The Road to Justice/Sins of the Son combo pack - A John Fowler Novel (John Fowler (Books 1 & 2)) (13 page)

Bruce saw his opportunity and sprang. 
“
You know sir,
”
he said trying to be sly.  Trip was back to digging th
r
ough files and looking away from Bruce.  It was a good thing Trip wasn
’
t looking at Bruce because it was all
Trip
could do to hold
in
his laughter. 
“
The right thing to do would be to give them this chance.
”
 
Trip looked up sharply.

“
Are you telling me you want me to tell Washington you
’
re passing on a case!?
”
 
Trip exclaimed. 

“
I don
’
t want to go against my superiors, but there are times we should do what
is
best for the agency.
”
 
Bruce was trying not to be too pleased with
himself
;
that he may have just tied the knot in the noose around Jessica and Chet
’
s neck. 

“
I guess I could tell them that you weren
’
t comfortable taking a case away from agents that had made some progress and you have a full plate already.
”
 
Trip pretended to dig around and pulled up three files that needed to be assigned.  He offered them to Bruce.  Bruce pressed his lips together and sighed.  He knew Trip was right.  He took the files and thanked Trip.  Bruce turned and started out the door. 

“
Agent Cosby,
”
Trip said.  Bruce turned expecting to be praised for his good deed.  He tried to keep the smile to himself, but failed miserably. 
“
Shut the door on your way out.
”
 
Bruce was dumbstruck.  He nodded and shut the door.  As he walked down the hall he looked at the three files in his hand and realized he was about to be very busy.  He chuckled to himself.  Why it was almost like it was busywork to keep him out of . . . no.   He stopped in the hall and turned back toward Trip
’
s door.  As he reached the door he heard Trip on the phone saying that Bruce had turned down the assignment.  He heard Trip say he thought
it was in the best interest of the office and was proud of his agent for being a team player.  Bruce started back down the hallway.  He had almost embarrassed himself.  To think he had almost accused his Director of something so underhanded.  Bruce hurried back to his desk to start working on his new cases.

Back in Trip
’
s office, Trip was listening very carefully for the footsteps away from his door.  He had been speaking to no one on the phone.  Well, that was wrong; he was talking to Chet down in the foxhole.  Bruce was an incompetent agent, but every now and then he did figure things out.  Trip calling Chet had been Chet
’
s idea.  It seemed like a good idea, and he was very glad Chet had suggested it.  Bruce would now stay out of John
’
s, Jessica
’
s, and Chet
’
s hair for a little while, but they had only bought a little time.

That
’
s what worried Trip the most.  Someone somewhere had made some phone calls to arrange Bruce take this case.  What worried Trip the most, if someone had done that; then they knew what kind of investigator Bruce was.  Someone, very high up, was working on a cover-up.  Trip shook his head.  He would have to tread very carefully.  This was something straight out of a conspiracy theory nut
’
s playbook.  Trip checked his watch, and decided it was time to make a phone call of his own.  Trip picked up the phone and called in a favor for one of the first times in his life.

“
Senator Cosby
?
”
 
Trip asked. 
“
Director Trip
,
of the New York FBI.
”
 
He paused. 
“
I
’
m doing well sir; I
’
m actually calling you about an old friend of yours, John Fowler.
”
 
Trip listened. 
“
Well he is back with us in a consulting position, but I think he has stumbled on something that is out of his league.
”
 
Trip listened and grinned. 
“
Yes sir, I believe he has stepped into a political landmine field, and I don
’
t know how he managed it.  Is there any way you could meet with me in my office and the three of us discuss this?
”
 
Trip listened for a minute and broke out into a full smile. 
“
Thank
you sir.
  John should be here in a couple of hours.  He
’
s in Vermont now.  I
’
ll see you first thing in the morning and we
’
ll see if we can
’
t sort
this thing out.
”
 
Trip listened. 
“
Yes sir.  I
’
ll see you in the morning.  Good-bye.
”

Trip hung up.  He didn
’
t even have to beg, which made him wonder for the thousandth time about the relationship between John Fowler and
Senator Cosby
.  Whatever it was, it might be the only chance John, Jessica and Chet had of solving this case.  Trip turned his chair and stared out the window.  What had these three stumbled onto?

John had been back a couple of hours, but for some reason he hadn
’
t contacted anyone in the FBI.  John realized he was following the old protocols of his team.  If there was any doubt of any compromise, do not contact other team members over the phone, only face to face.  He wasn
’
t for sure why he was enacting this protocol other than his gut feeling.

This case was really starting to get to him.  Five people were dead, and it appeared his home state had something to do with it.  That bothered John.  He had wonderful memories of Kentucky.  He had grown up in western Kentucky and then went to school at Eastern Kentucky University.  That was where he met the beautiful Graduate Student Samantha Moore.  Sam was working on a Masters in Speech Pathology.  Her goal was to work with children.  Sam was born and raised in Virginia.  Her parents, Arthur and Madeline Moore
,
were very, very well off.  John shook his head thinking about the luxurious home they owned.

