow, the tightly leashed control on his grief—and his unspoken need for comfort. She kissed him back and let time stand still.
When he lifted his head, he sighed and closed his eyes. “Thank you for being here.”
Katie cleared her throat, trying to dislodge the lump of tears that had gathered. “Sure.”
“They’re not ready to see you yet.”
“So you don’t want me to go inside?”
“No. I think it’s better if we let them digest everything I told them and try again another day.”
She swallowed hard. “All right.”
“Mom knew about Neil.” The words sounded forced, painful. Then they registered.
“She knew?”
He nodded. “And she kept it from my dad. He’s not happy with her.”
“Oh, dear. I’m so sorry. Are they going to be all right?”
“I hope so.”
He cranked the car and backed out of the carport. Katie touched his arm and pointed at his mother, who was walking toward them. He stopped the car in the driveway. “She’s got something.”
Jordan’s mother approached the vehicle, carrying two cups with lids. Her
smile was strained, but at least it was there. Jordan rolled the window down and she handed him the cups. “Hot apple cider.”
Jordan passed one to Katie. Stunned, she took it. “Thank you, Mrs. Gray.”
Jordan’s mother bit her lip, then sighed. “You’re welcome.” Then she leaned in and pressed a kiss to her son’s forehead. “Please be careful.” She flicked a glance to Katie and once more offered a wobbly smile. “Goodbye.”
“Bye.”
Then she was back in the house and Katie was left staring at the front door. “Wow. Didn’t expect that one.”
“Tell me about it,” Jordan murmured. But Katie could see the hope in his eyes and for the first time since Neil’s death, she thought forgiveness might come from his parents.
Katie’s phone rang as they pulled away from the house. She glanced at the number and did a double take. Her lieutenant. “This is Detective Randall.”
“Katie, how are you feeling?”
“I’m sore and banged up, but nothing that will keep me down for long.”
“Good, good, I’m glad to hear it. I was wondering when you plan to come back to work.”
Katie swallowed. She’d planned to take advantage of every minute of leave she could get to work on Lucy’s case, but… “I have four days of medical leave, but do you have something you need me to cover?”
“We’re having a rash of crime here and I’m short staffed because of the flu. If you’re able to help at all, I’d appreciate it. I’ll give you some time off later. If the doc says no go, I understand. I don’t want you to push it.”
She was going to push it, whether it was working on Lucy’s case or one he had for her. “Tell me what you need.”
“I’ve got a dead body dumped off the highway along I-85 North. Gregory’s already on his way. Can you meet him there?”
Katie bit her lip. She didn’t want to be interrupted, but she knew she needed to do this for her boss. “I can be there in ten minutes.”
“Thanks, Katie. I owe you.”
“Sure.” She hung up and looked at Jordan. “I need you to drop me off.”
“Leave is up, huh?”
“Yes. For now. If I was truly incapacitated, it wouldn’t be an issue, but I’m not.”
“You’ll be with your partner and a whole slew of other law enforcement personnel, right?”
“Right.”
“It still may not be safe. I mean if he’s got a sniper rifle—”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ve got to do my job. I’m not going to let him take this from me, too. You can stay, if you want.”
He narrowed his eyes as he thought, and at first she thought he might decide to stay. Then he shook his head. “You should be safe enough at the crime scene, and your buddies won’t want me hanging around.”
“We’re not a territorial group.” He scoffed, and she laughed. “Okay, okay. I wouldn’t mind you there, but you might get a few looks from the others.”
“I may go back to my office and look at the pictures from the neighborhood again.”
“Call me if you come up with anything?”
“Absolutely.”
Jordan dropped her at the crime scene, scoped out the area for the next twenty minutes, and when he didn’t find anything or anyone that posed a danger to Katie, he headed for the office. He had an idea he wanted to implement.
Once in the office, he pulled Lucy’s file and went straight for the pictures. He studied them one by one and gave a grunt of satisfaction when he thought he found what he was looking for. He picked up the phone and called Danny Jackson.
“Jackson here.”
“Jordan Gray. I was wondering if you’d have a few minutes to talk about Lucy Randall.”
A heavy sigh filtered through the line. “You still gnawing on that one like a dog with a bone, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I guess I am.”
“Then all right. But you gotta come to me. I’m down at McGee’s Café.”
Jordan grimaced. A thirty-minute drive. “All right. Don’t leave, it’ll take me half an hour to get there.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Got nowhere to go.”
Jordan gathered the photos and slid them back into the file. Then he grabbed his phone and sent a text to Katie, letting her know what he was doing. And begged her to stay with someone in order to ensure her safety until he got back.
