Vengeance (Oak Grove Suspense Book 1) (7 page)

“Hit me,” I tell him sitting back in my chair ready for whatever he throws at me.

I hear shuffling papers and his throat clearing before he says, “You remember Jason Mathis?”

“Of course, The Fox Killer.”

“He’s been released.”

I fly up out of my seat in shock, almost knocking my coffee over. “What do you mean he’s been released? Tell me you’re lying. He killed ten people! Ten, Marsh! And that’s only the ones we found. Who knows how many there truly are.”

“I know, I know. One of the witnesses recanted her statement. Somehow, they came up with undeniable proof she was lying. She’s in jail for falsifying. It’s messed up. They’re still trying to pin him with what’s left, but she was a major witness. The whole case is being reevaluated. He was held as long as possible, but his release was ordered.”

I let out a huge breath. I have no clue what to think. This guy was no joke. It took me over two years to take him down. There’s no way that my biggest case could have had some technicality that would throw the evidence into question. This whole thing reeks of an inside job.

“This is huge,” I finally say.

“It is, but that’s not all. He left an origami fox on his bunk.”

My heart sinks. That’s his calling card. He left it with his victim as a clue before he’d kill his next victim. I almost don’t want to ask, knowing the implications of the answer but I do anyway.

“What was in it?”

“A hair. Forensics ran it, but there’s nothing in the data base. We have nothing to go on. We’ve got uniforms on him, watching, but he’s being citizen of the year.”

“Keep me posted.”

“I will. He was ordered to stay put and check in with a parole officer, not that that will stop him if he wants to leave.”

“Right, I’ll do what I can, but I don’t know what good I’ll be.”

“They have your testimony, but you might have to come back in once the case is back in court.”              

“Yeah, anything. I have to get going. I’m meeting Shay and Dylan for dinner.”

“You guys back together already?” he asks with a chuckle.

I can’t help smiling. “Nah, but it’s only a matter of time. She wants me. I can tell.”

He guffaws. “Oh, there we go with your Rico Sauvé ways.”

I laugh with him. “Nah, it’s not like that. I love her. Always have. I’m tired of messing around. We messed up as kids, we wasted sixteen years without each other, I’m done. I want her and Dylan.”

“I get it. That’s awesome. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks. And thanks for calling. Keep me in the loop.”

“I will. Later, Jacobs.”

“Later, Marsh.”

I shake my head, trying to wrap my head around the news that Mathis is out. Jason Mathis was my biggest case. I was undercover in the Mathis Crime Organization for almost a year. That was what I was doing when my dad died. We had so much evidence, it should’ve been impossible to turn over. Something is very wrong here. My initial thoughts are that it’s an inside job, that some official is pulling what should be un-pull-able strings. I slam my hand down on my desk. I have a sinking feeling he’ll be coming for me. He sees me as his nemesis. I don't think he can find me, but I’ll be damned if I let him get to me or my family. I grab my things and head out of the office, ignoring the wave May gives me as I pass her.

My mind is everywhere as I travel to Shay’s. I can’t even process what would happen if Mathis came after me. Shayla and Dylan are my priority now. I won’t let anything happen to them. When I finally arrive at Shayla’s, she calls out to me to just take a seat, that dinner is almost ready.

“Will do,” I say as I do what she tells me.

I’m happy that dinner is a simple affair, but a happy one. I want more days like this with them; this natural day-to-day conversation has already lightened my mind and put Mathis’ release on the back burner for now.  This is what I never knew I needed, my family.  

~*~

Sunday comes quicker than I would have imagined. It’s afternoon as I watch my son pace back and forth in the living room while we wait for Shayla to finish getting ready. We are set to head over to my grandma Penny’s house. The whole family will be there, well, all that can be at least. Dylan seems uneasy about something, but I can’t imagine what he would be nervous about.

“Son, you’re wearing a hole in the floor.”

He stops and turns towards me. “Sorry. I’m just worried. What if they don’t like me?”

I snort. “They love you already.”

