by David Carner
“You can’t win them all,” Bruce thought to himself. He patted his breast pocket as if feeling for something. He found what he was looking for and smiled. “I’m going to have to keep an eye on this situation.”
Chapter 60
John stood outside of Jessica’s apartment building. If it wasn’t as cold as it was outside, he would have been sweating. John took a deep breath and walked inside. He went to the elevator and took it to her floor. As he got to her door, he heard music from inside. He recognized the song as something that Sam had listened to. John knocked on the door and there was no answer. He waited a minute and tried the knob. As he opened the door, what he saw surprised him.
On the screen was that blond singer that John could never remember, dancing with some snake. The bass of the song was shaking John. What stunned him was Jessica dancing to the music. She was amazing. John wasn’t normally a fan of dance, but Jessica was very good. John felt his heart pounding in his chest. Jessica saw him during one of her moves. She smiled and kept dancing. John sat down in a chair that was near the door, mesmerized by how good she was.
When the song ended, Jessica grabbed a towel and was drying herself off. She was sweating, profusely. John thought he was going to begin sweating as well. She wasn’t dressed provocatively; she was wearing a pair of spandex shorts and a tank top. Her hair was put up in a bun on her head.
“I didn’t know that about you,” said John. “I didn’t know you could dance; that’s real dancing!”
“I have been dancing since I was five, John,” Jessica replied. “I love it. It keeps me in shape. I have learned hip-hop, ballet, jazz, and tap,” Jessica smiled.
“Jess,” John said. “That was absolutely amazing. I mean all I know is that little four step thing I learned at the school dance in middle school.” Jessica laughed.
“I’m sorry, John. I lost track of time,” she said. “Would it be ok if I took a shower before we talked?”
“Sure, Jess, take your time,” John responded.
“I can trust you not to try and barge in, right?” Jessica asked. John looked hurt and did a “who me?” motion. Jessica wagged a finger at him warningly.
“Mind if I watch TV?” John called after her.
“Knock yourself out!” She called back. John flipped on the TV and found a college basketball game. John started to engross himself into the game, trying to forget how nervous he was to talk to Jessica.
Chapter 61
“John,” Jessica called from her bedroom. “Are we planning on going out?”
“Huh?” said John, engrossed in the game. Jessica walked out of her bedroom, picked up the remote and turned off the TV. John was snapped back to reality and why he was here. He turned toward Jessica. She was dressed in a tee shirt and a pair of sweatpants. It was probably the most dressed down John had ever seen her. He thought she looked as beautiful as ever. “Oh crap,” he realized, “I’m staring.” Jessica wasn’t going to let this one go easily.
“John,” she said as sweetly as she could. She sat down beside him and took his hands. “John. Sweetie, we need to set some ground rules. I have no problem if you drop your jaw when I’m dressed up and looking my best, but it really hurts your credibility when you drool over me in a tee shirt and some sweats.” Jessica was really enjoying this. John looked into Jessica’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, Jessica. You’re just beautiful no matter what you’re wearing.” Jessica dropped his hands. Jessica’s mind started racing.
“Jessica,” she thought to herself. “This guy means what he says.” She was looking directly into John’s eyes. Her heart was about to pound through her chest. “Calm down, calm down,” she thought.
“John,” said Jessica. “I don’t know what to say. I’ve had guys tell me that before, but they were only after one thing. You seem to be honest and mean it. I’m flattered. Thank you.”
“Jessica, you realize if you and I are to try this thing, it’s going to be harder than most relationships you’ve ever been in. I mean, we could work together.”
“Oh really?” Jessica said slyly.
John ignored the comment and continued. “You have to think of the pressure it will cause me. I mean, can I handle an adult relationship? I didn’t fix the problems at the end of my last relationship.” Jessica raised her eyebrows as John rambled. John didn’t seem to notice and rambled on. “I mean we have to seriously ask, will I escape this relationship with alcohol if things start to go bad?” Jessica leaned across the couch and kissed him. John’s mind exploded. It had been a long time . . . well, since Sam . . . that he had been kissed like that. In fact, he was pretty sure Sam had never kissed him like that.
