Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
E ddie pulled down a box of double chocolate brownie mix from the grocery store’s shelf. He never did have any of his brownies the other day. Frozen pizza and brownies. A perfect breakup dinner. For both real and fake.
He tossed the box in his empty cart and then eyed the peanut butter swirl brownie option. Tomorrow already felt like it would need a double portion of a pick-me-up. He would start researching more fundraiser ideas for the youth center.
My money’s not tainted, Eddie. You keep thinking my kind gestures are something they’re not. We had a deal, and I’m going to keep my end of the bargain. Relationship or not.
But if there was no future between him and Bianca, he couldn’t take her money.
I did the right thing, right, Lord?
“Boo!” a young girl shouted from behind him.
Eddie spun around and knocked another brownie box onto the ground.
The pony-tailed girl, who turned out to be Scarlette, darted to the dropped box while she smiled up at Eddie. “Since I got you, Coach, I think you should have to make these brownies for me.”
Eddie took the box from her outstretched hand and placed it into his cart. “Why don’t I make brownies for the whole team?” He frowned at the empty baking aisle. “Where’s your mom, or grandma?”
Scarlette tilted her head, pointing one of her ears upward.
That’s when Eddie noticed a measured squeaking sound.
Scarlette gestured to the end of the aisle. “Grandma was on the phone. She should be coming in three, two…”
A half-full cart rounded the end of the aisle, but Naomi’s normal smiley greeting was missing. “Scarlette Joy, this is no time to run off. We’ve got to leave right now…” Naomi’s attention flashed over to Eddie. “Well, aren’t you a Godsend, Coach.”
“Momma?” Jade’s voice floated to them from another aisle over. “What’s the plan?”
Naomi lifted her hand. “In the baking aisle. Found Scarlette.”
Jade and Scout arrived, and Naomi grabbed her purse off the top of the cart. “Slight change of plans. Scarlette, why don’t you push my cart behind your momma, and I’ll give you money for my stuff. That is, if I can get Coach to give me a ride? He’s going to take me to pick up Will. That way, Jade, you can take the kids and food home.”
Eddie frowned. “What happened to Will?”
Naomi only gave him a look he couldn’t read.
Jade tightened her grip on her cart. “I can get your stuff, Momma, and Eddie’s too, if he’ll take you.”
Eddie placed the boxes of brownies back on the shelf. “My stuff can wait. Where am I taking you, Naomi?”
Naomi pulled out some folded bills.
Jade waved her off and pushed her cart back down the aisle.
Naomi put the money in Scarlette’s hand and gave her a squeeze, whispering something in her ear.
Then Scarlette dashed after her mother and brother. “See you later, Coach. Raincheck on the team’s brownies.”
Naomi took Eddie’s now empty cart and turned in the opposite direction.
Eddie waved to Scout, who strangely didn’t wave back. “What’s wrong with Will? Did he get hurt?”
Naomi shifted behind the cart as she pushed. “It’s worse.”
Eddie’s feet stopped. His rubber soles squeaked against the polished tile.
Naomi gaped at him and then seemed to realize how her words had sounded. “No, honey, no. Sorry. He’s alive. He’s in trouble down at the police station. We all were going to leave our shopping buggies and hurry down there, but thank goodness you’re here. I’d prefer not to let Scout and Scarlette witness the mess Will’s gotten into. Scout already overheard more than I wanted him to.”
Eddie’s hand grabbed hold of the cart. “Will called you?”
Not him .
“I doubt he could have gotten ahold of that mother of his. Not that she deserves to be called such. But you know about mothers like that.”
He did. That’s why Will’s father had asked Eddie to watch out for his son. Now Will was in trouble, and Eddie had failed.
He fished out his phone from his pocket. His chest felt as empty as his screen’s display. No notifications. “He didn’t call me.”
Naomi pushed the cart again and placed Eddie’s cart back at the exit. “Before you start thinking things that aren’t true, we’re going to go gather all the details. God has brought us both together at this moment for this specific purpose and this child. Let’s go find the answers. Together. Unless you’d rather stay here and sulk?”
Was that what he was doing?
Eddie caught up, and Naomi hooked her hand on his elbow, just like Bianca used to. “Where’s that truck of yours?”
He pointed at it, and they hopped inside.
Naomi hummed the hymn “I Surrender All” over his radio music.
Eddie turned the volume down on his speakers, and Naomi shifted toward him. “I went and saw Mary.”
He rolled his shoulders back. Not that he’d had time, but he hadn’t done more than send a text to Mary. “How’s Joel?”
Naomi kept still for too long and then finally said, “There’s a chance he’ll get out of the ICU this week. Mary seemed optimistic.”
Eddie kept his gaze locked on the green light ahead of him. “I’m happy for her. And Joel. She said that she couldn’t live without him.”
Unlike Eddie.