The Moore
’
s ran in a very elite circle.  It should have been no surprise to John that he would meet a one-day US
senator
there.  Jeremiah Cosby was running for the Senate seat when John first met him. It struck him as strange that Arthur had no problems about Madeline being around Jeremiah when he first met him.  Apparently Jeremiah and Madeline had just ended their relationship when Madeline met Arthur.  Madeline and Arthur were together for a little over two months before they became engaged.

John soon realized that things worked a bit differently in the Moore household.  Arthur was all about his business and making as many shrewd business decisions as possible.  John also found that Jeremiah was the one person he had misread.  John thought Jeremiah longed for Madeline, but that couldn
’
t have been further
from the truth.   As John got to know Jeremiah over the years
,
he found out that
Senator Cosby
really was as squeaky clean as he appeared on TV.  It was no wonder his constituents loved him. 

John chuckled to himself.  He had always wondered how Sam came from Madeline and Arthur.  Sam would do anything for those in need
. 
A
nything.
  She was nothing like Arthur; in fact, she was quite similar to
Senator Cosby
.  Sam once told him she felt more of a kinship with Jeremiah than her own father.  She respected
Senator Cosby
and truly tried to emulate him.  John shook his head.  Sam was more like a daughter to
Senator Cosby
than Bruce was a son.  Sam
’
s blue eyes would always sparkle when she talked about
Senator Cosby
.  John used to joke with her that he was worried about losing her to him.  Sam would always respond,
“
eww
he
’
s old enough to be my father.
”
  

A knock on the door pulled John away from his thoughts.  He walked to the door and looked through the peep hole.  Jessica was standing in the hallway.  John stepped away from the peep hole.  He really didn
’
t understand what was going on inside of him.  If he didn
’
t know better, he would think he was falling for her.  John looked at the picture of Sam.  He took a deep breath and opened the door.

“
Do you always go knocking on available guy
’
s doors late at night
,
Agent Hammerstein?
”
 
John asked.  Jessica smiled.  John felt his belly do a flip. 

“
Are you going to ask me in and find out
,
Private Investigator Fowler?
”
 
Jessica replied.  John mocked a wince at the PI joke.  Inside, his stomach was doing flips and flops.  He stepped away from the door and gave a sweeping enter motion.  Jessica smiled and walked through.  John closed the door and turned around.  Jessica had taken off her coat.  John had always known she was attractive, but tonight for some reason she was stunning.  She wasn
’
t wearing anything provocative, or anything different than her usual FBI dress, it was like he was seeing her in a different light.  John realized he hadn
’
t breathed and had just been staring.

“
Sorry, Jess . . . ah Jessica.  When I fly it does funny things to me.
”
 
John stammered.

“
It
’
s fine John.  Was everything all right with the car?
”
 
She asked
.

John smiled a big smile, almost too big.  Was he being creepy?  What was wrong with him?  It was like he never talked to a woman before!  He had talked to Jessica thousands of times.

“
I absolutely loved the satellite radio.
”
 
Jessica smiled but looked a little concerned.  She stepped across to him and went to feel his head to see if he had a fever.  John thought she was coming to kiss him.  John couldn
’
t decide if that
’
s what he wanted or not.  In what might be the most awkward moment in the history of man and woman, John pulled his head back while puckering his lips.  John realized how foolish he looked.  If he didn
’
t, the look on Jessica
’
s face should have told him.  Jessica stood in front of him.  She put her hands on her hips studying John.  John
was turning a funny color of red.  She pointed to the couch and he obediently went and sat.

“
John, I am going to speak, and I want you to shut your mouth and not say a word.
”
 
John nodded. 
“
I went to feel your head because you were a funny color and your breathing seemed strange.  Have you been drinking?
”
 
John shook his head no.  Jessica sighed and sat down on the far end of the couch.  She stared at John.  She got up and sat down on the middle section beside John.  She began to twirl her hair as she talked.

“
John, have you been on a date since Sam died?
”
 
John looked down at the floor and shook his head no.  Jessica stopped twirling her hair.  She had a bemused smile on her face.  She smacked his leg and John brought his head up in surprise.  Jessica smiled at him.

“
Let
’
s talk business,
”
she said. 
“
I
’
m going to assume you didn
’
t call due to old habits, which is best.
”
 
John looked at her sharply. 
“
Someone at Washington made a phone call today trying to get Bruce on the case and me and Chet off of it.  Thanks to Trip, it failed.
”
 
John looked completely confused.  Jessica held up her hand. 
“
It
’
s a
long story.  The short of it is
Senator Cosby
is coming to meet with me, you, Chet, and Trip tomorrow to discuss this.  For now, keep following old protocols.  No calling in unless absolutely necessary.
”
 
John nodded.  Jessica took both of John
’
s hands into hers.  The look on her face softened.  John spoke before she could.