“How’s that even possible. They’ve never met me.” He finally sits down in the chair across from me.

“You’ve talked to my mom on the phone, you know she’s head over heels for you.”

This, of course, is an understatement. Sure, my mom has other grandkids, but Dylan is the oldest. She’s seen him over the years and always suspected he was mine, but every time she brought it up to my dad he shut her down quickly. She was relieved to know she wasn’t crazy and that Dylan did indeed look like me, because he was mine. It caused a big rift between my mom and Gale’s relationship, but it's now on the mend. She understood this was my father’s doing and she wasn’t unaccustomed to his poor choices.

“Yeah, on the phone, but what if I’m not good enough in person?”

I tilt my head to the side and stare at him for a second, before standing to my feet and kneeling in front of him. I rest my hand on his shoulder so he’s looking straight at me.

“Dylan, my family isn’t Todd. They aren't going to turn you away or think anything other than how lucky they are to have you with them. I feel the same. I know we’ve only known each other a short time, but you are my son and I love you. Nothing could ever change that. It was instant the moment I saw your picture at the Thorns.”

“But I wasn’t good enough for T …”

I stop him. “Todd is a jackass. He didn’t know what a good thing he had. And you know what? I’m glad. If he hadn’t screwed up, I wouldn’t be here right now with you.”

I pull him into a hug. I feel him sighing in relief and his tears soaking my shirt. He’s needed to do this, to get out his true fear. Todd made him feel unwanted. Oh, but this boy is so wanted and so needed, he has no idea. I wasn’t lying when I said it was instant. The very moment I looked at that picture, I loved him. I may have been angry, but never with him. He’s not done a thing wrong in this situation. I rub his back soothingly, holding him tightly, trying to comfort him the best I can. To make up for all the times I should’ve been there but wasn’t.

“Hey, what’s going on? What happened?” Shayla asks, sitting on the arm of the chair. Dylan sits back and pulls her to him. She’s halfway in his lap and in the chair. She squeaks at the suddenness. “Oh, baby, what’s wrong?”

“I’m scared.”

“Of what, Dyl?”

“Of not being good enough for the Jacobs’.” He sits back, wiping his eyes. I grab some tissues from the table and hand them to him.

“You are a Jacobs and you are good enough. That was never the issue. Trust me,” Shayla says.

He leans his head back on the chair and rubs his eyes. “I need to know why you did it. Why you didn’t tell them about me?”

I look at Shay and she looks at me. She moves back to the arm of the chair so she can see him better. I can see she is debating, running through possible responses and then she looks resolved as she starts speaking.

“I was in foster care when your dad and I started dating. He’s older than me, not that it’s wrong, it’s fine. We could date, but we couldn’t be intimate. He could’ve gotten into big trouble, even though the Thorns were adopting me, and the worker didn’t know I was pregnant until it was finalized. I begged them not to tell. I didn’t show until really late in my pregnancy and I wore baggy clothes. Simon, my caseworker, he didn’t know until you were two. He sought me out. He tried then to get me to tell him who your dad was, but I told him it wasn’t his business anymore. He knew it was your dad, accused him. He wanted me to press charges. Plus …”

I stop her. I turn to Dylan. “Your grandpa, my dad, he scared your mom. That’s why as soon as she graduated, you guys moved away.”

“That’s why Maw and Pop came to stay with us so much? You didn’t want to come back here?” Dylan asks.

“I was so afraid that even though I was over eighteen, they’d still find a way to press charges. I knew your dad was in the military and I just imagined all these terrible things happening to him. I couldn’t bring myself to admit to anyone that he was your dad until you asked when you were nine. I knew then I had to, but I made Maw and Pop promise not to tell anyone until I could reach your dad.” She took a huge breath, then looked over at me. I can see tears in her eyes. “I’ve never told anyone this, but I called your dad,” she says to me, then turns to Dylan, “your grandpa, shortly after your birthday that year, and told him you were curious. I told him I understood he didn’t want Ryan to know and that was fine, I was engaged, and I didn’t want anything. I just thought you should at least know your dad. He told me Ryan couldn’t be reached and if I tried to call him again or contact Ryan, he’d press charges for harassment. I should have kept trying, but I didn’t want to cause problems.”

