“Just a case I’m working on.” He struggled with the door until Jack took his keys, unlocked it, and opened it for him. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Amos set the box down on the coffee table, but he forgot her sister’s name was on the end of the box, and the first words out of Jack’s mouth were, “Daesha’s sister? What are you doing with those?”
“I’m going to go over them for her.”
“Oh.” Jack stood there for some seconds and Amos could feel it coming. “Is that where you’ve been?”
“I really don’t feel like the third degree here, Jack. I mean, really, I―”
“No third degree. Did she bring them or did you pick them up?”
Here it comes, Amos’s inner private person groaned. “I picked them up.”
“So you went to her house.”
Might as well get it over with. “Yes. She cooked dinner for me.”
“WAH-HAHAHAHAHA! BAH-HAHAHAHAHAHA!” Jack bellowed, and Amos knew he was fucked, royally and completely fucked. “OH MY GOD! SHE COOKED DINNER FOR YOU! WAH-HAHAHAHAHA!”
“Stop.”
“You went to her house and had dinner! It was a date. Bah-hahahahahaha!!!!” Jack just kept laughing and Amos was growing more pissed off by the minute. “Did you have drinks too?”
“We had wine.”
Amos’s little brother just wouldn’t let it go. “Hahahaha! Wine, huh, Mr. Beer Drinker? Oooo, sounds like a fun time! Hahahaha!”
“Just. Stop.”
“But seriously―hahahahaha―that’s pretty awesome! Hahaha! I’m sorry. So, just out of the blue?” Jack asked, and Amos could tell he was trying to get his laughter in check.
“No. I met her for lunch Sunday and she told me all about it. I offered to look it all over, and after I did, I asked if I could take all the files to the office with me for the other guys to just take a gander at. I mean, two heads are better than one and all that stuff.”
The younger Fletcher had finally settled down. “Yeah, that’s true. So I’m glad you’re helping her. That family, god help ‘em, they deserve some answers.”
Amos eyed Jack carefully. Could he trust his kid brother? He decided to give it a shot. “Look, no joking, okay?” Jack nodded. “Can I talk to you? I mean, really talk? Because I just … Do you … Arrghhhh.” He just dropped his head and stared at the floor. Jack was going to rip him a new one, but it beat trying to talk to their dad. Henry would still be laughing. “So, um, I guess, uh, I think I’d say that I really admire Daesha. She’s fought through some tough situations.”
Jack nodded. “Yeah. Literally.”
“Yeah! Exactly. But she doesn’t see her worth. She’s constantly saying no man would want her, and they run when they see her prosthetic, and all that stuff. And I feel bad for her.”
“Sooooo,” Jack said, staring at his hands, “it’s pity. You feel sorry for her.”
“No, no. It’s not like that. It’s like, um, I just feel bad for her. And I think it’s horrible she’s had to go through all this. And I really think it’s horrible that she doesn’t see herself as having any worth to anybody else, and especially to a man.”
“But you think she has that worth?” Jack said, swiveling his head to stare at Amos.
“Yes. I think she does. She’s got beautiful eyes, and beautiful hair, and her body, wow, um …”
Jack nodded. “Whoa, yeah. She’s got some kick-ass curves there. Luscious.”
“Yeah. But mostly, I just have so much respect for her, you know? To fight through everything she’s fought through.”
“Wait.” Jack’s jaw dropped before he said, “You respect her? A woman?”
“Yes. A woman. I respect a woman. Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Because you’ve been a fucking player for so long that it seems, I dunno, unnatural somehow.”
“Wow. Thanks.”
“No, seriously, Amos. This is what I’ve been telling you all along. Okay, look. The first time I saw Aleta was on the side of the road, covered in blood. And I mean, she was covered in blood, man. Totally. I couldn’t tell what she looked like because she was a mess and her arm and leg were all broken and sticking out in ridiculous ways. And I thought, ‘Well, there’s a disaster that somebody’s gonna have to clean up.’ And then I went to the hospital and she thought I was an angel.”
