The Road to Justice/Sins of the Son combo pack - A John Fowler Novel (John Fowler (Books 1 & 2)) (56 page)

Trip blew out a breath.  He knew he had to be careful.  There were so many things that John didn
’
t know.  All Trip had to do was let the wrong piece of information slip and everything would crumble like a house of cards.  The problem was part of him didn
’
t care.  All of these secrets . . . had all of these secrets gotten Sam and Thelma killed?  He had it with all the secrecy.  Trip turned toward John.  It was time to face the music, it was time to tell John everything that had happened and let the chips fall where they may.  He started to open his mouth when John held up his hand. 

“
Listen,
”
John began. 
“
You
’
ve been through something very traumatic.  I know all three of you are keeping something from me, a lot of somethings.
”
 
Trip, Jessica, and Chet looked like they had been hit in the stomach with a baseball bat.  The air had been knocked out of them.  John smiled to himself.  He knew he could get all
three of them to tell him everything right here and now, but it wasn
’
t the time.  They had to find the Senator.  Then they could deal with Sam, and Thelma.

“
You really thought the three of you could keep whatever it is from me,
”
John said. 
“
It
’
s been screaming at me from the beginning you haven
’
t been telling me the whole story.  I admit, I have been a little rusty, and it took me a bit to put all of the pieces together, but
it
’
s
obvious there is more than what you have been telling me.  Whatever it is, I
’
m sure you all did whatever you did with the best intentions, but we don
’
t have time for all of this right now.  I have a lead on the Senator.
”
 
John turned to Chet.

“
Chet, Arthur told me there is supposed to be a company that Archibald took over.
”
 
John said. 
“
It was owned by his in-laws.  The company is placed in a group of shell corporations that is owned by Archibald
’
s daughter.  Supposedly there is one building that still physically exists.
”

Chet nodded.  John watched Chet and realized the spot he had just put Chet in.  John smacked his head in front of them all.  The three of them looked at John like he was crazy. 

“
I
’
m sorry
,
Chet, I forgot to tell you,
”
John began. 
“
Your loan to Archibald has been paid off so you don
’
t have to tell him what we found out.
”

As the look of shock registered in the eyes of his friends, John rocked back on his heels.  You know, he thought to himself, sometimes it
’
s just hard being me.

             
Chet stammered and stuttered and didn
’
t know what to say.  John decided it was time to go ahead and let his other friend off the hook.  He turned toward Jessica.

             
“
Jess,
”
John began. 
“
Did you know that Archibald had just bought out the company that owned your private loans for college?
”
 
Jessica, who had a look of shock on her face from the bomb John had just dropped regarding Chet, began to look very confused.  She started to stammer and seemed very flustered.

             
“
I am not a mole!
”
Jessica exclaimed, pointing down with her index finger for emphasis as she spoke very quietly but fiercely.

             
“
Of course you
’
re
not,
”
John said. 
“
And neither is Chet for that matter.
”

Trip looked absolutely stunned.  Some of the biggest secrets Trip had ever been a part of and John had figured them out in a little over a week.

             
“
Oh come on!
”
 
John exclaimed. 
“
I mean you three have been obviously trying to hide something from me since this whole thing started.  Ever since you and Chet,
”
pointing at Jessica and Chet,
“
stormed into my apartment you
’
ve been trying to hide something from me.  It
’
s like holding up a sign.  I don
’
t know what it is that you all are hiding, but I know you two are not moles.  I know how everything is supposed to look.
”

John paused a second and looked into the fire.  He turned and faced his friends and continued. 
“
I know someone went to an awful lot of trouble to set things up in a way to make me waste my time looking into something that wasn
’
t there.  I know there is a mole in the FB
I.  I am not for sure who it is.
I
do
have a pretty good idea, but I know it
’
s not you two,
”
John paused and looked at Chet.  John rocked his head side-to-side, and decided to amend what he had said. 
“
Well, Chet is, but he
’
s a double mole set
up by you
,
I believe,
”
John said pointing at Trip. 
“
My guess is Chet is running everything he is passing to Archibald by you.
”
 
John paused. 

