Love Inspired Suspense July 2015 #2 (25 page)

Ellie pressed her hand to her heart. At least part of her world hadn't tilted off its axis.

Greg shifted his feet. “I was so ashamed.” His voice grew very quiet. “Still am.”

“How could you have done that?” She hated the squeaky quality of her voice. “How?”

“Stupid, I guess.” She had never heard her brother sound so weak. So small.
Poof!
Gone was the image of her older brother, the one she had forever looked up to.

“Mom and Dad had given me every opportunity and I had let them down. I couldn't face them if they had known I had done it. I was a coward.”

“Why?” A throbbing pounded behind her eyes. “Did Roger put you up to it?”

“I made my own bad decisions. It was so easy at first. Easy money, you know? Next thing I knew, the police were pounding on the door and I'm getting arrested.”

Ellie shoved a hand through her hair. “Why are you telling me now?”

“I've heard the news about the second drug overdose.”

Ellie's mouth grew dry. “What does that have to do with what happened ten years ago?” Her eyes grew wide. “Oh, no, you're not...” She struggled to fill her heavy lungs with air. The image of his wife Beth herding the children in the backyard flooded her mind. He'd destroy them. “No...”

“Oh, no, no. Absolutely not. I would never... I mean...” Greg stumbled over his words. “Not again.”

“Why are you speaking up now, Greg?” Johnny's husky voice sounded close to her ear. And then Ellie remembered how she had constantly criticized Johnny for ruining her brother's life. For ruining hers.

Greg had been the architect of his own downfall. He had been the one to cause his parents so much heartache.

Her brother clasped his hands together and closed his eyes briefly. “Beth and I know Kerry from the church. He was a real nice kid who obviously made a bad decision. We need these drugs off the street.” He lowered his voice. “Am I right in assuming you're in town investigating?”

“Yes, do you have information?” Johnny glanced toward the yard. Was he also wondering about Roger?

No
,
Ellie thought
. Roger's married. He's changed.
Didn't God say people could change? Her brother had changed too, right?

“I don't.” Greg kicked the tire on the minivan. “I can't believe I was so stupid and it pains me that kids are still killing themselves with this stuff.”

“
Stuff
you had willingly sold to
kids
.” Hurt lingered with the bile in her gut. Her brother had lied to everyone. Her dreams had been derailed, her parents' retirement gone, all because of her boneheaded brother.

Horror widened Greg's eyes. “I was young. Stupid. I would
never
do anything to jeopardize my family. I'm not that stupid kid anymore.”

“Like Johnny said, why tell us now? To ease your stupid conscience?” She spat the words out.

“If I'm being honest? Partially.” Greg crossed his arms and leaned back on the minivan. “I told you because I don't want you to doubt Johnny. He's great at what he does.” Her big brother's eyes grew dark. Intense. “Trust him to find the bad guys.” He gave her the saddest smile that broke her heart. “He did catch the bad guys once.” Greg laughed; a thin sound.

Tingles bit at her fingertips.

Greg reached out and touched her arm. “Trust him to keep you safe. He's a good guy.”

Ellie curled up her fist and had the most irrational urge to slug her brother in his arm because she couldn't wrap her head around all her emotions. He had put all of them through so much pain. He'd cost his parents a ton in legal fees. He had cost her a college education.

And if you talked to the old men seated on the bench outside the hardware store, their arrest had cost the sleepy town of Williamstown their one chance of earning the state championship in baseball. But Ellie couldn't care one bit about that.

“Beth knows.”

Ellie's head shot up. “What?”

“Beth knows. I told her before we got married.”

Ellie shook her head, as if it would snap her thoughts into place. “Yet you never told your family.” She didn't bother to frame it as a question.

Greg shook his head. His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. “I owe Johnny my life.”

Ellie froze in place and cut a sideways glance to Johnny, who stood expressionless, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

“If Johnny hadn't had me arrested, my life would have continued down that dark path.” Greg shook his head, as if seeing an alternate future. He held out his hand to his well-tended house in the suburbs. “I owe all of this to you. Thank you.”

Johnny and Greg shook hands. “I was doing my job,” Johnny said. “I had considered you a friend. It tore me up when I realized you were involved with drugs.”

