The Thief Redeemer (24 page)

I’m realizing what’s important in life and it’s not running
a car theft ring or making money. It’s a woman you love and loving the family
you have left. That’s what’s important.

How could I have changed so much as a man in only four short
months? I think it’s evident that I was at the end of my rope, and then the
heavens opened and dropped Claire in my life. The God of the universe knew I
needed her and knew I needed my brothers. He must have seen this destructive
course I was venturing down and placed them in my path. He used them to show me
the right way.

I’m strangely at peace as I dress in the suit Birch’s
secretary brought me this morning. My fingers feel the white button-down shirt
as I glance in the mirror. How can someone like me be redeemed? How can someone
like me, who was lost and alone, find the light? Maybe when you’re stripped
down to the barest of your soul, you finally realize that your life
can
change. I can, in fact, be a better man. I just needed someone to show me the
path. I needed someone to have hope and faith in me. Yes, Claire was delivered
to me in a sick and perverse way, but because of her large heart, she saved a
man who was drowning in despair.

She had enough love in her heart for us both, because all
the emotions in my life were running on empty. She gave me what she had and
then helped me refuel and find myself. Who knew that Brandon Wilson was even
capable of love?

I also learned that when it comes to certain people, love
will cause you to do crazy things. My brothers and Claire are those certain
people.

I slip on my jacket and look in the mirror. I clean up
nicely, if I do say so myself. I put my brothers’ letter inside my coat pocket.
This is for good luck. I also add the picture of my family. I touch the cross
pendant around my neck and think of Marcus. Marcus would have been proud of me,
too.

If he were here, I would tell him how much easier it is to breathe
when the world isn’t riding on your shoulders. You sleep in peace at night when
the cops have already found you, there’s a girl who says she loves you, and
there’s family behind you, no matter the cost.

I’m a lucky man.

I hear the security guard approaching my cell.

“It’s time.”

He cuffs my hands, and I follow him outside to the waiting
van that will be transporting me to the courthouse. We arrive after a
ten-minute drive, and I’m taken inside a small room. The guard removes my
cuffs. Birch joins me moments later and sits on the couch beside me.

“This is it, son.”

“I know.” I’m still nervous. My hands are sweating. “Do you
know about how long the judge will give me?” We’ve already discussed this time
after time, but I need to hear it again. Maybe my face gives away how nervous I
am, because Mr. Birch puts his hand on my knee.

“Brandon, calm down.”

I realize now that I’ve been shaking my leg since I sat
down. His hand on my knee causes me to stop the shaking. I run my hand down my
face.

“Thanks.” It’s all I say, but I know that if the judge gives
me fifteen years, I’ll die. Not that I don’t deserve the sentence, but all I
can think about is Claire.

“Is Claire still dating Jonathan?” My question comes from
nowhere, and Birch looks at me in confusion.

“No. I’m pretty sure she broke it off.”

I smile internally, although I would never let Birch see my
excitement. I turn away from him. It’s not until I feel Birch’s hand on my leg
for the second time that I realize I’m twitching my legs again.

“Brandon, we’ve done everything we can for you up until this
point. Claire and the twins will be there to support you. Stop being nervous.
Everything is going to work out. Trust me.”

Easy for him to say.

“Sir, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

He probably thinks this is about the hearing, but it’s not.
It’s personal. “Claire said that you and her mother, weren’t married when she
was born, that you didn’t get married till much later.” I pause, trying to
choose my words carefully. “How did you fight the odds to win the girl, even
when nothing was in your favor?”

He pauses for a minute, and doesn’t answer my question
immediately. “Is that why you’re so nervous?” he asks finally.

I hate being vulnerable in front of anyone, much less Birch,
but I’m an honest man now. “Yes.” I look the other way, but I turn back when
Birch says nothing. “If the judge gives me too many years, I’ve lost her. If he
only gives me a handful, I have this selfish hope that she’ll wait for me.” I
swallow. I have to remember this is her father, after all.

He exhales and when he looks at me, I see a different gaze
in his eyes. “I fought for what was mine.”

I look at him in confusion. “What?”

“You asked me how I fought the odds, and that’s the answer.
I fought for what was mine. Fight for her, Brandon. It’s your only hope.”

I look into his blue eyes and notice that the atmosphere has
changed. Birch no longer giving me legal advice, but personal advice - and
personal advice about his daughter.

“Can I fight for her…from prison?”

“You can fight for the woman you love from anywhere.”

I look at the wall and think about his statement. He’s
completely right. I’ve been so occupied about today’s outcome that I missed
sight of what was important. I had been about to give up on Claire…again. I’d
be an idiot to let that happen twice.

