Reasonable Doubt (13 page)

He narrowed his gaze. “What do you want to go down there for, anyway?”

Tempted to tell him that was none of his business, Keri studied him for a second and changed her mind. He didn’t look like the kind of guy you’d want to anger. “They’re shorthanded on volunteers to help
serve Thanksgiving dinner. I thought I’d go down and pitch in.”

Apparently, that was the right thing to say, because the tall, ponytailed biker boy smiled, his eyes kind. “Let me call a cab for you. I’ll make sure no one messes with your Jeep.”

Keri wasn’t sure whether to trust him or not. While her head and all of her training screamed at her not to be stupid, her best instincts told her he was on the level. And what other choice did she really have?

“Thanks. I’d appreciate it. What time do you get off work? I don’t want to take a chance the guy coming into work after you might not be so generous.”

Picking up the phone, he dialed a number from memory. “Today’s your lucky day, then. I’m working a double shift.”

“On Thanksgiving?”

“Yep.”

“But you’ll miss out on your family dinner.”

He nodded. “So will you.” Then he raised his hand, cutting off her reply. “Hi, Tina? Yeah, it’s Mike. Look, I need a cab over here to go down to the Victory Mission. How soon can you send someone over? Uh—no. Don’t send Ken. I think the lady would be more comfortable with Rob. Do you mind?”

Keri watched him in fascination. Despite his outward appearance, this Mike guy seemed as nice as they came. He hung up the phone and nodded. “Rob’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“Thanks. I’ll just go lock up the Jeep.”

Keri used the extra time to place a calling-card call to her dad’s cell phone.

“Hi, Ruth,” she said when the woman’s soft drawl answered.

“Where are you, Keri, honey?”

“I made it to Kansas City and I’m about to head over to the mission. I’m waiting for my cab.”

“Cab? Did your Jeep break down?”

“No. I—”

“Hold on, Keri. Your dad wants to speak to you.”

“What’s this about your Jeep breaking down? What’s it doing? Do I need to come and get you?”

“Dad, no. Everything’s fine. It’s just that there is no place to safely park close to the mission, so I’m parking here and taking a cab.”

“Parking where? What do you mean? Didn’t you find Justin?”

Thankfully, Keri saw a yellow cab pull into the parking lot. As it honked, she said, “Sorry, Dad. I have to go. I’ll call you a little later. Don’t worry!”

Hurrying over to the cab, Keri waved to Mike through the glass door. He returned the wave and smiled.

“Hi,” she said as she slipped into the back seat. “Can you take me to the Victory Mission?”

“Sure can.” He moved to the edge of the parking lot, then gunned the accelerator, screeching into the thickening traffic. “Is that how you know Mike?”

“I don’t know him. He just offered to keep an eye on my car today.”

The cabbie nodded, but didn’t say any more.

Keri sucked in her breath as the cabbie sailed through a light turning from yellow to red.

“Why’d you think I’d met him at the Mission?”

“Mike used to stay there a lot back in his drinking days. Before he found the Lord.”

“Oh?”

“Yep. Got drunk one time and ran his car head-on into a concrete underpass wall. Killed his wife and baby daughter instantly. Poor guy walked away with barely a scratch.”

“Well, wasn’t he the lucky one?”

“Believe me, he paid for it. They gave him a few years in jail, and when he got out, he just couldn’t live with himself. Took to drinking again and ended up on the streets. Hit all the missions and shelters. But Victory Mission is where he got straightened out.”

“Well, I suppose that’s good.” Feeling ill, Keri stared out the window, watching as the buildings grew less and less cared for, the streets dirtier the deeper they drove into the city. Finally, they pulled up in front of a doorway with a painting above it of a large dove carrying a branch and the words, Victory Mission. Ask Us About New Beginnings.

“I’d walk you in,” he said. “But my cab wouldn’t be here when I came out.”

Fishing for the fare, Keri waved away his apology. “I’m a cop. I can take care of myself.”

“That’s a pretty rough-looking mob out there.”

