The Road to Justice/Sins of the Son combo pack - A John Fowler Novel (John Fowler (Books 1 & 2)) (27 page)

Chet nodded,
took the picture
,
and started the program.  John looked around the room.  This was the second time he had told everyone the story and they all looked just as surprised as they did the first time . . . well except for
Senator Cosby
.  This was his first time and there weren
’
t really words for the shock that was on his face.  John continued.

“
These eight children all attended the same church, and the seven, except for David
George
,
all attended the same Sunday School class.  The seven were inseparable all over town.  Apparently David George would tag behind since he was younger than the rest.  This went on until around the summer the seven finished their 8
th
grade year.  Apparently Veronica considered Beth and David her
“
project.
””
 
John looked at the senator.  Jeremiah nodded for John to continue. 
“
David and Beth were raised by their mother . . . well
. . .
they lived in their mother
’
s house.  From what I understand
,
their mother did next to nothing for them.  Veronica tried to,
”
John paused trying to search for the right words.

“
Bring them up from their socioeconomic status?
”
 
Jeremiah offered. 
John turned and looked at the senator.  Jeremiah smiled.  The
s
enator continued. 
“
John, that quote is straight from Lisa Nichols.  She wants to help lower socioeconomic families rise above their birth status.
”
 
Jeremiah huffed. 
“
It
’
s so good to see that pompous
,
self-inflated
,
witch thought so highly of
herself
at such a young age.
”

John was fighting back the laughter. 
“
So Jeremiah what do you really think
about Veronica?
”
 
Jeremiah straightened up.
He put his weight on his cane and pointed with his other hand.

“
Son, that girl thinks the sun don
’
t shine without her say-so.  She honestly believes hard working folks can
’
t overcome their surroundings without her or her cronies
’
help.  She believes
what she believes so feverously
, that if someone were to stand up to her . . . well, I have no idea what she might do to them.
”
 
Jeremiah
’
s eyes were sparkling.  He was on the verge of one of his famous campaign speeches about the power of hard working people.  John hated to stop him, but if Jeremiah got going, they would be there all day.  John spoke very solemnly.

“
Senator Cosby
, if what I found is
true
,
it appears she may have
already
stooped to murder when someone stood up to her.
”
 
The blood drained from
Senator Cosby
’
s face.  He turned away from the group.  John expected to see disbelief in the senator
’
s eyes, but he didn
’
t.  John felt sick to his stomach.  The
f
irst
l
ady of the United States of America should be above the suspicion of murder, but it appeared that wasn
’
t the case.  Jeremiah looked John in the eye.

“
John, I wish I could tell you that surprised me, but it doesn
’
t.
”
 
He paused. 
“
You need to finish your story, because I think
,
knowing what I know
,
I have more than enough evidence to move your investigation forward.
”

John took a deep breath and continued.

“
Sometime that summer, David and Beth George disappeared.  The last time either of them has seen was when Brother Walters talked to Beth.  Beth confided in Brother Jim that she was gay.  Brother Walters told Beth that she could not tell Veronica.
”
 
Jeremiah grumbled.

“
There
’
s a fine how-do-you-do!
”
Jeremiah exclaimed. 
“
A man of God
’
s worry over this girl was for her not to tell Veronica.  What does that tell you about Veronica, or Lisa
,
or whatever her name was!?!  Let me guess, he was afraid Veronica would do something to Beth because Beth would
‘
ruin
’
Veronica
’
s image.
”
 
John nodded, surprised. 
“
Don
’
t look like that
, B
oy!!  I didn
’
t become
a
senator by not understanding people.  So you
’
re talking late 1980
’
s in Kentucky.  My guess is Veronica was scared that others would think she was gay by associating with Beth.
”
 
John nodded.

“
That was exactly what Brother Jim said to me,
”
said John. 
“
Anyway,
no one has seen the brother and
sister
since
.  The group had a meeting place that Bro. Jim and I checked out.  There were signs of blood, and a possible struggle.  There is a
mine
shaft that we looked down.  There appears to be one body down the hole.
”
 
John looked at Trip who was just shaking his head. 
“
Anyway
,
within three weeks from that talk Bro. Jim had with Beth, all of the families of the
current
murder victims moved back to their original states, and Archibald moved back to Virginia with his daughter, LISA.
”

             
Jeremiah was sputtering he was so mad. 
“
Are you telling me that man helped his daughter hide a murder!?!
”
 
John held his hands up.

