Lone Witness

by Rachel Dylan

  After the service, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. It feels good to be back here. Just a lot of overwhelming emotions.”

  “You’ve been through a lot.”

  “Thanks for sticking by me. Even now, when we have more uncertainty to face.”

  He squeezed her hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  He’d come to her church, and she was excited for him to meet her friends. She’d promised that she would go with him to his church another time. The thought of them deciding on a church together made her heart warm even further. “I’d like to introduce you around.”

  “Sure.”

  They lingered for quite a while, talking to people she knew and to the pastor. Cooper easily held his own in conversation with a wide range of personalities. It was obvious that he felt very comfortable. By the time they were ready to leave, the parking lot had cleared out.

  “That was nice.” Her spirits were high after all the interaction.

  He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “I love seeing you smile. There hasn’t been enough of that lately.”

  She realized she couldn’t stop smiling, and she didn’t want to. “I know we’re facing tough times, but today has felt like a respite from the storm. I find strength here with these people and with you.” She tightly grasped his hand.

  His blue eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment they just stood right outside the front entrance.

  Finally, Cooper broke the silence. “What do you want to do for lunch?”

  “I’m starving, but I’m up for anything. Although an omelet and a big fat biscuit sounds awesome.”

  He laughed. “I think we can swing that.”

  She walked with pep in her step and Cooper by her side, thinking about how they’d spend the rest of the day together. They were almost at his SUV when she dug into her purse and realized that she’d left her phone somewhere in the church. “Cooper, wait, I gotta go back and get my phone.”

  “No worries. I’m in no rush.”

  “Thanks.” They turned to start walking back toward the church. “I’m glad I noticed before we left.”

  But she’d only gotten a few steps when a loud blast shattered the air, and she was thrown forward, hitting the ground hard. She couldn’t catch her breath as smoke pushed into her lungs, and she couldn’t hear anything but a high-pitched ring that caused a blistering pain to go through her head. She tried to take another breath, but the pain in her ribs prevented her. Then she closed her eyes and gave in to the pain.

  “Sophie!” Cooper called. He staggered to his feet, trying to steady himself. His ears kept ringing from the bomb blast. A plume of smoke rose from what was left of his SUV. His vision was blurred, and it was a few seconds before it cleared enough that he could see Sophie lying on the ground a few feet away from him. The blast had propelled her a lot farther than it did him.

  He knelt beside her. Lord, please let her be alive. He checked for a pulse and found it steady. Thank God.

  Sirens started to sound off in the distance. A few people ran toward him, including the pastor he’d met just minutes ago.

  “I called 911,” the pastor said. He knelt beside Cooper and started praying.

  Cooper couldn’t tell the extent of Sophie’s injuries, but at least her breathing seemed even, although very shallow, and her pulse was strong. Maybe she’d just been knocked out.

  The paramedics arrived, and he stepped back and let them work on her.

  “What in the world happened?” the pastor asked.

  “It was a car bomb. If Sophie hadn’t forgotten her phone in the church, we’d both probably be dead right now.” As he said the words, he clenched his fists by his sides. Was this an act of revenge by Wade? Or had Smith and Whitney found out that Sophie was on to them?

  Either way, Sophie was lying on the ground and being administered medical attention. And this bomb wasn’t meant to intimidate or scare. It was meant to kill. Although it also occurred to him that it was his SUV. And he had been the one asking around about Smith and SIB.

  Could he have been the intended target? The thought made him sick because the last thing he wanted was to put Sophie in danger. Everything he’d been doing was to keep her safe.

  One of the paramedics started to check him out, even though he told them he was fine. It was no use arguing as they strapped the blood pressure cuff on his arm and then shined a light into his eyes. They bandaged a cut above his left eye. They asked him a series of questions about what hurt. But his main concern was Sophie’s condition.

  What was he going to tell the police? At this point, he didn’t have enough actual facts or evidence to start pointing fingers at Smith or Whitney or anything connected to the bank. But the police would all be familiar with the Wade trial, and once they realized who Sophie was, that was sure to be of interest to the APD.

  Cooper was a bit relieved when one of the responding officers was someone he knew.

  “Cooper, man, what happened?” Officer Roberts asked.

  He quickly recounted the story to Roberts and another officer he didn’t know. But as the paramedics were getting ready to take Sophie to the ER, he wanted to go with her. “That’s it, guys. I need to ride with Sophie.”

  He hoped she had regained consciousness. Thanks to Officer Roberts, the EMTs let him ride in the back of the ambulance. When he saw her bright blue eyes open, relief washed over him. Thank you, God.

  “Sophie, I’m right here. You’re going to be fine.”

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  They’d started an IV, and her skin was pale, but at least she seemed coherent.

  “Yes, just a little banged up. You got it worse than I did.”

  She grimaced. “My ribs hurt.”

  The EMT looked at him. “She may have some broken ribs. We’ll need to get her into X-ray right away.”

