The Road to Justice/Sins of the Son combo pack - A John Fowler Novel (John Fowler (Books 1 & 2)) (49 page)

“
John,
”
Bruce began. 
“
Have you ever felt the life slip out of someone you were holding in your hands?
”

John was more than a little bothered by that question.  John knew Bruce had lost his mother at a young age.  He really wasn
’
t sure what to say.

“
Well, I did have a suspect once bleed out on me,
and I watched a good man die and couldn
’
t do anything about it,
”
John offered.

Bruce just kept looking at his hands.  John was more than a little creeped out by the conversation. 

“
I held her
,
John,
”
Bruce began. 
“
I held her and felt the life drain from her.  The feeling John . . . the feeling is incredible, and horrible, all at the same time.  She looked me in the eyes as she left this world.  She tried to speak John . . . she tried.
”
 
John didn
’
t know how to react.  If this was how his mother died, this could explain many things about Bruce.

“
I always wondered what she was trying to say,
”
Bruce continued. 
“
Was it important?  Was she trying to get me to pass a message to someone?
”
 
Bruce looked John in the eyes. 
“
It was the strangest feeling
,
John.  I was the last person she saw as she slipped away.  To hold someone in your hands as they died . . .
”

John put his hand on Bruce
’
s shoulder.  He somewhat expected Bruce to flinch, but Bruce stayed still just staring into John
’
s eyes. 

“
We
’
ll find you
r
father,
”
John said softly. 
“
We
’
ll find him
,
Bruce.  We
’
ll find him alive.
”

“
He doesn
’
t know
,
John,
”
Bruce began. 
“
He doesn
’
t know what I
’
ve done for him.  It was just us for so long.  I did so much for him, and he doesn
’
t even know.  He needs to know John.  I have to tell him.
”

John didn
’
t know what to do.  Bruce appeared to be in shock.  John had never seen Bruce so . . . human.  John just patted Bruce on the shoulder, and then squeezed it.  John turned back and looked out over the countryside and wished they would land quickly.  Bruce turned and looked out his window. 

Bruce smiled quickly to himself. 
“
The fool,
”
Bruce thought. 
“
I just told him everything.  I just answered the biggest question in his life, and he thought I was talking about dear old Mom.
”
 
Bruce turned back to John, the sadness back on his face.

“
John, will you please keep what I talked to you about between us?
”
 
Bruce asked. 
“
The Senator doesn
’
t need to know until I
’
m ready to talk to him.
”
 
John gave Bruce a tight lipped smile and nodded.  All John could think was how sad it was that Bruce couldn
’
t call his own father,
“
Dad.
”
 
All Bruce could think about was how John was just sad.

New York FBI Building

Chapter 32

Jessica knocked on Trip
’
s door.  Trip was staring out the window with his back toward the open door.  He spun around in his chair when he heard the knock.  He motioned Jessica in.  Jessica came in and sat down.  Trip got up and shut his door.  He looked at Jessica, and then silently locked it.  Jessica gave Trip a strange look.  Trip walked around the desk, but stopped at the desk and looked out the window again.  When he turned back toward Jessica, tears were in his eyes. 

“
Thanks for coming so quick, I know you
’
re working on the Senator
’
s case, but  . . .
”
Trip couldn
’
t finish the sentence.  If what he thought was true . . . Trip tried to set his jaw and get control of
himself
.  Tears dropped from his face. 

Jessica was completely stunned.  She had never seen Trip like this. 

“
Sir . .
.Trip
?
”
 
She began. 
“
What is it?
”

“
John said something today,
”
Trip replied. 
“
He said he couldn
’
t read Bruce.  We talked for a bit, and John said the only people he normally couldn
’
t get a read on were sociopaths, and Bruce.
”
 
Trip turned toward Jessica.  Jessica
’
s mind was racing with that information. 

“
Trip, are you suggesting . . .
“
Jessica couldn
’
t finish the question.

Trip threw down Bruce
’
s file on his desk. 

“
There
’
s no psychiatric evaluation in here, and I checked in the database.
“

For a minute neither said a word.  Twice Jessica started to say something, but stopped.  The look on Trip
’
s face said volumes. 

“
Trip
,
are you saying  . . . Trip
,
are you saying that Bruce is a sociopath?
”
 
Jessica finally managed to ask.  Trip looked annoyed.

“
A sociopath?
 
That
’
s it?
”
 
Trip asked. 
“
That
’
s what you
’
re going with?  I give you the keys to the house and you don
’
t go past the foyer?
”
 
Trip was getting very worked up. 
“
Jessica, John can
’
t read him.  John told me Sam was uncomfortable with Bruce.
”

Jessica put her hands in front of Trip to signal him to stop.  This was too much too fast.

