Looking for Justice: Christian Contemporary Romance with Suspense (Dangerous Series Book 4)

by Linda K. Rodante

  She stopped and rested both hands on her desk. Because she couldn’t do anything else.

  Grabbing her keys, her purse and her Theo Classic Chocolates, she headed toward the door. Come next week, she’d visit the District Attorney’s office and put this into someone else’s hands.

  Chapter 6

  The third Monday, and her student’s excitement had waned. She had assigned last week’s homework to find out who would do the work required and who just thought law was an interesting subject. If someone needed to drop out, now was the time.

  The laptop screen blurred before her eyes. She rolled her head back and from side to side then stood and walked to the office doorway. The door to Luke’s classroom stood open, as always. His voice resonated down the hall. She couldn’t make out particular words, but the cadence and huskiness of it massaged her shoulders.

  The students liked him, respected his teaching. She’d seen and heard that each day as they passed by when leaving his class. But Luke never came this way. He took the backstairs down to his other classroom and, again, when the day ended.

  She positioned herself in the doorway, waiting for his class to end. Jessica hadn’t shown for her class this morning nor for Luke’s now. Alexis had strolled by and glanced in to make sure. Neither had the girl contacted her over the weekend. That didn’t surprise her, but Alexis had expected to see her and talk with her today.

  Luke’s voice stopped, laughter followed, and the noise of papers and shuffling feet met her before the students began leaving. Conversation bubbled as they filed past her. Alexis smiled and nodded and waited until they disappeared. When they did, she made her way to Luke’s room but stopped at the sound of a female voice inside.

  Her limited view of the room did not include Luke or the student whose voice rose even as Alexis wondered if she should leave or not.

  “I don’t see anything wrong with what I am wearing.”

  Luke replied in a low voice that she strained to hear. “You know the dress code. I’m just asking you to wear something in keeping with that.”

  “No one else said anything.” The girl’s tone challenged him.

  “I’m saying something.” His voice faded. The sounds of papers and books moving across the desk followed. “Remember this is a Christian college and remember who you’re dressing for.”

  “You don’t have to dress like the Church Lady to be a Christian.”

  “No one said you do.” A trace of amusement sounded in his voice. “Look, just put a t-shirt on under the dress if you wear it again. It’s not a big deal, Stephanie. It’s what the other girls do. Just follow the dress code.”

  “Maybe I should dress like that girl, Rachel. Man, is she dowdy. Or Professor Jergenson. Wow, I wonder if that’s how she dresses in the courtroom because she’s not getting any attention like that.”

  “Professor Jergenson dresses just fine. I’m sure she doesn’t want the type of attention you’re talking about. A good defense or offense works better with a jury than a low-cut dress.”

  “Yeah, well…”

  “Stephanie, I’ve got a few things to do. I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”

  Alexis scooted back down the hall, slipped into her office and sat at the desk. A moment later, the girl walked past. Alexis couldn’t stop herself from glancing up and taking in the dress. Colorful and swinging lose above her knees. A summer dress with spaghetti straps and a plunging front. The spaghetti straps were a “no-no” on campus much less the abundance of cleavage. No wonder…

  The Church Lady? She looked like the Church Lady on that old SNL show? Her hands touched her hair. She wore it pulled up while teaching and always in court. Looking down, she studied the long-sleeved jacket and white shirt she’d put on that morning.

  She knew that compared to some of the other female attorneys, her suits were modest, even plain; and yes, she wore the same clothes to class because it seemed appropriate. If you were interested in law, you needed to start thinking and dressing like a professional.

  She owned a few elegant dresses, mostly worn at special occasions for her family. Her father had bought her a black lace dress a few years back to wear to a banquet in her honor – an acknowledgement from the community of her fight to stop violence against women. The dress had reminded her she could still be that attractive woman she used to see in the mirror.

  A movement at the door jerked her head up. Luke leaned against the door jam. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled to his elbows, and he wore dress slacks that somehow gave the feeling of casual elegance. She focused on his shoes. No boots today, a pair of dress shoes instead. Similar to what he’d worn the first day of class but without the jacket. He looked relaxed and amused.

  Alexis knew she was frowning even as she stared at him. His casual pose and the amusement didn’t sit well with her. Yet, he’d defended her and the way she dressed. Did it reflect his real opinion? Well, she didn’t care. People’s opinions about her dress had never made a difference to her.

  Her frown deepening, she stood and shoved some books aside as if looking for something. “Did you need something, Professor Stephens?”

  “No, but I thought you might.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “That I assumed you were standing outside my classroom for a reason.”

  Her eyes rounded, and she pressed her lips together. He’d seen her somehow. So, his defense of her had been for her benefit. Why did it matter? It didn’t. She’d just determined that. His standoffishness from the moment they met had indicated his attitude toward her, anyway.

  An unfamiliar tightness in her chest caused her to lift her chin. “I wanted to catch you before you left and had no idea you would be talking with someone. Perhaps you should have closed the door.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t close doors when talking with my students, especially female students.”

