Jennifer Morey - Justice Hunter

A woman answered. Dyed blond hair, average height and weight, she looked well preserved and warily curious.

Rachel heard a television somewhere inside; the sound echoed in the cathedral-like entry. She had never seen anything so grand in her life. On TV, but not in person.

“Yes?” the woman asked.

“Is Joseph here?”

“He isn’t home from work yet. Who...” The woman searched Rachel’s face as though trying to place her.

“I work for your husband. A-at least, I used to work for him.”

More understanding smoothed the woman’s face, but her confusion remained. “What are you doing here?”

“I...” Rachel lowered her head, at a loss for how to explain and not sure she should. This woman was a stranger, and Rachel didn’t feel like explaining what had occurred.

“Wait a minute.” The woman pointed her finger as something dawned on her. “You’re that girl. The one who had the affair with our daughter’s husband.”

“I’m sorry.” Rachel started to turn, expecting animosity. “I intruded. I’ll go now.”

The woman stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. “Wait.”

Startled, Rachel looked into blue-gray eyes much like Lucas’s, and instead of wrath, she saw kindness. Warmth.

“I assume you found out?” Lucas’s mother said.

“Really, I should go. I shouldn’t have come here.”

“Joseph said you would.”

Rachel didn’t understand what she meant.

“Find out,” the woman clarified, hooking her arm with Rachel’s. “Come in. Let’s talk.”

The woman guided her inside, taking her to a wide-open living room that magnetized Rachel.

“Have a seat and we’ll talk this through. My son and husband don’t give the technique much credence when they really should.”

Rachel didn’t resist the woman’s wishes. Joseph must have told her some things, things he’d asked Rachel to believe.

She sat on a gigantic sectional. Something shifted in her, a deep, long-forgotten sense of caring, of being cared for. This woman could have turned her away. Instead, she welcomed her. Since her affair and the loss of her one good job, Rachel had alienated herself from her friends. She had no family, other than a few distant cousins too far removed to count.

“I’m Gloria Tieber. Why don’t you start by telling me how you did find out?”

Rachel would have retreated, were it not for Gloria’s simple approach. “I overheard Marcy talking.” She turned away with the renewed sting that memory packed.

“Don’t mind her. Whatever she said, she said it because she’s jealous. Joseph was going to transfer her no matter what. He isn’t a game-player. He won’t tolerate anyone who is. He prefers people who shoot straight. Like you.”

Rachel brought her thoughts back around.

“It’s not like him to lie,” Gloria said. “But he’d do anything for Lucas. They’ve been close ever since Joseph and I met. Took to each other right away.”

“Lucas isn’t his son?” She already knew, only needed confirmation, or maybe just to have it embedded into her head so she didn’t imagine there’d ever be any hope for her with Lucas.

“Next best thing. Stepson. My first husband died at a young age, when Lucas was just four. Luella was just a baby back then.”

Rachel watched as the woman’s thoughts wandered. The awfulness of losing a husband and the good memories of Luella had to feel like sorrow sprinkled with sugar.

“That must have been very difficult,” Rachel said.

Gloria smiled, the sorrow remaining. “It was such a long time ago. And Joseph is a wonderful man.”

Rather than continue down that line, Rachel asked, “Lucas and Luella weren’t adopted?”

“We decided not to arrange for Joseph to adopt them, in memory of their father.”

She could see Joseph being the kind of man to go along with that. An insecure man may not be so understanding. Lucas was a lot like that, too. As that thought popped into her head, the hurt churned on a new wave. “Why did he lie?” Rachel asked. “Does he think I had something to do with Luella’s murder?”

“I think he needs to investigate every possibility.”

The neutral way she answered told Rachel that he hadn’t ruled out any possibility.

“I didn’t know about Luella until after her murder,” Rachel said, feeling obligated to, as though she had to defend herself. “I saw it on the news.”

“Joseph told me.”

One morning she’d awakened like any other, with the sunrise, the news and a cup of coffee while she prepared for work. Her new schedule. She’d finally arrived. She was one of the commuters in the traffic report. Might seem insignificant to most, but she’d never had a job with hours that coincided with rush hour.

Then a breaking story had come on with video of Luella Palmer’s crime scene. When the screen changed to her place of residence, she’d recognized the house instantly. Jared had taken her there on a few occasions, not often, but often enough to keep her from becoming suspicious. Luella must have been traveling or out with friends. She’d stood there, stunned with a mounting storm of emotion. Betrayal, disbelief, a surreal unreality. He couldn’t have...

But he had.

How could he?

Next, the news showed Jared Palmer walking into the police station for questioning. The husband was always one of the first suspects, but what motive would he have?

“He tried calling me afterward,” Rachel said. “I didn’t answer. I never wanted to talk to him again. I didn’t even want to hear his explanation, because to me, there was no explanation worthy enough to hear. He lied about being married. He made me the other woman without my awareness.”

“Why didn’t you go to the police?”

Had Lucas already judged her for not doing so? She had to be careful how much she said. “I wanted nothing to do with him. I had nothing to do with Luella’s murder. I didn’t even know she existed. I wasn’t with him the night she was killed. For all I could see, he could have killed her. What if he lied to police?” Part of her had hoped he’d be sent to prison. If she could have helped that process along, she would have.

Gloria leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. “Lucas has always believed Jared killed her.”

“Why? What has he discovered?” Surely, Lucas must have unearthed something. And then another thought came. “If he’s so convinced Jared killed Luella, then why go after me?”

“Your affair, of course.” Gloria bestowed her with a shrewder look. “And the fact that you didn’t go to the police.”

Rachel didn’t back down. But neither did she offer any further explanation. No one would look out for her except herself, and revealing too much could draw danger to her door.

“And I wouldn’t say he’s gone after you. He just...needed a way to get information.”

Rachel wasn’t sure she liked this woman. She put on a friendly front, but boy, look out for what lay beneath.

“I should get going.” As she stood, she saw Lucas step out from the entry.

She froze with shock. How long had he been there? Had he listened to her conversation with Gloria?

“Hello, Rachel.”

The way he said Rachel had her on edge. She replayed all she’d said. Nothing too terrible.

Hearing Gloria stir, she watched her stand and smile at her son. “Lucas.” Going there, she hugged him. It all looked genuine. “I can’t imagine what’s brought you here.”

In other words, she had a crystal clear idea. He held his mother, but hard eyes targeted Rachel.

Why did he look at her like that? The kissing. His touches. The passion. None of that mattered now. Flustered, unable to grapple with the conflict between him last night and him now, she stepped toward the entry, intending to pass Lucas and his mother. She would have walked right past them, but Lucas moved in her way.