The Road to Justice/Sins of the Son combo pack - A John Fowler Novel (John Fowler (Books 1 & 2)) (50 page)

Jessica lowered the pillow that had been covering her face and began to laugh loudly. 

“
Will you stop that!?!
”
 
Trip exclaimed.  Jessica just continued to laugh.

“
Seriously, we have important things to discuss,
”
Trip said, mildly annoyed.

“
Like your bad back!?!
”
 
Jessica could barely breath
e
she was laughing so hard.

“
Oh grow up,
”
Trip admonished. 
“
She wants to play laser tag.
”
 
Jessica raised her eyebrows in response and her laughter intensified.

“
Seriously, she wants to play laser tag.  No one will play with her.  I kinda feel sorry for her,
”
Trip said.  Trip
’
s
expression softened. 

“
You have been saying for years there
’
s nothing between you two,
”
Jessica began. 
“
I don
’
t believe you.  I
’
ve known you too long Trip, if you don
’
t want to do something, you don
’
t.  You like her!
”

“
That
’
s not the issue,
”
Trip said softly, yet forcefully. 
“
I found out something on Bruce.
”
 
Trip was attempting to change the subject. 
“
Bruce
’
s file is not with the other personnel files.  Thelma said she can get ahold of it tonight or tomorrow after hours.  Something
’
s fishy.
”

Jessica had calmed down from her laughing. 
“
Trip
,
we suspected during the last case with the first lady there was someone in the first lady
’
s pocket high up in the FBI.
”
 
Trip nodded. 
“
Were we off; could someone be in Archibald
’
s pocket?
”
 
Trip looked at Jessica, shaking his head.  Jessica was trying to figure out what she had said wrong.  Trip was getting a scowl across his face again.  He realized what he was doing.

“
I
’
m sorry
,
Jessica.  It
’
s not you.  It
’
s that Archibald Staples.  We need to put him down the way you put down a rabid dog!  That man has had his hands in more pies . . .
”
Trip trailed off.  He was furious.  Trip wanted to take down Archibald.  Not because it would be a big bust, not because it could be
a
possible
career advancement, but simply because Trip was sure Archibald was involved with anything and everything illegal. 

“
Here
’
s what we
’
re going to do,
”
Trip said, snapping out of his thoughts. 
“
We
’
re going to reopen the case on Archibald very quietly.  We
’
re going to look into Bruce, very quietly.  First though, we have to find the Senator.  We lose him; we may all lose our jobs.
”

“
John seems to think that they all are tied together,
”
Jessica said quietly.  
“
He
’
s going to talk to his in-laws about Archibald.  John seems to think they might know something that would give us a lead.
”

Trip nodded. 
“
I know,
”
he said.

Jessica looked at the floor and asked the question that had been in her mind ever since John came back into her life. 
“
Trip, what do we do if he finds out?
”
 
Trip looked at Jessica sharply.

“
About Sam?
”
 
Trip asked quietly.  Jessica nodded, never lifting her eyes from the floor.  She was near tears.  She knew if she looked at Trip that she would start to cry. 
“
Well, we might all lose our jobs, and we might lose our friend, but we did what we thought was right at the time.  We didn
’
t know Jessica.  I think we have to tell him soon.  I think he
’
d rather hear it from us than figure it out on his own.
”

“
What if he
’
s already figured it out?
”
 
As soon as the question left Jessica lips, tears began to lightly fall from her face.  Jessica worried deep down the reason John had Jessica checking Bruce
’
s IT man
’
s work, and Bruce
’
s guy checking Chet was because John had figured it out.  It was either that, or he suspected one of them of some other horrible crime.  John did everything for a reason.

She looked up at Trip.  Trip
’
s eyes were moist.  He set his jaw, but couldn
’
t stop
his
tears.  Jessica got up and left, leaving Trip by
himself
.

Trip leaned back in his chair and turned it toward the window.  He looked in the direction of where John and Sam
’
s old apartment was.  He couldn
’
t see it even if it was still standing, but he could see the fire that roared that night in his mind
’
s eye.  Trip spoke softly,
“
What if he has?
”

Jessica hurried down the hallway to the elevator.  She took the elevator to the roof.  She walked out and stared out over the city.  Tears were now flowing freely from her face.  All this time John thought that Jessica had been doing things for him.  The truth was Jessica had been protecting John because it was her fault Sam was dead and John was alone. 

