by Liz Bradford
“But this isn’t as final. You’ll see Jocelyn again, and you’re going to have a baby.”
“I know, but I guess I’m afraid. I’ve already lost so much. What’s next?”
“Maybe nothing.”
“Or maybe I’ll lose it all. If Patrick had his way, I would.”
“But has God failed you ever in all of this?”
Gavin took in a deep breath. “No. Not once.”
“Hold on to that. Because He’s not going to. No matter how hopeless things seem.”
Gavin nodded. “Yeah. He’s all I need. I know that. He’s always with me.”
“So, you have to remember to praise Him through this storm, just like you have through every other storm you’ve faced.”
“I can do that. I have to do that.”
“How are your ribs feeling? Up for a round of basketball?”
“I’m much better, but there’s no way you can play yet.”
“No, but Caleb was complaining that it’s been a while since we had a game.”
“And hey, with Jamison on his honeymoon, some of the other guys might actually be willing to join us.”
Jared laughed. “Sounds like a plan.”
Running the court was exactly what he needed to get his mind refocused.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The early morning August sun beat down on Gavin as his feet pounded the pavement. Ever since Jocelyn left two months ago, he’d run almost every day. He wasn’t sure if he was running to something or away from something. No. It really wasn’t either. He was learning to stay in step with God again. These early morning jogs had become a time to focus his mind on the One who actually had control.
God, thanks for running beside me. And carrying me on the days I can’t seem to get my feet moving at all.
Gavin slowed and took a swig of water. Even though it wasn’t even seven yet, the heat and humidity were nearly unbearable.
His phone rang. He clicked the button on his headset to switch from the music to the phone. “Riley.”
“Gavin! You won’t believe it.” Becca sounded entirely too cheery for the morning.
“Believe what?”
“Are you okay? You sound out of breath.”
“Running. Why did you call?”
“Ross Bender was just spotted off Oak Street across from Ace Hardware.”
“Really? I’m less than a mile from there. Do you know who’s responding?”
“Will Cooper.”
“I’ll call him. Meet you there.” He hung up and ran faster. Ross Bender would not get away this time. He used the voice command to dial Will Cooper’s cell phone.
Will answered after the first ring. “Hello.”
“It’s Riley. Are you responding to the Ross Bender sighting?”
“I am. Two blocks to the north.”
“I’m running in from the south. Tell me more.”
Will filled Gavin in on the details. Ross had been seen walking into an old house on Oak Street. The neighbors who called knew someone had been squatting in the house, but it was the first time they’d seen his face.
Gavin said, “Don’t go in until I’m there. I’ll text you.”
They hung up, and Gavin picked up his speed. He ran down the alley behind a row of houses to the address Will had given him. Gavin slowed as he approached the residence and tossed his disposable water bottle in a garbage can. The house Ross was in had a lower fence than the neighbor, so Gavin was able to see across the small yard and into the kitchen window. A burly figure stood where Gavin imagined the sink would be. Ross!
Gavin sent Will a text.
Will replied. Here too. Going to the front door.
A moment later, Gavin heard a knock.
Ross left the kitchen. Gavin waited. There was a good chance Ross would run as soon as he saw Will’s uniform. Gavin reached under his shirt to where he had his Glock strapped to his side. He was ready. Come on, Ross. I dare you.
The back door flew open, and Ross ran down the steps.
God, help me get him.
Gavin jumped out from his hiding place and aimed his gun at Ross Bender. “Police. Freeze. It’s over, Ross.”
Ross stopped for a second but flinched as if to run again.
“Don’t move.” Gavin kept his gun trained on Ross, opened the back gate, and stalked toward him. “Put your hands on the back of your head. You’re under arrest for the murders of Maria Bender and Arthur Moon.”
Ross slowly lifted his hands and put them on the back of his head. He didn’t say a word but just glared at Gavin.
