Looking for Justice: Christian Contemporary Romance with Suspense (Dangerous Series Book 4)

by Linda K. Rodante

  The front door opened. Voices bounced down the hall, and she stuffed the feelings that had escaped back inside. Forcing a smile, she turned toward the door.

  Jessica carried bags of groceries but her look mirrored how Alexis imagined her own face looked a few moments ago.

  What was wrong?

  She stepped forward, taking a bag from the girl’s arms. Behind her, Dawn yanked the door closed.

  “I can’t believe how much everything cost these days! Prices are getting higher than ever.”

  “Mom.” Jessica glared over her shoulder.

  They all three crowded into the kitchen. Alexis glanced around. Space adequate for her did not mean space adequate for three. She set her bag on the island counter in the center. The other two did the same.

  Their agreement included sharing the expenses for food. Everything else Alexis would cover. Dawn still had her job, but she also had her own mortgage and bills to pay.

  “Don’t worry, Jessica. I know just what your mom means. Prices are going up all the time.” She pulled bananas and strawberries out of the bag. “These look good. It’s amazing how we can get everything at anytime of the year now. That’s one reason food costs more. We don’t have to wait for a Florida spring to get strawberries.”

  “Why wait for spring?” Jessica asked, loading the refrigerator with chicken breasts and broccoli and tomatoes.

  Dawn rolled her eyes. “Young people know nothing these days.” She took a loaf of bread and set it on a back counter near the coffee machine and toaster.

  “Whoa! Look at this! Somebody had a chocolate craving.” Alexis smiled and handed Dawn the chocolate cake. “Jess, strawberries get ripe in late winter or early spring. That’s nature’s time for them to ripen. These days, growers force growth and ripen them no matter what time of year it is. But in Florida when I was a kid, the Strawberry Festival and the strawberries were our first signs of spring. You could get all the strawberry shortcake you could eat there.”

  “Really? What else did they have?”

  “What do they have? It still goes on each year. Lots of food, animals, music, crafts.”

  Dawn grabbed the plastic bags and started for the trash can.

  “Oh. Let me have those.” Alexis put out a hand. “I’ll recycle them back at the store.”

  “Yeah, yeah. We do some of that, too. I’m not thinking.” They moved down the hall to the living area. Dawn dropped onto the couch. “The meeting with the prosecutor just fried me. Like filing the complaint. Can you believe what they put you through to report a crime?”

  Alexis sat in the barrel-shaped chair. Her gaze flicked to Jessica’s pinched face as she curled up at the opposite end of the sofa from her mom.

  “Is this really worth it?” The decibels in Dawn’s voice climbed. “And since Leland’s not in jail, they can wait up to thirty days to have a preliminary hearing.”

  Alexis sat straighter. “It is a long, tedious process sometimes. But if we don’t prosecute criminals in this country, we give way to lawlessness.” She looked at Jessica. “Do you want Leland to get away with what he did to you? Would you want him to do this to someone else?”

  The girl shook her head. “You know I don’t. It’s just frustrating.”

  Her mom leaned forward. “They haven’t found Leland yet, and they probably won’t.”

  “And the prosecutor said he’d be out on bail in no time.” Jessica’s shoulders slumped. “Mom said even if we get that Order of Protection, he can still come after me. It’s just a piece of paper.”

  Alexis kept her focus on the girl but wondered what else Dawn had said. “I’m sure Leland knows the consequences of breaking the order.”

  “They can’t find him, anyway.”

  “They will. The police are good at that, even if it takes some time.”

  “How long, though? And how long until it’s all finished?”

  “I can’t tell you, Honey. Laws are different from state to state, and each county’s procedures can be different too.”

  Jessica slouched back on the couch and threw a look at her mom. “It might be easier to just forget it. I don’t know if…I can go through with it.” Her voice broke.

  “Awe, Jess.” Alexis wanted to slip from her chair, kneel in front of the girl and hug her; but the scowl on her mom’s face kept Alexis in her seat.

