Page 34 of Dodge

The men would set a trap for her on Trail Ridge, knowing that she’d sneak up to the house to kill him.

A trap that she’d use against them.

Marlowe had then gone to Jessica—the last piece of the puzzle. She recalled that Braddock had said both Tony and Jessica were hunters. So she’d asked, “Will you help me get the man who shot Tony?”

“Offenbach?” Her daunting eyes had glowed. “You bet I will.”

There had been a pause. Marlowe had added, “When I sayget, I don’t mean arrest. Do you understand what I’m saying?” She had noted that Jessica wore a cross and some of the flower arrangements in her husband’s room bore the symbol as well.

Jessica didn’t hesitate. “Tony and I’re religious. We go every Sunday. I teach Bible school. The ‘thou shalt not kill’—it’s the sixth commandment in our church. It means you can’t kill theinnocent. No rule against murdering the evil. What do you want me to do?”

Now, eyes on the tumbling water, Jessica said, “It didn’t turn out the way we wanted. Him being alive.”

“Agreed there. At least he’ll spend the rest of his life in a small concrete box. That’s something.”

Justice of sorts ...

Marlowe sloughed off disappointment again.

“I’ve got something for you.”

She walked to the passenger-side door and opened it. She lifted a thick manila envelope off the seat and handed it to Jessica.

“What’s this?”

“Don’t open it here.” They weren’t alone. Staff, discharged patients and family members were walking between the parking lot and the hospital.

A frown of curiosity appeared in the round, freckled face.

Marlowe said, “It’s two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”

“What?”

“I got to Offenbach’s house on Trail Ridge before the deputies. He had a go bag. You know what that is?”

“We watchedBreaking Bad.” Jessica offered it back “But we can’t take it.”

“It’s laundered. Offenbach would never have traceable cash.”

“I don’t mean that. It’s just it’s not ours.”

Marlowe had anticipated the reaction. She had a plan for this too. “There’s something called the crime victims reparation fund. Every state’s got one. Consider it’s from there. Tony’s rehab’s going to be expensive.”

Jessica stared down at the envelope.

“If you don’t want to spend it, use it to start the fire in the barbecue when you’re cooking your venison burgers.”

The envelope disappeared into her purse.

“You staying around here?”

“No, I’m going back to Hopewell. Vandalia County.” She explained about the trial of the man who might have been one of Offenbach’s associates at Cynthia’s murder.

She added, “The facts aren’t clear. I don’t want an innocent man to go to jail. I don’t want a guilty one to go free.”

Marlowe walked around to the driver’s side of the car, the orange paint glowing like lava in the sunlight.

Jessica said, “That trial? It’ll be over soon?”

“It’s gone to the jury. They could come back today. Could be next week.”

“Tony and me? We’ll pray that God sees that justice is done.”

Constant Marlowe nodded her thanks and sat down behind the wheel, thinking, And maybe, just maybe, She would.

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