The Ring of Fire: The Dragon Dream: Book Two

by Robin Janney

  “Any more unreal than your Christ forgiving the men crucifying Him?” the Trooper asked.

  That drew Cori up short. Not just how the other woman had worded her sentence, but also because of the truth of her question.

  “I’ve never thought of it like that,” Cori admitted. She wondered if the pie had cooled enough to cut as she pulled the half gallon carton of vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and set it next to the pie to soften.

  “From what I remember of the story, He was asking God to forgive them even while He hung on the cross.”

  Cori nodded. “He did. I just haven’t met many people like that.”

  “Don’t let your church members hear you say that.”

  The pastor’s wife agreed with a small laugh. “No, that wouldn’t go over at all. No offense, but I wouldn’t have pegged you to know so much about the Christian faith.”

  Erica shrugged. “I was brought up in the church. I left when I realized there was no place for me in the holy halls.”

  Turning from the counter, Cori asked, “Why is that? We’re taught everyone is accepted.”

  The trooper was silent for a long moment. “Reality is something different, Cori. Some sins are elevated above others, and if you commit one…you’re an outcast. Especially if you’re not sorry.”

  Risking the pie falling to pieces, Cori cut into it with a sharp knife and considered the other woman’s words. “Don’t really want to talk about it, do you?”

  “No, not really.”

  Her tone was firm, but not harsh. Cori heard the defensiveness in it. She waited until after she had two piles of pie on the small plates, apparently it was too warm to be cut yet, and topped each with a generous scoop of ice cream before speaking again. Setting the more appealing pie in front of the trooper, and the other at her own spot, Cori took her seat and said, “You know I have no right to judge you, even if I hadn’t helped with Angela’s abduction. But I did do that, so I have even less right to judge anyone. Whatever it is, God still finds you acceptable and lovable.”

  Erica dragged the tongs of her fork through her ice cream. “I could almost believe you. But I know enough to know that sexual sins are a deal breaker.”

  “No, they’re not,” argued Cori. “I used to be a prostitute, remember?”

  The other woman shrugged and bit into her pie. “This is good.”

  Cori tasted her own piece and was delighted to find that the pie had turned out just as she wanted, gooey and sweet. The vanilla ice cream added cool creaminess. “It is. Thanks.”

  After a few bites, Erica asked, “Cori, can you honestly tell me your congregation doesn’t hold your past against you? You were an unwed mother living with the father of your children even as you turned tricks for extra money.”

  Blushing in embarrassment, even though she had been the one to mention her own past, Cori shrugged. “Some do, some don’t. My husband doesn’t hold it against me.”

  “He wouldn’t have married you if he had,” replied Erica. “But he’s not the one I’m talking about. I’m talking about the church goers. The ones who sit under this God loves everyone message and then turns it into God loves only those people who agree with us. Or better yet – God loves everyone but gays.”

  It was spoken without anger, though Cori could see the emotion shining in the police woman’s eyes. And it was enough that Cori grimaced as she brought her fork full of pie to her mouth again. It was easy enough to understand what it was Erica didn’t want to share. Cori didn’t blame her.

  “You’re right,” she said after swallowing the mouthful of pie. “And there’s no good excuse for people who use hate to make themselves feel better about their own failings. Have you ever come out to anyone?”

  “To my parents. Who don’t speak to me to this day.”

  There was enough bitterness in the other woman’s voice and face to spoil the taste of Cori’s pie. She set her fork to the side. “My parents still speak to me, after what I did. But there’s that look in their faces saying they’re not sure about me even after all I’ve managed to turn around. There are many who won’t even look at me. I know it doesn’t compare. I’m sorry for the pain you’ve faced. Know that your sexual orientation doesn’t change my opinion of you at all. Well, maybe this conversation has, but not in a bad way.”

  Erica laughed. “And what was your opinion?”

  Smiling, Cori picked her fork back up. “Well, you were just the annoying policewoman Crane sends each month to escort me to visit my…whatever Susan was to me. We were hardly friends, never partners. Now, you’re more of a normal woman to me.”

