The Wrong Man (Complete 3-Book International Thriller Box Set)
Page 97
Lester and Rebecca Friedman finally received the remains of their son. But his coffin was not wrapped in a flag. Tray Bolton’s cross was quietly removed from Arlington Cemetery.
And the star on the Wall of Honor at CIA headquarters remained along with the other anonymous stars of fallen heroes. But now it represented Deke Houston. And another cross at Arlington Cemetery with his name on it went up.
Ralph and Lucy Conners and their daughter Melinda attended a quiet ceremony on Beaver Tail Island one afternoon in early June. The wind howled outside, but a bright sun warmed the interior of Boat House.
Bullet holes and shattered windows had been replaced and the wharf substantially upgraded. And a shiny new fishing boat sat docked there, well maintained, stocked with bait and ready for action. One could be excused for believing that nothing dramatic had ever, or would ever, happen there.
Ferrar and Bonnie had opted for a military chaplain to perform the ceremony, and Captain Bonnie Taylor metamorphosed into a blushing Mrs. George Ferrar, complete with silk wedding dress and a bouquet.
One could also be forgiven for believing that Ferrar had always been a lobsterman. All the gear of his fishing business hung around them. Including an antique trap, hanging from the wall.
A few hometown friends of theirs also attended the ceremony, one a waitress at the restaurant who still wondered what ever happened to Deke Houston, the one that seemed so promising, but had slipped away.
The ceremony was nearing its conclusion with only the final vows to come, when there was a forceful knock on the door.
Bonnie gave Ferrar a puzzled look. Nobody just happened by on that isolated island.
Ferrar saw the silhouettes of a man and a woman standing just outside the door.
Before anybody could answer the knock, the door was kicked in and the couple appeared in the doorway.
“Lester!” Congressman Connors said with surprise. “Rebecca!”
The two walked stiffly into the room. Lester held a box wrapped in wedding paper. For a second, Ferrar wondered if the box held a bomb, a final message from their dead son.
Ferrar took a step protectively in front of Bonnie to shield her from what he was sure would come next.
The chaplain stopped what he was saying and went mute.
Lester handed the box to Ferrar, who had to juggle the wedding ring in one hand to take it.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“It’s a wedding cake from town,” Lester said. “After all, we’re neighbors.” He indicated over his shoulder at Yacht House on the other side of the island.
Then his wife reached discreetly into her small purse.
From the stony look on her face, Ferrar couldn’t tell if she would pull out a revolver. So he made sure that Bonnie was out of the line of fire.
Instead, she pulled out a sparkling object. Sunrays caught the multiple facets of a large diamond set in a golden ring.
“What…?” Ferrar muttered.
“Oh,” Bonnie said from over his shoulder. She covered her mouth with one hand.
Rebecca held the ring out to her. Her fingers were trembling, and she could hardly form the words with a quavering voice before she bowed her head and dissolved into tears. “This is from Tray.”
Bonnie quickly took the ring and thanked the distraught mother of her jilted lover. She shot Ferrar a glance. “I’ll explain later.”
“Shall we get on with the ceremony?” the chaplain asked.
More shaken than if he had been confronted with a gun, Ferrar reluctantly lined Bonnie up beside him for the vows.
It was awkward juggling three rings as they exchanged vows, and Ferrar’s ring for Bonnie was nothing like the extravagant offering from Tray.
They were pronounced man and wife, and Bonnie gave him a kiss worth remembering.
But Ferrar couldn’t help feeling that that jerk was still competing with him, even from the grave.
About the Author
Fritz Galt
Fritz Galt is an American novelist with thirty years’ experience in the diplomatic community. He has lived abroad in Cuba, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Taiwan, India, China, Belgium and Mongolia. He lives with his family in Washington, DC. If you enjoyed this Complete International Thriller Box Set, then you might enjoy his Mick Pierce Spy Thriller Series and Brad West Spy Thriller Series. For an in-depth look at all his work, visit Fritz Galt’s Amazon Author Page.
Also by Fritz Galt
Mick Pierce Spy Thriller Series
Double Cross
Thunder in Formosa
Geneva Seduction
Fatal Sting
Brad West Spy Thriller Series
Destiny of the Dragon
Mind Control
The Shangri-la Code
International Thrillers
The Trap
China Gate
The Accidental Assassin
Patient Zero
Comoros Moon (short stories)
International Mysteries
The Maltese Cross
The Canton Connection
Chasing the Tiger
Other Novels
Summerville
Lost Cutlass
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