Jessica stomped her foot.  It wasn
’
t her fault.  She didn
’
t kill Sam, but she hadn
’
t stopped the killer.  Why she and Trip hadn
’
t taken Sam
’
s concern more seriously . . .  Jessica knew she had to stop asking why.  What had happened had happened.  What Jessica needed to do was catch the scumbag who had killed her.  She shook her head.  What she had to do was find the Senator.  He was still alive, and Sam wasn
’
t. 

Jessica looked over the city and couldn
’
t help but smile.  John would die if he knew how many times Sam had met Jessica up here just to talk, and most of the time it was about him.  It was here that Sam had told Jessica that she thought John had a crush on Jessica.   She closed her eyes and could almost hear and see her friend.

“
You know he really likes you,
”
she heard Sam say.  Jessica opened her eyes and there stood Sam.  Jessica shut them for a second, and reopened them.  Sam waved at her.

“
Why do the two of you keep doing that?
”
 
Sam asked.

“
The two of
who
?
”
 
Jessica retorted.  Sam sighed.

“
Really?
  We
’
re gonna do this now?  You
’
re the one seeing people and we
’
re gonna have this discussion?
”
 
Sam was smiling broadly.  Jessica pinched herself and looked at Sam.   Sam had her fingers in her ears, wagging them, and was sticking her tongue out.  Jessica laughed at loud.  Ok, John had said he saw Sam during the last case, so given the
amount of stress she was under it was perfectly reasonable why she was
“
seeing
”
Sam.

“
Did you work out yet why you
’
re seeing me?
”
 
Sam asked.  Jessica started to answer but Sam held up her hand. 
“
Could it be, you feel it
’
s your fault I
’
m dead and now you
’
re feeling really guilty that your falling for my widowed husband?
”

“
First off, you gave me permission,
”
Jessica began.

“
Hold it
,
L
ambada girl,
”
Jessica smiled at the reference to the dance she learned.  Sam would always accuse Jessica of learning it just to steal away John. 
“
I never gave you permission.  I just told you if something ever happened to me he would make a move on you.
”

“
You act like he just buried you yesterday and was at my door that night!
”
Jessica retorted.

“
So what are you saying?!
”
 
Sam replied getting very close to Jessica
’
s face.

Jessica replied very loudly,
“
It
’
s been,
”
she paused.  She continued very softly,
“
three years.
”
 
Sam held her hand to her ear.

“
What was that sweetie, I couldn
’
t hear you?
”
 
Sam asked with a smile on her face.

Jessica smiled. 
“
It
’
s been three years.
”
 
Sam crossed her arms, and still smiling, walked away.  She stopped near the edge and looked out over the city.  Sam turned back toward Jessica.

“
You two better slow down or you
’
ll burn up in the flames of passion,
”
Sam said.

“
Ok, ok,
”
Jessica replied. 
“
I get it.  You
’
re dead.
”
 
Sam nodded. 
“
And not coming back.
”

“
Doesn
’
t look that way,
”
Sam replied.

“
But
,
Sam . . .
“
Jessica
began.  Sam walked back toward Jessica.

“
You know you have accused John of not living, but it seems to me you
’
ve not done a whole lot of living yourself.  Now admittedly you didn
’
t make the spectacle of yourself he did, but you, Chet, and Trip did all you could do to find my
killer.
  You need to have a life.  He
’
s not a bad guy . . . if I do say so myself.
”
 
Sam grinned broadly at the end of the statement. 
“
It
’
s ok,
”
Sam said quietly. 
“
There
’
s no one I
’
d rather him be with than you
.
”

Jessica looked down, smiling.  When she looked up with tears in her eyes, Sam was gone.  Jessica spoke out loud, loudly.

“
I know it was all in my head, but just in case it wasn
’
t . . . I miss you!
”
 
Jessica turned to go.  As she reached the door, she swore she heard,
“
I miss you too.
”

Luke walked out of the FBI building.  He was surprised at how easily he was released.  He was sure he would be kept for a couple of days.  It made him wonder if they hadn
’
t let him go just so they could follow him.