  “Normal?”

  “As normal as any of us get.” Cori shrugged. She scraped her plate clean, moved to place her dirty dishes in the dishwasher. “I’m wishing I’d invited you in for pie sooner, but the honest truth is…this is the first one I’ve made that’s ever turned out.”

  Erica chuckled. “I hope you make more.”

  “I plan on it,” answered Cori. In moments she had things put away. “Let’s get this visit over and done with.”

  W here other inmates and their visitors exchanged a quick hug across the wide table in the visiting area, Cori Mallone and Susan Mead barely looked at each other as they sat down.

  “Here again I see,” Susan said crossly. Her time inside had made her angrier than she’d been before. Before the time when her cousin had walked into Craig Moore’s life and claimed what Susan hadn’t been able to win.

  They’d all had a crush on Craig when they’d first been hired, but it never lasted long. Even Cori had nursed one for a few weeks. But a crush had been all it was and eventually every one of them had moved on. Everyone except Susan.

  “Why do you keep coming here?” asked Susan when her visitor made no comment. “We’re hardly friends.”

  Cori sighed, almost slumping in her seat. “You know why. Crane wants it.”

  “Oh yes, Everett Crane. The man who gets whatever he wants no matter the cost. How is the old man?”

  “I never see him. He just wants to remind me of how close I came to being in here with you.”

  “Right, the price of collaboration.”

  Cori ignored the barb. She’d been called worse things in her life. For that matter, Susan had used stronger euphemisms before too. “Let me ask you something, Susan. Have there been any attempts on your life since you’ve been in here?”

  The question clearly surprised the other woman, her dark eyebrows darting up as her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

  “You and I both know prisons don’t stop men like Crane. I’m sure there are plenty of times you’ve laid awake at night wondering if he’ll try to kill you for what you tried to do to his daughter.”

  The other woman shrugged. “So what if I have?”

  “So, have there been any attempts on your life?” assumed Cori.

  Susan took a moment before answering. “Not from any of Crane’s people.”

  Which meant there had been attempts from someone else. “Have you ever wondered why?”

  The dark-haired woman shrugged. “All the time. But it doesn’t matter.”

  “You’re still alive, I’m still alive, because Angela asked Crane not to kill us.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  Instead of citing her source, Cori said, “Think about it. It’s the only thing that makes sense!”

  Susan just shook her head in denial.

  The two sat in silence, the only sounds were the murmurs of the other conversations in the large room. No two clusters sat close enough to allow for eavesdropping.

  “Who has tried killing you then?” asked Cori with a quick glance at the large clock on the wall. These visits dragged if they couldn’t find something to talk about.

  “Still trying to figure out who else I was working with?” Contempt filled Susan’s voice, but that was nothing new.

  “I figure it’s another reason why Crane keeps sending me here,” replied Cori with a shrug. “I don’t think you’ll eve
r tell me, but I’m going to keep asking. This way Crane can’t accuse me of not trying.”

  Susan snickered.

  “I’m a woman, just like you. I do what I must to survive.”

  The inmate’s face colored, but she said nothing.

  Cori decided to try a different tack. She had probably tried it before in previous visits, but none recent enough she could remember so it was worth a shot. “Do you really hate Angela that much? Why? She’s your cousin.”

  “Not really. She’s a Carman. My relation would have been on her adoptive mother’s side.”

  “Does that matter? You grew up together, played together!”

  Susan sighed. “I don’t hate her.”

  “Then why try to kill her?”

  Shrugging, the inmate answered, “It wasn’t my idea. I just wanted to harass her, scare her away from Craig. It wasn’t fair, I saw him first. But Nikki…” And then she clamped her mouth shut tightly.

  “Wanted her dead,” finished Cori. She showed no reaction to the information. “Any idea why?”

  But Susan didn’t say anything more.

