Reasonable Doubt (5 page)

Keri finished her donut and milk, enjoying the ecstasy on the boys’ faces. Billy delighted in everything, from the blarney Dad told of leprechauns and four-leaf clovers, to the simple task of throwing away his napkin and carefully placing his empty glass into the sink. Josh, too, seemed to enjoy the atmosphere, offering half smiles and short replies. But the joy that seemed to exude from Billy was noticeably absent from Josh’s demeanor.

When the boys were done with their snack, the three
guys started on another batch of donuts. Keri excused herself.

Her glance returned once more to Justin, sleeping on the couch. With a sigh, she headed back to her bedroom, snatched her keys from the dresser and tiptoed close to Justin. She knelt beside the couch. He groaned and shifted, causing her heart nearly to stop. Watching him as he settled back into sleep, her heart picked up. A lock of his hair fell across his forehead, begging her to smooth it back. Obeying the summons, she reached forward.

His eyes opened and Keri thought she’d die.

“What are you doing?” he whispered.

Heat seared her cheeks. “I—I was going to uncuff you.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “I’m counting on your word to keep you here.”

In a swift movement, she slipped the key into the cool metal cuffs and set him free.

He sat up, rubbing his wrist. “Thanks.” His hand reached out and gently cupped her cheek. The pool of emotion reflected in his eyes was too deep for Keri’s comfort.

She shot to her feet, plopped her hands on her hips, and hardened her heart. “Just don’t give me a reason to regret it.”

He’d been pacing this same stretch of floor off and on for the past two hours. Why hadn’t Justin called? He’d had plenty of time to get settled into wherever he was headed.

First thing he would do when Justin finally made contact was weasel the location of his hideout.

Releasing a chuckle, he shook his head at his own brilliance. Justin’s absence made the chump look even guiltier than the eyewitness stories. The D.A. would almost certainly seek a warrant now.

He would have liked to have come up with more credible witnesses than a couple of bums who would sell out their own mothers to get enough money for a bottle of cheap whisky and enough coke for one high. But he hadn’t dared try to pay off anyone who was sober. As long as they kept to the story, he’d buy all the whisky they could drink. If they didn’t keep to the story…well…he’d made it pretty clear that killing a couple of bums wouldn’t hurt his conscience any more than putting a bullet in that tramp’s head had.

Once he found out where Justin was staying, he would send the cops an anonymous tip. Then he would be the most supportive of Justin’s friends. Insisting upon his innocence. Hey, he might even offer to raise the twins. He smiled, imagining the light in his wife’s eyes when he presented her with the children she’d always longed for. Yes, Justin’s boys would work just as well as going through an agency. This plan just grew sweeter by the second. Now all he had to do was wait for Justin to call.

He stopped pacing for a second and stared at the phone. “Ring!”

I
nsistent ringing woke Justin from a dream world in which he was fourteen years old again, free, unfettered and loving Keri Mahoney. Where no murder was hanging over his head, and his little boys weren’t in jeopardy of losing their only security. Being awakened from such a dream did nothing to lighten his first mood of the day. “All right, already,” he groused. “Hold on a second.”

Justin reached toward the nightstand. Fumbling for the cordless, he squinted as his eyes protested the lighted room. His hand connected with an unfamiliar cell phone.

“Hello?”

“Mac?” a woman’s Southern drawl asked.

“No, this is Justin.”

“Where’s Mac?”

It took a second for his muddled brain to register where he was—Mac Mahoney had insisted Justin and the twins take his room. Before he had the chance to reply, the woman’s voice rose in pitch and volume. “If you did one little thing to hurt him, I’ll—”

Raking a hand through his hair, Justin felt panic rise. All he needed was someone else accusing him of a crime. “Wait, lady. Calm down. Mr. Mahoney is fine. Hang on a sec, and I’ll go get him.”

Justin headed for the door and stepped into the hallway, coming face-to-face with Keri. She looked adorable with tousled auburn hair caressing her face and pillow imprints lining her cheek.

