Frankie told Craven the same thing she had told Mia. Craven sucked his lips in and looked away from her briefly.
“You don’t believe his story.”
Craven took a long drink of his beer and stood up, “Want another one?”
Frankie put her hand on his arm, “Tell me the truth.”
“To be honest, no. It may have been innocent. You and I are sitting here having a drink and nothing is going to happen between us. Maybe that is all they were going to do. Have a drink. But if it’s so innocent why did he lie to you?”
The same question had been plaguing Frankie since Mac told her how he’d found them.
Chapter 28
“Mom! We’re home!”
“Let her sleep Ty,” yelled Dani.
“You’re not the boss of me! I want to show her what we did with Aunt Sophie last night!”
Frankie had forgotten the kids were out of school for teacher in-service. She was just getting up when Tyler burst into her bedroom.
“Look mom!” In his hands was a canvas painting of a little boy building a sandcastle by the ocean. “I painted it myself!”
“Sophie helped you,” interjected Dani.
“So! I still did most of it myself. What do you think mom? I made it for you!”
Smiling Frankie answered, “I love it Ty. I know just where I’m going to hang it. Thanks, bud.”
“Dani made one too. But she left hers in the living room.”
“I’ll come out and take a look at it. Let me get dressed and I’ll whip up some breakfast.”
Gruffly Dani said, “Aunt Sophie already got us food.”
Frankie smiled at her insolent teenage daughter, “Where is Sophie?”
“She said to tell you she’d call you later. She had a lunch-thing,” answered Tyler. “She was all dressed up and smelled really good.”
Ruffling his short hair Frankie said, “She did, huh?”
“Yeah. Mom, you should get some of her perfume.”
Frankie laughed, “Hmmm, why’s that bud?”
“Because then you might have a lunch-thing too.”
Frankie grabbed her son and squeezed, “May-be bay-be.”
“Stop it,” he giggled.
The day flew by with few interruptions from work. She had just fixed lunch and was lacing up her running shoes when her cellphone rang. Stepping out of the living room she answered, “Thomas.”
“Hey Frankie it’s Sergeant Baker. Got a minute?”
“Yeah. Go ahead.” Frankie hoped Baker had some good news on her case.
“They let Sawyer go. The prosecutor said there just wasn’t enough to charge him. The other squad processed his car for you. Can we release it to him?”
“Ye…no. I want to get photographs of the car in different lighting. Tell him he can pick it up when I come back on Thursday.”
“Is that all you need? I can send Coleman out to do it.”
“Yeah. Ask him to get photos in low lights. The victims we’ve talked to have given conflicting reports on the color. I’m thinking it might have been the way it looked in different lights.”
“Got it. See you Thursday.”
“Thanks, Sarge.”
Frankie hung up the phone and paced the room. She couldn’t understand why the prosecutor didn’t file charges.
Operating on a hunch she sent Baker a text. “Who was the prosecutor?”
Several minutes passed before Baker responded. “Jessica Moon.”
With that Frankie punched the pillow on her bed. Was the case really bad or did Moon refuse to charge him because it was Frankie’s case?
Chapter 29
Frankie spent the rest of the day playing games with Tyler and helping Dani study for a test. When the kids were in bed she grabbed a beer and settled into her chair to read a book. She and Baker exchanged texts but as she flipped the pages in her novel the phone was quiet. Frankie contemplated texting Derek but didn’t know if she could resist saying something about Moon so she didn’t.
Just as she was preparing to go to bed she heard her phone sound with an incoming text.
“Can I get a ride tomorrow?”
The text was from Carl, one of the teens involved in VISION, the mentoring program Frankie started. They had their monthly meeting at the University the following evening.
“Sure. I’ll get you at 5.”
Frankie sent Brooklyn a text and confirmed she needed a ride as well. She enjoyed working with the group of teenagers she mentored. Her goal was to give the kids space to dream and a more positive view of law enforcement. She had teamed up with the local university’s basketball team who provided space for the meetings, mentors for the kids, and tickets to home games. It was a small, but enthusiastic group. Frankie fell asleep thinking about the teens and their unique personalities that seemed to blend so well. She was glad she could expose her kids to this part of her work.
The alarm clock jolted Frankie out of a dream-filled sleep. She could hear Dani in the shower, but Tyler was still snoring in his bed. A text from Derek awaited her when she reached for her phone.
“Want to come by tonight?”
“Can’t. Have a VISION meeting. Maybe this weekend?”
Frankie knew better than to invite Derek to the VISION meeting. He hadn’t even met her children so there was no reason to believe he would want to meet the kids she mentored. But his text gave her an idea.
“Hey Jim - you busy tonight?”
“Whatcha got in mind sunshine?”
Frankie couldn’t help but smile at Craven’s response.
“I have a meeting with the kids I am mentoring. Would you want to come talk to them? We are starting our vision notebooks tonight.”
“Sounds fun. When and where is the meeting?”
Frankie smiled as she sent him all the information. It was going to be fun having a friend join her for the meeting. Plus, the kids could hear from someone besides her for a change. She was still smiling when she dropped the kids off at school and went for her run.
