Strand of Deception

by Robin Caroll

  “Text me a picture.”

  “I will! Oh, Maddie, I’m so happy.”

  “Baby girl, I’m happy for you.” And she was. So very happy for Riley. And for Rafe and Remington.

  “We aren’t like Rafe and Remington, though. We aren’t going to have a long engagement.”

  “You aren’t?”

  “No.” Riley giggled. “Hayden says he’s waited too long for me.”

  Maddie smiled. Her sister was in good hands. “So are y’all thinking of a date?”

  “I think June brides are beautiful.”

  “June! That’s in four months.”

  “I know. It’s crazy, but Hayden can take his vacation then so we can have a real honeymoon.”

  “That’s wonderful, Ri. I think you’ll be a beautiful June bride.”

  “You’ll be my maid of honor, right?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  “Oh, Hayden’s telling me we have to call Rafe and Remington now. I’ll talk to you soon. I love you.”

  “Love you too.” Maddie hung up the phone and held it close to her chest.

  Was it wrong for her to be delighted that she’d been the first one Riley had called? Probably, but she didn’t care. This was a happy day indeed.

  “Hagar.” Nick shoved the cell to his ear without checking the caller ID.

  “Nicholas.”

  Nick couldn’t stop the internal groan. “Hi, Dad. Listen, I’ve been working on a tough case and haven’t had a chance to track down Ashley to—”

  “Nicholas, it’s your mom.”

  His heart seized. “What about Mom?”

  “She fell. It’s her hip. She’s going into surgery in an hour or so.”

  “What happened? How’d she fall?”

  “She was going down the back steps to prune her flowers and slipped and fell.”

  “What hospital?”

  “You don’t need to rush down here. She just wanted you to know.” Of course. She wanted him to know. Dad wouldn’t even have thought to call.

  “What hospital, Dad?”

  “Wellington Regional.”

  “I’ll see you soon.” Nick disconnected the call and dialed the number for his friend Stan.

  “Yo.”

  “Stan, it’s Nick.”

  “Yo, dude. It’s been a while since we kicked it. What’s up?”

  “I need a favor.”

  “Name it.” Many a time, Nick had helped Stan out by getting his brother into various rehab centers.

  “Can you fly me to Florida now? My mom’s about to have surgery. They think she’ll need a hip replacement. I can’t fly commercially because I’ll need to come right back if she’s okay.”

  “No problem. Meet me at the airport.”

  “Thanks.”

  Nick let Timmons know he was leaving, then called Maddie as he drove to the airport.

  “Hello.” Her voice soothed his nerves.

  “Hi there.”

  “Hey, you. What’re you doing?” She sounded happy. And relaxed. Maybe the day off was doing her a world of good.

  “I’m about to head to Florida.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “My mom fell. They’re taking her into surgery on her hip in an hour or so. A friend’s flying me.”

  “Oh, Nick. I’m so sorry.” She paused. “Are you okay?” It was as if she could sense his turmoil over the phone.

  “I will be. I just wish I’d get to see her before her surgery.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?”

  If she could hold him right now, he might believe everything would be okay. But she couldn’t. “Thanks for asking. I’ll probably be back late tonight.”

  “Call me if you need anything, Nick. And know I’m praying for your mother.”

  Strange how that comforted him. It’d been a long time since the thought of prayers brought him such relief.

  Four and a half hours later, Nick headed into the surgical waiting area of the hospital. His father sat in a corner, reading a Bible.

  Had he ever seen his father reading a Bible? Nick couldn’t recall. Certainly not since Roger had died.

  “Dad.”

  He looked up, then smiled as he stood and grabbed Nick into a hug.

  It’d been a long time since Dad had hugged him. Nick hugged him back before sitting in a chair beside him. “How’s Mom?”

  “She’s out of surgery and in recovery. The doctor said they were able to replace her right hip.”

  Nick let out a heavy breath. “I was so worried about her.”

  “I know I told you not to come, but I’m glad you did.”

  His heart a little lighter, Nick smiled. “Me too. I never did mind well, huh?”

  “Oh, you were always the one who minded like you were supposed to. I never had to worry about you going off and breaking the rules.”

  “Really?” Nick was truly shocked.

  “Yeah. Roger? We had to watch that boy like a hawk. He was always doing something he wasn’t supposed to. Always getting in trouble.”

  Dad admitting Roger got into trouble? That wasn’t like him.

  Dad furrowed his brows. “Only the Marines could straighten him out.”

  “But Roger was your golden boy.”

  Dad gave him an incredulous look.

  Had he said that out loud? Finally?

  “I loved Roger very much, that’s true, but he was never a golden boy.”

  “You always favored him, Dad. You let him play in your office, took him to work with you, things like that.”

  “Son, don’t you understand? He was always a bit of a handful for your mother, so I had to help her out with him more. Keep him out of trouble.”

  Nick let it go. He tapped the Bible. “Doing a little reading?”

  Dad actually blushed. “Your mom. Said she hadn’t put up with me all these years not to see me in eternity.” He lifted a single shoulder. “So I’ve been doing some studying these past few months.”