Amos didn’t know whether to make a face or laugh. “An angel? Jack Fletcher, an angel?”
“Yeah. Like a guardian angel. She remembered me from the side of the road. Yeah, crazy, I know, but she kept telling me I was her angel, and I thought she was mental.”
“She obviously was if she thought you were an angel.”
“Stop. I’m trying to be serious here,” Jack huffed.
“So am I,” Amos replied.
Jack just smiled. “Anyway, when I finally caught up with her that next time on the side of the road, I was shocked. That woman I’d seen there the first time, the one I’d thought probably wasn’t going to live through the night, was amazing. She’d come through all that, she was working to prove herself independent, she had a little apartment and her own little car, and a job washing dishes at a pancake place. I mean, a dishwasher, Amos. She was really trying.”
Amos hadn’t heard any of that part of the story before. “Yeah, I’ll say. I wouldn’t want to wash dishes.”
“She didn’t know how to do anything else. But look how far she’d come from the time of the accident to the four months later when I met her. And that’s Daesha. She’s like Aleta. She’s managed to carve out a good life for herself in the toughest of circumstances, and she’s done a beautiful job of it. I don’t blame you for respecting her. I respect her too, not to mention that she made a huge sacrifice for us and our country. That alone is worthy of respect.”
“I agree. And I do. Respect her, I mean.”
“Are you at all interested in seeing her? I mean, romantically?”
“I kissed her tonight.”
“Get out!” Jack yelled and punched Amos’s upper arm, but then he sobered. “Sorry. Old Jack. Well, that’s good, right? I mean, did she slap you?”
“No. She cried.”
“Well, I think I can honestly say I’ve never kissed a woman and made her cry,” Jack said with a smile.
“No, she was crying already. Kind of.” His phone beeped. “Oh, I bet that’s her. I told her I’d text her when I got home and I forgot because you were here. Hold still.” Amos held up the phone and leaned toward Jack, then snapped a picture of the two of them together. He sent a quick text.
Look who pulled in right behind me.
He attached the picture to it and sent it. He got one back almost immediately.
Please tell him I said hi.
“She says hi,” Amos said, texting.
Just did. Sorry I didn’t text you. Jack distracted me.
He laughed when the next one came in.
Tell him I said to cut it out.
“She says cut it out,” Amos read from the screen.
“I think that’s my cue to go. But listen.” Jack turned to his big brother and smiled. “Good luck. I’m rooting for you. You deserve to be happy, Amos, you really do. As long as you’re not being a dick, and it sounds like you’re not being a dick.”
Amos held up his hand in the scout gesture again. “I swear, I’m not being a dick.”
“Good. If you’re a dick to that girl and I find out, I’m going to kick your ass. Just sayin’,” Jack said as he walked out and pulled the door closed. “Bye, Amos,” he called through the wood, and the older Fletcher brother could hear the car pull away.
Instead of texting again, he hit the contact and waited while it rang. “You didn’t have to call me,” she said when she answered.
“I know, but I felt bad because he pulled in right behind me and I forgot.”
“Did he follow you or something?” Daesha asked and giggled.
“No. He was bringing me back something that Aleta borrowed from me. A bun
dt pan.”
“You have a bundt pan?”
“I know, right? I’m not sure how that happened. I told him she should’ve kept it because I’m not planning to use it―ever.”
Daesha laughed. “Yeah. You and a bundt pan. Sorry―I don’t see that.”
“Me neither. Oh, well, yeah. I’m home safe and sound. And you get some rest. I’ve got to get to bed too. Morning comes early.”
“It does. I have to be there at seven.”
“Ouch!” Amos said with a laugh. “That’s early!”
“Physical therapy. Get ‘em while they’re fresh,” she said and laughed with him.
“Yeah, I guess so! Goodnight, beautiful.”
“Goodnight, Amos. See you tomorrow night.”
“You can bet on it.” He waited until the phone went silent before he sighed. What was he doing?
He was tired of being alone. And this woman? She looked like she might be just the person who could help him end that lonely streak.