Chapter 30
The day passed quickly. Frankie did her household chores and gathered the supplies for the VISION notebooks. She had magazines, blank paper, scissors, glue, and any other craft item she could think of, including notebooks for each teen to fill.
Frankie picked up Brooklyn and Carl, then pizza for the group. The kids helped her unload the Jeep and set up the room before the rest of the teens and mentors arrived. At exactly six o’clock Sam, Laura, and Ross barreled into the room. The scene was chaotic with everyone talking at once while they fixed their plates and grabbed a drink.
Laura found her seat first and asked, “Miss Frankie, what are the notebooks for? Are you going to make us do homework or something?”
“Hey everybody, let’s find a seat…”
Before Frankie could finish her sentence, Craven walked in the door.
Frankie waved him in and continued, “Find a seat and I’ll explain what we are going to do. We also have a special guest tonight.”
Slowly the group quieted down and turned to face Frankie.
“This is Special Agent Jim Craven. He is an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigations assigned to the Kansas City field office.”
“Y’all can just call me Jim if you want. How’s everyone doin’ tonight?” Craven’s southern brogue was distinct as he greeted the group.
“Crav…Jim, if you would, can you tell the group a little about yourself and how you became an FBI agent?”
Clearing his throat, he said, “Sure enough. I grew up in a small fishin’ village on the coast of North Carolina.”
Craven went on to tell the group of captivated listeners about his childhood on the coast working on a shrimp boat. He talked about making the decision that he wanted more out of life. He worked two jobs to pay his way through college and when he graduated he set his sights on the big city and started applying at police departments. With a lot of hard work and determination he ended up in Chicago.
Car
l asked, “What was it like in Chicago?”
“Crazy. Busy. Fun. I became a detective and almost turned down the chance to go to the FBI. I was having so much fun and wasn’t sure it would be worth it to leave.”
“What made you change your mind?” Brooklyn asked.
Craven paused, giving the question serious thought, before answering. “I just needed a change I suppose. And if I wouldn’t have taken the opportunity I wouldn’t be here with you all tonight.” He winked at Frankie.
She looked at Jim and said, “Thank you for sharing your story with us.” Turning back towards the kids she said, “Okay tonight we are going to start working on a dream notebook. How many of you have heard of something called a vision board?”
She looked into a sea of blank stares.
“A vision board is a place to put what you want out of life. You find photographs of things that represent your goals and dreams. You can add quotes, motivational phrases, Bible verses, or anything else that will motivate you to pursue your dreams. But I thought instead of making a board we would make a notebook. Something you can build on. I’ve brought a bunch of different magazines, glue, markers, scissors, and other craft supplies for you to use. We will be working on a different page for the notebooks each time we come together. Tonight, we will start with jobs. If you could do any job in the world what would it be? Let’s start with you Ty.”
Tyler looked up from his book and said, “A policeman.”
Frankie smiled and said, “Alright! Who’s next?”
Carl looked around the room and said, “I want to be an architect.”
Brooklyn meekly said, “I want to be a teacher.”
Sam, the newest member of the group, said, “I want to be a soldier like my dad was.”
“I want to be a nurse like my auntie. She’s loaded,” said Laura.
“I want to edit films,” said Dani. “Like for Hollywood.”
Ross was the last to answer. At first Frankie thought she was going to have to prod him to talk. Just as she started to say something he said, “I think I’d like to play basketball.”
Sam and Laura started to tease him, but Frankie quickly said, “Enough. Maybe we need to set some ground rules. In this group, we don’t laugh at one another’s dreams. In this group, anything is possible if you are willing to work hard enough. With that in mind, Ross let’s talk about how you can make that happen.”
A smile crossed his face. Ross said, “I play basketball at the park every single day. I practice my free throw, layups, and footwork. And I’ve applied to go to camp this summer.”
“That’s great,” affirmed Frankie. “Maybe we can talk to Coach Q about letting you work out with the team here at the university sometime.”
Ross beamed, “You really think they’d let me do that?”
“Maybe.” One by one Frankie went around the room and asked each teen how they were going to make their dream job happen. Helping them to realize it was okay to dream big if they were willing to work hard to make it happen. After they had each had a chance to share their plan she said, “Now we need to put it on paper.”
Frankie and Craven worked the room, guiding each of them through the process of creating their page. The time went quickly and before she knew it Frankie was telling everyone to start cleaning up. The kids started carrying things out to the Jeep while Frankie put the tables back in order.
“I didn’t realize how tired I was,” yawned Frankie.
“Are you on tomorrow night?” Craven asked.
“Yeah, but I don’t go in ‘til 3.”
“I’m working a late wire, want to go for a run in the mornin’?”
“Sure. The park?”
“Let’s go to the river so we can grab breakfast after!”
“Sounds good. See you there!”
On the drive back to her house Brooklyn asked, “Miss Frankie is Agent Craven your boyfriend?”