  Instead, Dawn scooted to the edge of the sofa. “I’m thinking of my girl here. What’s she gonna get out of this? Just trouble. And ain’t she got enough as it is? And what’s she going to do with this baby?”

  “Mom, it’s okay.” Jessica sniffed and wiped at her eyes.

  “See what I mean?” Dawn leaned over and reached for Jessica’s hand.

  Alexis’ gaze moved from one to the other. Their feelings didn’t surprise her. She knew how the shock, denial, anger, and bitterness would have to work through Jessica’s life before she could deal with what had happened and move forward with her life. Her pregnancy after the rape compounded the situation, but she’d seen other women make a clear decision to fight back, to join a cause, or go on to college – in a sense, take back their lives. She’d also seen women return to the same situation they were in. Jessica, she felt sure, would fit the first category, if her mother did not undermine the girl’s strengths.

  “Jess, have you thought about the counseling I recommended?”

  “Jessica doesn’t have money for counseling.”

  Alexis shot her mom a surprised look. “I thought I made that clear at the hospital. She won’t be charged at the rape counseling center or at the college. It’s free. And the Christian pregnancy center Jessica went to, they’ll give referrals for help with the baby.”

  Dawn sent Alexis another scowl but said nothing.

  What were the undercurrents she sensed? Was it the baby? Leland? Or more? Between classes, John’s return, and then yesterday’s debacle with Luke, what had she missed?

  Her eyes rested on Jessica. The girl could handle it. Almost everyone wavered.

  ***

  Alexis walked down the hall from her office and forced her shoulders back. A nervous hand went to her upswept hair. Facing Luke caused more trepidation in her than the hurricane heading for Florida today. When she saw the news, it cheered her to think that John, Sharee, and the baby were safely snuggled in a cabin here in Tennessee. Her mom and Sharee’s parents were close by, too. She took a long breath and entered his classroom.

  Luke’s eyes shifted, and he straightened – a mirror image of her own action a minute ago. The students glanced her way. Some nodded a hello. No one said anything. She slipped to the back of the classroom and sat in an empty desk.

  A long couple of days had passed. She hadn’t seen him, although his voice had drifted into her office as he taught. The sound of it hurt her, and knowing she’d wounded him made the pain harder to stomach.

  Over the lasts couple of weeks, she’d caught small portions of his teaching on Isaiah. It surprised her that one book in the Bible could take so much time to cover. But from what she heard, he seemed to relate it to other sections of the Bible, interweaving the significance of the different books.

  The class had five more minutes. She sat back to listen.

  Luke’s glance slid over her, his face tightening before he looked back at the students and continued teaching. “In the midst of the prophecy of God’s judgment on Israel - for not following His ways and worshipping other gods - Isaiah shows us that God is still in the redemption business, before and after Christ. He points often to the coming Messiah.

  “Chapter nine, of course, is only one place of many where Isaiah brings in messianic prophecy. He says that the light has shined on the people that dwell in the shadow of death. The light. A reference to Christ. Psalms twenty-three also talks about the shadow of death and points to God’s goodness in the midst of it. God inspired the scriptures and tells us repeatedly about his love, his mercy, and his redemption.

  “Verse six of chapter nine is the popular scripture, the
one we hear at Christmas, ‘For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ The reference to Jesus is clear. The Trinity – three in one – is presented.”

  A student raised his hand, and when Luke nodded at him, he said, “I’m not sure how you get that. I see the Father and the Son. We know the reference to the Prince of Peace is Jesus. Where is the Holy Spirit?”

  “The Counselor. The Holy Spirit is our counselor. In John 14:26, Jesus tells his disciples that it is good that he is leaving, for then the Counselor will come. And he says exactly whom he means – the Holy Spirit. The books of Luke and Romans also mention the Holy Spirit as counselor and as teacher. Of course, He is more than that. The Holy Spirit represents the power of God. When we talk about being born again, born from above, we are talking about the Holy Spirit. Jesus referred to this in John three. Believing causes rebirth and new life.”

