The Road to Justice/Sins of the Son combo pack - A John Fowler Novel (John Fowler (Books 1 & 2)) (12 page)

             
“
Oh he was a very quiet, patient, courteous man . . . except when basketball was on!
”
 
Joan was shaking her head and started chuckling. 
“
One year they went into double overtime during the tournament and I thought he would have a stroke!!
”

             
John chuckled.  It sounded like every Cats fan he had ever known.  John needed to steer Joan to remember things she didn
’
t know she knew. 

             
“
When do you think he was there
;
high school, middle school, younger?
”
 
John asked.

             
Joan paused for a minute.  John thought he had made a mistake and Joan was about to become emotional, but after a second though she answered.

             
“
I know he was born here in Vermont, and graduated high school in Vermont, but it seems it was sometime during his middle grades.
”
 
She paused.  John felt like she was about to tell him a big secret.  Joan looked around like she was making sure no one was listening.  She leaned in and talked softly. 

             
“
He never talked about it, but it seems like something bad happened there.  Some nights he would have these dreams.  He would never talk about them, but the next day he was moody, and Tom was rarely moody.  One time after he got one of these Christmas cards, he had very bad dreams that night.  He got up in the middle of the night and went down to his office.  I came to check on him and his chair was turned away from the doorway.  He was holding the letter, crying and kept saying,
‘
We have to tell what happened.
’
 
He sounded so distraught.  I didn
’
t want to pry you see.  I love  . . . loved.
”
 
Joan looked up at John tears streaming down her face.  John took her hands in his. 
“
I don
’
t know what it was all about, but Tom didn
’
t want to share it, and Tom shared everything with me.  If he didn
’
t want me to know this, the
n who was I to pry?
”
 
Joan was close to breaking down. 
“
Is this what he was killed over?
”
 
John didn
’
t know what to say.  Joan began to sob uncontrollably. 

             
John pulled her close and tried to console her.  When she finally calmed down
,
she looked somewhat sheepish. 
“
I
’
m sorry
,
A
gent Fowler.
”

             
John patted her hands. 
“
Mrs. Bradley,
I don
’
t know what happened yet, but I promise you I will do everything in my power to figure this out.
”
 
Joan nodded, tears in her eyes. 
“
Joan
,
I
’
m going to take the hard drive and the things from the sheriff
’
s office, but I want you to know, I think you just gave me a huge lead in finding who killed your husband.
”

             
Joan smiled.  John stood up and thanked her.  He picked up the hard drive and headed toward his car.  Joan stood on the porch watching him leave.  John put the hard drive in the car and looked back toward the porch. 
“
Mrs. Bradley,
”
John called out. 
“
I
’
m going to get who did this.  I promise.
”
 
Joan looked relieved.  John got in the car, waved and drove off. 

             
John never promised the victim
’
s family that he would find the perpetrator.  This time was different.  He knew he would find the person responsible.  He had too many people depending on him . . . but most importantly, himself.

Director Lionel Pennyworth Smothers III-Trip

             
Chapter 24

Trip hung up the phone.  He looked very concerned.  He got up from his desk and walked down the hall to Bruce
’
s office.  He hated that Bruce got all of this attention, but those in Washington had told him to offer Bruce the case.  He glanced in the door and saw Bruce on the phone chatting it up.  Trip thought about barging in, but knew it would be pointless.  Bruce, as obnoxious as he was, never called his father about anything, and even if he did, it was not like
Senator Cosby
would do anything for Bruce. 

Trip headed back to his office fuming.  He had just been ordered to hand over the current case to Bruce and Trip had no intention of doing so.   T
r
ip knew Jessica
’
s and Chet
’
s career
s
would be doomed if he did.  They wouldn
’
t be fired, but they would never have a career that would amount to anything if he did. 

Trip stormed into office and slammed the door.  The more he thought about what had happened, the madder he got.  He knew deep down this was some type of political maneuvering.  Trip knew he had b
een accused by others of
not sticking his neck out for his agents, but for the most part they were not in critical spots in their careers like Jessica and Chet were now.  Trip sat down at his desk.  He cleared his desk off.  Once that was done, he leaned back in his chair, placed his feet on his desk, placed his hands together and moved them toward his face with his thumbs touching his chin and his index fingers touching his forehead.  He then closed his eyes.  He sat like that for nearly a
n
hour
,
thinking.  Suddenly he opened his eyes, removed his feet from his desk and sat forward.  He had an
idea.   It would be a longshot, but with the situation Jessica and Chet were in, it really didn
’
t matter.  He called down to the foxhole and asked Jessica and Chet to join him in his office.