Chapter 62
Jessica tenderly pulled away from John. Jessica had to admit that was one of the best kisses she had ever had in her life. Heck, it may be THE best kiss she ever had in her life. John couldn’t believe what just happened. He had to remind himself to breathe.
“Thank you,” he muttered. Jessica burst into laughter. John couldn’t help himself and joined in. They laughed for several minutes; the tension in the room easing.
“I don’t ever think anyone has ever thanked me for kissing them before,” Jessica stated between laughs.
“I don’t think anyone ever kissed me well enough to thank before,” said John.
“Even Sam?” Jessica asked. She kicked herself after asking that. It was wrong of her on several levels for asking that.
John reached out and took Jessica’s hand. “I honestly don’t think so,” John said quietly. “Sam and I had a different relationship. Don’t get me wrong, Jessica. What Sam and I had was special and once in a lifetime, but I don’t think she ever kissed me like that.”
Jessica put her other hand over John’s. “I kissed you to see if it was even worth us having this conversation,” said Jessica.
John smiled wirily. “And your findings?” John asked. Jessica smiled broadly.
“Yeah,” Jessica replied. John started laughing again, and Jessica joined in. When she could talk, she squeezed both of his hands in hers. “John, let’s take this slow.” John pulled his hands out of hers and stood up. Jessica was suddenly afraid she had upset him. John smiled and began to walk behind her couch.
“I need to say a few things, ok?” Jessica nodded. “I know about you talking to my mom.” Jessica froze. “Oh crap” she thought, “I’m about to get it.” Jessica prepared herself to receive a severe butt chewing by John.
Chapter 63
John smiled to himself. He knew he could lay into Jessica right now and she would take it, but it was time to do what needed to be done.
“Thank you,” John said. “Thank you for letting my mom know when I couldn’t. Thank you for being brave enough to take me into that box and proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that I didn’t kill Sam. Thank you for believing in me enough to pull me back into the FBI and to a real life.” John was smiling and his eyes were dancing.
“Jessica, I feel like me again. Yeah, I’m sad some days, and I swear I will call you a liar if you ever repeat what I’m about to tell you. The other day I saw Sam in my car.” Jessica tried to fight a grin. John kept looking at her and she slowly put her finger up to her head and made the crazy sign. She was smiling at him. “I’m not crazy, or mad, or loony. I feel like me; you don’t know how that feels after what I’ve been through.” Jessica stood up and took his hands into hers.
“John,” she began. “I had never seen two people love each other like you and Sam. If you didn’t know, she understood the drinking. She wasn’t mad, she didn’t hate you, and she was willing to do anything to help you beat it. She was thinking about the two of you moving back to Kentucky. She thought being home would help you beat it. John, she loved you with all her heart. When I slapped you a few days ago, part of it was because I was mad at you for dishonoring her memory for the way you lived your life. I’ll tell you the truth John, if the roles had been reversed, your death probably would have caused the same reaction in her.�
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John brushed the hair away from her face that had fallen there. He hated himself for what he was about to say.
“Jessica,” he said very quietly. “I can’t do this yet. I need to get through this case. I want there to be an us, but we need to get through this case. Do you understand?”
“I understand, John, but I don’t have to like it,” Jessica said holding his hands and drawing near. Her lips were inches from his. “We’ll do whatever you need to do to get through this, at whatever speed you need to. For instance if you told me right now you needed to kiss me to get through the night, then I would understand.”
John’s heart was about to burst through his chest it was beating so hard. Jessica had a playful grin flickering across her face. John pushed her away. Jessica laughed loudly.
“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” John asked. Jessica nodded. John walked to the door with Jessica right behind him. He opened it and turned around, once again his lips inches from hers.
“I promise you, Jess, it will be worth the wait,” he said very quietly. He turned and left. Jessica closed the door and leaned back against it. Oh. Boy. This was gonna be interesting.