Frankie was taking a drink of her diet Coke and choked on Brooklyn’s question, spewing soda across the steering wheel. “No, we’re just friends.”
“Hmmm. If you say so.”
Chapter 31
Frankie woke to a text message from Craven.
“Called back in on the wire. Rain check on the run?”
“Sure. Stay safe!”
Frankie’s day went by quickly and before she knew it she was in her Jeep and on her way to the office. She could hear Mia and the rest of the squad talking when she got off the elevator.
“What’s going on guys?”
“Getting ready to walk an in-custody through for the day shift,” answered Detective Rich Coleman.
“He’s hoping that new prosecutor, Jessica-something or other, will be the one to review it,” teased Detective Brett Wheeler.
Frankie just smiled and dropped her stuff at her desk. She immediately started working on trying to identify “Tre.”
Mia waited for Coleman and Wheeler to leave then asked, “How late did you and Craven stay out the other night?”
“Maybe ten minutes after you left.”
“You know he likes you right?”
“No,” Frankie looked up from her computer and her voice faltered. “We’re just friends.”
“Did you tell Derek you were hanging out with him?”
“You mean like he told me about hanging out with Jessica? Besides, there’s nothing to tell, Mia. We’re just friends and, to be honest, I’m not even sure what Derek and I are. I mean after all these years I think I’d like to have something more than an occasional roll in the hay. When we’re together it’s great but I sense he has no intention of making any type of commitment to me. He’s never even expressed an interest in meeting my kids. Shouldn’t that tell me something?”
Mia paused before saying anything. It was hard for Frankie to say what she had just said. She didn’t want to make things more confusing.
Softly she said, “Maybe you should tell him what you just told me.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Frankie turned her focus back to her computer. She did not initially find anything for “Tre Stockton,” but when she searched for “Georgia Stockton” she found an address. “I think I’ve found him!”
“Tre?” Mia asked.
“Yep. I looked up the address listed for his mother and when I ran the address I found a Trayvon Stockton. I’m pulling him up now.”
Mia moved around to stand behind Frankie. “He is a big guy.”
“Yeah, no wonder she was scared.” Frankie started looking through his criminal history. “Looks like he has quite the history. Three assault charges – all against females. White females.”
“What’s his deal?”
“I don’t know – but there is a definite bias. He also has a couple of warrants. Looks like a Jackson County failure to appear and a Kansas City bench warrant.”
“Why don’t you call Sarah while I put together a line-up to show her.”
Mia nodded as Frankie dialed Sarah’s number.
After Frankie was off the phone Mia asked, “Do you think it’s possible this is a hate crime?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure what to think yet. You ready?”
Mia nodded.
On the ride to Sarah’s house Mia asked, “How was the VISION meeting?”
“Not bad. We had five kids show up, not counting mine. Jim came and talked about his life in a small town and how he worked hard to make something of himself. When Craven was finished all of the kids told what they want to do when they get out of school and we brainstormed how to make it happen. We even started working on their dream books.”
“Jim came to the meeting?”
“Yeah, I thought it would be good for them to hear from someone besides me and the coach. I wish I could get Derek to come in. He would be a great role model. He grew up poor and made something of himself. Did you know Jim almost didn’t go to the FBI?”
“No, why not?”
“I don’t know for sure. Brooklyn asked him and he said he just needed a change. Something
about the way he said it makes me think there is more to the story than what he said.”
Mia said, “I bet it was a girl.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me.” Pointing at a brick ranch house Frankie added, “I think that’s Sarah’s house.”
Mia put the car in park just as Sarah walked out the front door. Her shoulders were hunched forward and her skin sallow. Her cream-colored sweater hung from her body and her eyes were bloodshot from a lack of sleep.
“Thanks for meeting with us Sarah.” After making small talk, Frankie turned on her audio recorder and said, “I’m going to show you a series of photographs. If you see anyone you recognize I would like you to point him out, sign the photograph, and indicate how you know him. Since this is an audio recording I need you to say the number of the photo. If you do not recognize anyone, please say so and we will continue trying to identify the man that attacked you. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” said Sarah.
Flipping through the photographs she suddenly said, “That’s him! That guy! He’s the one that raped me! Number four.”
Turning the recording device off Frankie thanked Sarah.
“How did you find him?”
“The clerk from the store helped us.”
“I was so mad at her. I thought she’d help me but she just stood there and acted like they were friends.”
“She came through. We are going to put out a pick-up order for his arrest. I’ll call you when he gets picked up.”
Tears fell from Sarah’s eyes as she said, “Thank you. Maybe I can sleep now.”
Frankie gently touched her hand and said, “I hope so.”
Inside the car, Frankie turned to Mia and asked, “What do you think about doing a residence check for this asshole?”
Chapter 32
Frankie was glad they were driving towards the city during the evening rush hour. Traffic heading out of the city was bumper to bumper and moving at a slow crawl.
A half hour later they were parked down the street from the address Frankie located for Trayvon. A ‘for rent’ sign was posted in the yard of the small saltbox house.
No Stone Unturned Page 7