Chapter 3
It occurred to him on his way to work the next morning that he had no groceries in the house and he had no idea what he was going to cook for dinner. Maybe he’d get a brilliant idea during the day. Otherwise, he was screwed.
When he toted the box in, he looked around. Only two other guys were in the office that morning. A quick look into the supervisor’s office told him Mack Wexler wasn’t there yet either. He backed through the conference room door and set the box on the table. Then he went back out front and sat down at his desk.
In thirty minutes, the place was hopping. Everyone had reported for work, and Mack had given them his customary ten-minute warning for the morning meeting. Five minutes before time, Amos grabbed a legal pad and a pen and headed for the conference room. As soon as Mack walked in, Amos saw him give the box an odd look, but the supervisor just went on with his business. When he was finished, he asked, “Does anybody else have anything?”
Amos raised his hand. “Could I ask a favor?”
“Have at it,” Mack answered with a nod.
Rising from his seat, Amos made his way to the box. “I wanted to bring this in today and ask if a couple of you would volunteer to help me. It’s a file I got from a friend. Her sister was murdered fourteen years ago and so far, nobody’s been charged with her murder. I know we don’t do this, but if I could just get a couple more sets of eyes, maybe somebody would see something that’s been missed. There’s a lot of stuff here, so it might take a while. I was hoping to spread it out and leave it. Come in and look at a few things, then leave and come back again later. I really believe in looking at things and then removing myself from them so I can let my brain do the work, and I’m hoping some of you operate that way. If nobody wants to do it, I understand, but it would mean a lot to me.”
“You can count me in. I don’t mind helping at all.” Alex Ross hadn’t even hesitated, just jumped right in. Alex and Amos shared a special bond. They’d been there when a missing person in the far western end of the state had been found. Unfortunately, she’d been deceased, and they’d even attended her funeral. There was nobody Amos would rather have as his wing man in a bad situation than Alex.
“I’ll help too,” another voice called out, and Amos turned to see Jesse Talbert stand in the back of the room. Jesse had helped out on a case in far western Kentucky too, one in which a Kentucky State Police trooper had been killed. Jesse was a fine investigator, and Amos was thankful he’d agreed to help.
“Thanks, both of you. Just come in whenever you want, look at whatever you want, and when we finish here, I’ll brief you on the overview of the case so you know what you’re looking at before you start. Is that okay, Mack?”
Mack nodded. “Sure. I think it helps hone our skills when we can do something like this. Don’t take too much time from your assignments, but thanks for offering to help Amos. So you’re a friend of the family?”
Amos nodded. “Yeah. Her younger sister. And she’s a veteran who lost a leg in Afghanistan to an IED.”
“Then we’re most certainly proud to be able to help them out. Okay, guys, you know your assignments. Let me know if you need any help. I’ve got a meeting with the AG at eleven thirty, so I’ll be out of commission until after lunch.” Mack made his way out of the room and Amos waited until everyone except Alex and Jesse were gone.
“So exactly what’s going on with this case?” Alex asked as he and Jesse took seats by Amos near the box.
Amos spent fifteen minutes explaining the larger points of the case to them, during which time they asked a few questions. “So they’re sure the husband didn’t do it?” Jesse asked.
“It’s my understanding that during the time the murder took place, he had their two young children with him. They’d been with him for two days. A lady at a gas station said she saw him at approximately the time the coroner gave as the time of death, and the kids were in the car with him, so it couldn’t have been him. Did he pay somebody to do it? Maybe, but if so, there’s never been a connection made. As noted, it seemed to be someone she knew. No forced entry, alarm system turned off, and total overkill on the murder itself, indicating it was personal and heated.”
Alex sighed. “Fourteen years. The trail’s gone cold.”
“I wouldn’t say that. The state police have continued to work on this, but they’ve gotten nowhere, as has the sheriff in the county where it took place. I’m sure there are things that haven’t been noticed in these pics, and I’m hoping we find them.”
“We’ll give it our best shot,” Jesse promised.