When Jessica and Chet came in, they noticed how concerned Trip looked.  He shut the door and talked to them for nearly an hour.  When he was done, he gave them the choice of going through
with
his plan, or letting Bruce have the case.  Jessica and Chet were both a little stunned.  N
either agent had
ever heard of Trip going out of his way for agents
like he was offering to
.  They both agreed to go along with Trip.  Trip asked them if they were absolutely sure about this, because once they went down this road, there was no coming back.  Chet said they had nothing left to lose, and Jessica agreed.  They both watched as Trip called Bruce into Trip
’
s office and wondered if the
ir
careers as agents were essentially over.

Bruce was a little concerned about meeting with Trip.  He had just received the strangest phone call from a secret service agent.  The agent wanted to know about Bruce
’
s relationship with his father.  Bruce told the agent the truth.  Bruce and his father rarely spoke.  Bruce couldn
’
t understand his father.  He couldn
’
t understand why his father wasn
’
t more proud of him or parading him around the way he used to
do with
Fowler.  The call didn
’
t last very long, and if Bruce didn
’
t know better it was almost like the secret service agent was vetting him for something.  Bruce pushed it out of his mind as he arrived to the door of Trip
’
s office.

Bruce knocked on Trip
’
s door.  He heard Trip shout
“
come in,
”
and entered.  The first thing he noticed was both Jessica and Chet seated, looking very anxious.  Trip was smiling and offered Bruce a seat.

“
Bruce, thanks for coming by,
”
said Trip. 
“
Washington has called, and they want you to take over the multiple homicide investigation that Jessica and Chet have been working on.
”
 

Bruce wasn
’
t happy.  He knew this case was cold and would be next to impossible to solve.  He was thinking up several objections when Trip spoke again.

“
Washington believes this is a very high profile case.  Bruce, this one is probably a career maker.  Of course these agents,
”
Trip said gesturing with his hand toward Chet and Jessica. 
“
They will both hand over any evidence they have found, plus any John may have found in his trip to Vermont.
”
 
Bruce was beaming inside.  He was going to take John
’
s case away from him and the evidence. 

“
If that
’
s what Washington wants, then of course I
’
ll be glad to,
”
said Bruce.  He noticed that suddenly Jessica and Chet were both very relieved.  Bruce was suddenly a little confused.  He had heard through the grapevine if these
two didn
’
t solve this case that they were done.  The case had been snatched away from them and now they were happy.   What was going on?  He was even more surprised when both Jessica and Chet shook his hand and gratefully thanked him.  They both asked to be excused.   Bruce noticed as the two walked down the hall that they exchanged high fives.  Bruce couldn
’
t help but wonder what was going on here?

Bruce watched the two walk down the hall obviously happy about the news Trip had just delivered.  Did these two really care so little about their FBI career
s
?  Bruce looked back at Trip extremely confused.  Trip was busy working on files and looked up at Bruce.

“
That
’
s all I had
,
Bruce, if you don
’
t mind I have a lot of paperwork here to get through,
”
said Trip.

“
Sir, may I ask you something?
”

“
Of course
,
Bruce,
”
said Trip while shuffling through case files.

“
Sir, I
’
m not sure how to put this so I
’
ll just be blunt.
”
 
Trip sat back, looking amused. 
“
Sir, this was supposed to be their last case if they couldn
’
t solve it.  Those two just looked relieved.  Did their careers really mean so little to them?
”

Trip slowly stood up, anger building inside of him. 
“
Bruce, they were told by Washington to give up the case.  I assume they
’
ll be given one more chance since someone went over their head.  You wouldn
’
t know anything about this would you?
”
 
Trip looked furious. 
“
Which I really hope you do!
”
 
Trip was nearly sneering now. 
“
Those two agents have been breaking their backs on this case and have found next to nothing, so it would serve you right if you couldn
’
t solve it!
”
 
Bruce had his hands in front of him like he was trying to keep Trip at bay.

“
Sir, I meant no disrespect.  I just thought they had given up on their careers.
”
 
Trip nodded and the anger left his face. 
“
I guess the bad part is, if this is high profile, and if they were to have solved it, it would do more good for their careers than some random case they may get in the coming days.
”

Trip still looking slightly angry nodded. 
“
You
’
re exactly right.  I mean they have little chance of solving it, but if they did . . . well, it doesn
’
t matter now.  I mean if
you don
’
t solve it, no one would hold it against you as cold as the case is.
”