Saturday, August 22 at 5:35 p.m.
“Alright, kid. I’m going to enjoy what weekend I have left. You should do the same.” Pete placed his Carolina Panthers hat on his head. “My lady isn’t too happy with me.”
Jo looked at her phone, checking the time. Her family probably had already started the festivities. She looked at Pete. “This job isn’t easy on relationships.”
Pete grinned. “I should know. Wife number one and two still remind me. My three kids don’t have much to say to me most of the year unless they’re short on cash, of course.”
Jo tilted her head in sympathy. “But you’ve met the right woman this time, right?”
“I’ll find out soon enough. All I can do is try. I don’t like being alone. You need to be getting along too. No need to keep Bryan waiting.”
Jo bit her lip. She hadn’t shared her predicament at home yet. “Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Pete.”
After Pete left, Jo turned her attention back to the evidence board. There were too many loose ends and not many leads. She looked at the photos of footprints that were around the body. Since it had rained softly on Monday, the shaded ground around Laura’s body was still soft. She hoped CSI would be able to share a lead about the type of shoe that made the footprint. Jo thought the thread looked like a sneaker.
She really wanted to know where the rug came from that Laura was wrapped in, and why were the woods behind the Pine Woods Park Apartments selected as the dumping ground. Though Laura’s phone had probably been destroyed, Jo put in a request for the phone records so they could triangulate her whereabouts, and possibly the actual murder scene. They still had several interviews to conduct. Hopefully then they would have a better timeline.
Jo shook her head. It was time to call it a day. Plus, she was ready to eat her dad’s grilled masterpieces. She grabbed her bag and headed towards her car. Jo sped down I-77 to her parents’ home. Her parents and siblings liked Bryan, at least when he hadn’t given them a reason not to.
Early in their marriage, Bryan tried and failed at managing his own web design company. Clients would often fail to pay on time or not at all, resulting in a lot of debt and past due bills. Jo wanted Bryan to do what he loved and stood by him despite her family’s concern. No one was more grateful than she when he found a position as a web developer at Progressive Media.
Bryan worked there for three years. He seemed to love it, especially since Progressive Media was a hip place that offered flexible hours. All was fine until Alexis was hired as a project manager almost a year ago.
I’ll be glad to be with my family. I’m tired and worn out thinking about Bryan and his affair with Alexis.
She pulled into her parents’ driveway, climbed out of her car and went around the back. Her nose was drawn towards the charcoal grill smoke. Her dad wore his red apron wrapped around his waist. He was chatting with some of his retired buddies. She waved to the group of men she’d known since childhood, and headed inside the house.
B.J. was playing a video game with his Uncle Cori. Jo stopped and grinned as she watched her son and younger brother duke it out. Cori was twenty-six years old, unmarried and the smartest person she knew. No one in the family was surprised when he decided to go into forensics. He was always a science fiction geek.
“Don’t hurt him too bad, B.J.”
B.J. laughed, “I won two games.”
“Ah, sis. What kind of kid do you have here? He’s too smart for six years old.”
Jo patted her brother on the head. “Sounds like he gets some of that from his Uncle Cori. I remember you being just like this at six years old.” Jo was also sure her competitive younger brother was letting B.J. win.
Cori turned and grinned, “Hey, I’m a good influence.”
“I don’t know. B.J. is starting to follow your Star Wars obsession.”
“That’s not bad, sis.” Cori’s face turned serious. “Hey!” He observed B.J. before turning around. “Are you okay? I can’t believe you-know-who.”
Jo guessed her mother filled in Toni and Cori on the news of Bryan’s affair. Jo was almost eight years older than the twins, but it often felt like her mother had a closer relationship with her precocious younger siblings. Jo’s heart melted over her brother’s concern. “Me neither. I’m as good as I can be. Thanks for asking.”
Jo headed into the kitchen. Toni jumped up from where she sat with a plate of food. Jo’s younger sister was by far the free spirit in the family. Her thick natural hair was placed high above her head in a large puff. Toni used her artistic skills successfully as a valuable forensic artist for CMPD. Their dad often proudly declared how all of his children were crime fighters with their various roles in law enforcement.
Toni bent down to hug Jo. For some reason, all of her siblings had their dad’s height while Jo inherited their mother’s short stature. “Jo, you finally made it. Girl, Mama was going to have me go drag you out of that building.”
Their mother grinned. “Your sister is exaggerating. I hope your day was productive.”
Jo grabbed a ginger ale from the fridge and popped the lid. She answered her mother, “Sort of. There are still a lot of unanswered questions.” Jo drank from the can enjoying the sharp taste of the bubbles. She glanced at the row of grilled chicken, hamburgers, and hotdogs on the counter. She was really hungry.
