Fate of the Fallen

by Ellery Adams

  Nathan shouted and waved his arms, but the van continued to drive. Then the entire group began to shout and wave their arms in the air. Were there any onlookers, Cooper was fairly certain they looked ridiculous, but it didn’t matter. They had to get McNamara’s attention.

  Their collective arm waving did the trick. As the van rolled to a stop, the inspector rolled down his window and leaned out. “What are you doing?” he yelled. “You aren’t supposed to be out here!”

  “We found the proof!” Nathan shouted back. He held the photo up over his head. “I can prove that my sister didn’t kill Sinclair Gordon!”

  Five minutes later, they were all in McNamara’s office. Christine stood near the inspector’s desk, the prison van driver at her side. McNamara was talking to the prosecutor on the phone, explaining the situation, just as Nathan had explained it to him.

  He stopped and listened as the prosecutor spoke. The group was silent. Cooper strained to hear something, anything, that the prosecutor said, but all she could make out was a quiet murmur.

  Cooper leaned over to Nathan. “What do you suppose he’s saying?”

  Nathan shrugged.

  Drumming his fingers on his desk, McNamara continued on the phone. “I realize there are a lot of photo editing programs out there.” He glanced at Nathan. “But I know these folks. If they say the picture is genuine, I have no problem believing them.”

  Cooper’s heart soared. McNamara had a soft spot for them, after all. She knew it.

  The inspector paused briefly. “Fine, fine. Have your boys check the picture. Make sure it hasn’t been tampered with. Contact the photographer. I don’t care what you do, but in light of this evidence and considering where it came from, I think it’s only right we release Ms. Dexter on her own recognizance. Agreed?”

  Cooper held her breath and glanced at the rest of the group. Their stares bore into McNamara, although he didn’t seem to notice. Neither his countenance nor his body language gave away the prosecutor’s comments. He said nothing. The anticipation was horrible.

  Finally he hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and turned to Christine. “Ms. Dexter . . .”

  “Yes?” Christine stepped forward, exhausted, her face pale with worry. “What’s the verdict?”

  “Ms. Dexter, the prosecutor isn’t convinced that photo is the real deal. He thinks it might have been faked.”

  Nathan threw his hands in the air. “That’s ridiculous!”

  McNamara shot him a stony look that stopped him and then continued. “However, seeing as how I was willing to vouch for you and your brother here, the prosecutor has agreed that while he looks into the photo, you should be released.”

  Christine broke into a smile. “Really?”

  The inspector grinned in return. “Yes, Ms. Dexter. You’re free to go.”

  Christine leaned down and threw her arms around the inspector, taking him completely by surprise. He sat still, dumbfounded, until she pulled away, at which point his face turned a dark shade of red.

  “No need for that,” he said, turning his eyes toward the paperwork on his desk and avoiding the bemused gaze of the prison van driver. “Just doing my job. Besides, I have other suspects I’d like to pursue. It’s nothing personal.”

  Nathan stood and extended a hand to the inspector, who shook it gladly. “It may not be personal for you,” Nathan said, “but it is for me. Thank you.”

  • • •

  The group reconvened at Nathan’s and began to celebrate. Nathan ordered pizza. Quinton searched through Nathan’s cupboards until he found cupcake ingredients and a container of frosting. Cooper, Savannah, Trish, Jake, and Bryant gathered around as Christine related every moment of her time behind bars. While they’d heard about the ordeal from Nathan, there was something different and alarming about hearing it firsthand.

  Two pizzas and too many cupcakes later, the smile hadn’t budged from Christine’s face . . . or Nathan’s. He sat on the couch with his sister on one side and Cooper on the other, beaming. Life was good.

  Christine finally tossed her napkin onto the coffee table and leaned back into the couch cushions. “I’m tapping out. I think I ate my body weight in cupcakes.”

  “Hey, what did your folks say when they found out you were free?” Bryant asked. “Bet they’re pretty excited.”

  “That doesn’t even begin to describe it,” Christine replied. “I called them on the way over. I’m pretty sure they were literally jumping up and down.”

