Penance (Oak Grove Suspense Book 2)

by Reese A. Stephens

  I can see by his expression, it hurts him to brush her off like this, but at the same time, I can see a deep-seated resolve in him. He does mean this; he doesn’t want her involved. He probably doesn’t think he deserves her. I understand that because I felt the same way about Shayla. Even after I got over my anger with the situation, it still took me months to contact her. I just hope for his and Laney’s sake that he really is innocent, and if Laney is the one, he better open his eyes before it destroys them both. I watch as Jessica leads him to the squad car and helps him inside. Laney turns back into my chest, sobbing. I pull her over to my car and help her sit in the passenger’s seat, taking her hands in mine.

  “Laney, what’s going on?”

  She looks up at me with indignation. “What do you mean, ‘What’s going on?’ you’re taking an innocent man to jail for a crime he didn’t commit.”

  “There’s more to it than that and we’re taking him in for questioning. We will hold him until we can rule him out as a suspect. Personally, I’m not convinced he did this, but I have to follow the law.”

  “But you know him. He was one of your best friends. Why do you have to treat him like a criminal?” I wipe the tears from my sister’s face and hand her my handkerchief. She huffs out a dry laugh. “PawPaw used to carry these.”

  I smile at her. “I know; he gave me his before he passed.”

  I know that I could technically stop this right here and move on with my day. I really need to investigate around these premises and then get back to the station. Nevertheless, I decide that my sister is worth the extra time; she needs me right now.

  “Lane, you know I’m not treating him like some common criminal. I can’t pull favors just because I know someone. Even if it was you who was found with a dead body and near the suspected murder weapon, I’d still have to follow procedures. Please, don’t fight me on this.”

  “He’s just been through so much.”

  “I know, and you feel sorry for him.”

  She shakes her head. “No, it’s more than that. I’ve always,” she pauses and takes a deep breath. “I’ve always had a thing for him. I gave up when he got married and had the kids, but when he moved back here, my feelings for him only grew stronger. He needs me. He just won’t stop wallowing in his guilt long enough to see that.”

  “Okay, I get it, but you can’t be his hero right now. Just, be his friend. I’ll call you, even though I really shouldn’t, when he’s released. You can stop by and get him. For now, though, please stay away from the station.”

  “All right, I’ll go home. Ryan, even if he tells you not to call me, please let me know. I don’t want him walking home.”

  “I’ll do my best. Can you drive yourself home?”

  “Yeah.”

  I help her to her car and watch as she drives away. I see one of my men and make eye contact. “Pete, tell me whatcha got.”

  He motions with his head for me to follow him. I trail behind him to the back of the house and down a path, which looks to have been recently cleared. We walk about five hundred yards, and then veer off the path into the woods about a hundred feet.

  “How did Judson say he came upon the body?” I ask.

  “He said he was out for his morning run and saw something odd; it was the body.”

  I shake my head. “Stay here.”

  I turn and walk back to the path. I run down a bit, then turn and run back up; imagining that I’m Judson on his morning run. There are several people standing around or investigating the crime scene, who stop what they are doing to look at me before going back to their work. I just don’t see how he’d notice the body from the path. I know it’s not impossible, but it is unlikely. I’ll need to get his side of the story. I jog back over to the group.

  “Is there anything that points to anyone other than Judson?”

  “There’s some debris under Mr. Clark’s nails. It’s very apparent that the victim fought his attacker. We’ll look at the particulates and test them against Judson. It should only take about twenty-four hours before we have something concrete. We’ll also test the weapon against the injuries and see if there is a match.”

  “Get back to me as fast as you can,” I tell the medical examiner, then I turn to my men. “Take pictures of everything, and bag and tag anything that’s remotely suspicious. I’m heading back to the station.”