Will came up behind Ross and cuffed him. He turned Ross with a “Let’s go,” then read him his rights.
Gavin followed them around the side of the house to the front. He opened the back of the squad car. Will shoved Ross’s head down as he loaded him in.
Becca pulled up beside them and jumped out of her SUV. She ran up next Gavin. “Ah man, I missed it.”
Gavin laughed.
Thirty minutes later, Gavin pulled open the interrogation room door. He was still in his running shorts, but he didn’t want to wait to talk to Ross Bender. Nor was Becca going to let him. They had too many questions. It had taken them over a month, but they had found a connection between Ross and Tom. They needed to know if Ross shot Tom too.
Gavin took the chair across the table from Ross. Becca leaned up against the wall between the door and two-way mirror. “All right,” he said, “time to talk. We have enough evidence to put you away for the death penalty. But first, I want to ask you a few questions.”
“If you have enough evidence, why ask any questions?” Ross tried to cross his arms, but the chain that cuffed him to the table was too short. His smug look turned irritated.
“Do you know Tom Davis?”
“Tom? Yeah, I knew him.”
“Do you know what happened to him?”
“What are you an idiot? I watch the local news.” Ross yanked on the chain, but it didn’t budge.
“Well, the fact that you killed Arthur Moon gives us reason to believe that perhaps you killed Tom as well.”
“Tom? I’d never kill him. I knew him but not well. I bought a dining room set from him and spent entirely too much.”
“So, motive?” Gavin leaned back in his chair. “You felt like he ripped you off, so you offed him?”
“You are a moron.”
Gavin put his elbows on the table. “Am I? Looks to me like you have a short fuse and kill people who make you angry.”
A red-faced Becca pushed off the wall and slammed her hands down on the metal table. “You did it! You killed my brother-in-law!” Becca’s arms shook. “You smug son-of-a—”
“Palmer.” Gavin put his hand on hers. “Step back.” He locked eyes with Ross. “Start talking, or I’ll let her loose on you.”
“I don’t know who killed Tom, but it wasn’t me.”
“Tell me the whole truth, Ross.” Gavin released Becca’s hand, and she stepped back.
Ross’s shoulders slumped. “Fine. I shot my wife’s lover the same way Tom was killed because I was hoping you’d think whoever murdered Tom offed Arthur.”
“Then you shouldn’t have used the same gun at McDonald’s.”
Ross’s smug expression vanished. “Guess I’m the moron. Can I get a lawyer and the DA down here? I’ll confess, as long as you don’t try to peg anything I didn’t do on me.”
“I can make those calls.”
“Plus, I have an alibi for Tom’s murder. Marie and I were on a cruise. Guess she can’t vouch for me, but I’m sure y’all can scrounge up some records to prove it.”
“If you were, we’ll find it.” Gavin stood. “Come on, Palmer. Let’s go check out his alibi and call the lawyers.”
Becca’s lower lip quivered. She whipped the door open and plodded out into the hallway.
The door closed behind Gavin, and Becca faced him. “I thought he did it. I thought we figured it out. I thought we finally had Tom’s killer.”
/> “I know. I hoped we did too.” Even though Gavin had been certain this whole time that Ross hadn’t killed Tom. Maybe he should have tried harder to temper her hopes. “I’m sorry, Becca. But one of these days we’ll find that guy.”
“I guess that’s another day, another story.”
“We will get him.” He rested his hand on her shoulder. “Right now, let’s close up this case.”
Jocelyn set her phone on the dining room table in her uncle and aunt’s home. The last two months had been a blessing. For the first two weeks she hadn’t done much other than sleep and cry. She had been so tired, and as she’d grieved all that had been lost, she’d become even more exhausted.
After that, the time was refreshing and restoring. Countless hours had been spent sitting with her aunt and uncle learning the Bible more deeply. She had come to a fuller understanding of God’s grace and mercy, and her soul felt a sense of peace that passed all understanding.