She sent him a text assuring him she was surrounded by law enforcement and would let him know when she was finished. He tucked his phone into his pocket and sent up a prayer for her safety. And for God to bring closure to this search for Lucy—one way or another.
FIFTEEN
Katie did her best to keep her back from being exposed to any place she thought might be a good spot for a sniper to draw a bead on her. Out on the highway, trees lined the road for miles. Lots of hiding places. She noticed Gregory keeping an eye on her and the area around them, too. He said, “You all right?”
“I’ve been better, but I’m making it.”
“Mom wanted to have flowers delivered, but you’d already been released. I told her to send them on to the hospital, you’d probably be back tomorrow.”
She gave him a light punch on his arm. “You’re hilarious.” She pointed. “Who do we have here?”
He turned serious, all business now. “You’re not going to believe it.”
She lifted a brow. “Try me.”
“It’s Norman Rhames.”
Katie gaped for a full two seconds, then snapped her mouth shut. She rubbed her head and stared down at the body. “You’re right. I don’t believe it. I take it the lieutenant didn’t know who he was when he sent me out here?”
“Nope. We just got confirmation on his identity about a minute before you drove up.”
“I’ll keep my hands off the investigation since there’s a possible connection to Wray, but since I’m here, will you tell me what you know?”
“He was shot in the back of the head. Execution style.”
Katie narrowed her eyes. “Now that’s just shouting for an investigation. I want to know the connection between Norman Rhames and Wesley Wray.”
Gregory pursed his lips. “You don’t think it’s a coincidence?”
“There’s no way this is a coincidence.”
He nodded. “I agree.”
Katie got on her phone and called Jordan. He answered with, “Are you okay?”
In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Katie almost had to smile at his instant question. “What makes you ask that?”
“Cute.”
“I’m also fine. Guess who our dead guy is?”
“Who?”
She filled him in. “You want to use your FBI contacts and see if you can find a connection between Wesley Wray and Norman Rhames sometime before Christmas?”
Katie felt a little disloyal to her department, but the FBI had more resources than a local department. With one phone call, Jordan would probably find what she wanted to know within the hour.
Her phone buzzed and she lifted a brow at the name that popped on the screen. “Hello, Detective Miller, what can I do for you?”
“You working that dead body on the highway?”
“I am.”
“Heard it on the scanner. Thought you were on medical leave.”
“I did, too.”
He gave a half laugh, half snort. “Flu’s swept through this department like a tsunami.” He paused. “I got to thinking about your sister’s case.”
She stepped to the side out of the way of the crime scene unit that had just arrived. “Why’s that?”
Gregory shot her a curious look that she ignored. She kept her back to a tree and let her gaze probe the area. Nothing set off her alarms. No rustling leaves, no shadowy figures. Nothing. Her muscles relaxed a fraction.
“Because you won’t leave it alone and…” He paused.
“And?”
“And I might not have put some things in the notes that should have been there.”
Her stomach knotted. “Why would you do that?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” he snapped. “I was going through a bad time that year. But that wasn’t your sister’s fault, and she deserved a better investigation than she got.” He paused and she thought she heard him swallow. “If you’ll meet me somewhere, I’ll do my best to tell you everything I remember. I don’t know if it’ll do any good, but I’ll tell you. And give you the notes that I made. I only have one copy and I don’t want to fax them or email them anywhere. I don’t want anyone stumbling across them.”
The rough edge to his voice captured her attention one hundred percent. She looked around. “When and where can we meet?”
Another pause. “This can’t get out, Katie. If it’s known I didn’t exactly do my job, my name will be mud around the department. No one will look at me the same. I don’t want anyone to know we’re meeting. This has to be completely confidential or it’s going to come back to bite me.”
“I won’t say a word, Frank. I just want to find my sister.” She stuffed down the anger she wanted to heap on this man’s head. She couldn’t blast him. Not yet. Not when he might have more information on Lucy. She looked around. “Give me another thirty minutes. Where do you want me to meet you?”
He gave her the address, and she memorized it. “I’ll see you shortly.”
*
Jordan pulled into the parking lot of the local pub. His buddy at Quantico had promised to get back to him within an hour with the connection between the two parolees. If he could find one. Jordan figured he would.
Katie sounded like she was fine, and Jordan offered up a prayer for the Lord to keep her that way.
He stepped inside the restaurant and spotted Danny Jackson at the bar nursing a drink and watching a football game on the television hanging from the wall. Jordan slipped onto the stool beside him. “Thanks for waiting for me.”
“Like I said, I didn’t have anywhere else to be. My wife died last year after a two-year battle with cancer, and I’ve just been going through the motions until I can join her.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
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