  It takes me about twenty minutes to get into town. I don’t waste anytime heading inside the station and straight to the interrogation rooms. I don’t bother stopping to talk to Jessica. I know Judson will tell me everything I need to know. He looks up when I open the door. I walk over and pull out the seat in front of him; I pause, shifting myself so I can reach into my pocket for my keys to un-cuff him. I know we won’t need them. Once I’m done, I grab the chair and sit down with a sigh; looking straight into his eyes.

  “Tell me everything from the beginning.”

  He rubs his wrists for a few seconds then looks up at me. “I woke up this morning hung over from the night before. I felt awful, but I had work I needed to do so I went for a run to shake it off.” I nod in understanding. “I run the same way every morning. I start up the right path to the pond and then go down the left path. I was on my way back when I saw something glinting in the sun. I stopped and ran back a bit to see if I could see it again, and I could. I stood there for a few minutes trying to figure out what it was, but I just couldn’t tell. So, I decided to head into the woods, and that’s when I saw the body.”

  “What was glinting?”

  “I don’t know. I think it was a watch or something.”

  “Did you know it was Ralph Clark?” I ask.

  He shakes his head. “Not at first, but the body was face down. I felt for a pulse, but I knew there wouldn’t be one.”

  “Why’s that?”

  His body stiffens in imitation. “Well, he already looked stiff. I flipped him over and that’s when I realized it was Ralph.”

  “Did you touch anything else on the body?”

  “No. I pulled my cellphone out, but I didn’t have service so I left the body and ran back to the house. I called as soon as I got there.”

  “What did you do after you placed the call?”

  He runs his hand through his hair. “I sat on the porch and waited for the cops to show. I told them where I found him and then your officer talked to me until you came.”

  I sit there for a few minutes. He looks down to the floor. I know my next question will be incriminating, but it has to be asked on the record. “Judson, can you tell me where you were last night?”

  “You know where I was, Ryan.”

  “I need you to tell me.”

  He exhales a breath and meets my eyes. “I was at Mooney’s. I had a few drinks and then went home.”

  “That’s it?”

  He looks at me pleadingly. “You know what happened.”

  I nod. Of course I know. I was there. I broke up the fight between them, but I need him to say it. “Judson, I do know, and from where I’m sitting, it gives you a motive.”

  “I didn’t kill him, Ryan. I swear to you. I’ve never thought about killing anyone. I moved up here to get away from people so I could live the rest of my miserable life alone. I can’t say that I liked Ralph because I didn’t. He caused me a lot of issues in my business and in my personal life, but I didn’t kill him.”

  “Did you go anywhere, see, or talk to anyone after arriving at your house?”

  “No. I found some rum and drank myself into oblivion. I don’t remember what time I passed out, but I woke up strangely early this morning, maybe four-thirty.”

  “What woke you up?”

  “I don’t know; I just woke up suddenly. I couldn't get back to sleep so I eventually went out for a run.”

  “I’m going to have to keep you here for at least a little while longer.”

  “I figured as much. Do you think you can talk Laney into leaving me alone?”

  I can’t help but laugh. I stand
and clap him on the back. “You’re on your own with that one, but if it helps, I think she’s good for you.”

  “Nope, doesn’t help at all.”

  “You know that she won’t give up.”

  He sighs. “I know.”

  “Come on, I’ll take you to a cell and get you something to eat.”

  Even though it’s procedure, I don’t re-cuff him. He’s not going anywhere and I know there’s no way he did this. I just need to prove that without a shadow of doubt. He walks into the cell and looks at the cot then back up to me.

  “Homey.”

  I grin. “Hey, I’ve gotten some good sleep on these cots,” I tease. Then more seriously, I add, “I’ll figure this out. It won’t be long.” He nods but says nothing.

  I lock up and start to walk away. “Ryan,” Jud calls. I turn around. “Um, I’m sure my parents are going to find out about this, but could you tell them I can’t have visitors or something? I don’t want them seeing me like this.” He gestures to himself. I’m guessing he means behind bars, but maybe it’s his rough appearance.

  “Yeah, man. No problem.” He nods and mumbles his thanks before sitting down on the cot.