  The words “new life” caught Alexis’ attention. Isn’t that why she moved here? To get a new life? Strange. She was sure what Luke referred to had nothing to do with the type of life she was seeking. Still, a strange coincidence.

  Luke looked down at his watch. “We’ve strayed off course a little. Remember what your homework is. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  A couple of heads turned her way, but Alexis just smiled; and the students exited. Talk would follow her visit to Luke’s room, but she couldn’t help that.

  Luke shoved papers and books into his backpack. Even with the tension crackling between them, she almost smiled. His backpack, her briefcase; his jeans, her business suit. He hadn’t worn a suit since the first day of classes. They were different, just like their beliefs.

  “Tell me about this new life.” Alexis said. “Why are you jumping from Isaiah to John to Romans?”

  His hands stopped, and he raised his head. The green eyes focused on hers, and the pause lasted seconds too long.

  She shifted in her chair. “Well?”

  He grabbed the Bible sitting on the desk, shoved it into the bag and zipped it closed. “Is that a real question?”

  “What?” He’d thrown her. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  A line formed between his brows. “I’m sure you know God’s plan for salvation was in place before he created the world. He knew Adam and Eve would sin, that the human race would need saving. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is full of predictions and prophesies about that, about Jesus.”

  Alexis frowned. Was that an answer to her question? She’d never heard that before, never thought about it. God knew from the beginning? She wanted to ask another question but too many would show her complete ignorance on the subject. Maybe she needed to read the Bible herself. She’d bought one after they hired her, just in case. Maybe she should read Isaiah. How hard could it be to understand?

  She slipped out of the desk. This wasn’t why she’d come. “Max is doing okay?”

  “Yes.”

  The terseness of his answer caused her stomach to clench. She cleared her throat. “We need to talk.”

  “I told you I was out of line. Let’s leave it at that.” He slipped the backpack’s straps through his arms.

  She rose and stepped toward the door, blocking his exit. “Would you stop, please?”

  He stilled.

  “You…you surprised me Saturday, but my reaction had nothing to do with you personally…with who you are. It’s me.” She hesitated, drew a breath. “Can we pretend it never happened? Can we just go back to the moment we let Max out and start again?”

  He said nothing. The line between his brows deepened.

  She stared at him, thinking and discarding a number of things she wanted to say. She waved her hands. “Luke, I’m going out of my way here, way out of my comfort zone. Would you help, please?”

  “I’m not sure what you want, Alexis.”

  Her hands dropped. What did she want? “I don’t either.”

  “You don’t? I can’t see you winning many cases that way.”

  Annoyed, she focused on the green eyes. “No, I wouldn’t win cases this way, but that has nothing to do with this.”

  The silence grew between them.

  He broke it after a minute. “If you’re serious, come watch the soccer game in an hour. Faculty versus students. You should be there to cheer us on, anyway.”

  “Us? You play?” Her surprise escaped before she could stop it.

  He stepped around her and out the door. “Yes, Alexis, I do.”

  Chapter 11

  Luke changed into athletic shorts, a sweat-wicking shirt, and soccer cleats; and, for the first time in years, wondered how he looked. It didn’t matter. He’d told her to come to the game so he could see her reaction. He wasn’t sure, and neither was she, what she wanted; but she would not be able to get around his leg, or lack of it, this way.

  Yeah, Alexis, I play soccer. And more.

  He stuffed his jeans and shirt into the backpack, picked up his boots and headed for the parking lot.

  Of course, he had surprised the other faculty members, too, two years ago when he showed up for practice. They let him play, but no one was too sure about it until he kicked his first goal – one of three that day. Someone had coined his nickname then. “Metalballer.” The name stuck.

  He threw his boots and backpack onto the floorboard of his truck and headed to the field.

  The cool autumn day shifted toward evening. He glanced upward. The sky’s intense blue had silvered, and it wouldn’t be long before the field lights came on.

  Along the sidelines, students, faculty, and staff set up camp chairs and other seating. The team warmed up on the field. He joined them.

