Tracey V. Bateman - Reasonable Doubt

Keri sobered and focused her attention on the boys, who were stomping and waving for them to hurry up. She swallowed hard. “I’m not scared.” Confused, hurt, angry. Why hadn’t he come back as he’d promised? Why had he left and never once written to her?

She gripped the wheel and kept her eyes forward, but she could feel Justin studying her. She couldn’t speak. If she tried, she’d make a complete fool of herself by demanding answers.

Finally, he drew a breath. “All right. There’s nothing we can do tonight. No one’s going anywhere in this weather. As far as I know they haven’t issued a warrant yet, but if you find out that they have, I’ll let you take me in.”

She nodded. “Fair enough.”

He gave her a sad smile and covered her hand with his. “It’s good to see you again.”

He opened the car door and went to join the twins.

Switching on the radio, Keri tried to raise the chief. She could put an end to all this right now.

“This is Deputy Mahoney. You there, Chief? Over.”

Dead silence.

She gave it a few more tries then sighed in frustration. That dumb Abe. She’d have to try again later, after the chief figured out the radio had been switched off.

She glanced at the porch where Justin and the boys waited. In all of her years of dreaming of Justin, Keri had never imagined emotions as intense as the ones invading her heart at that moment. She closed her eyes and gathered a deep breath. She had to keep her head on straight. This Justin wasn’t the same one she’d known. But try as she might to convince herself of that, her heart had a mind of its own.

Fifteen years notwithstanding, she still loved Justin Kramer.

He had to find the tape. Even if it meant sacrificing Justin and the twins to get it, he wouldn’t go to jail. He couldn’t.

The vinyl weight bench stuck to his bare back as he pushed the barbell up.

Breathe in, bring the weight down. Breathe out, push it back up. In…out. In…out. For the first time in his life, he felt as if he was in over his head. The whole situation was driving him nuts, and his stomach burned all the time—enough to keep the antacid companies in business. Ironically, all those nerves had given him the push he needed to get in the best workout he’d had in a month.

His gut clenched again. He had to find that videotape before anyone else did.

Breathing heavily, he sat up on the weight bench and grabbed his water bottle off the floor next to him. The tepid liquid soothed his dry throat, but nothing could soothe the anxiety gripping him night and day like a vise. Sweat trickled down his back. Amelia should never have tried to force his hand. Slamming the bottle to the floor, he lay back on the bench.

In…out. In…out.

Memories assaulted Justin as he stepped inside the cabin. Memories of tanned legs and dripping wet hair from summers spent swimming in the creek with Keri. As close as their two families had been for the first fourteen years of their lives, Justin could well imagine he and Keri might have ended up married, continuing those summer traditions into the next generation. If only things hadn’t unraveled that summer his parents died. Regret slashed across his heart at the possibility of what might have been.

Keri’s voice brought him back to reality. “Dad, you remember Justin Kramer, don’t you?” She sounded as carefree as if she didn’t suspect him of murder.

The joy brightening Mac Mahoney’s lined face was unmistakable and warmed Justin more than the roaring fire in the fireplace. “What kind of a question is that? Of course I remember him.” Tears glistened in faded green eyes as the grizzled older man wrapped his arms around Justin. “It’s good to see you, boy. Good to see you. Been too long.”

“Yes it has.” When Mr. Mahoney turned him loose, Justin reached for the twins. “I’d like you to meet my sons, Billy and Josh.”

Mac smiled and winked. “No one would ever guess you two are related.”

Billy returned his grin.

Josh sneered. “Like we’ve never heard that one before.”

“Josh!” Justin scowled. “You owe Mr. Mahoney an apology.”

The boy shrugged. “Sorry.” But his face didn’t reflect remorse.

“I’m sorry. Josh and Billy lost their mother recently. These last few months have been difficult.”

Keri’s dad waved aside the apology, his eyes alight with sympathy. “Don’t worry about it. I was just about to whip up a batch of my famous donuts.” He cut a glance at the boys. “Anyone interested in helping me out?”

Billy’s face lit with a wide grin. “Yes, sir!”

Mac smiled back, then focused on Josh. “How about you?”

The boy’s eyes showed interest, but in an obvious attempt to maintain his churlish manner, he shrugged again. “I guess.”

Justin held his grin in check.

“Great!” Mac rubbed his hands together. “Keri can show you where to put your coats. Come into the kitchen after your hands are washed.”

“Follow me, gents,” Keri said and walked toward the bedroom.

As soon as the boys were out of the room, Mac eyed Justin, studying his face as though trying to put his finger on the situation. “What brings you to our neck of the woods?”

Though his body had aged and his shoulders had stooped a bit over the past fifteen years, Keri’s dad appeared to have retained the instincts that had caused him to hold the position of Briarwood’s chief of police for as long as Justin could remember.

“The boys and I just needed to get away for a while. I hope you don’t mind me just showing up. I didn’t think anyone would be here.” As soon as he spoke the last words, his face warmed. If Mac and Keri hadn’t been here, he’d have been breaking and entering.

Mac seemed to ignore that, still he peered closer. “You bringing trouble with you?” Mac squinted, his eyes demanding the truth.

“I don’t think so.”

Keri’s dad nodded, but his expression remained stoic. “Does this ‘need to get away’ have anything to do with your wife’s death? Raven works for a TV station in Kansas City. She called us when it first happened.”

“Yes. I found her…in our house.”

He arched a wooly gray eyebrow. “You guilty?”

“No, sir.”

He would have liked to explain. To make Mr. Mahoney believe that he was still the same boy he’d treated as his own son all those years ago. That he wasn’t capable of such a crime. But voices carried back into the room, signaling Keri and the boys’ return.

Mac gave him another studied look. “We’ll talk about it later.” He headed for the kitchen without waiting for Justin’s response. “Follow me, boys. I got sidetracked catching up with your dad, so you can help me grab the ingredients out of the cabinets.”

The boys followed, their quick easy steps indicative of their relief to be in a lighter atmosphere. Guilt shrouded Justin, and for the first time he found himself second-guessing his decision to leave town. Innocent men were found innocent in most cases. What would happen if a warrant had already been issued for his arrest and Keri Mahoney of all people had to take him in? A throat clearing caught his attention, and he jerked his gaze from the kitchen door to Keri.

She motioned for him to take a seat on the rustic, woodsy-printed couch.

“Thanks.” He walked into the sitting area and dropped into cushions, running his hand over the stubble covering his jaw.

Keri shed her jacket and tossed it across the arm of the chair next to the fireplace. Silence loomed, a thick black cloud of tension, as she wordlessly grabbed the poker and pushed at the glowing logs. Justin watched the sparks shoot up the chimney. She tossed another log into place, situated it just right, then replaced the poker on the stand. She turned to face him.