Misconceptions Read online

  Thoughts of the scene that would greet him made him reflect back to the message the pastor had preached last Sunday. Most people think the majority of people are good. Ha! One ride with him would change their opinion. He’d seen the depravity of man firsthand.

  He hadn’t bothered to listen to the rest of the sermon. He assumed the pastor was going to go off on a tangent about how all men are sinners. Houston agreed with that; no one was perfect. His own sins were always before him. His struggle lay in the area of forgiveness.

  Some things were unforgivable.

  He slowed to check the street sign. This was it.

  How could a truly just God forgive? What about the despicable criminals who killed pregnant women and stole their babies without remorse, all for a little bit of money? Did God expect the victims’ families to forgive them? That hardly seemed fair.

  Lights flashed up the road on the right. Four police vehicles, an ambulance, and the coroner’s car crowded the driveway. Houston parked his car on the side of the road and took one last sip of coffee. Twenty or so people converged on the scene, yet silence filled the air.

  At the end of the driveway. Kenny waved him forward. “Thanks for coming in, man. I know tonight was your night off, but I thought you might be particularly interested in this one.”

  “How so?”

  “Come on inside. You’ll see.”

  The steps leading up to the sagging porch reminded Houston of a rickety house of cards. He doubted they could support his weight.

  “Watch your step. This place isn’t exactly up to code.” Kenny tossed a cigarette butt on the ground next to a discarded screen door on the side of the porch.

  Houston took one big step up onto the porch. The moment he passed the splintered wooden door that barely hung on its hinges, the smell of death and decay inside made him wretch.

  Several emergency lights, strategically placed, lit the living room. An old, forgotten piano sat against the far wall with a sheet of music centered on top, as if some past resident would step onto the scene and start playing.

  Houston took out his Latex gloves and joined the cluster of policemen processing the bodies, but immediately turned away.

  The bloody body of a perfectly formed baby with the umbilical cord wrapped several times around his neck. He would never be able to erase the image from his mind. Who could do something like this?

  He took a deep breath and examined the scene further. It looked like the baby had been born dead, and, not knowing what to do, the criminals had just left the corpse. At least the baby was with his mother and not in the hands of some heartless criminals.

  The mother lay in a disheveled heap, but she looked familiar. “I know this woman. Her name is Sharon. She’s the woman who came to the station the other day looking for me. She gave me a GPS tracking device that had been attached to her car.” Anger welled up inside him.

  “Did you get any information off it?” Kenny asked.

  “No. When I asked the judge if I could investigate it further, he said no. Because there was no warrant issued, any evidence obtained from the GPS would be thrown out of court.”

  Kenny’s cell phone rang. He shook his head and walked away from the scene.

  Did he know more about the victim than what he was letting on? Suspicions about his boss were piling up. Until he knew for a fact that Kenny wasn’t involved with Vinnie, he’d be careful about how much information he shared with him.

  He surveyed the rest of the room, and his gaze was drawn to a darker spot in the shadows under the piano, about the size of a wallet or a small purse. He knelt beside the piano and ran a hand underneath the pedals until he felt something. With only his thumb and forefinger, so he wouldn’t contaminate the evidence any more than necessary, he pulled it out and into the light.

  A thick, black leather wallet.

  Houston scanned the room—no one had seemed to notice what he’d discovered. He opened the wallet and quickly found the driver’s license, which contained a smiling picture of the victim standing next to a tall man. He was just about to announce his discovery when a business card fell out of the wallet.

  His stomach sank. The card had two words and a phone number printed on it.

  Dominique Sherwood.

  Why would the victim have a business card with Joe’s girlfriend’s name on it?

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Travis shifted his position on the uncomfortable green faux leather loveseat in the hospital waiting room, carefully trying to re-adjust his position. Cindy’s head rested against his shoulder. He closed his eyes and breathed in her familiar scent. He’d missed that incredible scent of jasmine and patchouli. At least she’d finally sat next to him, and even relaxed enough to fall asleep. Maybe there was hope for making their way back to normal.

  His gaze traveled down to her expanding belly. The due date had been moved forward, and he still wasn’t prepared for another mouth to feed. How had things gotten so out of control?

  One bad decision at a time.

  The convicting thought nagged at him. He should have called Houston or tried to handle the benefits fiasco himself instead of calling Angelica. One more bad decision to add to the growing list.

  A quick glance at the clock told him he had a little over an hour before they would be allowed to visit with Audrey. Lord, please don’t let her die. But why should God help him? He couldn’t remember the last time he had prayed. His relationship with the Lord grew more distant with each passing day. That needed to change—his situation had to change. But first he had to free himself from Vinnie Fernandez.

  Cindy let out a sigh and moved closer. Their marriage was in a shambles, and he was to blame for the majority of it. If Audrey died, his marriage wouldn’t survive. Another failure. But this time his children would pay the price.

  Thankfully, the last report had been a little more hopeful. All of her numbers were stabilizing. When the swelling in her brain went down, they could run more tests to check for any permanent damage.