Naomi rested her palm on his arm. “I know she hurt you, son. But you can’t let that continue to damage your own heart.”
His own heart was fine. Or it would be. “I never should have met with her. All this could have been avoided.”
“Avoided, maybe. But not mended.” Naomi shifted her purse in her lap. “I gave her your letter.”
Eddie pulled his sun visor down, but the sun sat low and beamed into his vision. “What letter?”
“You know that before your grand-ma’am passed, she reached out to Mary.”
“Wished she hadn’t done that either. She gave Mary my number.” Which had led to the disaster dinner.
“After your grand-ma’am passed, I inherited her Bible. Inside of it were several papers and envelopes, including a letter you’d written after you realized who the Lord was.”
Oh, that letter. “I remember.”
He’d written to his mother to tell her he’d forgiven her for leaving him because he’d been placed with a woman who showered him with love and brownies, and how his next-door neighbor was a cool firefighter. “Grand-ma’am mailed it on Mary’s birthday that year.”
“It was in a return-to-sender stamped envelope.”
Eddie pushed in the brakes at a stop sign. “I thought she was too happy to send a reply.”
Naomi shook her head. “I don’t know why it was sent back. But what I’ve learned at this old age is that I can’t fix the broken. Only God can. He fixed me. He fixed you. Doesn’t mean we don’t need mending along the way, but one of the hardest lessons I learned was that I can tell people all about the true Hope, but only He can turn them to His truth and actually change their hearts.”
She released a sigh that hovered in the silence of the truck like a whispered hug. “Last week at the women’s shelter, I counseled the sweetest girl. People who come there are seeking help…and hope. Sometimes I get to share the truth that God loves them no matter the past. But for some, they only really want their circumstance to be changed. Not the hard work that might come along with it. Most don’t want to have to alter their own habits…their own heart. Unfortunately, some relationships don’t end in a happily ever after. It’s hard to watch others reject God’s salvation.”
She drummed her fingers against her purse. “So, Eddie, I’m going to ask you what I asked that sweet girl who left, still laying blame to everyone but herself for her situation. If nothing else changes, can you still stand upon God’s promises? Trust that His justice will one day be served. His mercy is a glorious gift, and His promises endure through all generations. Is there something inside your own heart that needs repairing?”
Eddie leaned into the turn into the police station’s parking lot. He’d thought he’d long buried the stuff with Mary, but he’d only masked his dealings with their past.
Had buried his bitterness instead of surrendering it all.
Inside the police station, they were brought to Will, who sat hunched in a chair in a back office.
Officer Ramble explained the situation and rose from a desk in the corner. “I’ll give you guys a minute.” He closed the door behind him.
Will shrugged. “Don’t know why everyone’s making this into a big deal. The gang said no one has lived there for months.”
Eddie flinched. “Like a real gang, or the group of boys Bianca saw you with on the bikes? The ones that call you Jimmy. Did you pick a lock to get inside that house?”
Will crossed his arms and faced the clock on the wall. “It wasn’t a big deal. I learned it from my dad.”
“Not a big deal? Your dad’s in jail because of his bad habits.” Eddie threw his arms up. “You damaged someone’s property.”
Naomi leaned against Eddie’s side. “How about you find us both a coffee?” She winked at Eddie. “While I do some open-heart surgery in here.”
Will stole a peek at Naomi before bringing his knees to his chest, making him look even younger.
Eddie understood how cold that metal chair beneath Will felt. Like sorrow and fear. All the while trying to mask it all and pretend the world around him wasn’t crumbling. That was when Grand-ma’am had shown up and introduced a volunteer firefighter to hang out with Eddie. It had changed his life.
With a clenched jaw, Eddie left and met Conroy, who’d been leaning against the wall in the hall. “Hey, sir.”
Conroy motioned his chin toward a door down the hallway. “Let’s catch up in my office.”
“Sure, Chief.”
Once Conroy closed his door, Eddie took a seat in one of the open chairs in front of the chief’s desk. “I’ve got to get that youth center built, or this is going to keep happening.”
Conroy frowned. “A new fancy gym isn’t going to fix any child long-term. But?—”
“It’s got to be the starting point.” Eddie raked his fingers through his hair. “How else are we going to keep these kids safe? I promised Will’s father I’d keep his son out of trouble.”
“Rice, this isn’t your fault.” Conroy leaned his elbows on an open folder on his desk. “Will made the decision to hang out with those kids. With his mother picked up for drugs this morning, and his father in jail…”
Eddie stood. “Will’s being put into the foster system?”
Conroy gave him a fatherly look. “There’re good homes in the system. You know that.”
He did. But what if Will didn’t get a good foster parent? “I’ll take him.” The words flew out of his mouth before he could even process what that would mean. “I don’t like my studio apartment anyway. I’ll get a bigger one.”