“I heard a phone ring,” she said, her sleep-husky voice doing crazy things to his heart. “Did you bring a cell?”

“Yes, but it’s in the car. This one is for your dad.” He extended the phone to her.

Outrage branded her face, and she snatched the device from his hand. “Dad! You promised you weren’t going to bring a phone! We’re supposed to be getting away from it all!”

Justin stared after Keri as she stomped barefoot into the living room. Mac came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. Justin caught a whiff of bacon frying and his stomach rumbled in appreciation.

“What’s the yelling about?” Mr. Mahoney demanded. “You’re going to wake up the whole house!”

“Phone for you.” Keri gave him an accusing glare and handed over the phone in a jerky I-don’t-like-this-one-bit motion.

“It must be Ruth. I couldn’t go a whole week without talking to my Ruthie.” Mac’s lips tilted into a sheepish grin and he shrugged as he took the phone. “Hi, doll,” he said into the receiver. “What? Oh, that was Keri. Who’d you think it was? A man answered?” Justin grinned and waved. “Oh, him…Old friend of the
family. He’s spending a few days up here with his twin boys. You should see those kids. Like two peas in a pod, they are. Can’t tell ’em apart until you get to know ’em a bit.”

Mac darted a glance to include first Justin, then Keri. “Wait just a second, hon.” He put his hand over the mouthpiece. “I’m going to take this into the kitchen.”

“By all means,” Keri said with a huff and a dismissive wave. “You might as well, now. Just tell her not to spill the beans about us having a phone up here or Manning will try and weasel me back to work. He’s probably been swamped with calls since this ice storm hit.”

Mac sent her a scowl and headed into the kitchen.

Amusement worked through Justin, but fell short of reaching his lips as he realized that the only reason Mac had a girlfriend was because Keri’s mother had died. A fact he had discovered during his earlier conversation with Mr. Mahoney.

He reached out and touched her shoulder. “Keri, your dad told me what happened to your mom. I’m sorry.”

Keri swung around to face him, her face suddenly void of color. “Don’t pretend you didn’t know,” she said, as though not quite able to catch enough breath to give the words full volume. “I wrote to you at your aunt’s house when it happened. I begged you to come to the funeral.”

Justin felt as though he’d been sucker punched. Keri had needed him, and he hadn’t been there for her? He couldn’t resist putting his finger to the slight pucker of her chin as she fought to control tears. “I promise I
never got a letter from you. If one came to us, it never made it into my hands.”

She eyed him as if scrutinizing his words. “Your aunt sent flowers. I still have the card at home, somewhere. It was signed…Please accept our condolences for your loss. Toni and Justin.”

“Toni must have read my mail and sent the flowers. She never told me about it. I’d have come right away if I’d known.”

Her eyes misted. “You stopped writing to me after four measly letters. I just figured you didn’t care.”

“I would have cared if I had known.” Justin moved his hand to cup her cheek. “I do care. I loved her like a second mom, remember?”

Suddenly the expression on Keri’s face became stony. She jerked away. “I remember a lot of things that you’ve obviously forgotten.”

Justin dropped his hand to his side and followed her into the living room. He wanted to reassure her. To excuse himself of the broken promises. But he had no acceptable excuses to offer. And the truth was too sad to share: that it hadn’t taken long, in a Godless environment, for him to begin questioning his faith. It had only taken a little while longer before the doubts combined with temptations, until soon he didn’t even recognize himself.

Keri’s slender hands trembled as she grabbed the fireplace poker. And despite the fact that she was holding a potential weapon, Justin pressed the conversation forward.

“I remember everything. Probably better than you do, Keri. But things changed when I went to live with
Aunt Toni. Kids tend to change, you know? My whole world upended. How can you hold a grudge against a fourteen-year-old boy?”

She spun around and brandished the poker like a sword, her face filled with outrage. “A grudge? What kind of egomaniac are you to think that I’m still carrying a torch for you?”

