And We All Fall (Book 1) Read online

  Jackson stared at Jax, watching him eat. “What? I spill something?” Jax asked as he looked around, confused.

  “No. It just…so nice to be here with you. Watching you eat. I couldn’t be prouder that you are my son.”

  “I feel the same way, dad.” Jax flashed a big smile. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

  Jackson had been in a trance - yet to take a bite of his breakfast. He picked up his sandwich and took a bite as he waved with his other hand to the lens of the GoPro that was strapped to Jax’s chest. “Remind me how much video you can save on that thing,” handing Jax a napkin.

  “I’ve got a 128 gig card in it, so like six hundred minutes of video or something. I have ten of them.”

  “Sounds like plenty. What about the battery?”

  “It lasts like two hours. I can charge it off the laptop though. Taking it too. How long will the trip take again?”

  “Two days there and two days back. We can stop at a hotel on the way up and drive straight through on the way back maybe. Dinner with mom at least once that way before I fly out.”

  “Where are we going again?”

  “A little town in Maine called Seacliff.”

  “We’re buying some guy’s bugs there, right?”

  Jackson laughed. “Yes. A man there is selling his bug collection to me.”

  “You already have a lot of bugs. That’s what mom says.”

  “She’s right. I do have a good collection, but these aren’t just any bugs. These are very rare and hard to collect bugs from all over the world. I may never see an opportunity like it again. I can use it for classes at the university.”

  “Are you going to be a teacher again?” Jax asked with a hopeful gleam in his eye.

  “Definitely. Maybe real soon.”

  “Yes! So, are you getting a good deal from the bug dude?”

  “Sure. It’s a whole lot cheaper and easier than trekking through the Amazon Rain Forest to try and probably fail to collect them myself.”

  “That sounds like fun to me.”

  “Yeah? Me too, actually. Perhaps you are turning into an adrenaline junky like your dad. Maybe we can do that together sometime.”

  “I’m down.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Looks like you enjoyed your breakfast.” Jackson noticed that his son ate every bite of his sandwich.

  “Yeah, it was really good. I miss your food. Mom, well, she tries, but…”

  “You mentioned it in that last email to me that she makes a lot of tuna sandwiches.”

  “Can’t burn those. Well, I take that back. You can if you try to toast the bread.”

  “Sure. Wow. Poor mom. We’ve got to get her in some cooking classes or something.”

  “Or you can just be home to cook.”

  Jackson smiled. “I look forward to hearing more about that and all the other stuff on the road. We’ll have lots of time to talk.”

  “Cool. Cool.”

  “Do you mind if we stop and see Ben on the way back home if there’s time? Just for an hour or so.”

  “I don’t mind. I love Uncle Ben. Where does he live now?”

  “He has a big job in Washington D.C. now. That’s why we never see him.” Jackson put his phone up to his ear, “While I’m thinking of it, let me give him a quick call and set it up.” Jackson loaded the dishwasher with the dirty dishes as he waited for Ben to answer the phone.

  Jax picked up the lonely, stray piece of bacon on his plate. “Can I give this to Jumper?”

  “No,” Jackson said as the phone on the other line rang. “He already had a piece. Have to watch his intake of table food, especially bacon. ”

  “Sorry, buddy,” Jax said as he looked into Jumper’s pitiful eyes while he popped half of the crisp bacon slice in his mouth. He tossed the other half to Jumper with a smile.

  “Hello. You’ve reached the voicemail box for Benjamin McCoy, International Medical Liaison with the World Health Organization. I’m sorry I missed your call. Please leave a message with your name and number and a brief reason for your call. I will return your call as soon as possible.”

  “Hey, buddy,” Jackson said into the phone after the beep as he turned on the dishwasher. “Just wanted to know if you felt like meeting up for lunch this week. I’ll be in the area. Give me a call me back.”

  Jackson hung up the phone and stuffed it in his pocket. He looked to Jax. “I think we are all set here. You ready to go?”

  “Yeah!”

  Jackson eyed the eagle inked on his father’s arm. “My mission is for us to wear out our vocal chords singing and talking. No topic is off limits. Every road trip game in the book!”

  “Can’t wait!”

  “Let’s get Jumper and get going.”

  Chapter 7

  “Jesus Christ, Jewell! How many times are you going to ask about this?” Sergeant Nole Barnes asked her, his growing frustration unmistakable.

  It was helpful for masking his lust for Jewell that had become so obvious lately. He looked at the phone on his desk as if he contemplated throwing it across the police station.

  “You’re just harassin’ me now,” he continued.

  “No. I’m not doing that at all, Nole,” Jewell replied condescendingly on other end of the phone. “I just don’t believe your lying ass.”