Keri followed his gaze and swallowed hard. “Yeah.” They were lined along the building and crowded on the sidewalk all the way to the street. Men, women and children in tattered clothing, trying to push their way into the mission. Would she even be able to get in?

“Tell you what. I’ll stay here until you get inside. Will that help?”

“Maybe.” She took out an extra five and added it to the cash still in her hand. When she extended it, he shook his head. “This trip is on Mike.”

“No way. Take it.”

“Would you have accepted the trip from Mike before you found out what happened to his wife and baby?”

The cold accusation in the cabbie’s voice chilled Keri to her bones. Would she have?

“If you can’t accept his way of saying thanks for giving your time to help out down here today, then just donate the money once you get inside. But I’m not taking it.”

“Let me ask you something,” Keri said, on the defensive now. “If Mike is so generous, why isn’t he down here serving food himself?”

“First off, because the man he’s covering for at the gas station has a family, and Mike insisted on working all sixteen hours today so that his fellow employee wouldn’t miss out on Thanksgiving. Second, Mike has nowhere to go but home to an empty apartment.”

“All right,” Keri muttered. “Mike’s a saint.” She tucked the money back into her pocket. “I’ll donate it.”

“Do you care about the other reason Mike doesn’t come down here and volunteer?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Because he knows that even with the Lord, he is weak. He doesn’t feel strong enough to be down here with the men who once drank with him. He knows he could wind up right back in the gutter if he isn’t careful. So he sends donations, and prays and hopes for the day when he can be of service.”

Tears pushed into Keri’s eyes. She blinked them away and swallowed hard. “Okay. I better go inside or I won’t be any help today, either. Thanks for the lift.”

Keri hurried from the cab, not sure which she preferred, the gauntlet of catcalls, wolf whistles and lewd suggestions, or the conviction that had closed in on her as she sat listening to the cabbie telling her of a broken, but changed man.

She got inside without being accosted, and a cafeteria-style room greeted her. Tables were spread with white paper tablecloths and every attempt had been made to make the “guests” comfortable, including horns-of-plenty centerpieces and real dishes, rather than paper plates and plastic cups.

The line stretched the length of the crowded room. Keri made her way to the front. “Hey, get in line, sweet cheeks.”

A rough hand grabbed her arm and spun Keri around. A woman’s icy, brown-eyed glare met her. She had to be fifty if she was a day and she wore a wide-brimmed straw hat decorated with sunflowers.

“I’m sorry. I’m here to help, not eat.”

The woman squinted, clearly accusing her of lying. “Never seen you here before.”

A crowd was beginning to form around them.

“Clean her clock, Auntie Em!”

“Kick her to the back of the line.”

Keri’s heart picked up speed. One Auntie Em she could definitely handle, but several members of the crowd were looking a little too eager to join the fight.

“Now, look,” she said, fixing her steely gaze on the still-gathering crowd. “I didn’t come down here
to cut in line. That doesn’t even make sense. I’m just here to—”

“All right. Break it up.” The crowd parted in response to a deep, loud voice. The voice of authority. Keri looked up. Way up. The man was at least six foot four and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Stern blue eyes censured her through wire-rimmed glasses. “What do you want?”

“See, I told ya she wasn’t here to help out. Rick don’t even know her.”

“Oh, so you’re Rick?” Relief nearly weakened her knees. “I’m Keri. Justin’s friend. We spoke on the phone earlier.”

“I’m afraid I still don’t have time to talk. You see this line? These people are waiting for a Thanksgiving meal.”

“I know. You told me over the phone that you’re short on volunteers. Right?” Keri followed him back to the serving line. A half a dozen people worked feverishly, serving, adding food to the serving bins and scraping dishes and loading washers.

“Yeah. Fine. We can use an extra pair of hands.” He tossed her an apron. “Put this on.”

Keri slipped the apron over her head and wrapped and tied the strings. “Okay. What should I do?”

Rick gestured over the entire kitchen area. “Whatsoever your hands find to do, do with all your heart as unto the Lord.”

