Page 39 of Justice Delayed

That must have cut Melender to the quick.

Nolan continued, “She nearly collapsed, and then Jimmy informed me that he’d known her identity all along.”

“What did Melender do?” Brogan’s heart ached at the thought of her going from such a scene to find her apartment had been trashed.

“She said she wasn’t accusing me of anything, and her aunt must have sold the dulcimer to the pawn shop. Then she ran out of the store.” Nolan finished his tea. “That’s why when you called, I realized God was giving me a second chance to do the right thing, to show Melender kindness and forgiveness rather than the rush-to-judgment I’d done.”

“She could use more friends.” Brogan didn’t want to contemplate why God had brought Melender into his life because that would mean he might have a bigger role to play than to merely write her story. His cell buzzed with Fallon’s name on the screen. “Excuse me, it’s my boss calling.” He accepted the call. “Brogan speaking.”

“Where are you?” Fallon barked without a greeting. Typical.

“I’m near Ratcliffe Park in Fairfax City.”

“There’s a five-alarm fire over at the courthouse. I expect a story by ten.” Fallon clicked off before Brogan could response.

“I hate to rush out of here, but I’ve got to go cover a fire.” Brogan rose, as did his uncle. “You’ll take good care of Melender, won’t you?”

Nolan laid a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. She’ll be safe with us, and, if I know my wife, she’s already convinced Melender to stay with us for a while.”

Brogan thanked him, then exited the porch by the back entrance. As he walked to his car, he sent up a quick prayer of thanks for Melender’s safety and a petition that they could figure out who was targeting her.

* * *

The sun peekedover the horizon as Melender walked to her vehicle. Somehow, she’d managed to make it through her shift without collapsing from exhaustion. She rotated her shoulders, but it did little to relieve her overall fatigue. She hadn’t felt this weary since her arrest eighteen years ago. Back then, she hadn’t been able to sleep in the crowded jail and wore a cloak of perpetual tiredness. After her sentencing, she eventually got used to the constant noise and lack of privacy in prison and was able to sleep most nights.

After being forced into close proximity with dozens of women in her prison pod, she enjoyed the solitude of this work and lifestyle. Adjusting to working nights hadn’t been too difficult. In fact, after the first few weeks, she’d fallen into the rhythm of sleeping during the daylight hours.

After chirping her car door unlocked, she reached for the handle.

“Melender Harman?”

The unfamiliar male voice caught her off guard. Usually, she paid more attention to her surroundings, but lack of sleep had dulled her senses. She turned. An audible sigh escaped her lips at the sight of an older man in a short-sleeve dress shirt and rumpled khaki pants who stood near her car’s back bumper. A woman stood beside him. Cops.

“May I see some identification?” Melender didn’t move closer, wanting to keep her distance from the pair of them.

Surprise flickered across the woman’s face, yet she flashed her badge. The man removed his credentials from his back pocket. Each held up their IDs, forcing Melender to step closer to read their names and affiliation. Fairfax County Detective Lauren Collier and Fairfax County Detective Mark Livingston.

Melender threw a glance at Detective Livingston’s lined face, recognition flaring in her memory. “You investigated Jesse’s disappearance.” The declaration burst out of her before she’d weighed the consequences.

“I was part of the team.” Livingston pocketed his badge.

Her fingers tightened on the key fob. “Why are you here?”

“You’re Melender Harman?” Detective Collier pressed.

Melender ignored the question, and instead repeated her own. “Why are you here?”

“Yesterday afternoon, a body was found.” Livingston clipped tone didn’t faze her.

Melender’s heart kicked up a notch “A body? Was it…” She swallowed hard. “Was it Jesse?”

“What makes you say that?” Collier shifted closer to Melender.

Melender didn’t budge. She would not be intimidated by them and refocused her attention on Livingston.“Have you identified the body?”

“The victim was an adult male, TJ Williams, who had been murdered by a blow to the head,” Livingston said.

“That’s terrible, but I don’t understand what that has to do with me.” Melender glanced from one detective to the other but couldn’t read anything on their impassive faces. Her heart went into overdrive. “You don’t think I had anything to do with it?” Panic tinged her words, but she couldn’t help herself.Please God, don’t let the nightmare begin again.Livingston said something, but Melender didn’t track it. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

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