Avoiding the couch, Justin did a quick examination of the recliner next the fireplace. The print was identical to the couch, but the arms were fat and cushiony. No chance of being handcuffed to that thing. He sat, eyeing her carefully. “I didn’t say anything about a torch. I said a grudge.”

The thunder left her suddenly red face, and she turned back to building a fire. “Yeah, well, I’m not carrying one of those, either.”

She pushed at the coals, trying to stir them up, then gave a frustrated growl as the fireplace remained lifeless, except for a few glowing embers.

“Do you want me to do that?”

A short laugh escaped her and she shot him a twisted grin. “When was the last time you built a fire?”

He returned her grin and nodded. “The winter before I moved to Kansas City.”

“Thanks for the offer. But I think it’ll get done a little quicker if I do it myself.”

“Breakfast is ready.” Justin and Keri both turned at the sound of Mr. Mahoney’s announcement. The older man’s bushy brows pushed together. “Where are the boys?”

Justin smiled. “They’re not up yet.”

The old man looked crestfallen. “Made ’em some of
my special cinnamon hot chocolate,” he mumbled. “Josh likes bacon. It’s bound to get cold.”

“I’ll go get them up.” Justin started toward the bedroom he shared with his sons, then stopped as an idea struck him. “Mr. Mahoney, can I borrow your phone for just a few minutes?”

“No!” Keri shot up from her crouched position in front of the fireplace. Her eyes sparked with fierce determination. “We are not giving you access to phone an accomplice.” She padded through the living room and to the empty space of room between the hall and the kitchen door.

“For crying out loud, at least let him explain.” Mr. Mahoney sent her a scowl, then turned his focus to Justin. “Who’d you want to call?”

“I just want to check in with my boss at the Mission. There are a couple of the residents I’ve been counseling who I feel are about ready to make a commitment to Christ. I want to let Rick know to follow up with them. Plus I’ve been in charge of the Thanksgiving dinner at the mission for several years and I won’t be there to take care of things. He needs to be aware of that.”

“Well, now. That sounds reasonable to me.”

Folding her arms, Keri looked like a petulant child. “It doesn’t to me,” she insisted.

Justin fought back his grin for fear she’d take him by surprise and handcuff him again, if he gave in to his amusement.

“The phone isn’t yours, Keri-girl,” Mac shot back. “So it’s not your decision, anyhow.”

Keri’s eyes blazed. Justin could see she was attempt
ing to maintain her composure and her respectful attitude for her dad. He had to admire that, given the circumstances. She directed her argument to her dad as though Justin wasn’t even there.

“For all we know, Justin is a murderer. Giving him a haven from the ice and snow is one thing, but do we really have to let him use the phone? We don’t know if he’s planning to call an accomplice. If I had one shred of proof, I’d cuff him to a pole until all this blows over.”

Mac snorted. “You’re just wanting to show your muscles. Even prisoners are allowed one phone call. Besides, for all you know Justin’s been cleared of the crime by now. Innocent until proven guilty. Remember?”

A scowl marred Keri’s face. She looked at Justin then back to her dad before Justin had a chance to work a smile on her.

She planted her hands on her hips. “All right, he can use the phone. For five minutes.” She focused her gaze upon Justin. “But I listen to every word you say.”

Mac opened his mouth as though he was about to protest, but Justin spoke up quickly before the two Irish heads butted over him. “That’s fine with me. I have nothing to hide.”

“All right. Then it’s all settled.” Mac tossed Justin the phone and rubbed his hands together. “How about some breakfast first?” He glanced past Justin and his face brightened. “Well, good morning, lads. We thought you were going to sleep the day away.”

“We smelled bacon.” A wide yawn stretched Billy’s pink mouth.

“That you did. That you did. Follow me and I’ll get
you some while it’s still warm.” He sent both boys a wink. “And I have hot chocolate for you. With a special ingredient.”

“What special ingredient?” Billy asked, his voice rising in wonder.

“You’ll have to see if you can guess.”