  “What about the people at work?” Trish asked. “They’ll want to know.”

  “I didn’t think about that.” Christine stood and brushed the crumbs off her shirt. “I’ll go call Kenneth. He can email everybody and let them know the good news. They’ve all been so supportive. They’d probably like an update.” She pulled her cell out of her pocket and stepped over to the kitchen.

  Jake leaned in toward the rest of the group and kept his voice low. “There’s the possibility someone at Sphinx won’t be happy to hear that Christine’s off the hook.”

  “I was thinking that,” Quinton said. “Someone is about to get a very rude awakening.”

  Savannah took Jake’s hand. “You’re forgetting the possibility that Sinclair did it himself. There’s the chance that everyone at Sphinx will be happy to hear that Christine’s free.”

  Christine returned and fell into the soft couch cushions. She sighed, a wide, contented smile on her lips. “It’s so nice to sit on something other than a cot.”

  Trish’s eyebrows shot up with curiosity. “So?”

  “So what?”

  “So how did they take it?”

  “They’re happy for me, of course. Kenneth suggested having a party.”

  Nathan put his arm around his sister’s shoulders. “Not a bad idea. Let’s have it here!”

  Christine looked up into Nathan’s face. “Are you serious?”

  “Sure, I’m serious! I think I can speak for all of us when I say I’m ecstatic you’re not in jail anymore. It’s something to celebrate. In fact, why don’t you invite all the Sphinx people, too. We’ll have it tomorrow after work. How does that sound?”

  The Bible study group gave their approval with nods and thumbs-up.

  Christine gave Nathan a hug. “I’d say it sounds like you’re the best brother ever!”

  • • •

  After a long conversation about party food, Cooper gathered her things. It was her turn to visit Danny—her and Trish—and if they waited any longer, they’d miss visiting hours completely.

  Danny was eating supper when they arrived, ladling spoonfuls of soup from a shallow cafeteria bowl. He looked pleased to see them.

  “What’s the soup of the day?” Trish asked, smiling.

  “Chicken noodle.” He made a sour face. “Two days ago they were letting me eat biscuits and gravy. Now, I’m on soup.”

  Cooper glanced at the monitor beside his bed. “Everything all right?”

  “Doc says there’s an infection.”

  “Where?”

  “Somewhere in my body.”

  “What kind of infection?”

  Danny shrugged. “I don’t remember the details. To be honest, I wasn’t really listening. In the military, I learned to just let the doctors do their thing. It’s easier that way. Except that I have to stay here longer, and I can’t eat anything worth eating.”

  “I was wondering when you’d be discharged,” Trish said. “You’ve been here over a week.”

  “I guess I wasn’t in the best shape, thanks to the guy who hit me, and now that I’m patched up . . .” He sighed and shook his head. “They were supposed to let me out yesterday.”

  “Were you planning on letting us know?”

  Danny reached over to the bedside table and picked up Nathan’s business card. “I still have this. I figured I’d give him a call and let him know. Didn’t want you guys showing up, expecting to find me in my room.”

  He slurped another spoonful of soup, scowling at the
bland flavor.

  “About that,” Cooper replied. “Where are you planning to go when you’re discharged?”

  Danny shrugged. “Probably back out to my old stomping ground. I’ll see if Tara’s still willing to leave food for me out in back of the restaurant.”

  Trish put her hand on Danny’s shoulder. “We’d be glad to help you get back on your feet.”

  At that, Danny pulled away, grimacing as he did so. “I don’t like handouts.”

  “You accept the food from Tara.”

  “That’s because it’ll just get thrown away if I don’t. If you have some way I can earn my keep, then I’m glad to give it a try. But I won’t be taking charity.”

  “All right, I understand,” Trish said, backing away. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  Cooper, on the other hand, wasn’t quite ready to back down. “What if we do find you a job. Would you take it?”

  “If they’ll have me, sure,” Danny said. “I have to warn you, though. I’ve been told my personality rubs some people the wrong way. Makes it difficult to hold down a job.”