  “Well, you could have asked a female professor.” She forced a smile. “Not me, of course. No respect there.”

  He pushed off the doorframe and took a step inside. “It’s part of the ritual. No respect until you earn it, and I’m sure you will after you’ve been here a few more weeks. About the other - I was asked by a female student to address the issue with Stephanie when no other professors would – male or female.”

  “Nobody else would? That’s ridiculous. If there’s a dress code, enforce it or drop it.”

  “Says the lawyer.”

  So, that was the problem. They’d better clear the air then. Alexis placed her hands flat on the desk and leaned forward. “Do you have something against lawyers?”

  “No.”

  “No? Since the moment we met, you’ve exhibited a negative attitude toward me. I get the fact that not everyone wants pre-law classes at a Bible college, but you’re going to have to live with it.”

  “Look, I never—”

  She raised her hands, palms up. “Live. With. It.”

  His head drew back, and his mouth thinned, the amusement gone.

  She dropped her hands. The three words had carried more antagonism than she’d wanted. What was wrong with her?

  She forced her voice to an even tone. “Look, I heard you teaching on the laws of God last week. If you have respect for them, you should have respect for the laws of this country, too.”

  Luke took a step forward, flattened his hands on her desk as she had and leaned into her space. “You have a chip on your shoulder. I don’t know where it came from, but you need to get rid of it. And you have no idea what you’re talking about. The laws of God are why I do respect the laws of this country. You don’t have a monopoly on that.”

  She straightened and stared into eyes that had changed from green to gray. Beautiful eyes. Long lashes. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped. What had he just said? “Okay. I’ll give you that, but I’m not the only one with a chip on their shoulder. You want to tell me why you don’t want me teaching here?”

  “I don’t have anything agai
nst you teaching here.”

  “Oh? Your actions at the time we met left me with the distinct impression that you did. And that impression hasn’t changed.”

  “Look, you…” He stopped, stared at her for a moment then stepped back. “I think this …discussion…has gone far enough. If you have something you want to talk to me about, come by tomorrow.” He turned.

  “No, I…Wait.” Alexis put out her hand, but he was at the door. “Please, I…”

  He swiveled back, brows lowered, and shot one word at her. “What?”

  She cleared her throat. “Jessica’s not here today. I’m worried about that, and…”

  “Call her.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t have her number.”

  “Didn’t you get it Friday?”

  “No, I gave her mine, but didn’t get hers.”

  His look raked the ceiling before he jerked his phone from the case on his belt. He punched the phone a few times and listened. Alexis watched in silence. He frowned, punched the screen a few more times and began to text.

  “She’ll get back to me. I’ll tell her to call you.” He slipped the phone into its holder.

  “If she can.”

  “She talked about staying the weekend with a friend. She should be fine.”

  “If she did, and if she didn’t let her mom or her mom’s boyfriend know she’d talked with anyone. If she didn’t let them know she’s pregnant. All ifs.”

  “She’s smart enough not to do that.”

  “I’ve dealt with lots of women who should have acted smarter than they did. And why isn’t she here today? Missing my class is one thing. It’s the earliest, but she wasn’t in yours either.”

  “She could be sick.”

  “Yes, morning sickness.”

  His glower might scare his students but didn’t move Alexis. “You brought her to me. Now you want me to ignore something like this?”

  He said nothing for a moment, and the scowl didn’t change. “All right then. Grab your bag, your purse. Come on.”

  “What? Where?”

  “If I’m going to her place, you’re going with me. You know the legal ramifications around this, I don’t.”

  “Well, I…”

  “Are you worried or not?”

  She studied him a minute. Was she? Yes, she was. “I don’t know her well enough to say if this is out of character. Does she skip classes on a whim?”

  “She’s a regular student; misses sometimes. Not often.”

  Alexis grabbed her purse and left the other stuff. “We’ll take my car.”

  He stepped into the hall. “I’m not riding in that tuna can.”

  She twirled the lock on her door. He was insulting her Jag? “We’re going in my car.”

  Luke headed back to his classroom. Alexis followed and watched as he gathered up his books and papers and stuffed them into a backpack. “We’re going in my truck. If you’re so worried about Jessica, you won’t have a problem with that. I know where she lives.”

  “You…” The word huffed through clenched teeth and dropped off.

  Worry had surrounded her since Jessica had not shown at her first class, but it had taken their discussion and the adrenalin hit from her anger to push her into doing something. Luke knew where the girl lived, and Jessica had come to him with her problem.

  She should be thankful that he saw the need. But was there something here she needed to know? She looked across at him. “You have her number on your phone, and you know where she lives. Why?”

  “Drove the bus when we took the students to a concert last year. I put all the students’ numbers into my phone at the time. Later, I dropped her off because she had no car and no one to pick her up.”

  “Oh.”

  “Meet with your approval?”

  “It was just a question.”

  “Your questions sound like an inquisition.”

  People had told her that before – inside and outside the courtroom. They reached the parking lot, and he headed for his truck. Alexis kept in step. He unlocked his door and climbed in and hit the button that unlocked her side.

