Penelope gasped as the emotions she had kept bottled up throughout the trial poured forth. As the clerk continued to read the remaining verdicts, she turned to Doug and hugged him tightly. His tears fell on her neck as he wept openly. Findley’s actions had cost Doug greatly. Doug had been a prime suspect in the murder case in the minds of everyone but Penelope. Her hard work had vindicated him. She brought the right man to justice, and this was likely to be the only closure Doug would receive for the death of his ex-wife Camille, the mother of his son, Trevor.
“Thank you Madam Clerk,” Judge Gonsalves said when the clerk had finished. “In light of the tragic circumstances surrounding this case, I want to express my deepest condolences to the victims of this horrendous crime. Evil is apparently real, and it was present in Alachua County on the fifth of October, 2012. On that day, its name was Michael Findley. Many lives were affected, and a child lost his mother due to the actions of one man, and that is a terrible shame.”
Findley showed no visible emotion.
“Michael Anthony Findley, you will be sent to the Florida State Prison where you will await sentencing,” the judge continued.
“You did it, Penelope!” Doug said, his voice husky with emotion.
She gathered him in her arms and held him snuggly. “We did it,” she whispered. She clenched her eyes shut and thanked God with all her might.
Alongside a rush of relief, she unexpectedly felt pity. How could she feel anything but disgust for Findley after what he did to her best friend, her family? Perhaps even a man as troubled as he could take solace in the word of God. Findley would be going away for a long time, but everyone had the opportunity to find redemption in the eyes of the Lord. Hopefully, he would have access to spiritual growth and healing while serving his sentence. He would, after all, have plenty of time for reading and thinking. Maybe there was hope for him in the grand scheme of things.
CHAPTER 5
Michael Findley was escorted from the courtroom, and as people left their seats, Chief Jackson approached Penelope with his characteristic warm smile and one of his giant hands extended to her. His perfect white teeth flashed like sunshine against his deep brown skin.
“Congratulations, Chance,” he said. As he shook her hand, he covered it with his other hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “You did us proud.”
“Thanks, Chief. That means a lot to me.”
It did mean the world to hear Chief Jackson’s words. He had been her mentor and a second father to her, as she worked her way through the ranks of the Franklin Police Department. There was a hidden tension now between them because nobody else knew that Jackson was contemplating retirement. He had championed her to become his successor, only to have her decline the offer.
“I’m ready to head back to work,” she told Jackson with a smile.
A deep laugh rumbled in Jackson’s chest. At six foot two inches tall and well over two hundred twenty pounds, that was a lot of rumble. “I’m sure it can wait until you’re back from vacation, Chance. Take the rest of the day off. I’d say you’ve earned a little R and R.”
The idea of taking some time off sounded great right about now. The tension of the past five months, the sweet victory of the verdict, and the unexpected sympathy and compassion that laced through it all—it was a lot. She looked forward to taking the next week to start planning her wedding. She’d been back and forth between Franklin and Gainesville most days during the trial, and it had left her little time for anything else.
“Penelope Chance,” called a familiar voice. “You must be feeling pretty good about this verdict right now, isn’t that right?”
Penelope turned to face Dr. Gabriel Pike. She was torn between exasperation at his corny catchphrase “isn’t that right” that she had heard so often in college and pure joy at seeing an old friend after a long separation.
Dr. Pike, or Professor Pike as he preferred his students to call him, matched Jackson’s height. His bright blue eyes sparkled underneath his neatly groomed salt and pepper hair, and his lean, toned physique filled out his rumpled gray suit nicely.
“Professor Pike. Great to see you.” Penelope turned to Jackson. “Chief, this is Dr. Gabriel Pike. He was my psychology professor and advisor back in college. Professor Pike, meet Curtis Jackson, the Chief of Police back in Franklin.”
The warmth left Jackson’s eyes as he put up the wall that was his public persona. He did not show his human side to strangers. Not until they had earned it.
“Dr. Pike,” Jackson said as he held out his hand.
Pike took the offered hand and shook it. If Jackson squeezed, the professor didn’t let on.
“Chief Jackson, so very nice to meet you,” Pike said with a smile, his face smooth and friendly. “So you showed Miss Penelope here the ropes, isn’t that right?”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that. I’ve done some fine-tuning, perhaps, but Officer Chance has nine years of experience, a sound mind, and she goes with her gut.”
Penelope glowed under this praise, which Jackson did not bestow often. Not an ordinary day, not at all.
“Well, that she does. Any police department would be lucky to have her,” Pike said. “I told her that when she graduated. It’s nice to see her thriving in her working environment.”
“Professor, I’m sorry for not returning your calls. My life has been a circus since the trial started.”
“I haven’t been your professor for ten years or more, Penelope. Please call me Gabriel. And I understand. The high profile case and all.”
“Care to catch up over a cup of coffee?” Penelope offered.
Gabriel’s eyes twinkled. “I’d like that.”
Chief Jackson nodded at Penelope and tapped Doug on the shoulder.
Doug turned and gave Penelope a hug. “Celebration dinner at my place tonight?”
“You’re on,” she answered, giving him a squeeze.