Agent Luke McDonald
Washington, DC
Chapter 64
Senator Cosby stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He was intrigued by the phone call he had received earlier by Secret Service Agent McDonald. Luke had wanted to meet with Jeremiah, but in a discreet location. Senator Cosby looked around and scoffed. He was chuckling over the ridiculous cloak and dagger operation that Agent McDonald appeared to be running. As McDonald appeared, Cosby vented some of his frustration.
“What do you think this is, Son!?” The senator had lost all of his patience. “Is this some bad retelling of a crazy movie plot!?!”
Luke looked around to make sure no one heard Cosby. This caused Cosby to scoff at the whole thing even more.
“senator,” said Luke trying to calm Cosby down. “Certain people I work for need your help on a very delicate matter.”
“You mean the president wants a favor,” exclaimed Cosby.
“Sir!” said McDonald. “Please, keep your voice down, and no, it’s not the president.”
Cosby was bothered by that revelation. If Luke wasn’t here for the president, Cosby was almost positive who he was there for.
“Luke, you can tell her that anyone related to Archibald Staples will get no help from me!” Senator Cosby exclaimed.
“Wait, sir, hear me out.” Luke was nervous, he was about to lose Cosby without even telling him what was going on.
“All that we are asking of you, sir, is to suggest to the FBI that your son should take over a certain quadruple homicide case currently being investigated by John Fowler. We would also like it if you were to encourage your son to take the case if he is offered it.”
Jeremiah laughed, turned, and walked away. As Senator Cosby disappeared into the night, Luke pulled out his cell phone and dialed a phone number given to him by Lisa.
“Sir, this is Luke McDonald. I work as a Secret Service Agent for Lisa. Yes sir. She told me to call you if I needed any help.” Luke continued to discuss plans with the man on the other end of the phone call.
New York FBI Building-Foxhole
John Fowler
Chapter 65
Trip, Jessica and Chet were already in the office when John came in. John asked them all to have a seat. As he began to lay out what had happened in Kentucky, the looks of disbelief and shock covered their faces. Trip was absolutely stunned. When John had finished, no one said a word for a minute. Then Trip spoke.
“John,” Trip stopped, shook his head in disbelief again, and continued. “If what you’re saying is true . . . if . . . John you can’t just say those things. We need concrete proof! We have to have iron clad proof to go after her.”
“I think I have all the proof you need sir, and furthermore, if John Fowler says something happened, well, then I believe him.” Trip turned. John had a big grin on his face. Jeremiah Cosby had just walked through the door, but instead of his usual jovial face, Jeremiah looked deadly serious. “I think it’s time we compare notes, Son. It’s not every day I get approached by the secret service to do the first lady a favor.”
Trip looked like he had been punched in the stomach. This was too much. Jeremiah looked confused over Trip’s reaction. Senator Cosby was no stranger to insider corruption, and he assumed with Trip’s position he was as well. It was obvious by Trip’s reaction that Trip was not. John decided it was time to take control.
“senator,” said John. “Let me tell you what we know, and/or suspect, from my investigation and then you tell us what you know, and/or suspect.” The senator nodded. “We know that Archibald Industries had a plant open in Kentucky over twenty-five years ago in a small rural town. In that town lived Jason Sparks, Beth George, and David George.” The senator looked confused. “These are two new names I uncovered, and they may be at the heart of this entire investigation.” Senator Cosby nodded. John continued.
“The parents of Tom Bradley, Amy Jensen, Leroy Jenkins, and Colt McCormick moved their families to Kentucky when the plant opened. Because there were not enough houses in the town where the plant was located, the families all moved to nearby towns in other counties. Most were less than ten miles away from the plant. What we also know is Archibald Staples moved his family into the town where the plant was located. The local pastor, a Brother Jim Walters of Double Forks Southern Missionary Baptist Church, has identified Archibald’s daughter as VERONICA.” John stressed this. He held up the Sunday School picture. “In this picture, the girl the world knows as Lisa Staples, married name Nichols, is identified as Veronica.” Chet let out a low whistle. John looked at his friend with a close lipped smile and nodded. He handed Chet the picture. “Chet, I need you to run an age program on this. Age all the children we know in this picture and compare them to how they look today; not just Veronica.” Chet looked at him sharply. “I don’t want any more surprises. If one of our dead people is someone else, let’s find out now.”