  Six on the team had played soccer in either high school or college. Himself included. He’d played in both before the war. Each year, the students on the college team showed over-confidence in themselves by their lack of practice beforehand. A few plays into the game, they always realized their mistake.

  Not long after the faculty team’s warm-up, the game started. Alexis hadn’t made an appearance. Disappointment slipped over him.

  Give her a few more minutes.

  He shrugged off the regret and sent the ball careening to Thomas Hartley. He and Tom and Don played forward. Tom caught it and sent it on to Don. Luke ran past him, heading downfield. The ball flew past, and Tom caught it, tried for a goal, and missed. Luke stopped, breathing hard, feeling the coolness in the air drying the sweat in his shirt.

  She hadn’t shown. He hadn’t pictured her as someone who would not keep her word.

  Don sent the ball his way. Luke caught it, skirted two defenders, and sent it slicing toward the goal with as much force as he had. It whizzed by the goalie before the man could get an arm in the air. The sidelines erupted, and Don clapped him on the shoulder when he went by.

  “Wondered if you were with us today.”

  “Metalballer!” Someone yelled. “Metalballer is back!”

  At halftime, they headed for the sidelines and something to drink. He’d scored their only goal, and his teammates pounded his back. Shoving aside the acute disappointment, he bantered back and forth with them and reached inside the cooler for some Gatorade.

  “Here.” Don shook damp, black hair from his eyes and handed Luke a dripping bottle. “I’ll give you the first half, but I plan to out score you in the second.”

  Alexis popped up from a blanket on the ground and stood smiling at him. He missed Don’s handoff, and the plastic bottle hit his prosthetic foot and rolled across her Asics tennis shoes.

  She was here.

  Alexis scooped it up and handed it back to him. “You’re good.”

  She’d changed clothes. Instead of her gray suit, she wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. An open fleece jacket in turquoise highlighted her coffee-colored eyes. The dark hair fell loose around her shoulders. She grinned at him. His heart kicked. Where had she come from? How had he missed her? />
  Don glanced back and forth between them. “Of course, if you’re distracted that won’t be much of a problem.”

  Luke’s focus shifted from Alexis to Don. He grinned. “Distracted or not, I’ll take that challenge.”

  ***

  “What?” Alexis’ voice jumped before she could stop it.

  Jessica stepped back, rubbed her hands down her jeans. “I’m withdrawing the complaint, and I’m not going to testify.”

  The words slammed Alexis like one of Luke’s kicks past the goalie. She lowered herself into the barrel chair. Jessica had blurted the words as soon as she’d walked into the room.

  She wanted to ask the question again, but the word wouldn’t form.

  “Mom went home to get the house ready. She said for me to come home when I told you, and that I never should have gone to the hospital. That you…you had no right to call the police. That I should have talked with her first.”

  Alexis wanted to put a hand out and say, “Stop. Wait.” This week’s ocean of emotions already had enough rolling breakers. The serious high she’d had from dinner with Luke and the team crashed, the words shattering her mood like waves smashing a boardwalk during a hurricane.

  An acid taste rose in her mouth. She’d heard these words too many times. It wouldn’t help to lash out at the girl. This was her mother’s doing. And the woman had abandoned Jessica to give Alexis the news.

  She drew her tongue across her top lip. “Do you mind telling me why? Do you want him to get away with what he did to you?”

  “Of course not! He convinced Mom that I exaggerated the whole thing, that I lied.”

  “Exaggerated?” Alexis tried to keep her voice level. “Exaggerated the rape? Exaggerated beating you and keeping you locked up all day? Jessica, he didn’t just—”

  The girl’s hands jumped out from her sides. “I know all that! You don’t have to tell me. But mom believes…” The girl’s voice dissolved. She dropped her head. “She…she believes Leland. Not me.”

  Alexis’ anger melted. She stepped forward and enfolded the girl in her arms. Her own emotions could wait. She rested her head against Jessica’s wet cheek. How could a mother do this to her daughter? But she’d heard it before.