The Road to Justice/Sins of the Son combo pack - A John Fowler Novel (John Fowler (Books 1 & 2)) (26 page)

John reached out and took Jessica
’
s hand. 
“
I honestly don
’
t think so,
”
John
said
quietly. 
“
Sam and I had a different relationship.  Don
’
t get me wrong
,
Jessica
.  W
hat Sam and I had was special and once in a lifetime, but I don
’
t think she ever kissed me like that.
”

Jessica put her other hand over John
’
s. 
“
I kissed you to see if it was even worth us having this conversation,
”
said Jessica.

John smiled wirily. 
“
And you
r
findings?
”
 
John asked.  Jessica smiled broadly.

“
Yeah,
”
Jessica replied.  John started laughing again, and Jessica joined in.  When she could talk, she squeezed both of his hands in hers. 
“
John, let
’
s take this slow.
”
 
John pulled his hands out of hers and stood up.  Jessica was suddenly afraid she had upset him.  John smiled and began to walk behind her couch.

“
I need to say a few things, ok?
”
 
Jessica nodded. 
“
I know about you talking to my mom.
”
 
Jessica froze. 
“
Oh
crap
”
she thought,
“
I
’
m about to get it.
”
 
Jessica prepared herself to receive a severe butt chewing by John.

John smiled to himself.  He knew he could lay into Jessica right now and she would take it, but it was time to do what needed to be done.

“
Thank you,
”
John said. 
“
Thank you for letting
my mom
know
when I couldn
’
t.  Thank you for being brave enough to take me into that box and proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that I didn
’
t kill Sam.  Thank you
for
believing in me enough to pull me back into the FBI and to a real life.
”
 
John was smiling and his eyes were dancing. 

“
Jessica, I feel like me again.  Yeah, I
’
m sad some days, and I swear I will
call you a liar if you ever repeat
what I
’
m about to tell you.  The other day I saw Sam in my car.
”
 
Jessica tried to fight a grin.  John kept looking at her and she slowly put her finger up to her head and made the crazy sign.  She was smiling at him. 
“
I
’
m not crazy, or mad, or loony.  I feel like me
;
you don
’
t know how that feels after what I
’
ve been through.
”
 
Jessica stood up and took his hands into hers.

“
John,
”
she began. 
“
I had never seen two people love each other like you and Sam.  If you didn
’
t know, she understood the drinking.  She wasn
’
t mad, she didn
’
t hate you, and she was willing to do anything to help you beat it.  She was thinking about the two of you moving back to Kentucky.  She thought being home would help you beat it.  John
,
she loved you with all her heart.  When I slapped you a few days ago, part of it was because I was mad at you for dishonoring her memory for the way you lived your life.  I
’
ll tell you the truth John, if the roles had been reversed, your death probably would have caused the same reaction in her.
”

John brushed the hair away from her face that had fallen there.  He hated himself for what he was about to say. 

“
Jessica,
”
he said very quietly. 
“
I can
’
t do this yet.  I need to get through this case.  I want there to be
an us
, but we need to get through this case.  Do you understand?
”
 

“
I understand
,
John, but I don
’
t have to like it,
”
Jessica said holding his hands and drawing near.  Her lips were inches from his. 
“
We
’
ll do whatever you need to do to get through this, at whatever speed you need to.  For instance if you told me right now you needed to kiss me to get through the night, th
e
n I would understand.
”

John
’
s heart was about to burst through his chest it was beating so hard.  Jessica had a playful grin flickering across her face.  John pushed her away.  Jessica laughed loudly. 

“
You
’
re enjoying this aren
’
t you?
”
John asked.  Jessica nodded.  John walked to the door with Jessica right behind him.  He opened it and turned around, once again his lips inches from hers.

“
I promise you
,
Jess, it will be worth the wait,
”
he said very quietly.  He turned and left.  Jessica closed the door and leaned back against it.  Oh.  Boy.  This was gonna be interesting.

Washington, DC

Chapter 64

Senator Cosby
stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  He was intrigued by the phone call he had received earlier by Secret Service Agent McDonald.  Luke had wanted to meet with Jeremiah
,
but in a discreet location. 
Senator Cosby
looked around and scoffed.  He was chuckling over the ridiculous cloak and dagger operation that Agent McDonald appeared to be running.  As McDonald appeared, Cosby vented some of his frustration.

