Over Her Dead Body (26 page)

Michael and April looked at each other. They didn’t know what to say. Or think. April smiled and put her hands on Michael. They shared a long look. And a thought…
They had a daughter…

Chapter 43

Detective James pulled up in the driveway. It was a creepy looking place. Even in the dark. The detective noted a car in the carport and a white SUV outside. There was light coming through the blinds on both sides of the house. To the left of the door, he could make out a series of shadows against the blinds.
The doctor must have guests
. The detective thought. He was about to approach the door when he noticed something that seemed off. Two blinds on the right side of the house were lit up as well. But there was a shadow moving very slowly toward the other side of the house. It was probably nothing, but the detective wasn’t taking any chances. He drew his gun and moved toward the door.

Chapter 44

It all happened fast. Amber was first to notice the thick man in the black suit cross into her line of sight. He must have been hiding out in one of the other rooms. He crossed the hallway in front of the front door and into the doorway of the dining room. Michael and April were puzzled by the sudden look of absolute horror on Amber’s face. They turned around but it was too late.

“He killed my sister!” Amber blurted out pointing at the man.

The man in the black suit didn’t say a word. His left eye had been replaced by a glass eye which remained stationary while the other eye moved about the room. He held a gun in his right hand that stretched out before him. After he confirmed that nobody else was in the room, a smile spread across his face at Amber’s expression and he pointed the gun right at her forehead and pulled the trigger.

The detective heard Amber cry out ‘He killed my sister!’ and the gunshot that followed. The door to the house was slightly ajar and the detective eased his way around it and spotted a man in a suit with his arm outstretched. He was pointing the gun at Michael Bander. The detective put two rounds in his chest causing the man’s gun to fire. His hand swung first and the bullet meant for Michael went wide and into the wall. The man fell to the ground dead. The detective kicked the gun away from his hand. As Detective James looked around the room and took in the scene, his expression turned to heartache as he realized he had gotten there too late. Not one body, but two were lying dead on the floor by the dining room table. April had screamed at the second shot and was clinging on to Michael
,
shaking and crying. The detective called in the CSI and the coroner. Nobody was in the mood to talk. And he wasn’t going to ask them to. Not yet.
Let them mourn.
He thought.
Sort it out later at the station.

Chapter 45

Michael and April stood at the foot of the casket and watched as it was lowered down into the ground. April was dressed in a black dress. Her hair was down and her curls hung
down
just
past her shoulders. She dabbed at her cheeks with a handkerchief. She looked at Michael who was wearing a black suit and tie and looking solemnly into the ground. “We never got a chance to know her.” She said. “There were so many questions to ask.”

Michael hugged her. “I know, she was incredibly brave. She always did the right thing, even when it cost her her own life. I wish we had met her sooner.”

Amber stood next to her parents. She also had tears running down her cheeks but she made no move to remove them. “She was my birthmother. She loved me from the beginning. She gave me up to save my life. She lived twenty years in solitude as punishment, and threw herself in front of a bullet for me in the end. She doesn’t deserve this. This isn’t justice.” Amber sobbed and Michael and April put their arms around her. There was nothing they could say to make it better. Three graves. Three funerals. They laid Maria next to the Wimonowskis. It just seemed right somehow. The funerals took up most of the day and the mourning went on well into the night. Amber did a fine job of making sure everybody knew who her sister was and the life she lived. She talked about the Wimonowskis like she had known them all her life. She would smile for a while, then cry for a while. Becca, Michael, and April all comforted her, but they were just as emotional. Maria was their daughter too and despite the fact they hadn’t known about her did not make her death any easier to bear. If anything, it made it worse. Eventually, night would fall and morning would follow and begin the process of wearing down the pain and easing the heartache back into the mind and soul so the spirit would find its way back into the light.

Chapter 46

Michael stood outside the house attending the grill. It was a beautiful day outside. It had been two weeks since the funerals and emotions weren’t completely back to normal. But they were close. April came out the back door with a tray full of condiments and sat them at the picnic table. Amber followed right behind with a bowl full of salad. Detective James stood next to the grill grooming his mustache and chatting with Michael. There was a cooler filled with ice and drinks and Becca was thrusting her hand into the ice for one. The smell of barbecued pork floated through the air making everybody’s mouth water with anticipation. There was corn on the cob and mashed potatoes. Everybody was smiling and enjoying the day. The two crooked police officers had been officially charged with kidnapping, torture, and attempted murder. Michael was glad that the attempted rape never had to be brought up. He was content to sweep it under the rug as long as they were getting life behind bars. The day after the story hit the newspaper, the FBI had shown up at Detective James’ desk. They had been investigating a company called “Fertility and More” in New York City. They had flagged the man in the suit’s information. They were able to use Amber and Maria’s case as the concrete evidence they needed to make the arrests. Amber agreed to testify against them in court under the condition that they use some of the seized assets to acquire the three cemetery lots to bury her sister and the Wimonowskis in. They even threw in nice marble engraved headstones.

The DA dropped all charges against Michael and the police officer who had shot him stopped by for a formal apology.

Michael was able to return the car to Jack Noble, the man who had helped him in a time of need by letting him stay in his garage. Michael had sent Jack and his family six free passes to the amusement park at Alexandria Bay.

Michael, April, and Amber had built a small memorial in the middle of the woods where Maria had been found. It was adorned with a stone, decorative rocks, and lots of flowers. An attorney had gotten in touch with Amber. The Wimonowskis had left everything to Amber and Maria. Since Michael and April were Maria’s surviving parents, they inherited Maria’s share which they happily turned over to Amber. Amber was looking forward to learning more about the Wimonowskis and the life they had led.

Everybody sat down at the picnic table as Michael began taking the meat off the grill and passing it around. The detective looked at Amber who was just getting seated. “So what’s next for you Amber? Are you going to move into the Wimonowski place?” He asked as Michael placed some barbecued pork on his plate.

Amber pulled her hair back and put it in a ponytail. “Not yet. I don’t think I’ll be ready to live alone for a while. I’m going to finish college.” She said. She looked at Becca. “Becca said I could come out and stay with her for a while so I can finish my degree.”

“That sounds like a good plan.” Said the detective. “I guess I just figured you’d stay here with Michael and April.”

“I’d love to.” Amber said. “But this has all happened so fast and I don’t want to ruin getting to know my parents. I think jumping right into a living situation could stress our relationship. I would rather take it nice and slow. I don’t plan on going anywhere so we have lots of time.” Amber said.

“Spoken like a true wise man.” Michael said as he passed around the rest of the pork.

“You mean spoken like a true Bander.” Said April.

“That too.” Michael smiled.

Michael sat down at the table. “I think a prayer is in order.” He said. Everybody nodded their agreement and folded their hands and bowed their heads. “Dear Heavenly Father,” Michael began, “Thank you so much for blessing this family with two wonderful and beautiful girls. Thank you for watching out for us and keeping us safe as we struggled through difficult circumstances brought upon us by terrible people. Please watch over us and bless us as we rebuild our lives and get to know one another. And watch over Maria and the Wimonoskis and give them all our love. In our Father’s name. Amen.”

“Amen” Everybody repeated.

Amber held up her cup “To Maria, the best sister a girl could hope for. And to Jane Wimonowski, our birth mother, who protected us with her life.”

Everybody raised their glass. “To Maria and Jane.” They repeated. A breeze came through and even though Amber couldn’t hear it, she knew her sister’s spirit was in it. Amber closed her eyes and smiled. Her sister would always be with her. 

The End

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