Conroy made his chair rock back and forth. “I’m assuming you aren’t currently certified as a foster parent, but a temporary guardianship might work if both parents sign off on it. Though, not sure how your job would work with your shift times.”
Naomi’s words came back to him. God has brought us both together at this very moment for this specific purpose and this child.
“Will’s already friends with Naomi’s grandkids. They’re on the same team. We’ll get this figured out. I don’t want Will to feel alone.”
Conroy stood along with Eddie. “This sounds like a promising plan, but remember that Will still has to decide to live as he should. God is the only One who can truly save him. Not a youth center. Not even you.”
Eddie nodded. “I can’t change his heart, but I can hopefully be a good example to follow.” Which meant examining his own heart.
Had Naomi been right? Did his own heart need mending?
Eddie’s gaze landed on the picture on Conroy’s desk. He tilted his head. “May I?”
Conroy handed him the photo. “Recognize anyone?”
The picture was of Roger Pointe with two other men. The shorter one had his back turned. The taller one with suspenders and a dimpled jaw popped into Eddie’s memory. “That’s the guy from the masquerade fundraiser.”
“The arsonist?”
“Yes, this one paid off the security guard and lit the dress on fire. That’s him.”
Conroy stared at the picture. “You sure? This photo was picked up outside of Roger’s office days before the fire.”
Eddie picked up another picture on Conroy’s desk of a different angle of the three men. The shorter man remained in the shadows, but this photo had a fourth man walking up to the group. Even with a pair of sunglasses on, he looked like Bianca’s ex. “Have you shown this to Bianca? See if she can confirm an eyewitness testimony, but I’m pretty sure it’s the arsonist. This fourth guy here resembles Nathan Kensington.”
“Yes. Nathan and Roger have been easy to identify. It’s the others.” Conroy took the photos. “It’s on today’s to-do list to speak with Bianca. Speaking of Bia Pearl, thanks for helping out at the set. The smashed keys you found helped us make an arrest for the collapsed set building—an angry construction worker who’d been fired the day before. We’re thinking he might have even messed with the car scene too.”
“So, not an accident.” Eddie blew out a breath. Finally. Some closure there. “What about the Jane Doe?”
“Has been identified as Tiffany Landson. She was in town with the movie crew. Her family finally filed a missing person’s report.”
Eddie flinched. He’d heard that name on set. “Tiff was the beloved makeup artist who had a family emergency. She either lied about wanting some time off to hike, or maybe it was foul play?”
“Her death hasn’t been ruled suspicious…yet.”
Yet still a possibility.
Eddie pulled out his phone and checked the time. “I bet you and your officers are ready for the movie production to pack up and for Last Chance County to get quiet again.”
Conroy set the photos back on his desk. “Not sure that’s Gregory’s plan. Though, there’s something else you might be able to help us with.”
Eddie scooted to the end of his chair. “As long as it’s no more fake dating.”
Conroy raised a brow. “What about a fake interest in supporting Roger Pointe? That’s the other thing I wanted to tell you earlier. When the mayor called this morning for an update, he mentioned that he overheard you and Roger talking at the ball game. He claimed Roger was trying to manipulate you. I brought up the precious failed grant as your possible motivator for speaking with Roger.” Conroy placed both elbows on his desk. “Turns out the mayor claims he never denied your original grant request.”
Eddie yanked out his phone. “I have an email that says otherwise.”
Conroy rolled his chair closer to his desk. “Did it come from his assistant?”
At the mention of Janice, Eddie grimaced. “Yes.”
Conroy opened another folder on his desk. “Evidence is starting to point in a certain direction. Would you be interested in wearing a mic and visiting Roger at his office?”
Sounded just like Officer Ramble’s request for Bianca’s help. Had she talked to Nathan yet? Except that information was no longer any of his business. He’d let her go.
Eddie squeezed his eyes shut. He’d given up, been too focused on what he thought everyone needed instead of fighting for her. He’d let her go because he’d been scared that her lifestyle would somehow prevent him from doing his job. She hadn’t been the problem. She’d even found out Will was heading down the wrong path before he had.
He leaned over the chief’s desk. Eddie needed to call Bianca.
Eddie had supposedly been doing his job, and he’d still allowed Will to get in trouble. And he’d hurt Bianca in the process by not trusting God that He’d take care of their future.
Conroy cleared his throat. “Not to rush you, but?—”
“What would I visit Roger about? I can’t come out and ask him if he’s having Gregory’s assistant play double agent between them. Or at least I think that’s where you’re going with the information.”
Conroy grabbed his vibrating phone off his desk. “You could pretend you’re interested in giving him your support like he mentioned at the ball game. See where it leads.”
Bianca’s face popped into Eddie’s head, and he told Conroy the truth. “I haven’t had the best of luck in pretending.”
Or if he was honest, being real either.