The Road to Justice/Sins of the Son combo pack - A John Fowler Novel (John Fowler (Books 1 & 2)) (15 page)

“
You actually found something?
”
 
She asked in amazement. 
“
What could you have possibly found there?
”
 
John pointed to the hard drive of the computer he had brought back from Vermont.  Chet looked very happy.

“
Not yet my friend,
”
said John wagging his finger back in forth in the air.
 
“
While you might find something interesting in that computer, I think the thing you
’
ll find most interesting is that
the
good Doctor Bradley did not live his entire life in Vermont.
”
 
This revelation got Trip
’
s attention.  He had been leaning against a desk to the left of John with his arms folded.  When John informed them of the new lead Trip unfolded his arms and turned toward John. 

“
Where did he live besides Vermont?
”
 
Trip asked.

“
It seems he lived in Kentucky for a few years.  Apparently he lived there sometime during his middle grade years,
”
John replied.  Now Chet began to work his fingers on the computers.  Chet started pulling up files left and right.  He did look disappointed however.

“
I got some of this information yesterday boss, and entered it all digitally.  The problem is none of these kids lived in the same town, most of them went to different county schools.
”
Chet replied.  He turned to look at John.  John was looking at the screen.  Something was bothering him.  John looked closely at the name of the different counties.  Something clicked in John
’
s head and his demeanor changed.  Chet was confused by the small smirk that was growing across John
’
s face.

“
Chet, I
’
m assuming you have the ability to pull up a county map of Kentucky and shade in the counties in which each middle school the victims attended is located in?
”
 
John asked.  Chet gave him a look like John had insulted his intelligence. 

“
Sorry
,
Chet.
”
 
Chet shrugged it off.  A map pulled up of the state.  The counties were starting to highlight on the map.  The four counties that were highlighting were all touching.  Jessica and Trip both walked forward in amazement while John chuckled.  John had found the connection where no one else could.  He put his hands in his pants pockets and rocked back on his heels.  It was something John used to do when he had cracked, or just solved a case.  He had done it.

“
Did you know?
”
 
Jessica asked.  John shrugged his shoulders; Jessica slapped his arm with the back of her hand. 
“
HOW!?!
”
 

John had a broad grin on his face.  Jessica looked like she could slap John.  He ignored her for a minute, and walked back to Chet.

“
Now if you can, enlarge the map, and if you could keep on there any churches, oh, and if you can highlight the addresses of the victims, and locate what would have been the biggest plant or factory in the area.  Once you do that, see if it has offices in Tennessee, Vermont, Illinois, and  . . .
”

“
Florida,
”
Jessica said interrupting him. 
“
Of course, of course!
”
 
She whacked John on his shoulder again. 
“
Why else would these people move in and go back to where they came from!!
”
 
Trip looked all kinds of confused.

“
Will someone please explain WHAT in the Sam Hill is going on!?!
”
 
Trip asked.  John looked at Jessica and waved her on.

“
I don
’
t understand it all myself yet
,
s
ir, but my guess is these folks
’
parents worked for some factory or company that was based in the victim
’
s home states,
”
Jessica began.

“
Archibald Industries!!
”
 
Chet exclaimed. 
“
In 1984
,
Archibald Industries opened a plant in Kentucky and
,
it seems
,
brought in people from other plants to work in administration.  Yep, that was the last one sir, all of these victims who moved back to their home states worked for Archibald.  Apparently they went back home after a few years.
”
 

Trip still looked confused, Jessica started to talk, but Trip held up his hand.  He turned toward John.  Trip
pointed his finger in John
’
s chest. 
“
Stop smiling, and tell me how?  How did you know?
”

John smirked and quickly wiped it from his face when Trip
’
s irritation level went even higher. 

“
Well,
s
ir, Tom Bradley had a Cats
’
calendar . . . the college basketball team sir?
”
 
Trip nodded very slowly, John continued. 
“
He had one in his house so I simply asked his wife if he ever lived in Kentucky.  When she said
s
he thought he had, I managed to contact the high school he graduated from and g
o
t his transfer information.  I contacted that school and found out no one else had gone there.  The secretary did go on to say that was about the time the new plant opened and people
that had moved in
had a hard time finding housing
already available in the county
.
”

Jessica snapped her fingers,
“
Of course!  So they moved somewhere nearby and their children went to the county schools of the county they lived in.
”

Chet looked bewildered. 
“
County schools?
”

Jessica smiled. 
“
Oh did you fall asleep during our esteemed colleague
’
s tales of his home state?
”
 
Chet looked a bit sheepish. 
“
How many counties are in Kentucky
,
John?
”

“
120 I do believe,
”
began John.