  He understood why the EMT’s dark eyes were serious. It wasn’t the ribs themselves that was concerning. He’d seen situations where broken ribs led to internal bleeding, and that could be life threatening.

  “Was anyone else hurt?” Sophie asked.

  It was just like her to be more concerned about others than herself.

  “No. Most everyone else had already left, and only a few people, including the pastor, were left in the church. The pastor called 911 and got help.”

  “Who did this?” she asked.

  He leaned down closer to her. “I don’t know. But I’m not going to leave your side.”

  “Please don’t.” Her voice cracked.

  As he locked eyes with her, he realized that he was falling in love with Sophie.

  The next morning, Patrick practically barged into Ashley’s office. “I couldn’t believe I was actually starting to believe some of the bull that you were feeding me.”

  She looked up from the papers in front of her and took off her glasses. “Patrick, what are you talking about?”

  “The bomb. That’s what I’m talking about.”

  Her dark eyes widened. “What bomb?”

  “Don’t play stupid, Ashley.”

  “I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  When he’d gotten the call from Cooper last night, he almost couldn’t believe it. Wade was obviously trying to get his revenge against Sophie, even if his brother had gotten off scot-free. And Ashley was in thick with him.

  “The car bomb attack against Sophie. Did you not see the news?”

  “I’ve been cramming on another case and haven’t even looked at the paper or TV today. Is she alive?”

  “Yes, thankfully.” He studied Ashley carefully. She truly did seem caught off guard. Could it be that Wade acted without her knowledge? “Look me in the eyes and tell me you had absolutely nothing to do with this.”

  She made direct eye contact with him. “I did not. I would never advocate violence. Believe it or not, just because I represent questionable characters doesn’t mean I am one myself. I hold mysel
f to high standards. And think about it. Why would I want my client to do something that stupid? We got a hung jury—we won. Revenge is just plain idiotic at this point.” She leaned back in her chair.

  She sure sounded convincing, but he was still skeptical. “You’re telling me that Juan would have decided to take this action all on his own?”

  “I don’t control him. He has a mind of his own.” She paused. “And have you considered that it could be someone else entirely going after her?”

  “Who else would do something that drastic?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m sure the APD will be looking closely into that. One thing I can assure you of, Patrick: this is not of my doing or with my blessing. And I find it highly unlikely, based on every discussion I’ve had with Juan, that this would be his doing. He’s moved on to other things. He would have absolutely no reason to take her out.”

  “Then consider this a courtesy visit.” Patrick looked down at his watch. “APD should be picking up your client just about now, if they haven’t already.”

  She mumbled under her breath. “I better get going, then.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure, given his experience, he knows not to talk without you there.”

  Her nostrils flared. “Patrick, I hope you didn’t instigate this little stunt.”

  Actually, he hadn’t. “No. The wheels were already put in motion. I was just informed this morning.”

  “We’ll talk about this more later.” She stood up and shoved her laptop into her bag. “Come on. Get out of here.”

  She kept mumbling under her breath, and for a moment he almost felt a little sorry for her. What was wrong with him?

  “I need to speak to my client before you start peppering him with questions.” Ashley stared down the lead detective she had just met.

  “Fine,” Detective Manley said.

  Once she was alone with Juan, she wanted to strangle him. But before she could say a word, he started dropping the f-bomb. “I did not do this, Ash. I swear to you. I’d own up if it was me.”

  “You’re saying you had nothing to do with the bombing? Just like you told me you didn’t have anything to do with the assault or the drive-by?”

  He shook his head. “That was different. The trial is over. My baby brother is free. I’ve moved on. Like you said, I don’t need the heat right now. I want to grow my business, not be hassled even more by the APD. And now I have them banging down my door this morning, spouting off crap about a bomb!”

  “Juan, they’re looking at you because you are the most likely suspect. Men like you are known to hold grudges and act in revenge.”

  He leaned forward. “I didn’t do this, and I need you to make sure these charges don’t stick.”

  “Do you have any experience with explosives? Either personally or for hire?”

  “Nope. You can check that out. There won’t be anything or anyone tying me to that stuff. Blowing people up is not my thing. I’ve never gone down that road.”

  No, he just beat the crap out of them or shot them. But she wasn’t going to say that. “All right. The cops will question you. But you know the drill. I’ll be here and step in as needed. Don’t volunteer information. Keep it short and sweet.”

  “I got it.”

  “If you’re being straight with me, then you have the truth on your side, which is actually the most powerful defense—and to be frank, Juan, it’s not one we have the luxury of having all that often. Use it to our advantage. If you’re clean on this, there won’t be any evidence tying you to the crime.”

  “I’m clean.”

  “Then let’s get started. The sooner we do, hopefully the sooner I can get you out of here.”

  On Monday evening, Sophie opened her eyes from a much-needed nap. Once she had been released from the hospital, Cooper had insisted on taking her back to Noah’s safe house instead of her own home. Given the circumstances, she’d complied.

  Thankfully, she’d just suffered a cracked rib. It hurt like crazy, but she knew it could have been so much worse.