  Nick’s emotions threatened to choke him. “How do you get over God taking Roger?”

  “Your mom finally got me to understand . . . God doesn’t like war. He doesn’t like all the discord. Man starts war, not God. So it was man’s fault and not God’s that Roger was in Iraq. Man killed your brother, not God.”

  “I know God’s all-powerful, so He could’ve stopped it. And He didn’t.”

  “There must’ve been a reason.”

  “Yeah, Dad, what?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “And you’re okay with that?” How could he be? Yet Nick recalled his gut feeling when he’d heard the priest at Gina’s funeral. The peace.

  “I have to be, son. I may not understand, I don’t even want to, but I have to accept that. Otherwise, as your mother says, I’m just going to be nothing more than a bitter man who won’t get to see Roger again.”

  But . . . Nick had some serious thinking to do.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “There are too many people that depend on me. I’m too obligated. I’m in too far to get out.”

  Elvis Presley

  Moment of truth.

  Maddie held her breath as Dr. Sebrowski verified Eva’s results. In moments, Peter grabbed the report and brought them into the main room and handed them to Eva.

  “Well?” Nick was as anxious as she.

  “Mr. Adam Alexander is excluded as a match for the blood sample extracted from the back of Gina Ford’s shirt at the crime scene.”

  Maddie released her breath.

  “What?” Nick shook his head.

  “It’s not a match. It’s not Adam’s.” Eva handed the report
to Darren.

  “Are you sure?” Nick asked.

  Eva popped her hands on her hips. “Of course I’m sure. They aren’t a match.”

  Darren looked at Nick. “Now what? I didn’t think past Alexander.”

  “I hate to say it, but I told you so.” Maddie reached for the report.

  “Oh, you don’t hate to say it. You enjoy being right.” Nick nudged her.

  She grinned. “Yeah, I do.” Then she frowned. “Eva, do you still have Adam’s sample up?”

  “Yeah. What’s wrong?”

  “Pull it on your screen, then, split screen it and put it beside the familial one.”

  Eva sat in front of her computer and did as Maddie instructed.

  Leaning over Eva’s shoulder, Maddie eyeballed the double helixes. She pointed to the screen. “Superimpose them.”

  “What?” Nick asked.

  “Hang on.”

  Eva did.

  Maddie and Eva both gasped in unison.

  “What?” Nick asked again.

  “We can’t be sure unless we run it through CODIS as familial search again, and I don’t even think that would be allowed, but I’d bet my next paycheck that whoever left that blood on the back of Gina’s shirt is related not just to Brody Alexander, but Adam Alexander as well.”

  “So it’s still someone who is a blood relative of Brody Alexander, but it’s not Adam?” Darren asked. “This is getting complicated.”

  “I won’t even try to explain on the diagram. But the DNA from Gina’s shirt is similar enough to both Adam’s and his father’s.”

  “That leaves, who? The daughter?” Nick shook his head. “The daughter, right. She’s the only one left.”

  “That’s all in their family.” But Maddie couldn’t imagine a woman killing Gina and then stabbing her, then staging her in the car. Not unless she had help.

  “And the daughter is younger than Adam?”

  Maddie nodded. “By two years, I think.”

  “This is crazy.” Darren shook his head. “I mean, Adam Alexander had motive, no alibi, and definitely the means.”

  “Who knows? Maybe Mom or sis helped him, same motive and means.” Nick shrugged. “But we need to check it out.”

  He looked so tired. He hadn’t gotten back into town until the wee hours of the morning. “How’s your mom?”

  “Good. Dad says if all goes well, they’ll move her to the rehab center on Monday.”

  “I’m glad.” Maddie smiled.

  “I’ll call you later.” Nick and Darren left the lab.

  “How do you feel about being right?”

  “Good that I’m right, but I feel like every time we’re close to justice for Gina, it slips away.”

  Eva nodded and leaned back in her chair. “I know. It’s discouraging.”

  Wasn’t that the truth.

  “Oh, here’s some good news.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Ivan was able to help Memphis PD’s CSI pull the print they lifted from Hailey Carter’s crime scene. He’ll run it through AFIS as soon as he’s finished cleaning it up.” She tapped her pen on her desk. “He says it wasn’t high enough quality.”

  They laughed together. Ivan was many things, but mostly, he was extremely persnickety about latents. That’s what made him the best.

  “Brody Alexander?”

  “Yes.”

  Nick flashed his badge and introduced himself and Timmons.

  Brody waved them inside. “Can I get you something to drink? I apologize for the mess, but my wife and daughter are out of town.”

  “No, thank you. Actually, we have a few questions for you, your wife, and your daughter.”

  “Well, my wife and daughter are on a mother-daughter cruise at the moment.”

  “A cruise?” Nick wanted to pound something. If this was another dead end, he’d give up on that whole familial DNA thing.

  “Yes. Our women’s ministry sponsors the cruise every other year. This year, they’re sailing in the Caribbean.” He grinned. “I’m jealous.”

