The Road to Justice/Sins of the Son combo pack - A John Fowler Novel (John Fowler (Books 1 & 2)) (14 page)

“
J
essica, I will solve this case. 
I
’
m not letting the two of you get fired
, and as for that earlier . . .
I
’
m. . .
”
 
Jessica interrupted him.

“
John, I know you will.  As for that other thing, you don
’
t fly well, you
’
re getting back out into the world for the first time in three years, and you
’
re experiencing emotions you haven
’
t felt during that time.  You weren
’
t for sure what I was doing, and you weren
’
t for sure what you
wanted me to do.  It
’
s ok, I understand.
”
 
She smiled at him warmly, and John felt his stomach flip again.  Then Jessica leaned in very slowly.  Not to kiss him but John thought to whisper into his ear.  John
’
s heart was racing.  Jessica whispered in his ear.

“
John, have no fear, if I was coming on to you, you would know it.
”
 
Jessica leaned back, smiled, and straightened the collar of his shirt.  John swallowed.  Jessica stood up and headed for the door.

“
Don
’
t get up,
”
she said. 
“
I
’
ll show myself out.  I
’
ll see you in the morning.
”

John watched the door shut and sat there for several minutes.  He leaned back on the couch.

“
Sam, I know you
’
re laughing at me right now.
”
 
John listened to the silence, not expecting an answer, but listening just the same. 
“
I love you
,
Sam, but I
’
ve got to live my life.  I hope you understand.
”
 
John leaned forward and put his head in his hands.  He used to sit this way at home when a case would bother him, and Sam would put her arms around his shoulders.  He swore he could feel them around him right now.

John arrived at 9:00 the next morning at the NY FBI Building. 
As John entered the foxhole, he chuckled at the irony.  If Bruce knew who was down here he would quite possibly explode.  John looked across the room and saw Jessica leaning against the desk along the far wall.  From her vantage point she could see who was entering.  John could see the amusement on her face.  For some reason John pictured a cat playing with a mouse before the cat killed the mouse.  John was pretty sure he was the mouse in that scenario.

He tore his eyes off of Jessica and looked around the room.  There was Chet, Trip, and of course the US
senator
himself, Jeremiah Cosby.  Trip saw John and motioned him over.  Trip gave an account of what had happened the day before with Bruce and Washington so John would be up to speed.

“
senator
, do you have any clue what is going on here?
”
 
John
asked
after Trip had finished.

“
John, I have no idea what is going on, but I can tell you one thing.  You
’
ve stepped in it.  I
’
m not for sure what it is, but it stinks high to heaven.
”
 
Senator Cosby
replied.

John loved talking with
Senator Cosby
.  He had the look of a distinguished Virginian and he spoke with an accent that just made John feel at home. 
Senator Cosby
also told it like it was.  It was refreshing to talk to him about anything.  John felt dirty to even have to ask the following question.

John started to speak,
“
Uh
,
senator
, I have to ask . . .
”
  

Senator Cosby
interrupted. 
“
My B
oy, you wouldn
’
t be who you are if you didn
’
t ask, but let me assure you I would rather chew my own leg off than call and ask a favor for th
at good-for-
nothing son of mine.  No
,
John.  I have
nothing to do with this mess you
’
ve stumble
d
into.
”
 
The senator smiled warmly at John.

“
I apologize for even having to ask it
,
s
ir,
”
said John.

“
Think nothing of it
,
M
y
B
oy.  I would say you
’
re on the right thinking track.  It would take someone with my standing or higher to pull those strings.  I shudder to think how far up the chain you might have to pull
,
if you get my drift.
”

John did get his drift.  There would be no paper trail to follow this one on either.  This was put in play with backroom nudges and handshakes on golf courses stuff . . . the kind of stuff that John was terrible at.  Someone with an awful lot of stroke had something to do with this. 

“
John,
”
the senator said. 
“
I
’
m going to have my most trusted people keep their ear on the ground.  I doubt they
’
ll hear anything worth telling, but who knows what someone, somewhere might say.  I hate to dash, but I do have some meetings I need to attend, and I would like to have a private word with you if that
’
s all right?
”
 
John nodded and they walked out of the foxhole.

Outside of the foxhole,
Senator Cosby
looked John up and down, as if trying to decide what to say.

“
Sen . . . Jeremiah, we
’
ve known each other too long.  Say what you have to say.  Chances are I deserve it,
”
said John.

