From the familiar scent of antiseptic and the sound of instruments dropping into metal bowls, Jennie knew where she was before she even opened her eyes. “She’s coming to,” someone said.
“I’m almost done. Couple more stitches.”
Jennie’s eyes drifted open.
A woman wearing bloody surgical gloves smiled down at her. “Hi. Glad you finally decided to join us.”
“What happened?” Jennie vaguely remembered tackling Rafael and falling on top of him on the stairs.
“I think I’ll let Lieutenant McGrady answer that.” She glanced toward the curtain. “Tell him he can come in.”
Moments later, Dad stood over the gurney, his hand gripping hers. “Princess. You and I are going to have to start coordinating things a little better.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.” His dark gaze moved over her face and linked up with her own. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay. Did you get Rafael? He’s the one who killed José and—”
“I know all about it. In fact, we were on our way to arrest him.”
“How did you figure it out?”
“Talked to Jared again. He identified the people he saw at the scene. Said when you and he were talking, he remembered a Hispanic guy coming out of the basement. I showed him Philippe’s mug shot, thinking it was him, but it wasn’t Philippe at all. Jared said he thought it might have been one of the kids he’d seen at the youth meeting he went to. We had our artist do a sketch from his description and guess who we came up with?”
“Rafael.”
“I should have picked it up when you and I were talking last night. Rafael told you José had been shot in the head. He couldn’t have known that unless he’d been there. We didn’t release that information to the press until later that night.”
“All done.” The doctor rolled her chair back and pulled off her gloves. “We had to shave off a little of your hair, above your ear, but you have lots left to cover the bald spot. The wound will be uncomfortable for the next few days. Put ice on it and I’ll write you a prescription for pain pills.” She patted Jennie’s arm and left the cubicle.
Jennie reached up and touched the square gauze dressing and the skin around it.
“It’ll grow back, princess,” Dad assured her. “The important thing is that you’re still alive and that Rafael didn’t get a chance to carry out his plan.”
“What was he going to do?”
“He was running scared. He figured sooner or later Carlos would talk and that Beaumont would eventually put two and two together. I’m not sure how he did it, but he must have taken Carlos from our place sometime during the night. Lisa says her key to our house is missing, so he probably got in that way after I left and you girls went to bed.”
“Poor Lisa. She must feel awful.”
“She’s more mad than sad, I think. Especially when she realized what he was up to.”
“I can just about guess. He planned on putting us in the movie room and starting another fire. I thought I saw Mr. Beaumont down there. Wasn’t he supposed to be in jail?”
“We had him in for questioning and released him. Beaumont said when he came home he started asking Rafael about the situation. Rafael pulled a gun on him and took him back to the house. He had the entire family down there.”
“And was waiting for us. I can’t believe he’d kill that many people to cover his tracks.”
“You know, Rafael isn’t that much different than Rich when it comes down to it. Both men were willing to kill to further their cause. They were both prejudiced. Now they are both going to face life imprisonment.”
“How is Carlos?”
“He’s fine now that he’s back with his dad. Told us everything. He had been playing with matches and set a fire in a wastebasket. He’d heard the shot and saw Rafael coming out of the room near the furnace. Rafael set the wastebasket in the room and pulled Carlos out. Told Philippe Carlos had started the fire and they’d need to get out. Rafael told Carlos he’d better keep his mouth shut if he ever expected to see his dad again.”
“Poor little guy. No wonder he was so frightened.” Jennie yawned. It had been a bizarre case, but thank God it was over. Almost over.
“What about Reverend Cole? What’s going to happen to her?”
“She’s been released. She’ll be seeing a therapist for a while, but she seemed in pretty good spirits. I think she’ll do just fine.”
Two days later, Jennie stood on a hill in Mount Tabor Cemetery with her parents and Nick, Lisa, Aunt Kate, Uncle Kevin, Kurt, the Beaumonts, Gavin Winslow and his parents, Reverend Cole, and Michael’s sister, Ashley, along with all the kids from the youth group and dozens of other members of the Trinity congregation. Jared was there as well, flanked by two men, federal agents for protection, Jennie guessed.
They’d all come to pay their last respects to a man they all had come to love. Pastor Dave gave the eulogy, saying how Michael would have been proud of the way they’d come together and that his dream to make Trinity a home to everyone, regardless of race or culture, was becoming a reality.
“As we say goodbye to our brother, let’s keep our hearts and minds attuned to the way Michael lived. Let us love God with all of our hearts and minds and souls, and let us love one another as Christ first loved us.”
Jennie’s watery gaze fell to the rose she held in her hand. Taking her turn, she walked forward and dropped her rose on the casket. “Goodbye, Michael. I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too, Jennie,” she could almost hear him say.
Dad wrapped an arm around her shoulder and whispered, “He was one of the good guys.”
“Yes, he was,” Mom said as she, too, dropped her rose. “We’ll all miss him.”
“Mama?” interjected Nick. “If Michael is in heaven, why are we putting his flowers in the ground?”
Several people nearby chuckled.
Jennie stifled a smile.
“That’s a very good question.” Mom knelt down beside him. “Would you like to put your flower somewhere else?”
He nodded. “Up in the tree, then Michael can reach down and get it.”
Dad lifted him up while he deposited his flower.
Jennie would have given anything if Michael had survived the fire. But as Ashley had reminded all of them, in heaven Michael would experience complete healing and was in a far better place. Jennie was glad about one thing. She’d had the opportunity to capture the man responsible for the fire. In this case, at least, justice would be served.
“Jennie?” Dad’s soft mellow voice broke into her thoughts. “Are you ready? We need to get your mother home.”
“Sure. Let me say hi to Jared first.”
“Don’t be long.”
“I won’t.”
“Hi,” Jennie said as she approached him. “Um … just want to see how you’re holding up.”
“Okay. I’m staying with a foster family right now. They’re nice.”
An awkward silence stretched between them as they stood on the hillside looking down at the grave.
“Well,” Jennie said finally. “I should go. Mom’s going to have a baby, and she tires out pretty easily.”
“That’s neat. I—I’m glad we got a chance to talk. I want to tell you how sorry I am about Rich abducting you. If I hadn’t lied to him about being in jail he wouldn’t have—”
Jennie stopped him. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t blame you. Besides, it came out okay. We’re both safe and you’re free to live the kind of life you want.”
“I’m not sure, but I think I know what that’s going to be.” He glanced toward the grave. “I’d like to pattern my life after Michael’s. When the trial is over, I’ll go to college and maybe seminary. First though”—he gave her a lopsided grin—“I need to let my hair grow out.”
“Oh,” she teased. “I was just getting used to it.” After another long pause she said, “I’d better go.”
“Yeah, me too.” He reached forward and gave her a hug. “Thanks for believing in me.”
Jennie smiled. “Thank Michael—and God.”
On the way home, Jennie leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. Her brushes with death, both with Rich and Rafael, might have deterred some, but Jennie McGrady was more determined than ever to become a lawyer. She just hoped the next case would be a while in coming.