  Jewell Hill was a reporter with the local NBC12 news station in Virginia. This was her fifth call of the morning to the sergeant, though it was only the second time her call didn’t go to straight to his voicemail.

  “You are all covering up something and insulting my intelligence in the process.”

  “Give me a break. Jewell. You know it is an ongoing investigation. You know we don’t comment on open investigations.”

  “Bullshit, Nole. We both know I can make you tell me whatever I want to know about anything that happens in this town. For some reason, you and everybody else that was at the park last night refuses to talk about this story. You must know by now that all that does is make me want to dig deeper.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Let me talk to Chief Batton.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  Sergeant Barnes paused a moment. “He ain’t here right now.”

  “When will he be back?”

  “I don’t know.” Nole’s contempt for answering Jewell’s questions was growing. Too bad he was so in love with her.

  It made lying to her and being mad at her close to impossible.

  “Where is he then?”

  “Am I his secretary now? I don’t know!”

  “Well, I suggest you find out where he is, Nole, and get him on the phone.”

  “Yeah? Or what? What are you gonna’ do?”

  “I’m sure you don’t want the chief to find out what we did last week right there in his office. The very office where I’m sure he’s sitting right now,” Jewell said flippantly.

  “Come on now.”

  “What? Don’t you remember that, Nole? I believe you said you won’t ever forget it. Oh yeah. The way I…”

  “Stop!”

  “You weren’t telling me to stop when I…“

  “That’s blackmail. And dirty as hell.”

  “Call it whatever you want. I’m sure you’d let me do that to you right now if I was willing.”

  “Are you?”

  “Maybe, but I’m a little busy working this story now. It’s a big one, Nole.”

  Nole snickered like a child. “I know.”

  “Grow up.”

  “Whatever. You’re making the story big, darling. Ain’t nothing to it.”

  “Lies upon lies. I can feel it. Tell me what happened. Come on!”

  “I told you. It’s confidential.”

  “Let me talk to the chief right now. I could always come down there in person and show him that spot on his desk. You know the one?”

  “Alright! Alright, already.” Sergeant Barnes interrupted. “That’s enough. Let me go check and see if he’s back in his office ye
t.”

  “You do that, Nole.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know whether I should shoot you the next time I see you or rip your clothes off.”

  “You mean like you did in Chief Batton’s office?”

  Sergeant Barnes put Jewell on hold and walked over to the big office that belonged in the corner of the police station. Chief Charlie Batton was looking down at his desk filling out paperwork.

  “Chief,” Nole said before clearing this throat. “That reporter.”

  Chief Batton stopped writing, but continued looking down at his papers.

  “She’s on the phone again. She wants to talk to you about what happened at the park.”

  “We’ve been over this.” Chief Batton looked up at his Sergeant. “I’m not talking to the press. I don’t care if she is you girlfriend.”

  “She ain’t my girlfriend, Chief.”

  “Whatever.”

  “She’s not takin’ no for an answer, Chief. She said she would come down here in person if she has to in order to get you to talk.”

  The chief tossed his pencil on the desk in disgust. “Jesus Christ, Nole!”

  “I know, sir. But she’s so damn pushy.”

  “What have you told her? I can’t believe the one reporter in the world that is up my ass about this is also dating my sergeant.”

  “Nothing. I haven’t told her anything. I swear.”

  “Transfer her to my line.”

  Nole walked back to his desk and took Jewell off hold. “I hope you’re happy. You got me in trouble.”

  “I’ll make it up to you tonight, if you’re up to it.”

  Nole smiled and moaned a little. “I’ll transfer you now. Hold on.”

  He pushed several buttons on the phone and hung up his phone as the phone in Chief Batton’s office rang.

  “This is Chief Batton. What can I do you for?”

  “Hi Chief Batton. It’s Jewell Hill with NBC12 news. Thanks for taking my call. I know you must be busy today after the shooting.”

  “I’m busy every day, Ms. Hill. What do you want?”

  “I think you know why I’m calling.”

  “No. Not really. No idea, Ms. Hill.” The chief yawned a long, loud yawn.

  “The park.”

  “What about the park? It’s beautiful this time of the year.”

  “True, but not as beautiful as it used to be with all that spilled blood. Wouldn’t you agree, Chief? The incident that kept you up all night long? By the way, how’s your leg?”

  Chief Batton looked around his office for evidence of a spy camera, and then pulled his pant leg up a little, revealing a white bandage wrapped around the wound. It felt like it was constantly on fire.

  “It’s fine. I’ve got about thirty seconds for you, Ms. Hill. Please tell me what it is you want so I can get back to work.”

  “I want to know about Reverend Kenneth Rally.”

  “He was a disturbed man that did a bad thing. Thanks for your call.”

