“You weren’t. The call from Mike Grabonsky was only a ruse to get you here. No one caught you leaving the mall that night.”
“Now what happens?” Senator Lester asked.
“Now you go to jail for the murder of Pedro Catano.”
Senator Lester stood up and pulled out the Glock from his pocket. He aimed it at Callaway. “I don’t think so. I doubt very much that you also recorded this conversation of ours.”
“I didn’t have to,” Callaway replied. “There are two detectives sitting in a parked car outside the house. They know I am not carrying a weapon. This means you can’t shoot me and argue self-defense. Plus, I bet that gun you are holding is registered to Paul, which means there’s no way he could have shot Pedro, and there is definitely no way for you to pin my death on him when he is at his mother’s house right now, surrounded by a press mob.”
Senator Lester contemplated Callaway’s words.
“There is no way out, sir. Drop the weapon and give yourself up.”
A wan smile crossed Senator Lester’s face. “There’s always a way out,” he said bitterly.
He aimed the gun squarely at Callaway’s head.
Callaway stood frozen.
Senator Lester turned the gun around and placed it in his mouth.
Before Callaway could stop him, he pulled the trigger.
His skull exploded, and he dropped to the floor like a rag doll.
Senator Barron Lester was dead before he hit the floor.
NINETY-FOUR
Callaway was in his office when there was a knock at the door. He got up to check and found Paul standing by the door with a smile on his face. Paul looked better than the last time he had seen him at his mother’s house. The past week or so had taken a toll on him, but now, a tremendous weight was off his shoulders, and his relief showed on his face. He no longer looked like a man who was contemplating suicide.
All charges had been dropped against him. Dr. Richard Lester would go on trial for the murder of Kyla Gardener, and Senator Lester had already paid the ultimate price for Pedro Catano’s murder.
“What are you doing here?” Callaway asked.
“I thought I should come and thank you in person.”
Callaway shrugged. “You thanked me enough on the phone already.”
“I know, but it still wasn’t enough,” Paul said. “Without your help, I would probably be in prison, or dead.”
Callaway did not know how to reply.
Paul said, “Detective Holt dropped by to see me this morning.”
Callaway was surprised. “He did?”
“He apologized for the way he pursued me in Kyla’s death.”
“And what was your reply?”
“I accepted it. I mean, it’s not every day a lead investigator comes to your door to say he’s sorry.”
“If I were in your place, I would have squeezed every drop of the apology out of Holt.”
Paul was silent. He then lowered his head. “I never imagined my life would turn out this way.”
“I think it turned out for the better,” Callaway said.
Paul looked at him. “How?”
“Your wife, your brother-in-law, and your father-in-law are out of the picture. The Lester family tried to destroy you, but they ended up destroying themselves. You are free to do whatever you want with your life. If you choose, you can travel on that boat of yours now. Plus, with your wife dead, you’re Kyla’s next of kin, which means all the money she was going to inherit will come to you.”
“I would rather have my daughter than the money,” Paul said. “Even if she wasn’t my blood, I still loved her.”
“You’re a good man, Paul. I thought that the moment I met you.”
Paul pulled out an envelope and held it out for Callaway.
“What is this?” Callaway asked.
“Your fee for the job you did to prove my innocence.”
“I told you I was going to waive my fee.”
“I know, but I’m still paying it.”
Callaway peeked inside the envelope. There was a stack of hundred-dollar bills. “That’s a lot of money, Paul.”
“It’s the money I would have paid Roth for the trial anyway. I figured you should have it instead.”
“But…”
“Take it. I would have had to pay Roth three times what I’m giving you now, so it’s a bargain in my opinion.”
“In that case, I’ll keep it,” Callaway said.
Paul held out his hand. “Thanks again for what you did for me. I will never forget it.”
Callaway shook Paul’s hand. “You take care of yourself, Paul.”
NINETY-FIVE
When Paul was gone, Callaway went inside and counted the money. It was indeed a lot. He suddenly began to feel lucky. Maybe he should go to the racetrack, the casino, or a bookie’s. He could double or triple his money.
He got in his car and drove away. But instead of going to any of those places, he decided to go someplace far more important.
“You’re back,” Patti said, looking surprised.
“Is Nina home?”
“Yeah, why? Everything okay?”
“I got three tickets to the baseball game, and I was wondering if you and Nina would like to go with me.”
“You mean as a family?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea, Lee.”
He held out an envelope for her.
“What’s this?” she said.
“It’s for you and Nina.”
Her eyes went wide at the stack of bills. “That’s lot of money.”
“If I kept it, I’d end up burning it. I know you can do a lot of good with it.”
“Is this from the Paul Gardener case?” she asked.
“It is.”
“I read about it in the newspapers. I’m proud of you, Lee. Even Nina was excited to tell her friends about it.”
Nina appeared from behind her mother. “Daddy!” she said.
“Hey, baby.” Callaway hugged her. He did not want to let go of her, ever. He said, “So, Mommy, what do you say?”
Patti turned to Nina. “Darling, do you think we should go to a baseball game with Daddy?”
Nina jumped up in the air. “Yes! I want to go to a baseball game.”
Patti smiled. “Why don’t you come in and sit down? It’ll take us a couple of minutes to get ready.”
Callaway smiled and went inside the house.
THE GONE SISTER (LEE CALLAWAY #2) IS NOW AVAILABLE AS A PRE-ORDER. CLICK THE LINK TO ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
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Thomas Fincham
HYDER ALI
The Silent Reporter (Hyder Ali #1)
The Rogue Reporter (Hyder Ali #2)
The Runaway Reporter (Hyder Ali #3)
The Serial Reporter (Hyder Ali #4)
The Street Reporter (Hyder Ali #5)
The Student Reporter (Hyder Ali #0)
MARTIN RHODES
Close Your Eyes (Martin Rhodes #1)
Cross Your Heart (Martin Rhodes #2)
Say Your Prayers (Martin Rhodes #3)
Fear Your Enemy (Martin Rhodes #0)
ECHO ROSE
The Rose Garden (Echo Rose #1)
The Rose Tattoo (Echo Rose #2)
The Rose Thorn (Echo Rose #3)
The Rose Water (Echo Rose #4)
STANDALONE
The Blue Hornet
The October Five
The Paperboys Club
Killing Them Gently
The Solaire Trilogy
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THOMAS FINCHAM holds a graduate degree in Economics. His travels throughout the world have given him an appreciation for other cultures and beliefs. He has lived in Africa, Asia, and North America. An avid reader of mysteries and thrillers, he decided to give writing a try. Several novels later, he can honestly say he has found his calling. He is married and lives in a hundred-year-old house. He is the author of THE PAPERBOYS CLUB, THE OCTOBER FIVE, THE BLUE HORNET, KILLING THEM GENTLY, the HYDER ALI series, the MARTIN RHODES series, and the ECHO ROSE series.
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