A New Hope

by M. L. Ray

  Jenna nodded her head and then told him, “Remember I told you my counselor friend took a new job in Missouri? Well, she’s in Springfield! Peter could take Brooke there, and maybe Chandler’s friend could go there to speak with her. It might be less stressful on her.”

  Chandler had heard the conversation through the phone line and echoed his agreement to that plan, “That works. He’ll need to bring a nurse with him…”

  “No, he won’t. Teresa runs and operates a faith-based half-way house and live-in rehab facility. She has a nurse on staff twenty-four hours a day. If your friend can make sure he brings the right vials with him, I’m sure Teresa can find someone to draw Brooke’s blood.”

  “Brooke? Is that her name?” Chandler asked, not having missed Jenna’s little slip.

  Tyler grimaced but he answered him, “Yeah. Brooke Jameson, or…Brooke Grayson.”

  “Well, let’s just see if her husband has people on his payroll working in the bureau.” Chandler typed away on a keyboard for a few minutes and then laughed, “Her husband is either stupid, or incompetent. He’s been conversing with one of our undercover agents and trading bits of information for over a year now.”

  “What does that mean?” Tyler demanded to know; afraid he’d just placed his sister in more danger.

  “It means that Mr. Zachary Grayson has been frying his own goose for a year, and they are only waiting for another piece of evidence to come to light before they have enough to arrest the man and put him away for a good long time.”

  “More than three years?” Michelle asked, remembering what Peter had told Tyler about Brooke’s chances of getting a quick divorce.

  “He’ll be lucky if he ever sees the light of day again where he’s not wearing an orange jumpsuit and eating his meals off a stainless steel tray.”

  “Can’t think of a better ending for a man like that,” Trey commented, while everyone in the den nodded their heads.

  Plans were made, and a few minutes later Jenna was talking with Teresa and letting her know she had guests coming for a short visit. Tyler decided to wait until morning to call Peter back, hoping that by now his sister had managed to calm herself down. Tyler didn’t want to get her all worked up again just before bed. He had a very bad feeling that the natural course of things was going to cause her enough stress for three lifetimes before this was all over with!

  Chapter 50

  Late the next day, Springfield, Missouri…

  “So, is there anything else you can tell me about these vitamins Mr. Grayson was giving you?” the FBI man, who’d only introduced himself as Mr. Black, asked. He was sitting in a casual living room in a chair directly across from a floral printed couch.

  “Not really. After I realized what was happening, I started trying to not take them, but I would get so sick, that I would have to take a partial dose of them just to keep functioning.”

  Peter had received a phone call from Tyler just before dawn, advising him of the plans that had been made. Columbus was well over an eight hour drive from Springfield, so he woke Brooke up, and they had been on the road again by 7 o’clock that morning. They drove straight through with only a few stops for food and gas along the way, and he could see the toll the long drive had taken on her.

  The nurse on staff at the facility they had ended up at had already drawn three vials of her blood, and Mr. Black told her the results of her drug screen would be waiting for her when she arrived back in Colorado.

  It had been agreed that returning to Colorado was the best course of action. The FBI agents in New York had been apprised of the situation, and the agent in charge was making plans to fly into Denver and would be travelling to Cathedral Hills in the next few days to meet with her personally if they didn’t find the evidence they needed in her old apartment.

  The agent conferred with the nurse for a moment, and she smiled and nodded her head before leaving the room. “She’s going to get you some pills to help with the nausea and bad dreams. Don’t worry,” he assured her when she started to shake her head. “Nothing she’s going to give you is habit forming, nor will it have any side effects that you need to worry about.”

  Brooke tried to feel relieved, but she was still worried that Zachary was going to find out where she was and cause problems for her. “When will they be able to arrest him?”

  Mr. Black smiled, “I’ll be sending my notes to New York as soon as I leave here and can get them typed up. They should be enough for a search warrant, and the agent in charge has already promised to serve your husband with the search warrant immediately. Regardless of what time of day or night it is.”

  Peter patted her shoulder, and then leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Everything’s going to be all right. Are you starting to believe yet?”

  She tipped her head up and slowly nodded her head, tears shining brightly in her deep grey-blue eyes. “I’m trying.”

  Teresa had watched the small exchange, and couldn’t resist trying to offer this lovely young woman a bit of hope, “Brooke, I thought maybe you’d like to come sit out in the sunroom with me for a while. We could have a cup of tea and just talk for a little bit.”

  Brooke gathered her dark hair in one hand, and lifted it off her neck. The chills had given way to unexplainable sweats, the current one leaving the hair damp where it lay on the back of her neck.

  She’d taken a liking to Teresa Martinez the moment the woman had first greeted her at the door to the facility with a warm hug. She exuded hope, and Brooke longed to have the kind of faith this woman did. Maybe if I spend a few minutes talking with her, I can gain some insight into how she does it.

  Peter could see her hesitating, and urged her forward. “Go. Relax. I’m going to spend a few minutes with Mr. Black here, and then make a phone call to Tyler. I’ll come get you when I’m done.”