  A slight brush of cool air drew his eyes to the left, where Angelica stood in the doorway. His heart skipped a beat. In skinny jeans and a flimsy tank-top, Angelica could command the attention of any man. But he dared not allow Cindy to wake and see her. He'd never survive the ensuing war.

  He placed a finger to his lips. Carefully, he pulled his arm from beneath Cindy’s neck and moved her gently to the side. He eased up from the sofa, walked out into the hallway, and closed the door behind him. “Thanks for coming. I hope you have good news.”

  “You look terrible. Let’s get out of here.” She touched his arm, and it sent a trail of fire burning through his veins. “I’ll take you out and buy you a cup of coffee. You can’t get anything decent in a hospital.”

  “It’ll have to be the cafeteria. I can’t leave my family.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Your loss. Let’s go. It looks like you could use a break.”

  She attracted him like a moth to fire. The soft scent of spices in her perfume only heightened his desire for her, but he must maintain control for his family's sake. Keep it short. Tell her your problem then get back to your family. Because he needed Vinnie's help, he'd have to trust her—but he also had to resist her.

  Travis followed her into the elevator.

  The way to the cafeteria had become too familiar. Although the accident had happened only a day ago, it felt more like a week. At least at this early hour, they didn’t have to worry about finding a seat. He poured an extra-large cup of coffee and added a little cream and sugar.

  Angelica waited for him at a small table in the corner of the room. One leg crossed over the other, and a bejeweled sandal dangled from her foot.

  He took the seat across from her. “Were you able to clear up this insurance thing?”

  She winked at him. “You get right down to business. I like that.”

  “I’m sorry, Angelica. It’s been a long night, and finding out that the policy lapsed only made it longer." Annoyed at the tab on
the plastic lid over his coffee, Travis opted to remove the lid and drink his coffee straight from the Styrofoam cup. "If we don’t have coverage, I have no idea how I’m going to pay for this.” With the current rate at which they were laundering money, it would take him over ten years to pay back his loan plus interest. Who was he kidding? Unless the deals he’d been working up on the side panned out, he would never get out of Vinnie’s clutch, much less pay off the loan early.

  Angelica scooted her chair forward, and her leg brushed up against his. “You’ve had a few things on your mind.” She took a sip of her coffee and licked her lips. “I can understand how this could’ve slipped through the cracks.”

  He should move his leg away from hers, but he enjoyed sitting across from her, having her hang on his every word. It was so nice to have someone understand him. To not be accused or blamed for something. “Thanks. You have no idea how much I needed to hear those words.”

  A knowing smile highlighted her delicate cheekbones. She looked absolutely beautiful. “Well, I have good news for you.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Not only was I able to get your health coverage restored, but when Vinnie heard about your little girl, he insisted on paying your deductible.”

  The unexpected news halted Travis’s wayward thoughts. He looked past Angelica and stared at the television mounted on the wall behind her. A few minutes passed in silence as he tried to process her words. “What’s the catch?”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Don’t be so cynical, Travis. Vinnie just wants to help.”

  Travis let out a small huff. “I simply find it hard to believe he would pay the past due premiums and the deductible without wanting something in return. I already feel like I’m in way over my head.” He hadn’t meant to reveal so much, but he didn’t have anyone else to confide in.

  She took his hands in hers. “I know you may find this hard to believe right now, but once Vinnie trusts you and takes you into his inner business circle, he’s extremely loyal.” She squeezed his hands. “His business associates are his family. He’s not the heartless criminal some would have you believe.”

  He thought back to his conversation earlier with his brother-in-law. Houston already suspected something. He had come right out and asked him if he was working with Vinnie. What if he got wind of this insurance problem? His stomach churned. He’d have to tell more lies, but Houston wasn’t easily fooled.

  Not knowing how to respond, he remained silent. Angelica’s hands still touched his own—what would she do if he pulled her closer? Focus! He shook the wayward thought from his mind.

  She pulled her hands away and tapped a shiny red fingernail on the paper in the middle of the table. “All I need is your signature, Travis, and this all will be taken care of.”

  He stared at the paper. How could he even contemplate getting in any deeper with Vinnie? Just one more time. Then he’d get those building contracts. He could keep those additional funds hidden from Angelica … and Vinnie.

  He steadied his hand and signed the paper. His plan would work. It had to.

  “You made the right decision.” She smiled. “I just have one more question, Travis.”

  He couldn’t quite decipher the look in her eyes. And the tone of her voice had an edge to it.

  She leaned forward, with a gleam in her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me your wife is pregnant?”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Dominique raced down the hospital corridor toward her office. The staff meeting had taken way too long. She plopped down in the chair behind the desk and checked the caller ID. Two missed calls. Maybe one was from Joe.

  No such luck. Both were from her boss Stew. Whatever he wanted would have to wait. Before she went any further with the story, she needed to speak with Joe. She had two very important things she wanted to share with him: her decision to become a Christian and the truth about why she was in town. Lord, please help him understand why I lied. Give me the courage I need to be completely honest with him.

  Her cell phone beeped, indicating an incoming text. Stew again! He was never this persistent. Something must be wrong. Her hands shook as she read the text.

  Cover blown. GET OUT!

