Profile of Retribution: FBI Profiler Romantic Suspense (Profile Series #3) by Alexa Grace Page B
Authors: Alexa Grace
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Where were you cops when those animals took my Destiny? Where were you when my daughter needed your protection?” He stopped to glance at Justin. “Not you, Justin. I didn’t mean you.”
Justin followed Cameron out to his vehicle.
“Don’t you want to ask me some questions, too? I’m certainly not a member of the Lucas family fan club.”
Hands in his pockets, Cameron leaned against his vehicle. This was one of those days he hated his job. He was just adding to their pain, with questions he was forced to ask to eliminate them as suspects. “How are you, Justin?”
“Are you asking as a friend or as a detective?”
“Friend. I already cleared you as a suspect. You were on duty last night.”
“Were you surprised it wasn’t me who vandalized the Lucas place? I have just as much motive as anyone else. Certainly, just as much as Anthony or Bobbie.”
“No. We’ve been friends for a long time. It just wasn’t your style.” Both men stared at their feet, not knowing what to say. Finally, Cameron cleared his throat and said, “I haven’t talked to you since the funeral. How are you?”
Justin shrugged his shoulders. “I have good days and bad days. Mostly bad. I can’t get Destiny out of my head. I can’t stop blaming myself for what happened. When I saw she hadn’t arrived at the church for rehearsal, I should have waited for her in my car in the parking lot. But I didn’t, and I lost the one woman I’ll ever love.” He swallowed hard as if biting off tears.
“I’m sorry, Justin. If there’s anything I can do…”
“If you can’t bring her back, then no, there’s nothing you can do.”
“If you ever need to talk, just call, we’ll meet for a beer or something.”
“I have someone to talk to. I’ve been seeing a counselor for three months. Not sure it’s helping. Not sure anything will.”
Chapter Twenty-four
Snowflake
The highway was engulfed in a thick white and gray soup. He’d already passed two accidents, one a head-on collision. But the dangers of driving in heavy fog wouldn’t stop him from where he needed to go, where he went every Friday.
When he reached his destination, he turned onto a two-lane dirt road and drove until he reached her gravestone. Easing out of the truck, he went to the back and pulled out a wooden bench. Carrying it, he walked past several graves until he came to the twenty-by-ten-inch granite marker that held her name, along with her date of birth and death. It wasn’t much, but it was all he could afford. He wasn’t rolling in money like the Lucas couple.
Placing the bench across from her grave marker under an oak tree, he returned to his truck for a bag of mulch. With his hands, he spread the organic material around and under the bench. Then he backed up a step to admire his work. He’d never been much of a wood worker but he’d found a plan for a bench, and had worked on it in the garage for the last two weeks, sawing, nailing, sanding, and staining. Proud of the finished product, he sat on it to test it out. The fog filled the air with moisture, and it clung to his hair and clothing, creating a cold, dewy sensation on his skin. Satisfied with the bench, he pulled out a rag from his back pocket and wiped the moisture from the gravestone.
“Good morning, Snowflake. It’s been a week since I visited, but you’re on my mind and in my heart every day. I hope you like the new bench. Made it myself, if you can believe it. I thought it’d be nice to sit a spell each Friday when I visit. Maybe others would like to use it, too. It’s nice out here if you can call a cemetery nice. The land is flat and surrounded by a corn field. Real peaceful here. It gives meaning to the phrase ‘rest in peace.’”
Wiping his face with the back of his hand, he checked his surroundings and was thankful for the fog. It kept the other mourners away and gave him privacy.
“The other day I was thinking about that time we were in Walmart and you said you were
Justin followed Cameron out to his vehicle.
“Don’t you want to ask me some questions, too? I’m certainly not a member of the Lucas family fan club.”
Hands in his pockets, Cameron leaned against his vehicle. This was one of those days he hated his job. He was just adding to their pain, with questions he was forced to ask to eliminate them as suspects. “How are you, Justin?”
“Are you asking as a friend or as a detective?”
“Friend. I already cleared you as a suspect. You were on duty last night.”
“Were you surprised it wasn’t me who vandalized the Lucas place? I have just as much motive as anyone else. Certainly, just as much as Anthony or Bobbie.”
“No. We’ve been friends for a long time. It just wasn’t your style.” Both men stared at their feet, not knowing what to say. Finally, Cameron cleared his throat and said, “I haven’t talked to you since the funeral. How are you?”
Justin shrugged his shoulders. “I have good days and bad days. Mostly bad. I can’t get Destiny out of my head. I can’t stop blaming myself for what happened. When I saw she hadn’t arrived at the church for rehearsal, I should have waited for her in my car in the parking lot. But I didn’t, and I lost the one woman I’ll ever love.” He swallowed hard as if biting off tears.
“I’m sorry, Justin. If there’s anything I can do…”
“If you can’t bring her back, then no, there’s nothing you can do.”
“If you ever need to talk, just call, we’ll meet for a beer or something.”
“I have someone to talk to. I’ve been seeing a counselor for three months. Not sure it’s helping. Not sure anything will.”
Chapter Twenty-four
Snowflake
The highway was engulfed in a thick white and gray soup. He’d already passed two accidents, one a head-on collision. But the dangers of driving in heavy fog wouldn’t stop him from where he needed to go, where he went every Friday.
When he reached his destination, he turned onto a two-lane dirt road and drove until he reached her gravestone. Easing out of the truck, he went to the back and pulled out a wooden bench. Carrying it, he walked past several graves until he came to the twenty-by-ten-inch granite marker that held her name, along with her date of birth and death. It wasn’t much, but it was all he could afford. He wasn’t rolling in money like the Lucas couple.
Placing the bench across from her grave marker under an oak tree, he returned to his truck for a bag of mulch. With his hands, he spread the organic material around and under the bench. Then he backed up a step to admire his work. He’d never been much of a wood worker but he’d found a plan for a bench, and had worked on it in the garage for the last two weeks, sawing, nailing, sanding, and staining. Proud of the finished product, he sat on it to test it out. The fog filled the air with moisture, and it clung to his hair and clothing, creating a cold, dewy sensation on his skin. Satisfied with the bench, he pulled out a rag from his back pocket and wiped the moisture from the gravestone.
“Good morning, Snowflake. It’s been a week since I visited, but you’re on my mind and in my heart every day. I hope you like the new bench. Made it myself, if you can believe it. I thought it’d be nice to sit a spell each Friday when I visit. Maybe others would like to use it, too. It’s nice out here if you can call a cemetery nice. The land is flat and surrounded by a corn field. Real peaceful here. It gives meaning to the phrase ‘rest in peace.’”
Wiping his face with the back of his hand, he checked his surroundings and was thankful for the fog. It kept the other mourners away and gave him privacy.
“The other day I was thinking about that time we were in Walmart and you said you were
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