             
Trip
’
s jaw was nearly on the ground. 
“
Un-freaking-believable,
”
Trip said softly. 
“
You haven
’
t been around in three years physically, and the year before that you were so drunk, you didn
’
t notice anything.  We bring you back in and you figure everything out. 
Un-freaking-believable.
”

             
John nodded.  He looked down at the ground.  Everything could wait until after the case, except for one thing.  There was one thing he had to know.  He lifted his head and looked at Jessica.  There were tears in his eyes.  Jessica looked back at him with uncertainty.  After all the things he had figured out in his own special way, th
ere was
one thing he needed confirmed.

             
“
Did you know
,
Jessica?
”
 
John asked. 
“
Did you know Sam was pregnant?
”

Tears came to Jessica
’
s eyes.  She sucked her upper lip in, and slowly shook her head back and forth.

“
Oh
,
John,
”
she said, barely above a whisper. 
“
Oh no.
 
Oh
,
John.
”
 
Jessica started to lose her composure.  She placed her right hand over her mouth with her index finger over her upper lip, her thumb cupping her chin, leaving her hand extending out.  She looked at John and then looked away.  She did this several times, each time trying to speak and not being able to.  Chet looked at John with absolute shock.  Trip stared off into the fire, slowly shaking his head.

“
She said you didn
’
t know
,
John . . . she said you didn
’
t know,
”
Jessica was speaking barely above a whisper, her voice breaking from the emotion.

“
I didn
’
t know until a few hours ago,
”
John replied with tears streaming down his face. 
“
I didn
’
t know until Madeline let it slip during my argument with Arthur.
”

“
I didn
’
t find out until after her autopsy was performed,
”
Trip said, never looking away from the fire. 
“
It was my call not to tell you, Jessica and Chet wanted to, but I said no.
”
 
Trip turned toward John. 
“
John, you have to understand after all you
’
d been through . . .
“
 
Trip
couldn
’
t continue.  He stood there shaking his head.  Trip
’
s face was filled with sadness; not only from his loss, but from the past finally beginning to catch up with him.

Chet stepped in between everyone to stand directly in front of John.  Jessica stepped back to give him room. 

“
Are you ok?
”
Chet asked.

“
I
’
m not ok
,
Chet,
”
John replied. 
“
I
’
m not ok, because I should have known she was pregnant.  She couldn
’
t share the one moment in her life she had always hoped for.
”
 
John paused, gathered himself, and continued. 
“
The one moment that she had dreamt of more than anything in her life and I took it away from her.  All she
ever wanted to do was to have kids and have my support. 
Me
and my alcoholism snatched away my wife
’
s greatest dream, and I
’
ll have to live with that for the rest of my life.
”

Chet repeated the words John had said in his head, and began to smile.  John noticed the smile and gave him a confused and slightly angry look.  Chet just smiled broadly.

“
John, you didn
’
t say you were responsible for her death,
”
Chet said, with a grin.

“
I know,
”
John replied angrily.  He stopped and thought for a second.  Chet had him and wasn
’
t about to let go.  He pressed on.

“
Why?
”
Chet asked.  John looked at him, confused. 
“
Why did you not say you were responsible?
’

“
Because I
’
m not,
”
John replied, irritated with being questioned.  Jessica shoved Chet aside.  She had a vicious grin on her face.  John
’
s eyes widened.  The last time he had seen that look on her face he had watched a suspect confess to every crime he had ever committed in his entire life.

“
Step out of the way boys; it
’
s time for a pro to finish this!
”
 
Jessica said with a smile.

“
Mr. Fowler,
”
Jessica began. 
“
The last time you and I discussed your wife
’
s death at length, you said you were responsible for her death.
”
 
John nodded. 
“
Are you changing you story?
”

“
Do you mean when I was being interrogated by you about the explosion?  John asked.  Jessica nodded.  John wasn
’
t sure what was going on, but he didn
’
t like it. 
“
Jess, what do,
”
John began, but Trip cut him off.

“
Uh-uh
,
buddy,
”
Trip said. 
“
You
’
re my agent now, and I am ordering you to answer her questions!
”

John
’
s eyebrows arched up in surprise.  Trip and Chet came to either of side of Jessica.  Jessica continued.

“
Are.
 
You.
 
Changing.
 
Your.
  Story???
”
 
Jessica emphasized each word of her question.  Her eyes were dancing.