  How had that happened? It had to be Penelope and her snooping around. No doubt the spiteful woman was to blame. But there was no time to investigate the cause. She needed to pack up her stuff and get out of the hospital before Penelope threw her out. She wouldn’t give her that satisfaction.

  Dominique opened her e-mail account and attached the files containing her research. While the computer copied the files, she popped a flash drive into a USB slot and moved the files.

  Come on … hurry up computer. The bar made slow progress as she copied the necessary files. Her station's policy was to have documentation backed up in two different locations, and it had saved her on more than one occasion. But now, she didn’t even have one a full copy much less a copy emailed to her personal account.

  Footsteps echoed down the hallway. From the heavy, clunky rhythm, she guessed they belonged to a woman. More specifically, an angry woman, which could only mean one thing. She was just seconds away from being busted.

  She dashed to the door, locked it, and turned off the lights. That would buy her a few extra moments to hide. The bar across the computer screen indicated that her download was almost complete.

  The footsteps stopped in front of her door. The doorknob jiggled.

  Out of time, she minimized the window, scooted underneath her desk, and pulled the chair in as far as it would go. An obvious place to hide, but hopefully Penelope would open the door, see she wasn’t in the office, and leave.

  Keys jangled in the door. The knob clicked, and the lights flashed on. Dominique let out a long, slow breath.

  “Come in, gentlemen.” Footsteps softened by carpeting traveled around the desk and stood right in front of Dominique’s hiding spot.

  If she’d wanted to, Dominique could have reached out and grabbed Penelope’s thick ankle. Instead, she held her breath and willed herself to remain silent in spite of cramping in her legs from remaining in a folded position.

  Penelope mumbled under her breath. All Dominique could catch was the word “evidence.”

  “What would you like us to do, Ms. Nordstrom? Do you want us to contact the police?”

  “No. That won’t be necessary. We don’t want to draw any unwanted attention to the hospital. I don’t think Ms. Sherwood is aware we’re looking for her. Let’s keep searching. She’ll turn up somewhere.”

  She finally walked away from the desk, and Dominique let out a long breath.

  “Replace the locks as soon as possible,” Penelope ordered the guards, “and contact the IT department to have her account deactivated.” Penelope stomped toward the door. “Hospital information should remain with hospital employees.”

  They mumbled their agreement to follow through with the orders. The last few words were muffled as they left the room.

  Dominique remained under the desk for several more minutes as an extra precaution. It’s now or never.

  With painstaking care not to rush, she pushed out the chair and peered as far around the desk as she could. She was alone. She didn’t know whether she should laugh or cry. How was she ever going to get out of here? She stood, straightened the wrinkles from her pants, and wiped off any dirt and dust she may have collected from the floor.

  One last thing before she left. She reached for the flash drive, but nothing was there. Suddenly, it seemed like someone sucked all the air out of the room and she couldn’t breathe.

  Penelope must have it.

  Dominique clicked a key, and the screen saver on the computer disappeared. A window showing that the download had completed sat in the middle of the screen, her e-mail program the background behind it.

  Dominique’s heart pounded, and her mouth went dry. Her story had been compromised. If Penelope realized what was on the flash drive, Dominique’s career would be over.

  She jumped when the desk phone
rang, but her heart leaped at Joe’s name on the caller ID. “Hello?” She kept her voice just above a whisper.

  “Dominique? Are you there? I can barely hear you.”

  “Sorry, is this better?” She increased her volume slightly.

  “Much better. Are you free for coffee?”

  “Not exactly. But I do need to speak with you. I have so much to tell you.” Her words all jumbled together, but she had to get out of the hospital immediately.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “I can’t really explain it over the phone, but I would love to see you—I need to see you.”

  “Well, I was going to stop and check on Audrey. Can you meet me up there?”

  Would Penelope check the ICU? Probably not. She might not even know Joe’s niece had been admitted. “Okay, I’ll meet you up there in five minutes.”

  “See you then. Oh, and Dominique? I spoke with my dad, and he told me everything.”

  The phone went dead. Samuel told Joe, and he still wanted to meet with her? He forgives me! Everything was going to work out. All that remained was to make it to the ICU without Penelope and her goons spotting her.

  As quietly as she could, she opened the door a crack, listened for anyone in the hallway, and was met by comforting silence. She opened the door a little further, looking both ways down the hallway.

  Looks like the coast is clear. She headed down the hallway toward the stairs. The fewer people who saw her, the better. With her head held high, she resisted the urge to look over her shoulder or dash down the hall. She just needed to pretend like she had every right to be there. But her heart beat double time until she pulled open the stairwell door. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, then took the stairs two at a time, up three flights without stopping.

  She opened the door at the ninth floor carefully. Except for a few nurses attending to patients’ charts, the hallway was completely empty. She headed toward the waiting room at the end.

  As she passed a cross hallway, the click-clack of Penelope’s thick pumps echoed down the narrow corridor. Too late, she spotted Penelope marching away from her, toward the nurses’ station. No doubt she’d ask if they’d seen her. The faithful security guards followed several steps behind her, struggling to keep up. This was probably the most exercise they’d had in a long time.