Gabriel turned to navigate his way through the crush of spectators and reporters. Penelope followed.
“I’ll see you after your vacation, Chance,” Jackson called out. “Not a day sooner.”
“Yes, Chief,” she said over her shoulder.
CHAPTER 6
The Coffey Shop was an odd but comfortable combination of mom and pop shop and sleek urban style, located in a square, one block east of the courthouse, owned by Travis and LeeAnna Coffey. Penelope and Gabriel found an empty table on the patio.
“Still take it black with two sugars?” Gabriel asked the question with a perpetual smile on his lips.
“Yep,” she answered and smiled back.
While she waited for Gabriel to return, Penelope turned her cell phone on for the first time that afternoon. She had six missed calls, four voice mails, and three text messages, all from the Franklin Police Station. Didn’t they know she was in court today? And didn’t they know she was on vacation? Those messages could wait. Jacob’s was the only voice she wanted to hear.
She dialed his number and waited for the call to connect. “Please pick up. Please pick up.” The call went straight to voice mail. “Jacob, we did it! Guilty on all counts. I miss you. Call me when you get a break.” She paused, and then added, “I love you . . . Oh, and Doug wants us over for dinner tonight.” She took a shaky breath and ended the call. She slipped her phone into her purse and surveyed the shop.
A hand-lettered blackboard menu hung against the back wall, and homemade pastries lined the curved glass display cases while jazz music played softly in the background. Flyers and business cards covered a notice board advertising everything from free kittens to poetry readings to investment seminars. In the evenings, the shop was probably full of hipsters and club-goers, but right now a sea of suits surrounded them. There were a few women in pantsuits, but mostly men who looked to be forty years or older.
She spotted Gabriel standing at the service counter, behind an elderly woman wearing bright teal pants and an oversized white shirt with hand-painted flowers. The tattooed barista handed the
woman a tray with two cups of coffee and two pastries, but the woman’s handbag was so large she had trouble balancing the tray and she nearly dropped it. Gabriel swooped in, catching the tray from beneath with one hand and a gallant smile. He gestured for her to move along and followed her to the table where her husband was waiting. Gabriel placed the tray in front of them.
Penelope smiled as a few people who had witnessed this act applauded, and Gabriel gave a small, embarrassed bow and then returned to the service counter to complete his transaction.
Penelope continued her assessment of the surroundings. She was able to pick out some fellow law enforcement officers from the crowd. It was the way they stood or even sat, with their shoulders straight and tall. She let her eyes examine further and noticed the telltale coat bulges that almost certainly concealed service weapons.
Her people-watching was interrupted when Gabriel popped back into view holding two steaming cups of coffee. He set Penelope’s down in front of her, and she wrapped her hands around it gratefully. It smelled delicious.
Gabriel sat down and faced her. “So how does it feel to investigate a big murder case?”
He looked like a proud father.
“I was just trying to prove Doug’s innocence,” Penelope replied. It was now starting to seem real. Her testimony and investigative work had led to Findley’s conviction. “I’m thankful that Findley is off the streets, but I’m still rattled. That case was too close to home.” She looked down at her coffee, trying to hide the nervous energy she was sure he could see in her eyes.
Camille Foster’s murder had rocked the city of Gainesville, the town of Franklin, and it turned her world upside down. It had nearly destroyed her adoptive brother’s life—not to mention his young son Trevor’s, and it had caused several other people to be injured. Some severely. She liked her quiet little town when it was just that—quiet. Michael Findley had disrupted that peace and changed things, maybe permanently, in ways she wasn’t sure she even yet understood. Doug was certainly different now, and Trevor seemed withdrawn, although visits with a counselor appeared to be helping him adjust.
Jacob, her Jacob, who had not once checked in with her all day, had seemed distant lately, and he was distant geographically. Penelope had been driving to Gainesville a couple of times a week for the last several months helping the prosecution with the case against Findley. Jacob said he understood, and she believed him, but things were a little . . . strained.
This line of thinking was sure to show on her face, especially in the presence of a forensic psychologist, and she tried to change the subject to take her mind off of it. “I can’t believe they called you in as an expert witness. It is a small world!” she said.
Maybe this misdirection would work, and Gabriel would start talking about himself, instead of her involvement in the Findley case. She took a sip of her coffee. Too hot to drink. She blew on it and took another sip.
“It is quite a coincidence that I got involved in this case. I do mostly consulting on high-profile police cases these days, but I do get called in on court cases from time to time. If they need someone to create a profile of a psychopath or reconstruct a murder scene, they call me or one of my colleagues. But for this one they had asked for a colleague, Dr. Teresa Behrmann. She was all prepped and ready to go when she had a family emergency and was called away at the last minute. I was next in line, I guess. You know, Penelope,” Gabriel said, suddenly intense, “I admire the way you threw yourself into this case. That’s the Penelope I remember. No nonsense on the job, and sweet as pie the rest of the time. I have no doubt you’ve found your calling, your true calling in life. You feel it, too, isn’t that right?”
Penelope smiled and nodded. She took another sip of coffee and tried to take heart from what he was saying. She had a God-given gift that she used to help others and to protect them from harm.