“At first I felt betrayed,” Greg said. “You were my friend, after all. I thought you were the biggest jerk. A liar. Then, once reality set in, I decided God must have had other plans for me.”

Ellie wanted to ask him yet again why he hadn't confessed to his own family, but decided she had already asked twice and both times he'd told her he was ashamed. Only her brother knew his heart.

Well, her brother and God. He'd have to work on his relationship with God and his reasons for not revealing the truth to those he loved.

“Just do me a favor. Don't tell Mom. I'll tell her myself this week.”

“Let me know because I'm going to make myself scarce that day.” She laughed to release the tension and Greg pulled her into an embrace.

She opened her eyes and found Johnny watching her intently. The feeling unnerved her.

SEVEN

“T
hanks for coming out tonight.” The pastor, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and smile lines around his eyes, crossed the gym and shook first Johnny's, then Ellie's hand. They had left the barbecue at her brother's house early in order to talk to the youth group at the church. It was just as well because rain had moved into the area.

“Thanks for letting us talk to the youth. I know they're running short on time to get things ready for the fall carnival next weekend.” Ellie tucked her fingers into the back pockets of her jeans and smiled.

The loud
bam-bam-bam
of hammering sounded from the far corner of the gym and the pastor smiled. “These kids are good kids. They'll get everything done in time.” His expression shifted to somber. “The kids are shaken up by Kerry's overdose. I think it was important that an FBI agent came in and warned them about the dangers of drug use.” He shook his head. “Kids think they're invincible. Some things never change. Remember those days, Johnny?”

A shadow crossed Johnny's face. The pastor would have had no way of knowing Johnny's tragic upbringing. “I hope we've reached them,” Johnny said. “There are some really bad drugs out there. It's no longer an issue of getting high and having a good time. One bad dose and it's all over.”

“You'd think the kids would have been scared straight after Peter Heim's death last month. He was by all accounts a good kid, too,” the pastor said, threading his fingers in front of him.

“Like you said, a lot of kids think it can't happen to them. Or somehow they're smarter.” Johnny glanced around the large gym where the youth had divided up to work on various projects for the fall carnival.

“Let's pray Kerry recovers. Maybe
now
the kids who are inclined to experiment will realize it
could
happen to them.”

A young man with a baseball cap on backward approached the pastor. “You got duct tape?” he asked without regard for the adult conversation.

The pastor smiled, lifted the boy's hat off his head and turned it around. “I'm in the middle of a conversation, Sean.”

The boy jerked his head back. “Sorry. Just looking for duct tape.”

The pastor gestured with his chin toward the corner of the gym. “Look in the box near the door.”

“Cool.” Sean's sneakers squeaked as he pivoted on the gym floor.

“Kids these days. All about instant gratification.” The pastor watched Sean make his way over to the cardboard box in the corner.

“Have you heard any updates about Kerry?” Ellie asked.

The corners of the pastor's mouth tugged down. “No change.” He bowed his head reverently. “Our church community is praying for him. His parents are beside themselves. Many families are bringing them meals.” He shrugged. “It makes everyone feel like they're doing something when they feel so helpless.”

A tinge of bitterness swirled in Ellie's stomach. The church members hadn't come with a parade of meals when her family was going through the biggest nightmare of their lives.
Did they sense Greg's guilt when our family was blinded by his Golden Boy image?

Ellie wondered if she'd ever get over the sense of betrayal from her brother, one of the few people she truly admired. Looked up to. She glanced away when she felt the first prickles of tears at the backs of her eyes.

“We'll help clean up before we head out,” Ellie offered. Some habits died hard.

“Thank you.” The pastor turned his attention to Johnny. “Will I see you again? Perhaps at Sunday service?”

Johnny turned to Ellie with a help-me-out-here, wide-eyed gaze.

She smiled, not quite ready to give him an easy out.

“Um...” he muttered.

“Perhaps you'll give it some thought,” the pastor said, compassionate to Johnny's discomfort. He lifted an open palm. “I better see that everyone has a project. A lot needs to be done before next weekend.” He raised his eyebrows expectantly. “Perhaps you and Agent Rock could find time to join us this week. Many hands make light work.”

Ellie sensed Johnny tense next to her. He never came out and said it, but she assumed he wasn't a joiner, and certainly not for a church-related activity.