“Thank you, Mr. Birch. You don’t know how much this helps.”

“Please, Brandon. Call me Philip.”

I give him a slight nod. We don’t say anything else. The
silence says it all. I’ve made a new friend today, which is ironic because he
used to be my worst enemy. We moved from enemies to client/lawyer to friends,
all in a span of five months.

The assistant walks into the room and informs us it’s time.
I’m nervous, but not like I was before. I have just gotten permission from
Claire’s dad to fight for her, and I’ll fight like hell for that girl. Even if
they give me twenty years, I won’t give up. Maybe this is being selfish, but at
least I will try.

One of my life’s biggest mottos is to have no regrets. If I
don’t at least fight for Claire, I will regret it till the day I die.

We walk into the courtroom and I instantly scan the back of
the room. I spot the blonde hair sitting with my brothers and a small smile
crosses my face. My three biggest fans display nervous smiles in return.

Claire looks even more like an angel today with her navy
blue top and jeans. She is literally my angel.

I stand with Philip at our assigned table and wait for the
judge to acknowledge us. As I hear the charges brought against me, I’m having
flashbacks to the day in the courtroom when I tried to have my brothers’ files
opened. This time, though, Philip Birch is on my side. If it wasn’t for him, I
might be spending the rest of my life in jail.

When the time comes, we plead no contest.

The judge asks for a ten-minute recess to review my case. We
sit at the table and wait on his answer.

“Philip?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks for the suit.”

“Of course.”

It’s the only conversation we have in the ten minutes. I
start to run the cross pendant over the chain like Marcus did. Not because I’m
nervous, but because I’m tired of waiting. I’m ready to hear my fate.

Maybe this wasn’t a nervous twitch of Marcus’s after all.
Maybe it was caused by boredom. This seems more likely because he was the
master of stealing cars. He had nothing to be nervous about. Maybe after all
this time, I had read him wrong.

I’m realizing now that I tend to do that. I sure read Philip
Birch wrong.

The atmosphere turns tense as the judge returns to the
courtroom. We all stand, and I know this is it. This will determine what becomes
of my life. I hold my head high, ready to face my demons. With Philip beside me
I stand strong and tall, waiting on the verdict.

I HEAR THE words, and I think
they’ve made a mistake. Eight years, with a chance of parole in five.

I glance at Philip and see a smile on his face. He’s pleased
with the results. I stick out my hand. We shake as an understanding passes
between us. He did me a huge favor. Not only did he work my case for free, he
bought me a suit, and if all goes well, I’ll be out of here in just five years.
Maybe I can win the girl after all. My eyes move to Claire, sitting with my
brothers. At my acknowledgement, they stand and a small smile passes between
us.

Small slivers of hope surge through my bloodstream. I’ll be
out of here by the age of thirty-three. Claire and I can develop a relationship
while I’m in jail…right?

I’m not sure how this has worked for people in the past, but
I’m willing to give it a try. I mean, if Claire is willing, I’m willing. I’m
lead away by a cop and I don’t look back. I need to devise a plan. In the past,
I was a hell of a car thief, but today a new task presents itself. Maybe I’m
not a hopeless case after all. I’ll have to fight like a dog over the next five
years, but I’ll win the girl. This will be the hardest obstacle I’ve faced yet,
but that’s okay. I’ve always loved a challenge.

TIME PASSES BOTH quickly and slowly.
I’ve watched seasons pass by, and I’ve watched people age, all from behind the
confines of my cell walls. I’ve watched tree branches worm their ways into
buildings. I’ve watched women who were pregnant deliver and bring their
toddlers to visit the incarcerated.

Time has passed quickly because I can’t believe my sentence
is already up, but slowly, because I’ve missed so much in the outside world.
The warm air hits my face as I stride to the picnic table. I always choose the
one in the corner, shaded by the dogwood tree, as my own. I’ve been in this
jail for five years, and everyone knows it’s my spot. No one else ever tries to
claim it as theirs. Even in here, I guess I still have a bit of “boss” energy.

The air is warm, but the breeze makes the humidity bearable
as I take my seat. I twiddle with my fingers and patiently wait for my
visitors. I see Mark’s and Luke’s faces and I stand to greet them. They
approach the table before I tackle them into a bear hug. Over the years we have
become the best of friends, like it should have been since the beginning.

“Where’s that girl of yours?” I ask Luke. I’m referring to
his girlfriend Dayna whom he brought to meet me just last week. They have been
dating only a month, and he’s toast.

“She couldn’t make it today, but she sent these.”

I look down and realize Luke is carrying a container. We sit
at the table and I open the package to find chocolate chip cookies.