  “You’re awake.” Her father walked into her room, carrying a tray. He had insisted that he come and help take care of her, and she welcomed his presence. Especially after everything she’d been through. Cooper had fared better than her, but the thought of that bomb having almost taken them both out was enough to make her sick.

  “What did you bring me?” she asked her father.

  He sat down on the edge of the bed and placed the tray in front of her. “One of your favorites. Pimento cheese sandwich, tomato soup, and sweet tea.”

  Initially, all she’d wanted to do was sleep because the pain was so bad, but now the thought of food did seem at least somewhat appetizing. “Thank you. It looks so good. You know me so well. I remember you making this for me when I was little and got sick.” She’d always cherish those days when her father had worked from home so he could stay with her while she was ill. She couldn’t have asked for a better dad.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “A little better. The doctor said it would take time.”

  “Yes, and remember that you’re supposed to be taking deep breaths even through the pain.”

  “I know.” The doctor had warned her that coughing and breathing deeply would hurt, but it was part of trying to prevent the development of pneumonia.

  She picked up the sandwich. “And how’re you?” She knew this whole ordeal was weighing on him.

  He looked intently at her. “This scared me half to death. The thought of losing you is too much to bear. I’ve already lost so much.” His voice cracked at the last few words.

  The last thing she wanted was to cause her father any more pain or distress. “I’m here, and I’m going to be perfectly fine. That’s what you have to remember.”

  He snapped his fingers. “One second. That’s all it takes to change everything. I’ve lived through that pain before, and I cannot take it a second time.”

  She laid her hand on his arm. “Everything is going to be okay. I’ve got plenty of security now, as you can see, and no one knows where I am.”

  He smiled, and it surprised her.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “You know, I couldn’t help noticing how you and Cooper have been looking at each other.”

  She felt her cheeks redden.

  “So I was right.” His smile widened. “I’m so happy to see you happy. It’s obvious that you care for each other.” He paused. “But if he hurts you, he will have to answer to me.”

  Now it was her turn to smile. “Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ve got this under control.”

  “I bet you do, sweetheart.”

  A knock on the door was followed by Cooper walking into the room. “Hope I’m not interrupting. I just talked to the police and wanted to update you.”

  “I’ll let you two talk.” Her father rose from the bedside. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me. And make sure you finish that sandwich, Sophie.”

  “I will.”

  Her father left the room, and it was just her and Cooper.

  “What are the police saying?” she asked.

  “They brought Juan in for questioning.”

  “And?”

  “They have zero evidence linking him to the bomb, and he wasn’t in the vicinity of the church on Sunday. He was about an hour away at the time, and he has plenty of people who were with him as an alibi. That’s not to say he would’ve ever done it himself anyway, but the police are a bit skeptical. They let him go because they didn’t have anything to charge him on, and you know Ashley Murphy was all over that.”

  “It doesn’t make sense, does it? Unless it was just a pure revenge move. Or …”

  Cooper looked directly into her eyes. “Juan wasn’t even behind it.”

  That was exactly what she was thinking. “The gang isn’t exactly known for bomb making, are they?”

  “No, that’s one of the facts the police are digging into. Juan has never had any connection to explosives. The g
ang doesn’t buy or sell them and has never used them, as far as anyone knows.”

  “Which means this could be completely unrelated to Juan.”

  “And related to SIB.”

  In her gut, she feared that scenario. But it made a lot more sense than a revenge play from Juan. “Is this just an APD operation at this point?”

  “No. They’ve looped in the FBI, given the bomb. Noah was able to use his ATF contacts to get in with the FBI. Preliminary analysis shows that it’s a well made explosive but pretty standard fare.”

  She knew what she needed to do. “We also should bring in the DEA. Let them know everything we know.”

  “I didn’t want to make that call without you, but I think you’re right.”

  “This is a lot bigger than my initial case against Shelton ever was. And now that he’s dead, things only seem more dangerous.” Her head started to pound. “Have you heard from Keith?”

  “Yes. He acted concerned about you, but I’m suspicious. Patrick is also involved, because he was running down the Juan angle.”

  “I assume you’ve been tight-lipped with both of them?”

  “Yes. I don’t trust anyone at this point. Even the Feds are a stretch, but we have to have federal law enforcement assistance.”

  “I would like to talk to the FBI and DEA as soon as possible. My case against Shelton died with him, but the Feds can still work on the larger issues. They’ll need my help getting up to speed, and I plan on giving that to them.”

  “I’ll get that set up. In the meantime, you should finish eating and then get some more rest.”

  “Cooper,” she said, catching his hand. She had so much she wanted to say. Needed to say. But there were no words that seemed adequate for the wave of emotions that flowed through her. She felt hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

  He moved closer to her. “You’re safe here, Sophie. We have extra security, and nothing is going to happen to you.”

  “It’s not just that.” She tried to find the words. “Before the bombing, I remember being so happy. A lot of that is because of you and what you’ve brought into my life. Then, in one second, everything changed. If I hadn’t left my phone in the church …”