“Who was that?” Aunt Carol grabbed the last few dinner dishes off the table.
“My lawyer.”
“And?” Aunt Carol’s eyes perked up.
Jocelyn smiled. “The divorce is final. I am no longer married to Patrick.”
Aunt Carol put down the dishes and came around the side of the table and hugged Jocelyn. Her aunt pulled out of the hug and said, “It seems inappropriate but congratulations.”
Jocelyn laughed. “Thanks. I can’t believe it happened so fast. I really thought Patrick was going to put up some stink just to make my life difficult.”
“Well, praise the Lord he didn’t.”
“Definitely! I’m going to go call Becca. She’ll want to know right away.”
“You do that.”
Jocelyn picked up her phone and went the stairs to the room she currently called home. She climbed on the bed and found a comfortable spot, an ever increasingly difficult task as her belly had recently progressed from cute to huge. Long gone were the days of hiding her pregnancy. She dialed Becca’s number.
Becca answered. “Jocelyn! How are you?”
“I’m good. You?”
“Doing well. The girls have been keeping me so busy the last couple of days with swim lessons, but it’s been fun.”
“Great. How’s Gavin?” Every time she had talked to Becca since she left, she’d checked on Gavin.
“He’s doing all right. Not moping quite as much as when you left, but the rock thing is confusing me. He told me the story about the one on his desk, but then he’s got this new one the last two months that he’s kept in his pocket.”
Jocelyn chuckled. “I handed it to him the day before I left while we were down at the river.”
“Ah, that makes sense then.”
“I got an important call today.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“The divorce is final.”
“Yay! Wait, am I supposed to say congratulations or condolences?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. While I’m happy that’s over with, there’s another really confusing emotion mixed in.”
“Grief?”
“Hmmm… maybe.”
“Something ended. Your marriage died, for lack of a better word.”
“I guess so. I’m not sure what to do with it. I feel a heaviness in my heart. I’m happy, but on the verge of tears, as well. Patrick is a despicable human being, and I want nothing to do with him, but I also remember how I felt when I met and married him.”
“Jocelyn, you’ll need to grieve the loss, regardless of who Patrick is and what he’s done. Weep with Jesus. He mourns with you, and He’ll hold you through it. And then bury your dead, so to speak. After all, God can’t resurrect something that’s not dead. So, this marriage is dead, go bury it, and then wait to see what miracle He works.”
Jocelyn let Becca’s words seep into her soul. Tears flowed down her cheeks. Today was a day to mourn and tomorrow—or sometime in the future—a time of rejoicing could come. “Thanks, Becca.”
“No sweat. I’ve been praying for you a lot. We all miss you like crazy.”
“I miss y’all too.”
“Can’t wait to see you in a couple of weeks. The plans for your baby shower are coming together quite nicely.”
“Thank you so much for doing that. Maybe it’s time to just come home.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah. Would it be okay if I stay at your place a little longer than the weekend, until I can find an apartment?”
“Of course. You can stay as long as you need. I take it things didn’t work out with the house.”
“No. Adam and Mack tried so hard to fight for it, but the court wouldn’t budge. Patrick broke his bail agreement, so it’s gone.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not. I’m glad to be done with that house. Not enough good memories to outweigh the bad ones.”
“Our house is yours. It’s not huge, so you may get sick of us.”
“Never.”
“Well, it’s settled. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks then.”
“Yep. Good night.”
“Night.”
Jocelyn hung up and set her phone on the bedside table. She was so grateful for friends like Becca and was excited to go home, mostly because she wanted to see Gavin. She had resolved a lot in her heart, and now that the divorce was final, she could see him again. It was like she’d been released from prison.
Her uncle had wrestled through all the same issues and had done intensive Bible study on the issue of divorce and remarriage. He had sought counsel from many elders and godly men. And he had been able to share the wisdom he had gleaned with her. She wrestled with the verse in First Corinthians 7 that talks about how a woman who has left her husband must not remarry. It seemed so black and white. But then there was verse fifteen. “But if the unbelieving leave, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances.” Those words clung to her mind. Not bound.