Keri grinned and took a look at the huge pile of dirty trays. “Gotcha.”

J
ustin fought through smoky confusion and struggled to open his eyes. A dull ache began at the base of his head and radiated around to his brow. He moaned as light stabbed his eye sockets, giving a whole new meaning to the word
pain
. Squeezing his eyes tight, he sat up.

“Oh, Justin. I’m so glad you’re awake. I was about to call an ambulance.”

Turning to the sound of the woman’s voice, Justin opened his eyes slowly, ready to shut them again if the searing pain returned. But it was bearable.

“Mrs. Angus? What are you doing here?” The fifty-something housekeeper sat next to him on the bed.

“Let me see that bump,” she commanded. Justin leaned his neck way over to accommodate her.

“What happened?” Justin asked, fully aware the woman hadn’t yet answered the first question.

“You’ve got a goose egg, that’s for sure,” she mumbled and turned him loose. She sighed deeply. “After the house was broken into, I decided I’d better stay for
a few days to see if the snake returned. I didn’t recognize you from behind. It was dark and I thought you were the killer coming back.”

A surge of affection shot through Justin. He took her hands in his. “I appreciate that you want to help clear my name, but you could have gotten yourself hurt. What if I’d actually been the murderer?”

She snorted. “Then you’d be sitting in a jail cell right now, nursing a knot on the head.”

“That’s not the point.” Knowing there was no sense in continuing this line of conversation, Justin glanced around, looking for a clock. “What time is it?”

“Going on eleven.”

“Eleven!” Justin shot to his feet, but a wave of dizziness sent him back to the bed. “What did you hit me with?”

“Skillet.”

“Must have been the biggest one in the house. I’ve lost hours of searching.”

The dear woman’s face drooped a bit.

Justin squeezed her hand. “Mrs. Angus, I appreciate that you want to help, but you’ve done all you can. I want you to go home, okay? Didn’t your daughter come in from Nebraska for Thanksgiving?”

She shook her graying head. “I told her not to this year. See, I think the killer will expect everyone to be busy today. He most likely figures he can get over here unnoticed to find what he’s looking for. I decided to hide out and try to catch him. Like the
Murder, She Wrote
woman.”

“Well, I’m glad it was me and not the killer who surprised you.” Releasing a heavy sigh, Justin rose again,
slowly this time. “I just wish I knew what he thinks is here that will incriminate him. Whatever it is will probably clear me. Unless he actually did find it when he broke in. In which case, I’m probably sunk.”

The housekeeper hesitated a moment, then stood. “I’ll be right back.”

Justin frowned after her. He reached back and felt the knot on his head, then grimaced. Too bad he hadn’t been the bad guy. Mrs. Angus packed quite a wallop.

His mind wandered back to the little cabin and he thought about his sons waiting for the turkey to finish cooking. For the past two years they’d helped at the mission, and in previous years, Mrs. Angus had brought leftover turkey to the house, but they’d never actually experienced the kind of family Thanksgiving dinner they were about to experience today. If only he could have been there to witness the fun and wonder.

He was positive Keri would be sure they got to split the wishbone. He smiled, remembering all the ones he and Keri had split over the years. The wishes they’d made. From their very first time, he and Keri had secretly agreed to wish for the same thing. That way no matter who won, the wish came true. It had been his idea. They wished they’d be friends forever. After they’d fallen in love, they began to wish separately. But Justin’s always remained the same—with a slight twist. That he and Keri would be together forever. Too bad he’d lost the last wishbone pull they had together the Thanksgiving before his parents had been killed.

What were the boys thinking right now? How were they coping with his absence? He’d kissed them each on the head and left a note to reassure them he’d be
back soon. Still, he had a feeling they might feel abandoned. Especially on the holiday. They had the family though. Keri, Mac, Ruth and even Raven.

As he waited for Mrs. Angus to return and tried to get his bearings, he replayed the conversation he’d had with Mac before leaving this morning.

“If I don’t come back, will you consider keeping my sons? Raising them, I mean.”