  For the rest of the visit the inmate remained silent, no matter what Cori asked her. When the guards signaled an end to the visitation, both women rose and stood stiffly while others made tearful farewells.

  “See you next month,” said Cori.

  Susan’s lip curled.

  “O ne of these days, she’s going to refuse to see me,” Cori told the state trooper taking her back home. Even riding in the passenger seat, she felt like she was in trouble.

  Erica nodded, not taking her eyes off the road. “We’ll deal with it when it happens.”

  “It might be sooner than you think. She let a name slip today. Someone named Nikki.”

  “No last name?”

  “She clammed up as soon as it slipped out.” Cori rubbed her eyes tiredly. Her cellphone quacked, and she pulled it out of her purse. Reading the text, she smiled happily. “Alex likes the pie!”

  “I’m not surprised.”

  Sending her husband a quick text message telling him she’d be home soon, Cori closed the phone and put it away.

  “Does the name Nikki sound at all familiar to you?” Erica asked.

  “No,” she answered, letting the trooper hear her disappointment. “I mean, we went to school with a Nikki. Nichole Harrison. But she moved to Miami after graduating and she died shortly afterwards.”

  “Did you see her body?” asked the suspicious trooper.

  Cori refrained from laughing, but she couldn’t stop the amused smile. “I did. I went to her funeral, and it was open casket.”

  “Not much of a lead, but it’s better than nothing,” decided Erica. “I’ll pass it on to Crane.”

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t get more.”

  “Hopefully it’ll be enough. I’ll look into it.”

  “I hope you find something.” Cori smiled again as they pulled into the driveway of her home. “You know, if you wanted, you could visit sometime. Outside of work.”

  “Are you trying to befriend me?” Erica didn’t look at the other woman, instead studied the flowers growing along the driveway and brick path.

  “Yes,” said Cori decidedly. “I think we could both use a friend who doesn’t judge.”

  The other woman didn’t answer right away, and Cori opened the car door thinking her offer had been refused. Before she could close it behind her, Erica leaned in her direction and said, “I’d like that Cori, but don’t ever expect me to come to a church service.”

  Cori leaned down to speak through the opening. “I’m just after friendship, Erica. Nothing more. I have no problem if you never come to a church service.”

  “Alright then,” the policewoman decided. “I’ll give you a call some time, see if you’re home or making a pie.”

  “I’m going to try cookies this weekend. Chocolate chip.”

  “I like cookies.” Erica smiled.

  “So do I.” Shutting the door, Cori walked away from the police cruiser and back into her home.

  24

  A mber-Lynn Castlebury was not a happy woman, but she had been raised to never let it show. Would her mother be proud of how she was smiling at her obnoxious sister-in-law? It was through gritted teeth that she asked, “Hi Katie, it’s been how long since you’ve visited?”

  The petite blonde just laughed as she breezed into their small house in the suburbs. “You’re so funny Amber! Besides, I brought dessert!”

  “Lovely,” Amber-Lynn muttered as she shut the door and followed behind her unwanted guest.

  “Aunt Katie!” was the duet heard from the kitchen. Reese and Matt loved their aunt, who didn’t deserve their worship since she couldn’t be bothered with them outside of family gatherings.

  Smiling as she came back into the kitchen, Amber-Lynn managed not to sigh as her husband looked at her and his eyebrows lifted. She gave a slight shrug.

  “Nice to see you, sis,” Mike said, his eyes sliding to the man sitting at his left. That eye slide was enough for Amber-Lynn to know Mike wasn’t impressed to see his half-sister show up either, no matter how much he adored her.

  And Craig Moore looked like he was the only adult pleased to see the newcomer. “Hey, Katie.”

  “Hi, Craig!” Katie smiled pleasantly as she sat a box on the counter. “Mikey! Kids! I brought pie! Can I stay for dinner?”

  “Sure,” her brother answered, his eyes darting back to his wife again. “We were just dishing up when you rang the doorbell.”