Both sets of eyes went wide, and the twins glanced at Justin for permission—Billy with eager anticipation, Josh with mildly piqued interest. “We washed our hands,” Josh said.

Justin smiled at his sons. Though the boys had gotten themselves dressed, both blond heads needed a wet-down and a combing. But he figured that could wait. No use in them eating a cold meal. “I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”

“I have to finish the fire. Save me a couple slices of bacon, will you Dad?”

Mac leveled a gaze at her. “You’re not going to eat with the rest of us?”

“No, I need to get this going.”

“You know, maybe you better save me some breakfast, too,” Justin said. “I think I’ll help Keri with the fire.”

“Fine,” Mack grumbled. “Josh and Billy and me can manage on our own, can’t we, boys? Let those two eat a cold breakfast. What do we care?” He ushered the boys into the kitchen, leaving Justin alone with Keri.

She eyed him dubiously. “I told you I don’t need your help to get the fire going. It’s just taking a bit longer because the coals are practically gone.”

“I thought I might go ahead and call Rick while the boys are occupied.”

Keri nodded. “Good idea.”

Justin reclaimed his seat in the recliner and dialed the number to the mission. Rick answered on the fourth ring, sounding breathless.

“Rick?”

Silence.

“Hello?”

“Hang on a sec.”

Justin heard the receiver clunk down on the desk. Rick returned quickly. “I closed the door. Never know who’s listening in. Are you and the boys okay? I’ve been calling your house and cell like crazy. Where are you?”

“We’re fine. Just took the boys on a little vacation over Thanksgiving.”

Rick hesitated. “I see. How long will you be gone?”

“I’m not sure. I need to ask you about something the police mentioned yesterday.”

“What’s that?”

“They say two eyewitnesses have come forward. Men who stayed at the mission and have signed sworn affidavits that I left in the night.”

“That’s not possible.”

“The police seem to think it is.”

“What I mean to say is that I don’t think they’re men from our mission. I think someone is paying a couple of guys off to pretend they stayed here and to say they saw you.”

“What about the register?”

“That would be easy enough to fake with all the guys in and out of here for one night only.”

“True.”

“Can you tell me where you are?” Rick’s hushed voice was tense with concern. “I hate the thought of you and the boys hiding out.”

A chuckle escaped him. “I told you. It’s just a vacation. We’re not hiding out. As a matter of fact. We’re at a cabin a few hours away from Kansas City.”

“A cabin…in the winter? In Missouri?”

“It’s a long story. Anyway, make sure you check up on Gary and Brian will you? I think they’re both pretty close to receiving Christ. I don’t want this problem of mine to jeopardize that.”

“Sure, I’ll check up on them. Call again soon, and let me know you’re still okay. Is there anything I can do for you on this end?”

“Yeah. Listen, this phone’s losing steam fast. I need to charge it. Can you call Bob and let him know I’ll be back in a few days?”

“Sure, anything else?”

“Just pray, will you?”

After giving him Bob’s number, Justin hung up, feeling heavier somehow than he had before. He glanced up to find Keri standing over him with her hand open and waiting.

He handed over the phone and leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes. “Satisfied that I wasn’t speaking with an accomplice?”

“Sure,” she muttered. “I hope you’re enjoying your vacation, because so far mine stinks.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s just a carnival ride a second.” Releasing a weary sigh, Justin opened his eyes to look at her. “You’re really self-absorbed, aren’t you? I didn’t remember that about you. Or is it something new?”

She gasped, then recovered enough for anger to take over, evidenced in her sparking eyes as she dropped the poker and leaned over his chair, one hand resting on either armrest. Her face was inches from his. “Let me tell you something, Justin Kramer. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a suspect, possibly on the run from the law. Nothing else. Now it looks like the ice has stopped, so I’d imagine by tomorrow, the salt trucks will make it onto this highway. You’ll be on your way, and I’ll forget I ever knew you. Don’t use our memories to try to get to me. Like you said. Kids change.”