“So Penelope, recent court victories aside, how’s life been treating you?” Gabriel leaned back in his chair with his characteristic relaxed grace and looked her in the eye.
“Well, Professor—”
“Gabriel, please,” he interrupted.
“Well, Gabriel,” she continued, the familiarity feeling a bit odd, “life has been pretty good.”
“So things are good with work? Still enjoy being a cop?”
“Oh, yes! Chief Jackson is thinking of retiring and recommending me as his successor.”
“Congratulations!” Gabriel said, looking impressed.
“Thank you, but I declined.”
“Declined? Why? That would have been a great opportunity.”
“Well, I still have a lot to learn and after this Findley business, I realize that solving crimes and helping people is where I want to be. The chief understood and suggested I qualify for detective.”
“Detective Chance. It has a nice ring to it.”
Penelope smiled. Even though she didn’t need that kind of reassurance, it was nice to hear praise from someone who had helped her get on her feet so long ago.
“It is exciting. I haven’t had much time to think about it, but the chief decided to postpone his retirement and train me after I pass the exam.”
“That’s wonderful!”
“It’s through God’s will and grace, of course. I couldn’t have done any of this without His strength. Oh, and I’m engaged now.”
Gabriel raised a questioning eyebrow.
“His name is Jacob Gordon. He’s a doctor. A medical doctor. He works at Grace Memorial a couple of days a week and he runs the clinic back in Franklin the rest of the time.” She couldn’t put her finger on why she sounded so flustered, but Gabriel seemed amused.
“Well, congratulations! Engaged. That’s wonderful. You all set a date yet?”
“October first.”
“This year?”
“Next year.” She tried to hide her uncertainty. They had set the date just after she wrapped up the Findley case. But between her responsibilities at the police department and Jacob splitting his time between Gainesville and running the only medical clinic in Franklin, they hardly had time to see each other, let alone discuss wedding plans. “I am using vacation time next week to do some initial planning,” she added.
“That date sounds familiar. Why October first?”
“Jacob thought we’d have an easier time booking a venue for a mid-week wedding, plus the milder October temperatures should be ideal.”
That was part of the reason. The date was her idea. Next year would be the twenty-fifth anniversary of her biological mother and father’s deaths, and she wanted to replace that tragic memory with a happy one. But the professor didn’t need to know all that. She took a few sips of coffee to have something to do with her hands and to mask the trembling she was certain had started around her mouth.
Lord, today was a good day. Please give me the strength to stay focused on the positive.
Gabriel set his cup down and leaned in toward her. With concern in his eyes, he looked at her for a moment.
She met him with an even gaze.
“You really okay, Penelope?”
“Are you analyzing me, Professor?”
Gabriel smiled. “Just concerned.”
“Oh, I’m fine. Just got a case of the nerves after that trial. It’s usually not so personal, you know? And the way the judge took her sweet time to read the verdict . . . I thought I was going to jump out of my skin. I’m glad it’s over.”
“Absolutely! You must be exhausted. I don’t want to keep you from—”
“Oh no, I’m good. I have dinner a little later, but I’m still good on time.”
“You’re sure?”
Penelope smiled. “I’m sure. Thank you.”
Gabriel leaned back in his chair, and they drank their coffee in companionable silence.
CHAPTER 7
It wasn’t long before Penelope’s thoughts wandered back to the Michael Findley case.
She shook her head.
“What is it?” Gabriel asked. “
What’s on your mind?”
“It’s just that . . . after everything I’ve done, everything I’ve seen, I still wonder about the senseless actions of men like Findley.” Penelope’s eyes looked past Gabriel into the distance. It was well past five o’clock and people were starting to make their way home for the weekend. Soon the crowd would transition from weary workers to relaxed revelers. “I mean, I know that this world is full of so much beauty and that humans have an endless capacity to love one another, yet we can’t seem to . . . do right by each other. It’s this line of work, I guess.” She refocused her eyes and saw that Gabriel was still looking at her intently.
“You questioning your faith?”
“Oh, no. Not one bit.” The thought had not even occurred to her. She looked him straight in the eye and said, “I have no doubt that God’s plan for me is to serve the people in my community, and someday have children of my own and raise them to be strong and good.”
Gabriel smiled. Despite his age, he always managed to look like a mischievous kid.
“You think that’s funny?” Penelope asked when she saw his eyes twinkling at her across the table. “It may seem simple to some.”
“Not one bit,” he said. “I think it’s admirable that you have connected with something many people are missing in their lives.”
And she could see that he meant it.
The bustle of the busy coffee shop seemed to fade away, as the two friends remained suspended in a bubble of memory, connection, and faith for the rest of the hour.
The peal of bells from a nearby church shook her back to the moment. Six o’clock already? Jacob should be off work by now. Would it be rude if she checked her phone?
Almost on cue, a cell phone went off at another table nearby. And then another. Four phones at three separate tables, and each of the persons answering their phones was a person Penelope had suspected was in law enforcement. Her hand automatically went to her phone in her purse. No new calls or messages.
Another Chance (A Penelope Chance Mystery Book 2) Page 2