“
So they all moved as close as they could to the plant,
”
interrupted Trip.  He walked toward the screen. 
“
And after their time was up at the plant or however they worked it out, they went back to their home states.  Captain Jason Sparks was born in the county where the plant was located, so that explains his connection.
”
 
Trip walked away deep in thought.  He was rubbing his forehead with his forefinger and his thumb.  He stopped walking and a smile came to his face.  He turned around and walked up to John.  Trip looked quite pleased with himself.  He looked John up and down, a bit smugly.

John and Trip had qui
te an interesting relationship. 
John was good and he knew it.  When Trip needed something solved, he always gave it to John.  Trip just wished John didn
’
t know he was so good.  So whenever the opportunity presented itself for Trip to knock John down a peg or two, Trip relished the idea.  Jessica was watching the whole exchange, smiling inwardly.  This was the John and Trip of old, something she had so desperately wanted to see again . . . for John
’
s sake.

Trip looked John right in the eye, and asked him the question that he was sure would deflate John
’
s ego. 
“
Where did they meet?
”
 
Trip asked very quietly.

“
Well, I
’
m not sure,
”
began John.  Trip smiled smugly and began to nod his head.  John continued. 
“
But if you made me guess, since they
’
re all roughly the same age, I would say it would be church.
”
 
Trip looked a little confused. 

“
Sir,
”
John began,
“
Kentucky is part of the Bible belt.  If you
’
re an outsider and you want to fit in, especially if you
’
re coming in from the outside to start up a factory that you need the locals to run, you had best be in church.  In this area, when someone is sick, has a ch
ild, lo
ses a relative, or something like that, the church will make meals, help with childcare, or whatever a person needs.
”
 
John looked around the room, noticing everyone was still with him.  He continued. 

“
The church is a vital part of the community there.  Not just for religious reasons.  Sunday school classes have meetings all over town.  In some of the larger cities, a group of men will meet at a restaurant on a certain morning each week and have a Bible class, but not just teaching and learning is experienced.  You also have a fellowsh
ip and kinship with each other. 
If you are going to be a part of this small community and you
want to really be ingrained, the
n you need to be in a church.  My guess
is,
if the owner
of the plant had anything to do about it, he sent them to a certain church.  That could be wrong, but I
’
m guessing if you send me and my team to Kentucky we will find this church and the connection.
”
 

John was rocking again.  Trip was impressed.  Three years away, a stone cold dead case, and John had found the lead.  Trip really hated the words that came out of his mouth.

“
No, your team is not going to Kentucky.
”

             
John looked like he had been punched in the stomach.  He started to walk out of the room.  Trip stopped him.

             
“
John, wait, you don
’
t understand.  I can
’
t authorize all of you to go to Kentucky
.  S
omeone in Washington will find out.
”
 
John quickly understood.

             
If this case was being watched by those on high, then the authorization of all three to go to Kentucky would stand out.  John had an idea.  He wasn
’
t crazy ab
out it, but he knew it was their
only shot.

             
“
Sir, I could go.  The case is dead, I
’
m done with it, and I could fly home to see my folks.  I might make a slight detour, and if I should stumble across some information, then is it possible the FBI could reimburse me?
”

             
Trip
’
s smile lit up the entire room. 

             
“
John
,
did I tell you I missed you being around?
”
 
Trip clapped John on the back. 
“
Great work
,
A
gent.
”
 
John looked at Trip to make sure he hadn
’
t misheard.  The look on Trip
’
s face let him know he hadn
’
t.  John sighed.  Jessica walked over and put her hand on John
’
s shoulder to make sure he was ok.  John normally would have said he was fine and pulled away.  Today, he looked over his shoulder at her, and patted her hand on his shoulder.  Trip motioned to Chet to leave the room with him.  Jessica and John never noticed.

             
Outside the room, Trip turned to Chet.

             
“
How long has that been brewing?
”
Trip asked.

             
“
Honestly, for ten years now,
”
Chet replied.  Trip looked shocked. 
“
You misunderstand sir; they would never, ever admit they had feelings for each other when Sam was alive.  There was never a chance either of them would do anything to hurt Sam.  I
’
ll tell you something even the great John Fowler doesn
’
t know.
”
 
Trip looked very interested. 
“
Jessica was very close with Sam.  Jessica
would call Sam often and let her know what was going on with John.  In fact, they had lunch at least on
c
e a week together.
”