  Cooper smiled. “Sounds like a challenge. We’ll see what we can do.”

  • • •

  Cooper’s sleep was troubled that night. She woke up every hour on the hour until four, and then she sat up in bed and played with Moses and Miriam to try and relax. She was excited that Christine was finally in the clear, but that excitement translated into sleeplessness. Not only that, but Cooper’s thoughts kept drifting to Danny. She was worried about him. Soon he’d be discharged from the hospital, still recovering from major injuries, and he’d return to a friendless existence. He needed a job. He needed friends. Cooper needed to figure out a solution to his problems.

  After she’d thought over Danny’s problems for a while, her thoughts turned to moving across the country. Now that Christine was out of jail, there was nothing standing in their way, not that Cooper wanted Christine to be in jail. Nathan would be ready to leave for L.A. in a few weeks. Cooper would be going with him.

  They’d probably be staying in California. Of course they would. Her fiancé would get the job, and they’d move. But Cooper still couldn’t say it out loud. She wasn’t ready to admit to anyone but herself that the time had come to leave. She wasn’t ready for it to be real.

  In those early hours of the morning, it was easier to focus on Sinclair’s death than it was to consider leaving Richmond. It was far less personal, and regardless of the outcome, Cooper’s life wouldn’t change. So she thought about what she’d do if Nathan were ever arrested. Nathan had fought for Christine. What would Cooper do for him?

  Firstly, she knew that no one would ever be able to convince her that he was guilty of something as heinous as murder. Regardless of how much evidence they had, how many eyewitness statements they showed her . . . even if the crime were caught on tape. She wouldn’t believe it. Not ever. Not Nathan.

  Focusing on Nathan brought her thoughts back to the job in L.A. She toyed with the idea that he could forgo the opportunity and stay in Richmond. All she had to do was tell Nathan she wanted to stay, and he’d turn down the job. So simple. Yet, so undeniably selfish. She’d never forgive herself for denying him this chance.

  Cooper could feel the walls of anxiety closing in around her, so she pushed the thoughts about Nathan out of her head. Where had that peace gone that she felt yesterday? Where was the surety?

  She sighed, ashamed. Her peace and surety were probably in the same place as her trust. She kept trying to trust God and His timing, and when she did, she had such overwhelming peace. It was far too easy, though, to take back that trust, and when she did, her peace faded away. The more she tried to trust in her own problem-solving skills and her own abilities, the more anxious she became.

  She took a deep breath and prayed in her head, asking that God would help her to trust in Him, especially as she faced important, life-changing crossroads.

  As her wandering thoughts drifted once again to Christine, Moses crawled into Cooper’s lap and turned onto his back, asking for a belly rub. Cooper absentmindedly petted him. And after a while, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

  16

  On her way to work Monday morning, Cooper called Ashley. There was a lot Cooper couldn’t do, a lot she couldn’t fix, but it occurred to her that, as far as Danny was concerned, she might be able to make a big difference.

  Ashley answered with a very energetic, “Hey, sis!”

  “You sound like you got sleep,” Cooper replied. “Or else you’ve turned to illegal stimulants.”

  Ashley laughed. “Lincoln got up with Hannah last night and this morning. I think it was the best night’s sleep I’ve had since Hannah was born! How are you?”

  “Pretty good. I wanted to talk to you about that committee you’re on. What was it, again?”

  “It’s the board that oversees the running of our church’s shelter downtown.”

  “I thought it was something like that. I assume you offer different services to people who are homeless.”

  “Sure do,” Ashley said.

  “Do you help them get jobs? I mean the whole nine yards: business clothes, résumé, interview prep . . .”

  “We do all of it. We’ll even find them a job if we can. What’s all this about?”

  “I have a friend. The one I told you about who was hit by a car. He won’t accept charity, but if there’s a job for him, he’ll take it. He’s in the hospital now, but I don’t know how to get in touch with him otherwise, except that he hangs out behind the IHOP across town. There’s a waitress there named Tara who makes sure he stays fed. I’d appreciate it if your committee could help him somehow.”