As Jo reached for a plate, she heard her older sister bellowing from the other room. “I’m here. I hope you people didn’t eat all the food.” Asia stepped into the doorway of the kitchen looking like a fashion model. Dressed in khaki pants and a red short-sleeved shirt, Asia had her matching khaki jacket folded over her arms. She placed the jacket and her large brown bag on a kitchen chair.
Jo eyed her sister who worked as an assistant D.A. at the district attorney’s office. “You’re just getting here too? Don’t tell me you were working on a Saturday too?”
Asia kicked off her three-inch high pumps before sitting. “Girl, you know the district attorney’s office is getting ready for Jeffrey Maddock’s trial in a few weeks. You of all people should be happy. By the way, you did a great job gathering the evidence for the case. My boss is ecstatic about getting this trial going.”
Jo added some potato chips next to her hamburger. “Well thanks, sis. You actually sound proud of me.”
Asia grabbed a plate. “I am proud of you. It was you who picked up on the romantic connections between Maddock and those women. I tell you every time I see that man, he makes my skin crawl. It’s sad because he is good looking, but he’s so evil.”
Their mother spoke from the table. “That’s the way evil is packaged. Often looks good on the outside.”
Jo sat and dived into her food. As she chewed, she thought about Bryan’s attraction to his colleague Alexis. She was a beautiful woman, but that was no excuse for Bryan straying away.
Toni nudged her. “How are you, Jo? Mama told us about Bryan.”
Asia swung around from the counter, “What about Bryan? I haven’t heard anything.” She stared at Jo.
Jo attempted to swallow the food in her mouth, but a lump had suddenly formed in her throat making it difficult to swallow. The vibe of the kitchen was warm and cozy with the camaraderie of her sisters and her mother, now the atmosphere seemed to suffocate her.
Toni answered for her. “Bryan cheated with that woman we saw at the 4th of July barbecue.”
Asia put her hand on her hips. “That heifer! Jo, I told you something was up with her.”
Jo cringed, not sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. Asia was right. Alexis had seemed glued to Bryan’s side that day. Bryan had told her they were talking about work.
Their mother looked at her oldest daughter. “Asia, that was not necessary.”
Asia took a seat with her plate. “Mama, come on. You know you probably called her the same thing. Mama tries to be sanctified about what she says. You know I could have called her something else.”
Their mother shook her head. “Asia, just enjoy your meal. Jo’s had a hard time as it is.”
Asia wasn’t one to ever be quiet, which was why she was the lawyer in the family. She chewed thoughtfully on her grilled chicken sandwich. “Jo, what are you going to do? I have plenty of divorce lawyers I can recommend.”
Jo glared at her older sister. “I honestly haven’t had time to process what to do. I’m kind of still in shock.”
Their mother stood and started clearing the table. “Jo, that’s why I asked you to pray and look into marriage counseling.”
Asia smirked. “Counseling? Mama, you think they can work this out just like…”
Their mother’s glare towards Asia left all three sisters quiet.
Finally, she responded, “Like your father and me. Every marriage doesn’t have to crumble into a divorce. Sometimes these situations are a wakeup call to let God come in and be the center where He was not allowed to be present before.”
Jo looked at her mother. Guilt shrouded her conscience. She hadn’t wanted to admit it, but Bryan and she had been slowly gliding apart for some time. She had not prayed for her marriage the way she had in the beginning. B.J. was born and then her cases kept coming. Bryan’s work could be time-consuming on occasion. Life snuck in and without her realizing it, an opening was left for the enemy to walk right through to steal, kill and destroy her marriage.
Suddenly, Jo felt like curling up in her own bed. She picked up her plate and tossed it in the garbage. “It’s been a long day. I think B.J. and I need to head home.”
Her mother walked over and hugged her. “Please get some rest. Maybe we will see you both in church tomorrow.”
Jo hugged her back. “I’ll try.”
She exchanged hugs with both of her sisters. The men were a little difficult about the hugs, but Jo’s mother and sisters insisted on hugs even if they had just argued with each other. Her mother helped her gather B.J.’s things and buckled him into the backseat of the car. B.J. slept soundly as Jo drove home. She was grateful since she didn’t know if she could handle any of her son’s questions about his daddy.
She desperately needed eight hours of sleep. For a change, Jo didn’t want to think about the Finneys or the upcoming Maddock trial or Bryan. As she turned into her driveway, she pressed the garage opener, and was startled to see Bryan’s Mustang. She thought he would have stayed away longer.
B.J. stirred in the backseat as Jo pulled into the garage. In a sleepy voice he said, “Mommy, look! Daddy’s home.”
Jo shut off the engine and looked over at Bryan’s car. She wondered what this meant and if she had to deal with the inevitable tonight.