“
What do you think this is
, S
on!?
”
The
senator
had lost all of his patience. 
“
Is this s
ome bad retelling of a crazy movie plot
!?!
”

Luke looked around to make sure no one heard Cosby.  This caused Cosby to scoff at the whole thing even more.

“
senator
,
”
said Luke trying to calm
Cosby
down. 
“
Certain people I work for
need
your help on a very delicate
mat
ter
.
”

“
You mean the
p
resident wants a favor,
”
exclaimed Cosby.

“
Sir!
”
said McDonald. 
“
Please, keep your voice down, and no
,
it
’
s
not the
p
resident.
”

Cosby was bothered by that revelation.  If Luke wasn
’
t here
for the p
resident, Cosby was almost positive who he was there for.

“
Luke, you can tell her that anyone related to Archibald Staples will get no help from me!
”
Senator Cosby
exclaimed.

“
Wait
,
s
ir, hear me out.
”
 
Luke was nervous, he was about to lose Cosby without even telling him what was going on.

“
All t
hat we are asking of you
,
s
ir, is
to suggest to the FBI that your son should take over a certain quadruple homicide case currently being investigated by John Fowler.  We would also like it if you were to encourage your son to take the case if he is offered it.
”

Jeremiah laughed, turned, and walked away.  As
Senator Cosby
disappeared into the night, Luke pulled out his cell phone and dialed a phone number given to him by Lisa.

“
Sir, this is Luke McDonald.  I work as a Secret Service Agent for Lisa.  Yes sir.  She told me to call you if I needed any help.
”
 
Luke continued to discuss plans with the man on the other end of the phone call.

John Fowler

Chapter 65

Trip, Jessica and Chet were already in the office when John came in.  John asked them all to have a seat.  As he began to lay out what had happened in Kentucky
,
the looks of disbelief and shock covered their faces.  Trip was absolutely stunned.  When John had finished
,
no one said a word for a minute.  Then Trip spoke.

“
John,
”
Trip stopped, shook his head in disbelief again, and continued. 
“
If what you
’
re saying is true . . . if . . . John you can
’
t just say those things
.  W
e need concrete proof!  We have to have iron clad proof to go after her.
”

“
I think I have all the proof you need sir, and furthermore, if John Fowler s
ays something happened, well, the
n I believe him.
”
 
Trip turned.  John had a big grin on his face.  Jeremiah Cosby had just walked through the door, but instead of his usual jovial face, Jeremiah looked deadly serious. 
“
I think it
’
s time we compare notes
, S
on.  It
’
s not every day I get approached by the secret service to do the
f
irst
l
ady a favor.
”

Trip looked like he had been punched in the stomach.  This was too much.  Jeremiah looked confused over Trip
’
s reaction. 
Senator Cosby
was no stranger to insider corruption
,
and he assumed with Trip
’
s position he was as well.  I
t was obvious by Trip
’
s reaction that Trip was not.  John decided it was time to take control.

“
senator
,
”
said John. 
“
Let me tell you what we know, and/or suspect
,
from my investigation and then you tell us what you know, and/or suspect.
”
 
The senator nodded. 
“
We know that Archibald Industries had a plant
open in Kentucky over twenty-five years ago in a small rural town.  In that town lived Jason Sparks, Beth George, and David George.
”
 
The senator looked confused. 
“
These are two new names I uncovered, and they may be at the heart of this entire investigation.
”
 
Senator Cosby
nodded.  John continued.

“
The parents of Tom Bradley, Amy Jensen, Leroy Jenkins, and Colt McCormick moved their families to Kentucky when the plant opened.  Because there were not enough houses in the town where the plant was located, the families all moved to nearby towns in other counties.  Most were less than ten miles away from the plant.  What we also know is Archibald Staples moved his family into the town where the plant was located.  The local pastor, a Brother Jim Walters of Double Forks Southern Missionary Baptist Church, has identified Archibald
’
s daughter as VERONICA.
”
 
John stresse
d this.  He held up the Sunday
S
chool
picture. 
“
In this picture
,
the girl the world knows as Lisa Staples, married name
Nichols,
is identified as Veronica.
”
 
Chet let out a low whistle.  John looked at his friend with a close lipped smile and nodded.  He handed Chet the picture. 
“
Chet, I need you to run an age program on this.
Age all the children we know in this picture and compare them to how they look today; not just Veronica.
”
 
Chet looked at him sharply. 
“
I don
’
t want any more surprises.  If one of our dead people is someone else, let
’
s find out now.
”