             
“
senator
, I
’
m not saying anything.  I
’
m just giving you the facts.
”

             
“
Oh calm down
,
John, I
’
m not mad at you,
”
said Jeremiah. 
“
That man is as dirty as they come, but I can never get anyone to turn over evidence on him.
”
 
Trip looked up from holding his head in his hands.

             
“
We
’
ve opened dozens of cases on Archibald over the years, but nothing ever sticks to him,
”
said Trip. 
“
I
’
ve been around long enough to know when someone is dirty, and that guy is as dirty as they come.  I had hoped that his daughter was nothing like him, but obviously I was dead wrong.
”
 
John was looking at Jeremiah.  Jeremiah caught the look.

             
“
I
’
m guessing you would like me to tell you about how the secret service met with me last night to try and convince Washington to take you off the case and put my son on it?
”
 
Jeremiah loved one upping John, it happened so rarely.  John was stunned. 
“
Oh and did I forget I was suppose to nudge my son into taking this case?
”
 
John almost leapt into the air.  Jeremiah held his hand up before John could speak. 

While this was going on, Chet was sitting off to the side pinching his lip; something in the story didn
’
t make sense to him.  He began to do a search on Beth George, Double Forks,
Kentucky
.  Jeremiah continued his conversation while this was going on.

             
“
Unfortunately
,
John, this agent knew how to say just enough, or not say enough, that I could never pin anything on him.  He never specif
ically said anything about the f
irst
l
ady.
”

             
Chet
’
s search came up with no activity.  It seems she did disappear around the time John was talking about.  Chet decided to search for David George, Double Forks, Kentucky, expecting the same result as Beth.  The conversation was continuing behind Chet.

             
“
Trip, we have to send someone to Kentucky to get that body.
”

             
Trip shook his head. 
“
John, you do realize if we send forensics down there, it will tip off the
f
irst
l
ady.
”
 
Trip groaned and shook his head. 
“
John, we have a lot of smoke, but very little evidence to pin anything on her.  There is one major problem with all of this; do you really think Lisa Nichols killed Jason Sparks, or his four mourners?  That
’
s the case you
’
re supposed to be working on, not opening up an over twenty-five year old cold case that may or may not be a murder!!
”
 

John was frustrated.  Everything Trip said was right.  For all the answers he had, there were none that answered the questions in Jessica and Chet
’
s case.

             
Chet was half listening to what was going on behind him.  His mouth had dropped open when the computer returned information on his search.  He pulled on Jessica
’
s jacket sleeve.  Jessica had been listening to the entire conversation going on in front of her.  She turned toward Chet
’
s computer screen.  It took her a second to comprehend what she was seeing, but once she did she realized the case hadn
’
t come to a screeching halt like she feared it had.

             
“
Uh
. . .
guys,
”
she said.  John and Trip were going on
,
ignoring her.

             
“
Trip
,
you can
’
t just sit back and do nothing . . .
”
John was interrupted by a shrill whistle.  Trip, John, and
Senator Cosby
turned toward the screen that showed David George
’
s active military file.  When John saw the file
,
it was like a huge lock turn
ed
in his head
; t
he tumblers moved and in one instant, John was sure he had figured the case out. 
He now realized he had a problem if the case was solved
.  Instead of six murders, he now had six murders and a possible assassination attempt of one of the highest political figures in the US. 

             
Oval Office

             
Chapter 67

             
Lisa looked over the Oval Office.  Over the next hour she would have he
r picture made with three of the
nation
’
s finest troops.  She had cleared out the outer office
in spite of the numerous protests
.  It had taken some doing getting everyone to leave, but few argued with the
f
irst
l
ady, especially when the
p
resident wasn
’
t around to assist them with Lisa.  It would only be her, the cameraman, and two secret service agents.  Lisa was already thinking about the publicity she could milk this photo-op for.  There was a knock on the door behind her.  She turned around and saw Agent McDonald.