Mac hadn’t hesitated. Hadn’t tried to give him any trite reassurances that everything would be okay. He’d simply leveled his wizened gaze upon him. “I’ll do it. And you can count on it.”

Justin had penned his wishes on a legal pad, knowing it probably wouldn’t stick in court if anyone contested Mac’s right to custody. But he also knew there was no one who would care. The simple act of signing his name and having Mac sign underneath in his shaky hand had given Justin a huge sense of peace. If nothing else went his way, at least the boys would be loved and safe and not in foster care.

“I think this may be what the killer was looking for.” Mrs. Angus’s return to the room brought Justin back to the present. She handed him a fat spiral notebook.

“What’s this?”

“Amelia used this to keep a diary of sorts. I found it under Josh’s toy box. Don’t ask me why it was in there. Makes no sense to me.”

“What were you doing looking through Josh’s toy box?”

“Cleaning. I had to do something with my time. When I lifted it up to vacuum underneath, this fell out of the bottom, like it had been stashed there for safekeeping.”

The room was starting to spin again, so Justin took the notebook and sat back down on the edge of the bed.

“Read July fifteenth,” Mrs. Angus said, taking the chair next to the window. “It’s the last entry.”

“Don’t you think solving the mystery by reading a diary is just a little too Hollywood?” he asked, thumbing through the pages until he found the entry.

July fifteenth. Two days before her death.

Justin sucked in his breath, shaking his head.

“Read the part about Amelia being pregnant?”

“Yeah.” He read the passage again, frowning. “Josh has been carrying this secret around with him for months. What could she have said to him that he wouldn’t have told me? Especially after she died?”

“The poor boy. That woman was no mother if you ask me!”

“I don’t think anyone could dispute that. But one thing I can’t understand about this is that if she was pregnant, wouldn’t the autopsy have shown something? Why didn’t the police mention it?”

“Maybe they just didn’t tell you. Figured you should already know since she was your wife.”

Justin gave a short laugh. “Believe me, if Raney and Appling knew anything about it, they’d have used her pregnancy to rub me raw. They know we didn’t share a bed.”

“Hmm. Do you think she was lying?” Mrs. Angus gave him a pointed glance. “You know, some women do that to try to force a man into marriage.”

Justin scowled. “She didn’t lie to me about being pregnant before we were married.”

Her cheeks reddened. “I didn’t say she did. Just that I wouldn’t put it past her to say she was.”

Releasing a heavy sigh, Justin nodded. “Well, one thing is pretty clear. This could raise some questions for the detectives. It shows that someone besides me had motive to kill her. I’d better let Bob know.” He reached for the phone next to Amelia’s bed, then pulled away.

Justin scrubbed his hand over his scratchy jaw. He hadn’t taken time to shave before leaving the cabin and the stubble was beginning to irritate. “I’m sure the police bugged Bob’s phone the second they found out I took off. I’m going to have to drive over there.”

Keri spooned gravy over a mound of mashed potatoes. She made a point of looking the young woman she was serving in the eye. Rick had instructed her that making eye contact raised a person’s dignity. She went a step further and smiled.

“Thank you.” The young woman’s voice sounded weary. The obviously pregnant mother carried an infant of no more than a year old on her hip, while two pre
school-aged boys clamored around her legs, chasing each other and jostling their poor mother.

Keri felt like grabbing them up, carrying them over to a couple of chairs, and instructing them to be still—even if she had to use her cop status to scare them into submission. But she knew that wasn’t her place. Instead, she filled two trays for the boys. “Here, let me carry these to a table for you.”

Relief softened the tense lines around the young woman’s mouth, and Keri saw the hint of a smile.

Keri set both trays in front of the boys, then turned to their mother. “I’m Keri.” She stretched out her hand. The woman wiped her palm on her age-faded jeans before accepting Keri’s.

“I’m Erin.” She smiled wider. Her teeth were black from cavities, and Keri’s heart melted in sympathy.