“
Trip,
”
Jessica began, choosing her words very carefully. 
“
Before you say the words that are about to come out of your mouth, you need to think about what will happen if YOU say them.  It
’
s one thing for me or Chet or John to say this, but you are the director of this office.  You can
’
t put the genie back in the bottle.  Once this is out, you
’
ll have to suspend him.  If you suspend him how can we do a proper investigation?
”

Trip rubbed his palm against his head, knowing Jessica was right.  For three years whoever had killed Sam had evaded the three of them.  They had to move carefully.

“
We can
’
t tell John, can we?
”
 
Trip was asking this question to no one, he already knew the answer.

“
No,
”
answered Jessica. 
“
We can
’
t tell him until we are sure.
”
 
A thought crossed Jessica
’
s mind that she prayed wasn
’
t true. 
“
Trip, does John suspect?
”

Trip shook his head as he answered. 
“
No.  Heck he defended Bruce earlier when I implied he was a sociopath.  And before you even ask, no I don
’
t think Bruce is planning on killing John.
”
 
Trip stared at his desk for a second. 
“
Of course I never thought he would  . . .
”
Trip let the sentence trail off, knowing he had to let Jessica and Chet investigate. 

“
Why?
”
 
Jessica simply asked.  Trip looked amused.

“
If he is a sociopath, does he really need a reason?
”
 
Trip walked back over to the window and stared out of it.  Jessica was searching for answers in her mind but could come up with nothing. 

“
Is there any evidence that you know of that would link him to Sam
’
s murder?
”
 
Jessica asked.

Trip never turned from the window.  He just kept starring out the window as he shook his head no.  It all fit into place for Trip.  John was always getting the best of Bruce and how better for Bruce to get John back than to take away the most important thing in John
’
s life.  The worst part of all of this, if Trip was wrong, which he doubted he was
,
Trip could never trust Bruce again.

“
How would you like me to precede
,
sir?
”
 
Jessica asked.

Trip finally turned from the window.  He looked at Jessica.  She looked like Trip felt.  She looked like she had been ambushed, emotionally.  She looked like everything she knew in life was now wrong.  If Bruce had done this . . . it meant one of their own had killed a spouse of one of theirs.  Trip was sick inside.

“
You
’
re going to Quantico
,
and you
’
re going to get his file,
”
Trip answered.

“
Uh, sir, you do remember Senator Cosby?
”
 
Trip grimaced.  No, he had forgotten it for a moment.  This couldn
’
t get much worse.  Well, now that he thought about it, it could.  Trip knew who could get the file.  Jessica had a slow smile crawling across her face.  Everyone in the New York office knew about Thelma, but for the sake of their jobs, they pretended they didn
’
t.

Trip took a deep breath and prepared to call Thelma.  Thelma had a thing for Trip.  Trip definitely did not have a thing for Thelma, at least
not
one he wanted to admit to anyone.  Thelma worked in records
at Quantico
and could get anything for Trip, at a price.  Trip sighed.  Jessica was studying Trip.  Trip rolled his eyes, sat down in his chair, and picked up the phone.  He hesitated and looked at Jessica.

“
For Sam,
”
Jessica mouthed, and began to snicker.

Trip dialed the phone.  The
other end connected. 
Trip tried to take control of the phone call, but quickly failed.

“
Thelma?  I
’
m fine.  Yes, it has been a while . . .  uh-huh . . . uh-huh . . . I hear that
’
s a nice place to eat . . . uh-huh . . . uh-huh . . .
”
 
Trip
looked at the ceiling. 
“
Listen
,
Thelma, I need a favor.
”
 
As Trip listened his eyes star
t
ed to close and a look of pain crossed his face.  Jessica had her
hand clamped over her mouth so as not to laugh out loud.  Trip looked at Jessica and scowled.  Jessica had to hold her hand tighter over her mouth.  Trip tried to wrestle back control of the conversation.

“
Thelma
,
I need a copy of Bruce Cosby
’
s file.  All of his evaluations, even his application to the Bureau,
”
Trip interjected.  Thelma spoke and Trip straightened in his chair, surprised. 
“
Really . . . and why
’
s that?
”
 
He listened for a few more seconds. 
“
Can you get that copy?
”
 
Trip shut his eyes with the answer and shuddered. 
“
Of course I will
,
Thelma; I
’
ll be there next week.
”
 
Trip looked physically pained at the next thing Thelma said.  He looked at Jessica and tried to lower his voice where she couldn
’
t see him. 
“
You know I
’
ve got a bad back . . .
“
 
Jessica
almost lost her mind with laughter.  She grabbed a throw pillow from another chair and pushed it over her mouth.  Trip looked very annoyed. 
“
Ok, as soon as you can get it to me.  Would you send it to my private fax?
”
 
Trip smiled with the response. 
“
Thanks, I
’
ll see you in a couple of weeks.
”
 
Trip hung up the phone and looked very pleased with
himself
.