by Andria Stone
“But I saved the best for last, Jack.” Brad puffed out another smoke ring, delaying his bombshell. “Vivian Seiger was a bona fide, bad to the bone, nasty piece of work. We’re talking card-carrying psychopath. The cops figured she murdered her stepfather, but never charged her.”
“Sonofabitch!” Jack flinched as he banged the table with his first. “You’re telling me if they’d arrested her, none of this…?”
“Seems that way.”
“I’ve just lived through the worst week of my life—since Iraq—and it didn’t have to happen.”
They sat in silence. Each man shook his head, deep in thoughts about the way fate had ruled their lives.
Chapter 14 – Loose Ends
At the appointed time, Jack called Helen. “I’m on a weekend fishing trip with friends. I’ll be back on Monday. It would be a good time for Alana and the kids to come home, too.”
“You may be right.” She sounded optimistic. “I’ve had an update from the FBI confirming a terrible train accident claimed the life of their suspect. Also, it appears they recovered a substantial sum of money—along with a gun most likely used in another unsolved homicide.”
“They must be pleased.”
Helen chuckled. “Ecstatic, is a more appropriate word. I’ll have Alana call you. Stay safe, Jack.”
In less than a minute, his phone rang.
“Are you all right, honey?” Worry clear in Alana’s voice. “Mom said there was an ‘incident.’”
The sound of his wife’s voice covered Jack like a warm blanket in a snowstorm. “I’m fine, babe. Just fishing with the guys. How is everybody?” They spoke at length about Lili losing her other front tooth, Ricky learning to ride a horse, and how much they missed each other. When he said goodbye, the lump in Jack’s throat threatened to choke him.
As the weekend progressed, the tension he’d been carrying for the past week faded away. Communing with nature proved to be the best medicine for his recovery. After Brad dismantled Jack’s burner phone, he smashed it to pieces with a rock. The guys tossed bits of phone—along with the bullet—in the river as they fished. Gabe used oxygenated bleach to remove Vivian’s DNA from Jack’s knife so Denny could use it to clean fish. No incriminating evidence remained.
Monday morning came too soon. Everyone had to go home, but nobody wanted to leave. They made plans to do it again in six months.
The flight to Georgia was uneventful, the return drive to Winter Park long and boring. Jack turned onto his street, surprised to see three cars parked in his semicircle driveway. On closer inspection, he realized they belonged to his in-laws. He drove around to the garage, where Alana’s SUV sat. She’d beaten him home. Wow. They were having a party at his house, and nobody told him.
The minute he pulled in beside the SUV, Lili came running to greet him.
She flung herself at Jack. “Daddy, lookie!” She smiled up at him with a gaping hole where her two front teeth had been.
“You’re the prettiest, toothless princess I’ve ever seen.” Jack knelt to hug her; his heart swelled with love. Still, in the back of his mind, the image of the barrette would never leave him.
Ricky walked in. He surprised Jack by joining the group hug. “Glad you’re home, Dad.”
“Me too, buddy.” Jack tousled his hair. “Me too.”
“Uncle Mike can’t barbeque worth a crap, Dad. You better get out there before he burns everything.”
Jack thought about reprimanding Ricky for his language, but let it slide.
Both kids grabbed his hands, tugged him out to the pool.
Alana hadn’t heard him arrive. She came from the kitchen carrying a picnic basket.
His beautiful wife, the mother of his children and love of his life, in all her glory—she took his breath away.
She saw him, stopped, got tears in her eyes, rushed to Jack.
He gave her a movie kiss, the kind she loved, right there in front of God and everybody. Then he flinched.
“What’s wrong?”
“Just a little boo-boo. Nothing much.”
The party atmosphere escalated. Somebody turned up the music. Jack relieved his brother-in-law of the barbeque tongs to make sure the meat wasn’t burned. Six children splashed in the pool while seven adults gathered under an umbrella at the picnic table, sipping iced tea. Their conversation centered around the recent TV coverage of a woman who’d died in a horrible train accident. Apparently, she’d owned a business in Winter Park.
No one looked directly at Jack as they spoke.
Helen said, “I heard the authorities found almost a million dollars in the trunk of her car.”
Mike added, “Word is, a gun found in the wreckage of her vehicle was used in two open homicides.”
Maggie’s husband, Tom Worth, an ex-hockey player who owned the hottest cop bar in town said, “An interesting rumor has surfaced. A precinct captain is being investigated because he dropped the ball a couple years ago when the same woman could have been charged for her father’s death, but wasn’t. Internal Affairs is looking into the possibility of a payoff.”
“Hmm, imagine that.” Jack finished the meat, kids climbed out of the pool, and everybody chowed down.
Afterward, Jack looked around. Family. He breathed a sigh of satisfaction.
A glowing orange sun hovered over the palms.
The scent of barbeque lingered in the warm Florida air.
Children laughed in the clear blue pool.
Jack Bennett’s life was back to normal.
At least, until next time.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Author wishes to thank Ranee Stemann as Beta Reader, and Jack Llartin as Editor, who helped shape this story. Their time, care, and influence were invaluable.
Andria Stone’s novels:
Edge Of The Future
Edge Of The Stars
Edge Of The Rings
The EDGE Trilogy
Edge of the Future:
A TechnoThriller (The EDGE – Book 1)
with Audiobook and Book Trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avPUT5REuXE
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Edge of the Stars
A TechnoThriller (The EDGE – Book 2)
with Audiobook and Book Trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9k9RJ0sgi0
***
Edge of the Rings
A TechnoThriller (The EDGE – Book 3)
Audiobook out soon—view Book Trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LutpNkhgoSY
***
The EDGE Trilogy
(Books 1 - 3)
***
Connect with Me:
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Author Website:
http://www.andriastonenovels.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AndriaStoneNovels
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/andria_mavrek
