Deadfall
Page 30
“You don’t need to wait on us, Jess.”
“I want to.”
Vicki gave her a warm smile. Her animosity was completely gone.
Jessica had apparently been vindicated, but Vicki seemed to have made a complete turnaround.
Vicki’s gaze drifted to Mac. “Todd and I wanted to thank you for everything. Finding Brad’s killer—well, it answers so many questions.”
Mac nodded.
“And Dana.” Vicki sat down next to her husband. “When I read that you’d been injured . . . Are you all right?”
Dana raised her eyebrows. “I’m sore, but thanks to my bulletproof vest, I’m alive to tell about it.”
Mac cleared his throat. “Did you have any questions or anything we can clear up for you?”
Todd shook his head. “We read the report you sent. The only bad thing is not being able to confront this Clovis guy. He should be in jail for what he did.”
“I agree,” Mac said. “It doesn’t seem fair in a lot of ways. But if it’s any consolation, Jack Clovis said he didn’t mean for Brad to get hurt.”
Mac still felt responsible for Clovis’s death in a way. He’d been the one to pull the trigger. Maybe if he’d tried to lower himself to the ledge, he might have stopped the man from jumping. He’d never know. Clovis had jumped to his death. They’d airlifted the body out; he’d been pronounced DOA at the hospital. Mac had replayed the incident a hundred times over, trying to convince himself that, under the circumstances, he’d done the best he could.
“I met him,”Vicki said. “That first day of the search. He seemed like such a kind, decent man.”Tears filled her eyes. “He knew where Brad was the whole time. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive him for deceiving us like that.”
“Not to change the subject,” Dana said, “but I have to know. What happened between you guys and Jessica?” Dana slid her gaze from one to the other.
Vicki took hold of Jessica’s hand. “I made a terrible mistake. I was judgmental and cruel. Jessica’s heart was breaking and . . . I can hardly imagine what she must have been going through.”
“It was my fault, really,” Jessica insisted. “I should have told you I was pregnant.”
“No. You tried to tell us that it was Brad, not you, who was doing drugs. But I was so sure my son would never . . .” Vicki shook her head. “Anyway, I was wrong. Jessica was the best thing that could have happened to Brad. I’d like to think that had he lived, he’d have done the right thing. I think Brad would have given up drugs and alcohol. I think he would have chosen to marry Jessica and be the kind of father that his father is.”
Todd watched his wife, admiration in his eyes. “Brad isn’t here to look after Jessica and the baby, but we are.” He smiled at Jessica.
“She and the baby are welcome here anytime, and so is Aaron.”
Vicki sniffed. “Aaron is coming in today. We just want to make up for all the grief we’ve caused Jessica and be the best grandparents a kid could have.”
“I’m so glad it’s worked out for you,” Dana said.
Mac and Dana stayed for another hour. Then they headed back to Vancouver, where they both lived. “Want to have dinner with me tonight?” Mac asked. “Not a date. I just thought we might talk about your new job and all. We could go to that great Asian restaurant that serves sushi.”
“I’d like that,” Dana agreed. “Two old friends talking shop.
Yeah, I can handle that.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up at six.”
She frowned. “I’ll meet you there. We wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.”
Mac suppressed a grin. “No, we wouldn’t want that.”
All in all, things had turned out pretty well, Mac thought as he headed for home. They’d caught their bad guy and ended up solving two cases. And he had a date with his favorite trooper— make that detective. If Dana wanted to believe they were just friends, that was fine with him. But Mac knew better. Being with her felt right—and best of all, Dana knew exactly what it was like to date a detective.
Open up the first of
The McAllister Files
With his newly minted detective badge firmly in place, “Mac” McAllister reports for his first assignment with the Oregon State Police Department: a particularly gruesome homicide. It’s a headline case, as the victim—Megan Tyson—was brutally murdered mere weeks before her wedding.
The investigation and autopsy turn up far too many suspects, and too little hard evidence. Why would the beautiful Megan, engaged to a wealthy businessman, be involved with the seedy lineup of characters who seem connected to her? With more questions than answers, Mac and his partner try to uncover the secrets Megan took to her grave and sort through the lies and alibis before Megan’s murderer strikes again.
Not sure that he can trust his instincts, Mac depends heavily on the advice of his partner—a seasoned detective with a strong faith in God. A faith Mac has no use for until he must come to terms with his own past and the secrets that haunt him.
Fiction that reflects the grittiness of
real life . . . and the reality of faith.
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