Page 65 of Justice for Daesha

He was weeping openly when he pressed through the doors back into the waiting room. Jack was still there, and a crying Aleta stood beside him. She ran straight to Amos and wrapped her arms around his waist. His sister-in-law. God, he hoped they’d have kids because any children they had would be an asset to the world they lived in. Denise and Henry were sitting with Lawrence, speaking quietly and trying to comfort him. And along the back wall were his fellow agents, Mack, Alex, and Jesse. Those guys had become his family as surely as the Fletchers were, and he was grateful to them and all the troopers, deputies, and first responders who’d come to help. When he reached Mack, he held out his hand, but his supervisor swept him up in a bear hug that was tightened by Alex and Jesse. “Believe, agent,” Mack whispered in his ear. “You’ve got to believe.”

Amos pulled back and looked into Mack’s eyes. “I’m trying. I swear, I’m trying, but it’s hard.”

“Let’s sit down, okay? We need to talk.” Once they were all seated, Mack pressed his hands to Amos’s knees to help him focus. “SenatorKelso is okay. He’s going to have to have heart surgery, but right now he’s stable. His sons are with him, them and their boatload of regret for having blamed their dad all this time. Their mother is in surgery. She lost a lot of blood, and she’ll probably lose the use of that arm, but she’s expected to survive. As soon as possible, there’ll be an indictment brought down and she’ll go on trial when she’s well. That’s if she pleads not guilty. We’re all hoping she doesn’t do that.”

“So we did it. We found Dorinda’s murderer,” Amos whispered.

“You did. You most certainly did. I’m proud of you, agent. I hear there’s a commendation coming down from the AG. Good work.”

Amos closed his eyes and nodded. At least there was that. Then he lifted his head. “I’ve got something I’ve got to do if you’ll excuse me.” Standing, he made his way to Lawrence. “I think there’s somewhere you and I need to go.”

* * *

The sun waswarm and a breeze had picked up when Jack parked the cruiser and the three men got out. Instead of accompanying them, he leaned against his car and waited.

Amos and Lawrence made their way across the grassy area, wandering here and there, not speaking but both knowing what the other was saying. They had a message to deliver.

They stopped in front of the huge, white granite stone and Amos motioned Lawrence forward. “Hey, my girls. I’ve got some news. Dorinda, we know who did it. And I’m so sorry, honey, that somebody betrayed you like that. She was supposed to be somebody you could trust, and she hurt you. For that, I’ll never forgive her. And I want you to know that Ainsley, Benson, and Chance still love you, honey. I think they’ll always love you. None of them have moved on, but I’m going to talk to them about that. They deserve to be happy for all the happiness they brought you.” He pressed his fingers to the inscription on his wife’s side of the stone. “Baby, we’re at peace, but whoever you know up there, please, ask them to give us a little more time with Daesha. This young man over here, he’s a fine guy, and he really, really loves her. I want them to have a long time together to have the kind of relationship you and I had. I was a happy man, baby. They deserve to be happy too. Amos over here found out about Lucy. Now you and Dorinda can have the peace you deserve.” When he finished, he motioned for Amos to step forward, but the younger man was rooted there, staring at the stone. In a few days, there could be another name there, and the thought was a horror he couldn’t fathom. Lawrence’s hand on his arm brought him out of his thoughts. “Thank you, son. What you did? It wasn’t just about loving Daesha. You showed your love for Dorinda, for Alice, and for me too. You gave our family peace that we needed. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

Amos couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t think. He was numb with fear. Then he heard a whistle from behind him and turned. From across the cemetery, Jack held up something and yelled, “Hey! You left your phone in the car! Get over here!”

Running as fast as he could, he slid to a stop in the gravel beside Jack and reached for his phone. There was a text from his mother and when he opened it, he found a video. He touched it and it began to play. And Amos fell to his knees.

There, on the screen, were Ainsley, Benson, and Chance, and they were gathered around the head of a hospital bed. She smiled up at the camera and waved. “Hey, babe, where are you? I need you here with me. Hurry, Amos. I don’t want to lose another second with you.”

“Get me to the hospital?” he asked his younger brother, tears rolling down his face.

A lone tear escaped Jack’s eye as he smiled. “Buckle up. We’re about to find out just how fast this cruiser can go.”

* * *

Amos could hearher when he got to the swinging doors. “But I wanna go home!”

“Ma’am, you need to stay here for at least a couple of days. We need to monitor your fluid intake and output, and keep an eye on your brain in case there’s some swelling.”

He threw back the curtain and glared at her. “Are you giving them a hard time?”

“You weren’t here to do it for me, so I had to take up for myself!” she shouted back.

Before she could blink, he had her wrapped up in his arms. “You’re going to stay right here and let them take care of you, and I’ll be here the whole time. Stop arguing with them. You’re hard-headed, woman.”

“I love you, Amos. I was so scared.”

“I know, and I’m sorry I didn’t find you faster. I was doing all I could.”

“I know.” She pressed him back and smiled up at him. “But you found me!”

“Ainsley was the one who figured it out. Thank god for him.”

She laughed. “Bet you never thought you’d saythat!”

“Nope. Honestly, I never did. And before you say it, I know?you never dreamed Lucy would harm you in any way. I didn’t either. Nobody did. So this wasn’t carelessness. It was misplaced trust in a person you’d never had a reason to distrust.”

“The boys were here. They’re brokenhearted, Amos. I feel so bad for them. But at least their dad is going to be okay and they can make up with him for all the horrible things they thought about him.” Amos pulled up a chair, but he’d barely sat down before Daesha cried out, “Daddy!”

“Hey, sweetheart!” Lawrence leaned down to hug his daughter, then gave her a big kiss on the forehead. “How do you feel?”

“Okay, I guess. I’m hungry, but they won’t let me eat.”

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