  He wasn’t opening her door for her. Not quite the southern gentleman she’d assumed or was it because he was irritated?

  Alexis opened the passenger door and slipped into the seat. She glanced his way while tugging the seatbelt into position. “Look, I didn’t mean to sound accusatory. It was just a question.”

  One for which she’d wanted the answer, though. His relationship to the girl could prove problematic. But she’d keep that to herself.

  ***

  Neither spoke as he drove. Luke told himself to cool off. Dealing with the woman took more patience than most. Dealing with the girl, Stephanie, hadn’t ruffled an iota of his emotions. Compare that to what he was feeling now.

  And what was he doing, anyway? All students skipped class from time to time. He’d never gone chasing after any of them. Still, if the girl hadn’t stayed at her friend’s house this weekend, and if Alexis’ instincts were correct…

  He shot her a sideways glance. She sat with both her arms and legs crossed. He couldn’t help but notice the long legs showing beneath her skirt’s modest length. The woman’s attractiveness showed even in the business suit – maybe because of it. He wondered if she even knew. Stephanie’s words sounded like spite or jealousy.

  Luke forced his eyes back to the road. He sensed a depth in Alexis that outweighed her looks. Her obvious concern and defense for abused women – as he had learned at the faculty meeting – was part of that. She didn’t stand on the sidelines; she had the courage and fortitude to wade into the battle.

  He cleared his throat. “Do you want to do this alone or should we both go to the door when we get there?” Her head turned, and he could feel the heat from her gaze. Her frustration with him hadn’t died yet either. Funny how she’d noticed his wary attitude from the first.

  “We’ll both go. Two of the faculty from the college. I think that will add some weight. Remember, I’m not a lawyer here, and I don’t want the mother or the boyfriend to know anything but that we’re from the college.”

  “Makes sense. But what reason do we give for showing up at her door?”

  “We had an appointment, and she didn’t show and didn’t answer her phone. We’re just checking on her. That’s true. Sort of. The appointment was for class. We won’t mention that.”

  “You’ve done this before?”

  “Checking up on victims in these cases? Oh, yeah.”

  He turned into the mobile home lot a few minutes later. Not an upscale lot but most of the homes and small yards were well kept. He drove to the back, made a left turn and parked in front of a white mobile home with blue trim. The driveway and carport were empty, but an older Ford Focus with faded turquoise paint sat half in the street and half in the yard.

  She beat him out of the truck and to the door, knocking hard. He stepped close behind her. Nothing moved or stirred. She knocked again, louder. He grimaced; the woman wasn’t shy.

  “Jessica?” Alexis’ voice rose to match her knocking. “Jessica, are you in there?”

  Luke glanced back toward a screen door that Alexis had passed when she shot up the driveway. He thought he saw movement and took a step back.

  “Jessica, are you all right?” Alexis’ voice came from behind him as he walked toward the screen door.

  “Hey.” His own voice rose over hers. “Hey, you, in the screen porch. We’re looking for Jessica Saltare. Have you seen her?” No one moved or answered. Alexis’ voice had stopped, and she moved his way.

  “You think we should call the police?” she asked, her voice raised.

  Luke turned his head. Was she serious or calling a bluff?

  The screen door opened, and a man edged his body into the doorway. He glared at them through narrowed, red-rimmed eyes. “What do you want?”

  His unkempt hair and dirty t-shirt didn’t give Luke a good feeling. H
e stared at a spot on the man’s shirt. Was that blood?

  Alexis pushed in front of him. “We’re looking for Jessica. She missed an appointment this morning, and that’s not like her. She’s not answering her phone or her messages, and she’s always prompt doing that.”

  “Who are you?”

  Alexis introduced them before Luke had time to respond. The woman meant business, that was for sure.

  “Do you know where she is?” Alexis asked.

  “No. She ain’t here.” A skeletal hand started to close the door.

  Luke grabbed the handle. “Just a minute.”

  “I ain’t got a minute.” The man tugged at the door.

  A pungent odor circled the man and almost caused Luke to step back. “Who are you? I thought just Jessica and her mom lived here.”

  “I’m a friend.”

  “Well, where’s her mom then?”

  “At work.”

  “Does she know Jessica’s missing?”

  “Jessica ain’t missing.”

  “Then where is she?”

  “None of your business.” The man yanked on the door. When Luke yanked back, the other man straightened. “You lookin’ for a fight?”

  Luke raised an eyebrow. Their heights were about even, but he had twenty-five to thirty pounds on the man.

  Alexis stepped closer. “We just want to find Jessica.”

  “I told you, she ain’t here. Now—”

  Something crashed inside the mobile home.

  Luke’s head shot around. He stepped backward, looking at the other door. “What was that?”

  “Nothing!”

  The screen door ripped from Luke’s hand. Alexis grabbed it and tried to force it open again. The click of the lock met her efforts.

  “Let us in, or we’re calling the police.” Her voice rose as the man hurried away from them and into the house. “We’re not leaving. I’m dialing 911 right now.”