“She really knows how to get in good with the family,” I
joke with him, taking a bite.

“Yeah, I don’t think it’s much longer and she will be part
of the family,” Mark smarts back with a smirk on his face. Luke rolls his eyes,
but we all know the truth. I’ve never seen him like this before. They’ve
mentioned girls during the past five years, but never brought one around. One
thing I’ve discovered about the two of them is that when it comes to women,
they are total opposites. Luke is a one-woman type of man, and Mark
loves-em-and-leaves em.

“So this is serious?” I ask, taking a look at his face.

Luke hesitates for a second. “Yeah, pretty serious. I know
it’s only been a month, but when you know, you know.”

I nod my head because I do know. “Has anyone spoken with
Claire?” The atmosphere goes cold and their eyes divert from mine. Claire
hasn’t been around much, and it kills me. “What do I do?” Here I am asking my
brothers for woman advice. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

“Keep fighting for her. You’ll be out of here in a couple of
weeks. Then you can, you know, date her.” Mark gives me a look of sympathy, and
I cringe.

“Is she with another guy?” I have to ask, even though I know
it will kill me if she is.

“We don’t know, Brandon. She says she’s figuring things
out,” Mark sighs because really, I ask this question every time. I run my hand
down my face and exhale loudly. The first two years I was incarcerated, things
between Claire and I were great. Well, as great as they could be considering we
were having a relationship from jail.

But then during the third year, things became strained. I
could tell our weird relationship was taking a toll on her. I stupidly didn’t
say anything. I just kept trying to continue onward, like we were fine. Then
this year, I could feel her slipping through my fingers; my worst fear was
morphing its way into reality. She hasn’t been to see me in eight months.

“Okay, so tell me about your jobs.” I decide to change the
subject. Talking about Claire only causes me stress, and I feel my brothers are
hiding something. They begin to fill me in on their jobs since they are both
recent graduates, but I zone them out. I’m angry at myself for being in jail
and missing their graduation, but I’m more angry at myself for letting Claire
slip through my fingers. I’ve written her love letter after love letter, but it
still isn’t enough. What can I do for it to be enough?

“Brandon, are you listening?”

“Sorry,” I say trying to focus my attention back to my
brothers. They are the ones who visited me today, not Claire. I should be
giving them 100%.

“I was saying, once you’re free, we want to take you out,”
Mark says while taking another bite of cookie.

“Yeah, we will take you out, and…” Luke pauses to look at
Mark. I raise my eyebrows towards them wondering what they’re about to say. “We
didn’t want to say anything because we weren’t sure about your chances of
parole, but since it’s looking good, we wanted you to know that we actually got
a three bedroom apartment. The third bedroom is yours if you want it.”

I smile, a huge smile that ranges from ear to ear. “Thanks,
guys. I was wondering what I was going to do and where I was going to go.”

“Brandon, we’ll take care of you. You have a place to stay,
so now your only mission is to find a job. We’ll take care of the rest for the
first few months or however long it takes you to get back on your feet.”

I knew I could count on my brothers. When this entire fiasco
happened, I knew they would always stick by me. I knew Claire would be a
different story.

“You’re right. My first mission is to find a job. My second
mission is to get Claire back. I will need your help with both.”

They both nod, and silence descends upon the table.

I decide to call them on it. “Okay, what aren’t you telling
me about Claire? I want to know.” I look into both their eyes and brace myself
for the truth. Is she moving away? Dating someone else? Getting married?

“Brandon…Dayna and I saw her out to dinner with another guy.
That’s all we know,” Luke mumbles. “She didn’t see us but…well, they looked
like they were on a date. I mean, we were at
The Point
. You don’t eat
there unless you’re on a date.”

I ball my hands into fists, and I’m seeing red, just like I
used to in the old days. I’ve managed to control my temper well over the past five
years, but Claire is mine, and I’m not afraid to fight for her.

“I need you to find out who he is,” I say, breathing fire
from my nostrils.

“Brandon. It’s her decision. If she’s moved on, there’s
nothing we can do,” Luke says with worry in his eyes.

I lean into him and look him straight in the face. “What if
Dayna slipped through your fingers and you saw her out with another guy.” I
pause while I see him take a deep breath. “What would you do?”

He pauses for a second and I see his brown eyes storm over.
“I wouldn’t let her go. I’d fight for her till the bitter end,” he whispers.
Now he gets it. Now that I’ve thrown the ball in his court, he finally
understands. “Okay, point made. We’ll help you.” Luke looks over at Mark, and
he nods his head in acknowledgement. “But first, you need to work on your
parole. Get that over with and get out of this place. Then we’ll work on a job
and Claire.”