  I head up to my office. “May, get me Jessica.”

  “Yes, sir,” May responds promptly. Two minutes later Jessica appears at my door, knocking on the frame.

  “Shut the door and have a seat.” She does. “Tell me what you found.”

  She nods and pulls out a notebook from her pocket. “The call was received this morning at five-thirty. Two officers were dispatched to the scene, with Anderson and me arriving shortly after. Mr. Hardenbergh was seated on his porch, speaking with one of the officers. After he explained how he found the body, he showed us where it was, then he and officer Snyder returned to the porch.”

  “Who was at the scene?”

  “Anderson and I searched the body and surrounding areas, tagged and bagged anything of importance or was suspicious. The M.E. arrived about twenty minutes later and examined the body. It was then she discovered the stab wound.”

  “Where did the weapon come from?” I ask.

  She flips a few pages before answering. “It was found about fifty feet from the body, under some leaves. It appears the assailant threw it or maybe the victim knocked it from his hand before expiring.”

  I think about that for a moment before I reply. “Why would Judson throw his own knife into the woods? If he killed the victim, he could have cleaned the knife and put it back into his tools. Surely he’d have known we would find it. He wouldn’t have been in a hurry. So, why not find it before calling us?”

  “Exactly, sir. It doesn’t seem like he did this at all.”

  I blow out a slow breath as I look up at the ceiling. It doesn’t matter what we think, we have to go by the evidence found. The knife was Judson’s, and, while not yet confirmed, I’m sure it matches the stab wounds on the victim. There’s not much else we have to go on until that particulate sample is identified. I look over at her.

  “You’re right, it doesn’t, but we can’t go on what it seems like. Let me know as soon as the results are back from the M.E.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll call down there now and see what she can tell me.”

  I nod and Jessica leaves. I pull up all the crime scene photos and browse through them. They’re not telling me anything that Jessica hasn’t already said. Everything at this point is inconclusive, but it does raise suspicion towards Judson. I wipe my hands over my face, sighing in aggravation. I get up and gather everything to head home. The drive is quiet as my mind goes over everything that happened today, trying to sort it all out.

  “Honey, I’m home!” I call as I enter my house. Shayla pokes her head out of the kitchen door.

  “Hey, you. I’ve almost got dinner on the table. Go wash up.”

  I do as she asks, then head into the kitchen. I kiss Hannah on the head and clap Dylan on the back as I take my seat. “How was school?” I ask my son.

  “Same ‘ol. I have a game on Friday. Do you think you can come?”

  “I’ll do my best.” I haven’t missed a game yet and I hope to keep it that way. I turn to Shayla as she sets my plate in front of me. “How was your day?” I run my hand up her thigh before pulling her in my lap and kissing her.

  “Gross!”

  I peek over at Dylan and then turn back to Shayla. I kiss her again. She smiles at me, putting her hands on my face and giving my four-day-old beard a light scratch.

  “It was good,” she replies. “Nothing special. How was your day?”

  I sigh and pinch my eyes shut tightly. I really don’t want to get into it just yet. When I open them again, she can obviously see the sadness there because she mirrors my emotions.

  “Bad day?” she asks, running her hand down my face.

  I nod.

  “We’ll talk about it later.” She gives me a peck on the nose then gets up to finish serving the food. “Your mom wants us to come to dinner tomorrow night,” Shayla says as she sits down with her plate.

  “Sure.” We grab hands and say the blessings before I ask, “Just us, or the whole fam?”

  “Just the four of us. She said she was having each of her children and their families over for dinner each week so she’s not so lonely.”

  “She’s never lonely. It’s all an act. Did you know she’s started seeing Mr. Mooney?”

  “Which one?” She asks in surprise.

  “The one who owns the bar. He’s two years younger than her.” I snort a laugh.

  Dylan looks at us with his mouth gaping open, which is pretty much how I looked when I found out. “How’d you find out?”