“I'll see what I can do during the week.” She wondered if she'd be able to convince Johnny that reopening her store was a good idea. “I do plan to work the church booth on Saturday night so the kids can enjoy the carnival some.”

The pastor patted her elbow. “Excellent. The apple cider is a big seller. See you then. If not sooner.” He smiled brightly. “Nice meeting you, Agent Rock. I'll pray that your investigation goes well.”

“Thank you,” Johnny said.

Ellie walked over to a nearby table and closed the empty doughnut cartons and stacked them one on top of the other. She had decided the best way to get the teenagers to sit and listen to Johnny speak was by bribing them with doughnuts. The smell of chocolate icing and the doughy-fresh doughnuts always reminded her of a simpler time when her family went to church as a family and Ellie's biggest concern was how well she had done on a math test or how long it would take her to write her English essay. Hard to imagine other teenagers had far more pressing concerns than homework.

Johnny walked around the gym gathering up the empty and half-empty foam cups of hot chocolate.

When they met up at the garbage can, Johnny said, “This was a great idea. If we reached one kid, it'll be worth it.” There was a wistful quality to his voice that made her respect him even more. This battle, the war on drugs, as the media called it, was personal. He was determined to make a difference and save lives.

Ellie stuffed the empty doughnut boxes into the large gray garbage totes. “I owe you an apology.”

Johnny stopped and cocked his head.

“I gave you a lot of grief over arresting my brother. I thought you were wrong. I
did
blame you.”

“Your brother is lucky to have you. To have a family that cares.” He reached out and slid a strand of her hair through his fingers. When she looked at him with a question in her eyes, he held out his fingers. “Chocolate.”

Ellie felt her face heat. “Love me a chocolate doughnut.”

Johnny laughed and wiped his fingers on a napkin he snagged from a nearby table.

Ellie lowered her voice. “Why didn't you tell me? Why did you let me believe my brother was innocent?”

Johnny ran a hand across his jaw. “Would you have believed me?”

Ellie bowed her head. Would she have?

“Hey,” Johnny said, reaching out and tilting her chin up with his warm finger, “loyalty and loving someone so much that you want to believe the best of them is a good thing.” He swallowed hard. “Don't fault yourself for that.”

Ellie pulled her sleeves down over her hands. “Do you think my brother is involved now?” The thought of her brother using her shop as a drug drop made her ill.

Johnny touched her hand lightly. “I don't think so, but I do have to consider his history.”

Nausea welled up in her throat and she breathed in slowly through her nose. “I pray he's matured since his reckless high school days.”

He squeezed her hand, but didn't say anything.

“Thank you for being here.” Ellie gazed around the room, hoping to see more garbage she could collect, something to distract her from this intense conversation, a conversation she felt went deeper than her relationship with her brother.

Ellie ducked away from Johnny and grabbed a wet rag from the utility sink in the corner of the gym and wrung it out. She wiped down the two tables and paused. “I hate to think any of these kids are involved with drugs. They seem like such good kids.”

“Even good kids can get caught up in drugs. I've seen it too many times to count.”

She turned around to face Johnny. Something dark swept across his face. “I'm sorry about your mom.”

A half smile tilted the corner of his lips. “Unfortunately my story isn't unique.”

Ellie stopped wiping the table and touched his forearm. “You're a good man.”

He patted the back of her hand. “You hardly know me.”

She shrugged, unable to articulate what she really wanted to say. Something along the lines of, “That may be true, but I like what I see, anyway.” She rinsed and wrung the rag in the sink and spread it out on the edge to dry. “I think we've put everything back in its place. The kids can take care of the rest.”

“How long have you belonged to this church? You seem at home here.” The sincerity in Johnny's question piqued her interest.

Ellie gave his question some thought. “Yeah, I guess I do. It's like a second home. My family has belonged to this church since I was a little girl.” She paused. “Of course, I was away for a few years, but when I broke up with my boyfriend and moved back home, this was...well, also part of my coming home.” She looked up and flushed when she found him watching her. “Does that fall under TMI?” She giggled nervously.

His unwavering attention made her flush. “Too much information? No, I like learning more about you.”

Ellie glanced down at the hardwood floor and the solid red line of the basketball court. “Um, do you belong to a church?”