Every time she talked to her uncle or aunt about the issue, they always came back to grace. That regardless of the direction the future took, God’s grace was sufficient. Her uncle had been sure to quote Romans 6:1–2, “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? Of course not!”
She smiled at the memory of intensity in her uncle’s eyes. “Sin has to stop. But God’s grace will cover all our screwups.”
Her uncle was so passionate about the grace of God, and she understood why. The clean slate given through God’s grace was what gave her hope that she wouldn’t be alone forever.
But how did Gavin feel?
Gavin tossed the piece of paper he had crumpled into the trash can. With the Bender case closed, Patrick in jail, no leads in Tom’s case, and nothing new, he was bored. A nice thing for a homicide detective to feel, but bored was a dangerous place for him to be right now. Becca had become skilled at keeping him distracted for the last two months, but she wasn’t here today. The first day of school had rolled around, and since the case load had been light, Becca and Amelia had both taken the day off to be with their kids.
“Riley,” Adam called from his desk. He stood and headed Gavin’s way. “Just got a call.”
Gavin jumped up. “Let’s go. What’s the case?”
“Domestic disturbance on the east side.”
Gavin’s stomach sank.
“I know they aren’t your favorite, especially after Patrick. But I’d appreciate you going with me.”
“Of course. It’s all still too fresh, but I’m all for nabbing a bad guy.” They had agreed earlier that if either of them got a call, they’d ride with the other. It made sense. And for a domestic dispute, two detectives were needed.
As they left the station Gavin’s neck hair stood on end. He glanced around, but nothing seemed out of place.
“Would you stop looking over your shoulder already? Patrick’s been locked up for months now.”
“I know, but I still get this creepy feeling every once in a while, l
ike somebody’s watching me.”
Adam shook his head. “I don’t know what to tell ya.”
“I know. I’m just trying to be aware.”
The creepy sensation didn’t dissipate until they had left sight of the station. Before Adam could fill Gavin in on the situation, Adam’s phone rang as they drove, and it sounded like he was talking to a lawyer. The conversation lasted until they reached their destination.
Two squad cars were parked outside the double-wide that was set deep into a large plot of land. The yard was nicely landscaped and did an excellent job of hiding the anger that hid behind the front door.
Inside, they found a woman in her early forties on the couch with an icepack on her left eye. Adam went directly to her. An officer in uniform approached Gavin. “The husband is out back.”
“Thanks.” He made his way through the house and across the yard to a garage less than fifty feet from the house. The door was up and another uniformed officer stood just outside.
“I haven’t cuffed him yet. He’s trying to cool off, but I’m not sure it’s working,” the officer said.
“Thanks.”
The sound of metals crashing together brought Gavin’s attention to inside the garage. Along the back wall was a workbench, where a man was rummaging through tools.
“Hello, sir. I’m Detective Gavin Riley. What’s your name?”
“Howard,” the man said flatly without turning around.
“Howard, I’d like you to tell me what happened this morning.”
“It’s none of your business. It was an accident, a’ight!” The man turned around with a large wrench in his hand.
Instinct told Gavin to take a step back, but he stepped forward instead. “Let’s put the wrench down and talk about it, okay? I want to hear what happened.” His voice stayed calm, even though his blood boiled. This man deserved to be clocked for hitting his wife.
“You ain’t going to listen to me. Y’all never do.”
“Cops have been out here before?”
“Where’s that short little brunette? I want to talk to her. She’s prettier than you.”
Adam and Amelia had been called to this house before? Gavin’s breathing became heavy. This guy was just like his father. He needed a taste of his own medicine. “I’m no Detective Johnson, I know that. But you can talk to me. Why don’t you put the wrench down, and we can talk?”