  Brooke turned to Mr. Black, “Thank you for doing this so I didn’t have to go back to New York City.”

  “No problem, young lady. I just hope we can put this guy and anyone else involved away for a good long time.” He started to put his papers away and then stopped, “Oh, I almost forgot. Chandler mentioned something about you wanting to ask the judge for a quick divorce?”

  “Is that a possibility?” Brooke asked, not daring to hope.

  “In these types of cases, as long as there is no evidence tying you to the crimes, the judge has it within his power, or her power, to grant you an immediate no-contest divorce based upon the seriousness of the charges against Mr. Grayson.”

  “This case most likely won’t go to trial for months yet. If you want, Chandler can have the agent in charge start the paperwork for the divorce immediately. It probably wouldn’t become effective until the first of the year, but that’s still a lot faster than waiting for months before you can even file.”

  “Yes please. I don’t want to be married to that man for one more day than I have to be.”

  Mr. Black smiled at her and said, “Consider it done. Go enjoy your tea.”

  “Thank you.” Brooke smiled towards the doorway where Teresa waited on her. “Tea sounds very nice.”

  Peter waited until the two women were out of earshot before he asked the FBI man, “Did you get enough from her to put this guy away?”

  “If her blood tests come back positive and they can find evidence of the same drugs in the apartment, her testimony should help. If we can find some connection between her agent and husband, especially a money trail, it will be cut and dried.”

  “They won’t let him turn State’s evidence against his other business partners will they?” Peter wanted to know.

  Mr. Black grinned, “You’ve been watching too much TV. Zachary Grayson is definitely going to go down for this. The fact that he is so embedded into the DA’s office will spark its own investigation, and if he has others working on the inside, it will be over for them as well.”

  “That is the best news I’ve heard yet. Thanks.”

  Chapter 51

  “So Brooke, I sens
e that you may be struggling with how to handle things when you get back around your friends and family,” Teresa told her, after they both had their tea, and had seated themselves.

  “I guess I am. Two weeks ago, when I found out what Zachary had been doing to me, I was furious. First Marco deceived me, and then I let Zachary do the same thing, only on a much broader scale. But then I started to realize that I let those things happen to me. It started back in California, and I let it spiral out of control.”

  “You were what, eighteen or nineteen when your California agent made it possible for you to get some chemical help?”

  Brooke nodded her head, “I was nineteen, almost twenty.”

  “So, what experience in your life up to that point would have made you doubt that the help being offered wasn’t genuine and with your best interest at heart?”

  Brooke stared at Teresa as if she’d suddenly had an epiphany, “I didn’t have any experiences in my past that could have done that. I grew up in Cathedral Hills, where people are honest and for the most part, always acted towards my best interest.”

  “Exactly! So would you also agree that it’s wrong for you to feel guilty over something that happened to you, and I did say it ‘happened’ to you! You didn’t ask to become addicted to sleeping pills. You didn’t ask to have your agent act without honor or integrity. You didn’t ask to be kept a drugged up prisoner by your husband. Did you?”

  Brooke shook her head, “Of course not!” She realized that she was getting angry, and had to pause for a moment to make sure it was being directed at the right person. Mainly, her husband!

  “So, what you’re trying to get me to see is that I shouldn’t feel guilty over something you don’t think I had any control over.”

  “Well, you’re partially right. You feel taken advantage of, and you were. You trusted the wrong people, and it backfired on you. Could you have stopped taking the sleeping pills before they became a habit? Sure. Did anyone in your life seek to help you deal with your insomnia in another way? No. And I don’t think these are the things that are causing you the most guilt.”

  Brooke looked at her and then dropped her gaze. This woman sees too much!

  “So, want to tell me exactly what is causing you to feel so guilty and unworthy?”

  “There were pictures…and my photo on advertisements for escort services…”

  “And you’re wondering what would happen if your friends and family saw those pictures.”

  “Yes, wouldn’t you?” Brooke asked, blushing as she recalled some of the pictures she’d seen of herself.

  “Most assuredly,” Teresa informed her. “But, that is a real possibility and you can’t just hide away from society for the remainder of your life in fear that they will surface.”

  “I just feel so dirty,” Brooke cried out.

  “There’s a solution for that, you know?”

  “God?” Brooke asked.

  “Yes. He has the power to help you deal with this misplaced guilt you’re carrying around. I want you to remember; those feelings don’t come from Him. They come from the same one who would like nothing better than to destroy you over this.”

  “But how do I get rid of these feelings? Am I just suppose to pretend those things didn’t happen?”

  “No, that doesn’t serve any purpose. You need to look at the situations clearly, and then ask for God’s forgiveness over anything you did to knowingly encourage them. You need to realize that humans make mistakes, and sometimes they carry with them hefty penalties. You’ve been experiencing a penalty for trusting the wrong people.”

  “God’s giving you another chance, not only with Him, but also with that young man out there. You two have history together.”

  “We were engaged to be married before I left for California.”

  “And he still carries a torch for you?” Teresa asked.

  “That’s what he tells me. He deserves…”

  “Wait! You’re talking about something Peter deserves, but what about Brooke. Doesn’t she deserve something? Doesn’t Brooke deserve to be happy, healthy, and whole?”