  I swallow a bite of my food before I answer, “I saw them at the diner and then followed them to the park. They were holding hands. I pulled him over when they left. Played the ‘ol overprotective son slash bad cop routine.”

  Shayla laughs and slaps my arm. “I can’t believe you did that. What’d they have to say for themselves?”

  “That it was none of my business and that if I didn’t want my name on the banned list at the bar I should mosey on back to my car and forget what I saw.”

  Shayla and Dylan burst out in full belly laughs and I couldn’t help but join them. It feels good to laugh after the heaviness of my day. We finish up dinner and clean up the kitchen together. Shayla asks Dylan to get Hannah ready for bed and then she pulls me into our room.

  “What’re you up to?” I ask as she unbuttons my dress shirt.

  “You said you had a hard day, so I’m going to draw a bath for you, and you’re going to relax. Beer or wine?”

  I chuckle. “Beer always. Stop trying to culturify me.”

  “You’re impossible. Sit, I’ll get the water ready.”

  She leaves me to head into our master bathroom. I flop back on the bed and stare at the ceiling, watching the fan make its’ dizzying rotations. I’m not sure how long I had been staring at it when Shayla leans into my vision.

  “Bath and beer are ready. Come on.”

  She pulls my hand until I follow her into the bathroom. She’s lit candles and turned on some low calming music. This is really nice. She helps me out of my clothes and I step into the tub. I sink into the warm water with a sigh.

  “This is great. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Do you need anything else?”

  I flip my hand over and she reaches over from her spot on the floor beside our large tub to place her hand into mine. “Just you. Get in with me.”

  “You sure?”

  I raise my eyebrow at her. “Of course I’m sure. I want to hold you.” She joins me and I enjoy the feel of her against me for a few long moments before I tell her about my day. “Judson was arrested today.”

  She gasps. “Oh, no. Why?”

  “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but Ralph Clark was found dead on Jud’s property. Everything right now points to him, but there are some things that don’t sit right with me. I don’t think he’d do something like this and
I’m not saying that because he was my friend growing up.”

  “What will you do?”

  “Investigate. I’m waiting on some labs. Once I get those, I’ll know for sure if it’s Judson.”

  “I hope it’s not. I can’t see him doing something like that, but time changes people.”

  I kiss her shoulder. “It does.”

  I sit and think about that for a while. Could time and all of life’s circumstances have changed Judson so much that he would murder someone? Ralph was no fan of Judson’s, nor Judson his. Yes, they fought, but was it to the point that he would stab and kill him? There are so many unknowns.

  ~*~

  The next morning, I’m up at five for a run. Running clears my head better than almost anything. When I was in the service and then the FBI, I found daily runs to be one of the only times I had absolute relief and peace. I could let my mind go and concentrate on the terrain. Now that I live back in Oak Grove, I’ve traded in the desert and city park runs for the woods behind my house, much like Judson does, but I don’t have a set path. I like running in the unknown, it keeps me alert.

  I arrive back at my house by six. Dylan is at the table eating breakfast and Shayla is at the counter fixing a tea and my coffee. She smiles, kisses me, and hands me my coffee. Have I mentioned how much I love my wife? She’s perfect.

  “Jessica called.”

  My ears perk. “What?”

  “Jessica from your office, she said the labs are back.”

  “Wow, okay. She’s in early,” I muse.

  Shayla smirks at me. “I think she has a crush on you.”

  I shake my head. “Nah, she’s just dedicated.”

  Shayla doesn’t look convinced, but I don’t really care, it’s the furthest thing from my mind right now. I rush through breakfast and shower off my run before kissing my family and heading out the door to the station. There’s only a few people here so far, the night shifters and a few of the morning shifters, including Jessica.

  “What do you have for me?” I ask, setting my coffee on her desk.

  She hands me a file. I open it up, examine the contents, and smile. Nothing matches to Judson other than the fingerprints on the murder weapon, but we already know those were his so I’m not worried about that since no other prints were his.