  “I would love to help him!” Ashley’s voice was brimming over with excitement. “It’s one thing to sit on a committee. It’s something else entirely to actually see results. It’d be terrific if we could help him!”

  “I’ll email you all the details I have,” Cooper said. “And I may even have a job idea for him. I’ll include that information in the message.”

  “I’ll watch for it!”

  • • •

  The Make it Work! parking lot was noticeably more populated today than it had been last week. Cooper went inside to find Brandi and Josh standing at the coffeemaker, talking to Emilio and laughing. They waved when Cooper arrived.

  “Glad to see you both alive!” Cooper said, joining them at the coffeemaker. “Feeling better?”

  “Much,” Josh replied. He pointed to his ear. “The ear infection is almost gone. I’m on antibiotics for the rest of the week, but it doesn’t hurt anymore, and I’m ready to work.”

  “And I didn’t have it nearly as bad as everyone else,” Brandi said. “Just a plain old boring virus. My nose is still a little stopped up, but nothing that’ll prevent me from delivering machines.”

  Cooper sighed with relief. “That’s so wonderful! You have no idea how wonderful.”

  The coffee machine sputtered, topping off a mug of coffee, which Josh took and immediately started drinking. He swallowed a big gulp of the hot brew. “Emilio was telling us you were down to three people at the end of last week.”

  Cooper nodded. “It was hectic, to say the least.”

  “He said you handled it well.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Cooper said, smiling. Hopefully this meant she wouldn’t drive Mr. Farmer’s business into the ground. “If you’re ready to get to work, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

  “Sure. Is Bobby back yet?”

  “He and his kids keep infecting each other. Last I heard, his wife wasn’t allowing him to get out of bed.”

  Josh grimaced. “It’s a nasty bug. I’m sorry he’s still sick.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re well.” She checked her watch. “And I hope you’re ready for a full day.”

  Smiling, Josh replied, “Bring it on!”

  Thanks to the return of the invalids, the day was considerably less busy than the end of last week had been. Josh an
d Brandi each did the job of two, and Cooper was not only able to catch up on her paperwork, but also leave on time.

  On the way home, she thought about Danny. It would be so wonderful if Ashley could help, but it would be more helpful to Ashley if Cooper could provide her with at least a few details. The easiest solution would be to ask Danny face-to-face, but as soon as he knew what Cooper was up to, he’d get his hopes up. Until Ashley had a better idea of what she could do to help, Cooper didn’t want to risk disappointment.

  Danny had seen enough of that to last a lifetime.

  So she pulled out her cell and began to dial Savannah, who, along with Jake, had spent more evenings with Danny than the others in the group. If anyone knew more about him, it was Savannah.

  Just as she was about to press the send button, though, her phone rang. Savannah’s name appeared on the caller ID.

  “What a coincidence,” Cooper said. “I was just calling you.”

  “Something’s happened.” Savannah spoke quickly. She sounded out of breath.

  “Are you okay?”

  “It’s not me. It’s Danny. Cooper, somebody just tried to kill him at the hospital!”

  • • •

  Savannah and Jake were standing at Danny’s bedside while a hospital security guard spoke with Danny. A nurse was there, too, along with Inspector McNamara and the rest of the Bible study group. Apparently Savannah’s phone calls had brought everyone running. The room was a mess. Danny’s blanket was on the floor and his pillow was at the foot of the bed. The monitor screen beside his bed was cracked. Shards of a vase lay on the floor, surrounded by the yellow roses it once held. Danny’s eyes were cold, resolute. If there had been any doubt as to his military service before, there could be none now. That was the indomitable stare of a Marine.

  Cooper went to Nathan, who stood behind Jake and Savannah. “What happened?” she asked quietly.

  He greeted her with a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m not sure. I was getting ready for Christine’s party, when I heard from Savannah. I called Christine to tell her the party might have to wait for tomorrow or Wednesday, and she’s telling her coworkers. Then, I drove over. I haven’t gotten the full story yet.”