“Thanks. Thanks to both of you. I owe you. Now I’ve got to go out here, check out my stats for the case I’m working on, and figure out what to fix for dinner because the sister’s coming over.”
“I’ll call Cynthia for you,” Alex told him, and Amos smiled. Alex’s sister was a chef at a restaurant in Louisville and if anybody could help him figure out what to make, Cynthia Ross could.
“Thanks. I appreciate that. I told her I’d cook for her and then I remembered I can’t cook!” Amos said, laughing. “I’m a dumbass.”
Amos went out to his desk and started looking through the stats on the case he was working on, an embezzlement case that had to have auditors assigned to it. Good thing they had forensic auditors. He couldn’t imagine having to sift through all those numbers. He’d been sitting there for about five minutes when his email notification went off, so he opened it. Thank you, Cynthia! he whispered to himself as he looked at the recipe, complete with step by step instructions. It looked easy enough, so he’d do it, and he didn’t neglect to shoot back an email thanking her profusely. As soon as he could, he’d buy a nice bottle of wine and send it to her. Hey, he’d get a bottle of that merlot Daesha had served! His brain sang out, Shit! I’d better get two and I’d better do it tonight on the way home. I have no wine for dinner!
Amos saw Alex and Jesse go into the conference room several times during the day, spend about five or ten minutes, and come back out. That was okay. They had work of their own to do, and he really appreciated them at least taking the time. He did the same, looking over the pictures, and he re-read the arrest reports for the ex-husband, the wannabe girlfriend, and the fake hit man. Boy, they were real pieces of work, and Amos wondered how someone like Daesha’s sister got mixed up with a man who could behave that way.
Three thirty came and he wrapped up the work he was doing, getting everything ready for the forensic auditors to work on the embezzlement case. Mack was in his office, head down and poring over something, when Amos tapped on the doorjamb. “Hey! Come on in,” Mack said and pointed to a chair.
Amos took a seat and then smiled at his supervisor. Mack was great to work for. He understood people, understood their jobs, and helped when needed but never got in the way. His caseload was smaller, but it consisted of cases so sensitive that they didn’t want the other agents handling them. Being there longer than everyone else, he knew the ins and outs of that kind of thing far better. “Got a t
ough one?”
Mack sighed and sat back in his chair. “How in the world are you supposed to feel when you find out the mayor of a small town has been sexually abusing girls there for years? I’m disgusted that he’s been able to get by with it for so long, but I’m more disgusted that the people there kept reelecting the bastard! I mean, really, they had no clue?”
“Ugh. I don’t envy you that case.”
“Yeah, thanks. If I could choose any other one, I probably would. What’s on your mind, Amos?”
He shifted a little in his seat. “I just wanted to be up front with you. The murder victim’s sister who was in Afghanistan? I’m seeing her. That’s where I got the files.”
Mack looked at him like he had an arm growing out of his forehead. “Is this serious?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure. We just started seeing each other. Hell, I’m not even sure she considers it seeing each other. But I wanted you to know―I did not want somebody else to find out and tell you before I could.”
“I appreciate that. I don’t mind you doing this for her, and I don’t mind Alex and Jesse looking at it. Matter of fact, I tried to read between the lines when you were presenting the basics in there. You think this was something bigger, don’t you?”
Amos nodded. “I do. Daesha―that’s the girl I’m seeing―thinks she was killed by a man she was seeing. Nobody knows if she was actually seeing anybody, but we’ve talked about it, and I’m inclined to believe she might be right.”
Mack’s eyes narrowed. “Just your average garden-variety Joe?”
“Nope.”
“So if she’s right, there’s a good chance we’ll get the case anyway?”
“Yep.”
A chuckle rumbled from Mack’s chest. “I had this feeling it was going that direction. In that case, I’m glad you brought it in here. If it does turn out to be as you suspect, we’ll already be in the right place at the right time and ahead of the game. Good work, Amos. You know, you have good instincts. Have you thought about looking at a supervisor’s position in another field office?”
Justice for Daesha Page 5