Chet nodded, took the picture, and started the program. John looked around the room. This was the second time he had told everyone the story and they all looked just as surprised as they did the first time . . . well except for Senator Cosby. This was his first time and there weren’t really words for the shock that was on his face. John continued.
“These eight children all attended the same church, and the seven, except for David George, all attended the same Sunday School class. The seven were inseparable all over town. Apparently David George would tag behind since he was younger than the rest. This went on until around the summer the seven finished their 8th grade year. Apparently Veronica considered Beth and David her “project.”” John looked at the senator. Jeremiah nodded for John to continue. “David and Beth were raised by their mother . . . well . . . they lived in their mother’s house. From what I understand, their mother did next to nothing for them. Veronica tried to,” John paused trying to search for the right words.
“Bring them up from their socioeconomic status?” Jeremiah offered. John turned and looked at the senator. Jeremiah smiled. The senator continued. “John, that quote is straight from Lisa Nichols. She wants to help lower socioeconomic families rise above their birth status.” Jeremiah huffed. “It’s so good to see that pompous, self-inflated, witch thought so highly of herself at such a young age.”
John was fighting back the laughter. “So Jeremiah what do you really think about Veronica?” Jeremiah straightened up. He put his weight on his cane and pointed with his other hand.
“Son, that girl thinks the sun don’t shine without her say-so. She honestly believes hard working folks can’t overcome their surroundings without her or her cronies’ help. She believes what she believes so feverously, that if someone were to stand up to her . . . well, I have no idea what she might do to them.” Jeremiah’s eyes were sparkling. He was on the verge of one of his famous campaign speec
hes about the power of hard working people. John hated to stop him, but if Jeremiah got going, they would be there all day. John spoke very solemnly.
“Senator Cosby, if what I found is true, it appears she may have already stooped to murder when someone stood up to her.” The blood drained from Senator Cosby’s face. He turned away from the group. John expected to see disbelief in the senator’s eyes, but he didn’t. John felt sick to his stomach. The first lady of the United States of America should be above the suspicion of murder, but it appeared that wasn’t the case. Jeremiah looked John in the eye.
“John, I wish I could tell you that surprised me, but it doesn’t.” He paused. “You need to finish your story, because I think, knowing what I know, I have more than enough evidence to move your investigation forward.”
Chapter 66
John took a deep breath and continued.
“Sometime that summer, David and Beth George disappeared. The last time either of them has seen was when Brother Walters talked to Beth. Beth confided in Brother Jim that she was gay. Brother Walters told Beth that she could not tell Veronica.” Jeremiah grumbled.
“There’s a fine how-do-you-do!” Jeremiah exclaimed. “A man of God’s worry over this girl was for her not to tell Veronica. What does that tell you about Veronica, or Lisa, or whatever her name was!?! Let me guess, he was afraid Veronica would do something to Beth because Beth would ‘ruin’ Veronica’s image.” John nodded, surprised. “Don’t look like that, Boy!! I didn’t become a senator by not understanding people. So you’re talking late 1980’s in Kentucky. My guess is Veronica was scared that others would think she was gay by associating with Beth.” John nodded.
“That was exactly what Brother Jim said to me,” said John. “Anyway, no one has seen the brother and sister since. The group had a meeting place that Bro. Jim and I checked out. There were signs of blood, and a possible struggle. There is a mine shaft that we looked down. There appears to be one body down the hole.” John looked at Trip who was just shaking his head. “Anyway, within three weeks from that talk Bro. Jim had with Beth, all of the families of the current murder victims moved back to their original states, and Archibald moved back to Virginia with his daughter, LISA.”