I stare at her for a long while. I’m not sure why she never mentioned any of this, but then again, she didn't tell me about my dad’s involvement until we saw each other. She’s always trying to protect me, crazy girl. She looks at me concerned.

“I’m not mad at you. I’m upset with my dad more than I can explain, but he’s not here anymore. I’d like to put all this behind us and move forward. A lot of mistakes were made, but they were made in the effort to protect those we love. Let’s just vow from this point forward, that the three of us are a team, even if we aren’t dating, Shayla.  The three of us talk about everything, no secrets.”

They both agree. I pull them into a family hug. That’s what we are, no matter what. The drive to my mom’s is full of happy chatter. I tell Dylan a few silly stories about his mom, teasing her. She laughs, but for the most part, lets us talk. I squeeze her hand as I pull into the drive of my family home. I know there’s nothing for her to worry about, but I can tell she’s nervous. 

“Oh, my goodness!” My mom squeals from the porch steps. She pulls Shayla and Dylan into her arms.

I chuckle. “Let them breathe, Mom.”

“Sorry, I just … oh, look at you. You look more like your dad in person.” She pats Dylan’s face. “Come in. My manners are out the window. Have a seat. I’ll get us something to drink.”

“I’ve got it, Mom,” my sister, Alaina, says, setting a tray of drinking glasses with a pitcher of iced tea on the coffee table. “Hi, I’m your Aunt Alaina, but everyone calls me Laney.”

She smiles at Dylan and then looks at Shay. She and Shayla used to be friends, not like Shay and I were, but they’re the same age and had several classes together in school.

“Shay,” she greets her with a warm smile.

“Hey, Laney.”

It doesn’t take long for us to get settled in or for my mom to drag out the photo albums from my youth. There’s tons of Shayla as well. The fear I’d seen in Dylan’s eyes on the ride over is replaced with laughter and contentment. The easy acceptance of my mom and sister has done that for him.

I look over to Shay. She’s been quiet most of the time. She’s answered questions and laughed, but I can tell she’s a bit distant. As Dylan is looking at pictures from right around the time he was conceived, she excuses herself to the bathroom. She’s gone so long, that I go to check on her.

“Shay?” I say, knocking on the door.

“Sorry, be out in a minute.”

I can tell she’s been crying. I twist the knob, finding it unlocked. I slowly push it open, giving her a chance to deny me. She doesn't. I find her sitting on the side of the bathtub, tissue in hand.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask, kneeling down in front of her.

“I’m a horrible person. I kept him from his family.”

Frowning, I push her hair back so I can see her face. “You’re not horrible. We both made mistakes. You can’t shoulder all the blame.”

“You should hate me. I kept your son from you, your mom, and your whole family. I was selfish.”

“You were scared, that’s not being selfish. You thought something horrible would happen to me, so you protected me. That’s not being selfish.” I snort and shake my head. “If anyone’s at fault, it’s me. If I wasn’t so hardheaded and would have let you talk when you called, I would have known. I don’t know what would have happened, but it would have been worth it.”

“Not if you were in jail or labeled a sex offender. That’s what would have happened. Even if you didn’t go to jail, you’d be considered a sex offender because you were eighteen and I was fifteen. That wouldn’t be worth it. You couldn’t see him right now. You’d have lost your job and any chance of being what you want. At least, now you have him in your life. I just wish that I would have found you sooner. I’m so sorry.”

I wipe the tears from her face. “We’ve apologized enough. Let’s place the blame where it belongs, on my dad and that stupid social worker, Simon. We have forgiven each other; we’ve agreed to move forward. Right?” She nods. “Then come back out there with me and visit with my family. I know they may not say it, but they missed you.”

“Yeah, okay. When will your brothers be here?”