* * *
Over the next couple of months, my dad visited me every two or three days. He filled me in on his progress -- or more accurately, the lack thereof -- tracking down leads. As time passed, I could see him getting more discouraged with every dead-end.
Then one day, he walked into the visiting room with a huge grin on his face. “They’re releasing you!”
I jumped from my seat. “What? What are you talking about?”
My father grabbed my shoulders, and his touch seared though my body like a jolt of electricity. “It’s true. There was another homicide committed two nights ago; the scene exactly the same as in the Cahill murder. The killer used the victim’s kitchen knife with multiple stab wounds to the chest and a bar of Irish Spring shoved in the victim’s mouth. The soap is what clinched it -- it had to be the same killer.”
I sank into my chair, disbelief flooding my senses. Could my nightmare be over?
My dad sat next to me. “The detectives thought about trying to hold you for Cahill’s murder, but the DA squawked. He knew your attorney would have a field day linking the two murders -- with one committed while you were behind bars.”
“So, they’re really going to let me out?” I asked.
“You’ll be released in a few hours.” My father reached for my hand. “What would you like to do on your first evening of freedom? How about dinner at my place?”
I couldn’t refuse his offer, not after all he’d done for me. I didn’t know if I could ever forgive him for the way he’d treated me when I was a kid or for his role in my mother’s suicide, but I had to try. I accepted his invitation. Maybe this would be a turning point in our lives.
That evening, my dad cooked spaghetti for dinner -- my favorite meal as a kid. After we ate, I helped clean up the dishes like in the old days. As I scraped the plates into the kitchen trash can, a flash of green caught my eye. An empty box of Irish Spring.
A chill went through my body. My head spun around, searching the kitchen counter. There was a bottle of liquid Dial next to the sink.
“I have to use the can,” I said, racing for the bathroom.
When I opened the door, I spotted another liquid Dial on the counter. I yanked back the shower curtain and found a bright orange bar of soap. Dial -- just like when I was a kid. We always used that brand, never Irish Spring.
My legs felt like lead as I made my way back to the kitchen. I went to the trash can and lifted out the empty Irish Spring box. “What is this, Dad?”
I watched the color drain from my father’s face. “What do you mean, what is it? It’s an empty box of soap.”
“Not just any soap -- Irish Spring. Just like what you told me the killer used.”
“So, what? Sometimes I use it, too.”
“Since when? I lived here for twenty years. We always bought Dial. We never used anything else.”
He opened his mouth, but I held up my hand to stop whatever lie he was going to come up with. “I checked the bathroom. There’s just Dial in there -- like always.”
My dad sank against the counter, his shoulders sagged. “Son, there was no other way. I couldn’t find Cahill’s real killer. The only way I could get you free was to create another homicide scene that looked like Cahill’s.”
The bile rose in my throat. “You killed an innocent person. How could you do that?”
“Son, I know what I did to you and your mother. I’ll never forgive myself for the way I treated you.” His cold blue eyes met mine. “I had to find some way to redeem myself.”
# # #
www.LindaJohnson.us
Other works by Linda Johnson:
“A Tangled Web” - a novel
Divorce is unpleasant and messy. Murder is simple. Cathy Nelson is a young, successful career woman and mother. When her marriage sours, she turns to a time-honored solution: arsenic. Toni Ambrose is a young, but relentless detective, assigned to the murder case. Her instincts tell her that Cathy is guilty and she defies her superiors to doggedly build a case against this black widow disguised as a grieving wife.
“Trail of Destruction” - a novel
Brad Newcomb believes he is destined to be President of the United States. When he has an affair with a staff member and gets her pregnant, there is nothing he won’t do to fulfill his destiny – including murder. Brad’s brother, Ryan, is a journalist who uncovers the story and is faced with a monumental decision that could determine the fate of the entire country: bury the truth and see a murderer elected president or destroy his brother's life.
The Switch - a short story
Michael came from old money, but when he married Rita, his parents disapproved and cut him off from the family wealth. With his beautiful wife and their three children, Michael never regrets what he lost -- until Rita is diagnosed with breast cancer and he doesn’t have the health insurance to cover her care.
Michael hatches a desperate plan to fund Rita’s life-saving treatments and exact revenge against his family.
“Winner Takes All” - a short story
Robert Lewiston has fled the country. After executing the largest Ponzi scheme in history, he changed his name, had plastic surgery, and escaped to Rio de Janeiro, where he's living the high life on billions in stolen funds.
John Henderson is an ex-employee of Lewiston's who is helping the FBI track down his former boss. When John discovers information that could lead to Lewiston's whereabouts, he is faced with a crucial decision that could lead to dangerous and unexpected consequences.
“Breaking the Cycle” - a short story
Kate Bynum is a patrol cop working the graveyard shift. She has seen more than her share of domestic violence calls. More often than not, these besieged women are unable to find a way to stop the torment on their own.
When she meets a young woman who is trapped in an abusive marriage by her politically connected and powerful husband, Kate knows she must find a way to help the woman escape and break the vicious cycle of abuse.
Redemption – A Short Story Page 5