  “I guess?” Brooke answered her.

  “I know. God doesn’t want you to be unhappy and spend the rest of your life paying for something that was mostly beyond your control. How well did you know Jenna?”

  “Really well. Peter told me that she was back in town. I haven’t spoken to anyone but Tyler, so I haven’t had a chance to find out where she was all these years.”

  “She got caught up in the social work system. She used to feel just like you do now. Unworthy. Dirty. Not fit to be around polite society. But she was wrong, and so are you.”

  “How did she get past those feelings?’ Brooke asked, leaning forward in her chair. She was so anxious to have some answers.

  “She forgave herself for what she couldn’t change, and then she asked God to help her with the rest. I’m not saying it was easy and all sunshine and butterflies, but she’s made it.” Teresa paused for a moment and then added, “Did you know that she thought everyone in Cathedral Hills had abandoned her, including her father? It wasn’t until she went back to that town and let people past her barriers that she realized how much she needed them to finally heal.

  “I think the same could be true for you. Peter mentioned that you weren’t sure you wanted to go back home, but sweetie, you need your friends and family around you. To remind you of how special you are to them, and to let God remind you how much he loves you.”

  Brooke made a face and then sadly said, “I grew up listening to sermons about how much God loved me, but it’s hard to imagine the same God who made the Earth caring about someone like me.”

  Peter had been standing at the doorway listening, and couldn’t resist entering after her last comment, “Let me tell you about the Brooke Jameson you seem to have lost.”

  Brooke looked up and watched as Peter approached her. When he drew close to her chair, he squatted down and took her hands in his own, “Such gentle caring hands. I remember these hands as they bandaged knees and held the hands of little campers who were spending their first nights away from mommy and daddy.”

  “I remember this same person crying when, time after time, no one could find Jenna. I remember the nights you, Michelle, and Missy spent up at the church, helping Trey’s mom and dad with one project or another.”

  “I remember the smile of joy on your face when you found out you’d been chosen as the Homecoming Queen our sophomore year, a fact that even the seniors had been happy about. Everyone loved your enthusiasm for living, and the joy you brought to everyone’s life. You’ve been knocked down, but you’re not out.”

  Peter searched her eyes and then from the corner of his eye, he watched as Teresa slipped out the side door, leaving the two of them alone in the sunroom. He reached up and cupped her jaw, “Brooke, I know that in the eyes of God and man you are still married, but when that is no longer the case, I’m going to kiss you and then you and I are going to have a serious discussion about our future. A conversation that should have taken place over six years ago.”

  Brooke heard the promise in his voice, and felt her heart speed up. Peter, in his own way, was staking his claim upon her heart. She wished that she was free to pursue that relationship right now, but their upbringing was strong, and she couldn’t just sweep it aside. I guess all of those things I learned as a young girl are still hidden down inside of me.

  “So, what’s next?” she asked Peter.

  “Well, Tyler informed me a few minutes ago that the girls are making threats to come out here and bring you home themselves. I’m guessing that was his way of saying he would like his sister back in Colorado. Pronto.”

  Brooke smiled, “Tyler’s words?”

  Peter smiled back at her, “You know it.” He sobered and then told her, “He just wants to see for himself that you’re really doing all right. You are, you know? What Teresa said about forgiving yourself for the things you had control over and letting God handle t
he rest? That’s the only way.”

  Brooke nodded her head, a small piece of her heart and her faith starting to think maybe there was a way back after all. God, if you’re listening, please help me. I know I didn’t make the best choices, but I let myself get caught up in stuff that didn’t really matter. I turned my back on my friends. My family. On Peter. God, Teresa says I need to forgive myself…I don’t know if I can do that without Your help.

  Chapter 52

  Two days later, Cathedral Hills, Colorado…

  Peter drove the SUV into town, stopping in front of the diner and watching as Brooke took in her surroundings. Not much had changed since he’d been gone, nor in the six plus years since she’d called Cathedral Hills her home. Sure, she’d been home a few times for short visits, but she’d made sure she spent as little time in public as possible. Now I know why.

  Brooke looked at the diner and could see people inside. Some of them she recognized right away, and others looked vaguely familiar, just older. “Why are we stopped here?” she asked Peter.

  “No reason. Are you ready to go home?” Peter asked, seeing how nervous she was. The medicines she’d been given in Missouri had all but eliminated her bouts of nausea and the sweats and chills she still suffered from occasionally. He looked at her, and could see a hint of color in her cheeks, and her appetite had returned with a vengeance.

  Brooke nodded her head, and then leaned over on a whim and kissed Peter on the cheeks, “Thank you.”

  “For?” he inquired, growing impatient to tell her about the phone call he’d received while she’d been washing up during their stop for lunch.

  “For giving me the chance to get my life back.”

  Peter grinned at her, “You are most welcome, darlin’. Let’s get you home. Tyler texted me during our last stop and I’m sure he’s chomping at the bit by now.”

  “He probably calculated down to the minute how long it would take us to get here,” Brooke said, knowing her brother well.