“
All right then
,
M
y
B
oy,
”
began the
senator
. 
“
First, I
’
m glad to see you back on your feet.  You
’
re too good of an agent to be one of those private investigators.
”
 
John braced himself.  If Jeremiah was going to butter him up, then there was a do
o
zy of
a
criticism coming.

Jeremiah looked John right in the eye. 
“
Boy
,
you
’
ve got some nerve with some of the things you said to Arthur and Madeline!
”

John couldn
’
t help himself,
“
Would that be the part where I said to them the only reason both of your eyes are brown is that you
’
re both full of crap?
”

Jeremiah nearly exploded. 
“
Tarnation son!!!  Now I
’
ll admit Arthur is about the biggest curmudgeon the world has ever seen, but that is no way to treat Madeline!!  Furthermore! 
Why haven
’
t you opened up the case file on Sam!?!
”

John looked down, ashamed.  He looked back up with tears in his eyes, and Jeremiah
’
s face softened.  Jeremiah spoke, his voice much softer.

“
Now, now son, you have to ignore this old fool sometimes.  I know why you haven
’
t opened the case . . . you
’
re not ready are you?
”
 
John nodded.  Jeremiah looked at him with a slow smile coming to his face. 
“
I guess I
’
m maddest at you for telling off Arthur and me not seeing it.
”
 

John had a choked laugh.  Jeremiah went on. 
“
I bet he drew up like a big ole bull; his nostrils flaring in and out.
”
 
Jeremiah chuckled and continued. 
“
That good
-
for
-
nothing pompous windbag.
”
 
Now John was having a full-on laughing fit.  Jeremiah joined in.  After a second they
stopped, and Jeremiah hugged John.  Jeremiah stepped back and stuck his finger in John
’
s chest.

“
Boy, it
’
s alright to miss her, but you have to live.  You and I both know Sam wouldn
’
t want you carrying on like this.  Now, what about that Jessica in there
?
I think she
’
s got it bad for you.
”
 
John smiled and so did Jeremiah.

“
I
’
m sorry
,
Jeremiah.  I should have called you, but you reminded me of Sam too much.
”
 
Jeremiah nodded. 
“
Jeremiah, she thought of you as a father, you know that right?
”
 
Jeremiah
’
s eyes were moist with forming tears. 

“
I thought of her as a daughter, but more importantly I think of you as the son I never had,
”
Jeremiah stated.  John roared with laughter, and Jeremiah joined in. 
“
Now do me a favor, come upstairs and shake my hand in the hallway in front of his office so he
’
ll be mad for the next several days.  That should buy you some more time.
”
 
John laughed, and clapped Jeremiah on the back as they headed to the elevator. 

Bruce watched out of the glass window to his office as his father and John shook hands.  Bruce drank his coffee and chuckled to himself.  He didn
’
t know which man he hated worse, John for trying to replace him as his father
‘
s son, or his
f
ather for trying to replace his son.  The old man had no idea what all Bruce had done for him.

Bruce knew he wasn
’
t as good as a detective as John Fowler, but Bruce wasn
’
t as dumb as he let on.  There was obviously something huge going on with the current case John was working on.  Fine, let him have it.  Bruce really could care less.  He wanted to see John and his group of merry men booted out of the FBI, but
Bruce knew
you can
’
t always get what you want.  As long as John was busy on this
case
,
that
kept him away from the murder case of his wife.  Bruce didn
’
t think he could take John crying and moaning about his dead wife any longer. 

Bruce smiled at John as his father left the building.  Bruce
’
s mind was in motion.  Bruce chuckled to himself, proud of how he had outfoxed John, his father, and the entire FBI.  The best part was they had no idea.

As John headed downstairs a cold shiver came over him.  He assumed it was from seeing Bruce smile.  John had never seen a snake smile before, but he was quite confident if one did it would resemble the smile Bruce just gave him.  John had a nagging feeling that their conflict was going to come to a head, sooner rather than later.

As John stepped off the elevator and looked down toward the foxhole, he could hear the voices of his team and Trip.  None of them sounded too confident.  John smiled to himself.  That would all change in just a moment when he told them what he had found and let the mad web surfer Chet do his thing.

“
So does anyone want to know what I found out in Vermont?
”
 
John asked as he entered the room.  Jessica
’
s eyebrows lifted up.