  Of course. Amber-Lynn fumed inwardly. Mike never could tell her ‘no’. Did the twit have any idea how much her half-brother adored her? Given that he was the illegitimate son of their father and only six months younger, Katie probably thought it was her due. Even now, Amber-Lynn kept a smile on her face while grabbing a place setting for their extra guest.

  It was spaghetti and meatballs tonight and as usual she’d made enough to feed them for two days. Which might not happen this time. At least there would be enough food for everyone, she thought cynically as she put the place setting in front of Katie. Last time, she’d had to scramble to fix extra food for the other woman who’d shown up just like she had tonight. And once again, who had moved her niece further down their kitchen table and plunked her shapely ass next to their adult guest? If only Amber-Lynn could shoot real daggers from her eyes!

  “I didn’t know you were going to be here again!” cooed Katie, smiling up at her former boyfriend.

  “Well, Amber-Lynn’s a better cook than Veronica is, and I can only tolerate so much takeout,” Craig admitted. His eyes darted away from Katie and across the table to her. “And far more pleasant to talk with.”

  “Thank you,” she answered honestly as she took her seat on Mike’s other side. She and Katie were the only two left to fill their plates, and she grabbed the spaghetti server before her sister-in-law could to fill her own plate. Not the most gracious act, but she couldn’t help herself. “Still, if you eat here too often, you might end up going home to your wife heavier than when you came to the city.”

  “Not the way I’ve been walking the city,” said Craig, sounding amused.

  Even Mike chuckled at that.

  “How is your father doing?” Katie asked, eyes glittering angrily at her sister-in-law. She helped herself to garlic bread, her middle finger managing to be prominent for one serendipitous moment.

  No doubt the other was pissed because of the mention of Craig’s wife. Amber-Lynn planned on mentioning the man’s wife as often as she could.

  Craig was shrugging as he twirled noodles and sauce around his fork. It was amusing to see Matt trying to copy the man even though his mother had already cut his meal up for him. “The physical therapist says he’s doing great. I don’t see it. He sees his doctor next week.”

  “Any word on when he’ll be able to go back to work?” asked Mike. He made a small mutter when sauce dripped on his shirt. “Sorry, babe.”

  Amber-Lynn waved it away
. Stains were the least of her worries.

  “No, no mention of work yet,” answered the other man as he ran a hand through his short brown hair. There was the barest hint of a curl at the ends, and he’d probably be getting a trim soon – he always had back in high school. “He still takes a nap after physical therapy. I think it’ll be awhile before Dad will be up to working again.”

  “Andy says he’s missed at the firm,” said Katie. She was cutting her spaghetti up into smaller bites as well, occasionally nibbling on her bread.

  It was amusing for Amber-Lynn to see the other woman picking at her food. She knew her sister-in-law hated all kinds of tomato sauce and decided to make lasagna the next time Craig visited. Or stuffed shells and sauce, even goulash, anything with tomato sauce. If she could find out how Katie magically knew when this man was planning on visiting, she’d be able to put an end to it. Mike swore up and down the last time that he hadn’t talked to Katie about it, just that Craig was back in town and he said Katie had already known. Still, maybe Jason and his wife would be able to come to the next dinner. She’d ask Mike later whether he’d called the remaining member of their circle yet.

  “I’ll be sure to tell Dad you said so,” Craig said with a smile for the woman seated next to him.

  Amber-Lynn managed not to growl. Was this man oblivious to Katie’s flirting? “So Craig, since you’re still here, are you going to be bringing Angela to the city soon? We’d love to meet her!”

  Reese nodded her head energetically in agreement.

  The look he shot her was nothing short of irritated. “Not yet.”

  Oh my God, she thought, casting a side-ways glance to her husband. Was Craig enjoying Katie’s attention? Mike gave the slightest of shrugs.

  “Mr. Craig! Can I see a picture of your wife with her horse again?” Reese asked excitedly from the other side of Katie. “Puh-lease?” The almost teen girl drew the word out long.