“It’s nice to meet you, Erin. Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Thank you.” Erin’s gaze dropped to the table and she lifted a forkful of potatoes to the baby’s mouth. Keri focused on the two little boys. They were already half-finished with their food. How long had it been since they’d eaten a decent meal? Tears spilled over as she walked back to resume her spot in the serving line. How could she have lived twenty-nine years and never been witness to this kind of human suffering?

“You can serve the people without it destroying you.” Keri glanced up to find Rick had moved to her side. “Come on, we’ll trade places with Kim and wash dishes for a while. You don’t want to let them see you cry. It puts some of them on the defensive. And the others will see you as weak and con you into giving up all your money.”

Keri nodded and followed Rick to the back of the kitchen area. She attacked the pile of dirty dishes, fighting desperately to control her emotions. “I’m sorry,” she said, snatching a couple of tissues from a box Rick offered.

“We can’t fulfill every need. All we can do for now is serve one meal a day and pray for their souls. We have room for about fifty residents a night in the men’s shelter.”

“But what about the women and children?”

“We do what we can. We’re only staffed for men. But there are other missions and shelters. And government programs help women and children first.”

“It just seems so unfair and awful that children should have to trudge out in the snow for a meal.”

“But if we weren’t here, they’d sit at home hungry. If they even have a home. So at least we do some good.” Rick nodded toward Erin. “Take that woman and her children, for instance. They come here every day. And even though we can’t offer them a place to stay, we can at least feed them one hot meal a day.”

“But where do they sleep at night, I wonder?”

“Maybe a low-rent apartment. Or shelters here and there.”

“She’s pregnant. Do you think she’s getting prenatal care?”

“I doubt it. But what can we do?”

“Open a home for women and children. Or at least a shelter.”

“We do the best we can do.”

“I’m sure it must be difficult to see this sort of poverty day in and day out.”

He heaved a heavy sigh and moved away. Keri’s gaze followed his retreating form. Rick seemed all right, but a little burned-out and perhaps ready for a sabbatical.

Justin would be the logical replacement. Keri couldn’t help but picture him in the middle of the crowd, ministering. What would it have been like if they’d entered this ministry together? She envisioned herself working with him side by side to feed the needy.

Somehow, the vision stayed with her over the next two hours as she spooned the Thanksgiving meal onto tray after tray. Finally, Rick announced there was nothing left and closed the doors amid cries of protest.

Keri glanced around at the faces of the people who had given so tirelessly of their time over the past few hours, wonderful people with whom she’d worked side by side. The pain in their eyes reflected the heaviness of her heart.

Rick leaned against the counter. “There’s never enough to go around. We could serve around the clock and they’d still be standing out there begging for more. We can only do so much. And we do.”

Keri frowned. There might not be anything they could do, but he didn’t have to be so matter of fact about it.

As though reading her thoughts, he narrowed his gaze and gave a short laugh. “Think whatever you want, but ask Justin what it’s like to work down here day after day with people who constantly ask for what we don’t have to give.”

“I know Justin,” Keri said, suddenly angry. “He doesn’t feel that way. He can’t wait to get back here and—”

“You’ve been in recent contact with Justin?” Rick’s
eyes narrowed. He wrapped his massive hand around her upper arm. “Come on. Let’s go talk in my office.”

“Excuse me.” A man dressed in a sport jacket and navy slacks interrupted, his attention focused on Rick. The man’s face was lined with evidence of a hard life, but his eyes bespoke joy, contentment.

“What can I do for you?” Rick asked, clearly irritated, but he turned Keri loose.

“I’m looking for Justin. I thought he’d be here for the dinner today.”

“Justin had other things to do today.”

The man’s expression crashed. “Well, can you give him a message for me?”

“I don’t know when we’ll see him again. He left town.”

“I see. Well, if you see or hear from him, will you tell him Ike Rawlings was by? I thought Thanksgiving would be a good day to tell him how thankful I am for all his help. We came all the way from Chicago to tell him in person. He smiled at Keri. “I left my wife back at the hotel so she could rest. She just found out we’re going to have our fourth baby.”

Keri returned his smile. “Congratulations.”