“No, I don't. Mom worshipped at the altar of drugs.”

Something akin to regret welled in her gut. Their conversation had gone from sweet and lighthearted to suddenly dark. She swallowed hard. “I'm sorry.” She didn't know what else to say.

He held up his hand. “Nothing for you to be sorry about. My mom made her own choices. Most of them bad.” He pulled up the lining of the full garbage can. “Because of her, I am what I am today.”

Ellie watched as he tied the bag closed. “We can take that to the Dumpster on our way out.”

She walked ahead and held the door open for Johnny. They had spent a lot of time together recently and she had grown to enjoy his company. She did feel a little guilty about keeping him from helping his grandfather pack up the home on Treehaven. However, by Johnny's account, his grandfather didn't seem in much of a rush.

Johnny and Ellie strolled across the parking lot. The light from the lampposts reflected in the rain puddles. The fall air had turned crisp and Ellie zipped up her fleece jacket. Soon, fleece wouldn't cut it and she'd have to break out her thick winter jacket and a knit hat. She wasn't looking forward to that. She never had.

Johnny hoisted the garbage bag into the trash and it landed with a wet plop. She scrunched up her nose as the putrid scent of refuse floated out to greet them from the Dumpster. He wiped his hands together as they strolled toward his vehicle.

Ellie slipped her hands into her pockets and waited for Johnny to unlock the car doors. “Do you think any of these kids know who provided Kerry with drugs?”

“Tough to say. But one thing I do know, they wouldn't have approached us in front of their friends. The most I can hope for is that they took my business card and will call me directly. Anonymously, even.”

The sound of shoes running on pavement sent goose bumps racing across Ellie's arms. She spun around, bracing herself. Johnny was at her side in a heartbeat. He discreetly ushered her behind him with one hand and had his other hand under his jacket, no doubt reaching for his gun.

They were in a church parking lot. Wasn't he overreacting a bit? Overreacting? Tell that to her racing heart. Ellie set her shoulders back while her eyes strained to see who was approaching out of the shadows.

“Agent Rock?” The young girl's anguished face became visible under the light of the lamppost.

Ellie stepped around Johnny, relief now pulsing through her veins.

“Kaylee?” Her voice came out high-pitched and squeaky, a result of being startled. The teenager had been in one of the art classes she'd offered as part of her ministry at church. “Is everything okay?” Ellie scanned the parking lot. “Is something wrong?”

Kaylee smiled; a tentative smile, not the genuine smile of a teenager gathered around her friends, laughing at a joke or smiling, trying to get the attention of a young man. No, Kaylee was definitely not herself.

“Um...” Kaylee glanced around, much as Ellie had done. She took a few deep breaths.

Johnny stepped forward, relaxing his protective stance. “Did you need to talk in private?”

Kaylee shook her head, her blunt-cut bob framing her face. “I'm worried about my boyfriend.”

Ellie stepped forward and touched the young girl's arm. “What's going on?”

Kaylee's eyes flicked to Johnny, then back to Ellie. “Things were going great until the end of the summer. Then he got distant.”

“You guys are young. Maybe he didn't want a girlfriend his senior year.”

Ellie cut Johnny a sideways glance at his frank comment. Could he be any more insensitive?

“What Johnny meant...” Ellie attempted to soften his comment when Kaylee held up her hand.

“It's okay. That's what I thought and I was, like, whatever.” Kaylee wiped a tear from her eye. “But then I started seeing him around school. Well, when he bothered to show up. At the rate he's going, he won't graduate with the rest of us next spring.”

“Are you worried he might be involved with drugs?” There had to be a reason Kaylee had come to them with her concerns. Johnny had just spoken to them about the dangers of drugs and how they needed to reach out to an adult if they had concerns.

Kaylee lifted her shoulders and let them drop.

“Do you want us to talk to him?” Ellie asked.

Indecision creased the young girl's forehead. She tugged at her T-shirt. “Maybe you can stop by his house. Talk to him.” She shuffled her feet. “Without him, like, knowing I told you.”

“Maybe we can talk to his parents,” Johnny said, a question in his voice.

The whites of Kaylee's eyes glinted under the lamppost. “His dad left his mom a few months ago. His mom works all the time. And when she's not working, she sleeps.”