“It’s a deal,” I say because he’s right. My first move is to
get out of this hellhole. The guard blows his whistle signaling the end of
visitation and I groan. This is what I look forward to each week. “Hey, tell
Dayna thanks for the cookies.”

Luke nods and we give each other small hugs. “We’ll both be
in touch with Philip on the parole. You don’t have much longer,” Mark says as
he embraces me.

“Mark, when are you going to settle down with a woman?” I
ask, a smile on my face.

“Not anytime soon,” he smirks. “Then I’d be no better than
you two losers.” Luke and I attack him at the same time. Luke tackles him while
I put him in a headlock. I guess brothers are never too old to have fun. Mark
wiggles himself free, and we pat each other on the back. They mention they’ll
be back next week and I watch them leave. I’m escorted to my cell where I hear
the familiar gate slam shut. Only a few more weeks, and I’m a free man. I’ll
never have to hear that door lock behind me again.

I’M SEATED IN the same room I’ve
been in countless times. The room is bland with white walls and a white table.
The chairs are metal and flimsy. I’m waiting on Philip to discuss my parole.
He’s agreed to assist me with this, too, especially since over the past five
years, he’s turned into somewhat of a father figure. He’s been to visitations
and is always checking up on me. He offers me advice, even when I haven’t asked
for it, and I know he’s working behind the scenes on my behalf.

I’m coming up for a chance of parole, due to his skills in
court, and of course, my good behavior in this jail. The only item we don’t
discuss is Claire. She’s slipped through my fingers this past year, and I don’t
want to mention this to her father. He has to know she’s stopped visiting.
Claire has her own apartment now and lives with Sarah, the redhead I kidnapped.
But even though Claire and Philip don’t live under the same roof, he has to
know something’s up. It doesn’t take a blind man to see she’s stepped away.

But what she doesn’t know is that I’m determined to get her
back. She has to know my chances of parole are good and that I’ll be free soon.
She has to know I’ll win her back. I’ve written her so many love poems and
letters from this jail cell. Since we’re not allowed Internet access, I’ve had
to hand write each and every letter. I’ve mailed a few, and hand delivered some
when she would come visit. It’s been pretty romantic if I do say so myself.
Claire has turned me into somewhat of a poet and a writer, which is okay,
because I have it bad for this girl.

Once I’m out of here, I can send her more than letters. I
can send her flowers and take her on dates. I’ve never done the dating thing
before, but I will Google what I need to know, and drop the red carpet for
Claire. Whatever it takes.

The door squeaks open and I smile at Philip. I stand and we
shake hands before he sits. I haven’t seen him in a couple of weeks, but he
looks happy which is a good sign.

“How are things, Brandon?”

“Good. You seem happy. Is it good news?”

“It’s very good news.”

I smile and take a deep breath. Finally. I’m leaving this
place.

“The parole meeting is next Monday. They will ask you a
series of questions, and based on your behavior while you’ve been here, I think
you have a good shot. Of course, once out of here, you will serve the remainder
of your sentence with a parole officer from home.”

“Yes. I understand.” I don’t care about having to meet with
a parole officer each week. Leaving the confines of this jail cell will be
enough for me.

“And this leads to the second reason I’m here. You’ll need
to find a job.”

“Yes. Do you know anyone who will hire me?”

“I’ve been asking around and I have a friend who’s a
mechanic. I told him you were the best. He said he would give you an interview.
What do you think of that?”

Once again I’m speechless. This man has taken me under his
wing for the past five years and now he’s practically handing me a job. He’s
handing a criminal a job. Not to mention everything he’s done for my brothers.
My brothers eat dinner at the Birch house at least once a month. This amount of
kindness blows me away. I hope I’ll be welcome for dinner once I’m out…if
Claire’s speaking to me then.

“Thank you. That’s more than I could have hoped for. I’ll be
happy to go to the interview. I’ll go as soon as I’m out, and I can start the
next day.”

Philip nods in agreement and shuts his notebook.

“That’s all I have for today. Any other questions?”

“Yeah. My friend Simon…the one I’ve been asking you about.
When is he released?”

“He is scheduled to be released about the same time as you.
I would have to check on his case to make sure.”

“Good.” Simon didn’t deserve the harsh sentence he received.
He’s only in here because of me, and I’ve been checking on him throughout the
past five years. We’re in two separate prisons so I haven’t laid eyes on him
since the bust, but I’m always asking and checking. I know Tommy and Sally are
too. They’ve been visiting us both over the past five years. Nothing too
frequent, but enough to say they care. “Thanks, Philip.”