  “I am too.” Nick pulled out his notebook. “When did your wife and daughter leave, Mr. Alexander?”

  “It will be two weeks ago tomorrow. They’ll come ashore on Saturday and fly home on Sunday. I sure have missed them.”

  “I imagine so.” Two weeks . . . they left before Gina Ford was murdered.

  That only left Brody Alexander, but it wasn’t a perfect match to him, personally. So either the familial DNA was a bust, which Maddie swore science didn’t lie, or they’d missed something.

  “Is there something I can help you with?”

  “Sir, if you don’t mind, can you tell me a little about your past imprisonment? I know it might be uncomfortable to discuss, but I believe you have some information we need for an open investigation, and I suspect you aren’t aware of it.”

  “I don’t mind at all. But I need to back up and tell you my whole life story for it to make sense. Okay?”

  Nick nodded. “Go ahead.”

  “Back in college, I fell in love with Leslie, who was a devoted Christian. She still is, of course, but she made me want to be a better man. She led me to become a Christian. I had been a huge party guy, but after dedicating my life to Christ, I let go of the college fraternity and parties.”

  Nick noticed Timmons taking notes just as he was.

  “I was honored that Leslie agreed to marry me. The very next year, we were blessed with a baby boy, Adam. My career took off and I joined a large stock-brokering firm. Two years later, we were blessed again, this time with our daughter, Tammy.”

  The man wasn’t kidding—he truly was going to give his life story.

  “We went through our twenties and thirties as movers and shakers. I made good money. A lot of money. When I turned forty, it’s as if God put His hand on me to move me. I felt strongly that I was led to quit my job at the big brokerage and go to work at a smaller similar company.”

  He smiled. “I loved it. I only had two bosses and I had time for more personal interaction with my clients as well as a slower pace. I loved selling securities and bonds to locals, turning a very nice profit, which allowed me to give back more to the community and church.”

  Nick fought against yawning.

  “Unfortunately, unbeknownst to me, my bosses created bogus securities for us brokers to sell. An FBI investigation silently progressed until I was indicted. I went to trial, but although I’m innocent, I was found guilty and sentenced to four months in a federal prison camp.”

  Now they truly did know his life story.

  “But God has had His hand on me all the time. Every step of the way, my faith has increased and the Lord continues to bless me in ways I never even thought of.”

  So how does this man’s DNA click with another blood relative that’s not his son or daughter? Even if his parents were still alive, Nick seriously doubted they’d have means or motive to murder Gina Ford.

  “Mr. Alexander, do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  “I had a brother, but he was killed in an auto accident some six years back.”

  This did not make any sense.

  “Agents, I know you don’t have to tell me anything, but if you’d narrow down what you’re looking for in connection to me, perhaps I could help you.”

  How had this man raised such a womanizing louse of a son? Unless the apple didn’t fall far the tree? After all, he hadn’t expected to learn Senator Ford was having an affair.

  “Mr. Alexander, we mean no disrespect, but is it possible you fathered another child?”

  The man visibly stiffened his entire body. “I’ve never cheated on Leslie.”

  “We’re not accusing you of any such thing, sir. But as you said, you were a bit of a part
y guy in college before you met your wife.”

  Brody squirmed just a bit. “Well, I suppose it’s possible. It was back before I met Leslie. Before I became a Christian.”

  “Any names?”

  “Oh. I’d have to really think about it. That’s been such a long time ago.”

  “No woman ever contacted you? Maybe asked you for money?”

  “No.” The man’s face didn’t reveal any of the markers of dishonesty. “I met Leslie in my junior year of college, so if this occurred, it would have to have been in my freshman or sophomore year.”

  Nick stood. “If you could give it some thought and get back with us.” He handed Mr. Alexander his card. “We’d really appreciate it.”

  “Of course.” Mr. Alexander showed them out.

  “What do you make of that?” Timmons asked once they were in the car.

  “I don’t know. Either that familial DNA is bogus, or he has a kid he’s not aware of.” Nick turned the car toward the office.

  “You think he’s on the up-and-up . . . that he doesn’t know about another child?”

  “I’ve been surprised before, but I don’t think he’s hiding anything. The man embraces his past, even the bad parts, way too much. I don’t think he’d deny it.”

  Timmons grinned. “That’s a man following God.”

  “What do you mean?” He remembered his father had been reading a Bible at the hospital. Had he somehow missed the Christian revival train?

  “Learning from the mistakes of your past. Growing. Praising God during the hard times. It’s all part of your spiritual walk.”

  “You really believe all that?” Nick knew that all from church, but somewhere along the road . . . between Roger getting killed and the horrors he saw every day . . .

  “I do. And I know what you’re thinking.”

  “Oh yeah? What am I thinking?”

  “We’re in a job where we see the true evil nature of men day in and day out. It’s hard not to become jaded. But that’s not God’s fault.”

  “It’s not? I thought God was all-powerful, able to do whatever He wanted.”

  “Man, how long has it been since you read your Bible? Have you even done that since you became an adult?”

  “Well, after Roger died, we kinda stopped going to church.”