  “Wait! First of all, he wasn’t a bad man, Chief. He was the most beloved man in Peterton. And he was one of your dearest friends as I hear it. Something happened to Kenneth Rally to make him eat…I mean rape that girl and disfigure her so bad she had to be cremated. That’s what her family told me the CDC told them. Did he actually eat her? I want to know what happened, what really happened in that park, Chief. Why is the CDC involved?”

  “I’m not psychic, Ms. Hill. I have no idea what happened to Reverend Rally or why he did what he did to that poor girl.”

  “I know your department has interviewed his family, his friends and his neighbors too. As have I.”

  “Good for you.” The sarcastic tone in his voice failed to hide the sickness he felt. Jewel heard both.

  “They all said something made him sick. Is that why he did it?”

  “I’m not a doctor either, Ms. Hill.”

  “His wife told me that you all aren’t giving her a lick of information about his motive. What’s the status of your investigation at this time, Chief?”

  “Closed.”

  “Closed?”

  “That’s what I said. Maybe you should get your hearing checked.”

  “That interesting. Nole told me he couldn’t comment on the investigation because it’s ongoing. Which is it, Chief? Is it pending or is it closed? If it’s closed, I’d like the final report.”

  Damnit, Nole.

  “It’s closed and pending.”

  “What?”

  “You are having trouble hearing me, Ms. Hill. We must have a bad connection. Call back another time.”

  “No. The connection is fine. It’s the BS you’re feeding me that’s bad. How can it be closed and pending at the same time? Huh? Tell me that.”

  The chief thought to himself for a moment. “It means we can’t comment on the investigation because the official report hasn’t been filed.”

  “When will it be filed?”

  “We’re working on it now.”

  “Okay. What can you tell me about the status of the other investigations?”

  “What other investigations?”

  “The ones assigned to the FBI and all of the other agencies that are at the park right now. I believe I see your detective as well. Yep. That’s him. Hi!” Jewell yelled over to the sole Peterton police detective on staff as she waved to him. “Since when did it become the department’s policy for the detective to work on closed investigations?” she asked the chief.

  “You’ll have to call the FBI to find out the status of their investigation.”

  “Don’t you law enforcement types work investigations like this jointly?”

  “Thanks for your call, Ms. Hill.”

  “Should I go on the news then and tell them that you refuse to answer my questions?”

  Chief Batton removed his reading glasses and rubbed his face. Hard. “Allow me to give you some good advice, Ms. Hill.”

  “Okay.”

  “I know you are just doing your job.”

  “I am.”

  “You need to know the matter you are asking about is sensitive.”

  “I’ve gathered.”

  “Obviously, based on the collection of agencies you saw represented at the park, the matter involves agencies with more clout and power than the Peterton Police Department.”

  “Duh. Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “My advice to you is quit asking questions about the Reverend Rally investigation. Find yourself another story. One where the FBI and any other three-letter agencies are not actively involved. For your own safety.”

  “Is that a threat, chief?”

  “No ma’am. It’s professional courtesy. Fair warning.”

  “Are you telling me that this story is so important that I could be harmed for covering it?”

  “Take my advice however you wish. Truth be told, I like you, Ms. Hill. And I know that sergeant over there is head over heels in love with you.”

  The chief peeked out to watch Nole sit back down at his desk, probably dreaming about Jewel.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “You are one of the few reporters that I’ve ever liked in my thirty-two years with this police department. I’d hate to see anything happen to you, Ms. Hill.”

  “Do I need police protection? You could always assign Nole to be my bodyguard.”

  “Right. I’ll be sure to get right on that. Say, why don’t you head over to Patrick Henry High School? You won’t need any protection there.”

  “What for? What’s going on there?”

  “Some delinquents tagged it with graffiti last night.”

  “What kind of graffiti?”

  “I don’t know. Crazy rants about the end of days. I hear the staff has been called to clean it. Head over there now, you should be able to get good footage of it before it is washed away.”

  “Maybe I will in a little bit. Right now, I just want you to answer my questions.”

  “Do yourself a favor and forget abo
ut Reverend Rally before you regret it.”

  A different Jewell replied, the one that would fight to the death if it meant getting her story. “I don’t think so, chief.”

  “Good day, Ms. Hill. Be sure and look over that pretty shoulder of yours from time to time.” Chief Batton said seconds before he hung up the phone.

  Chapter 8

  Jackson tossed his military green backpack into the trunk of his black and red Dodge Charger along with Jumper’s special 70-bucks-a-bag dog food and some other supplies. He was wearing blue jeans and a tight fitting t-shirt, the same type of ensemble he planned for the entire week. Jumper hopped in the back seat and stretched out as Jackson slid into the driver’s seat.

  “Good boy,” Jackson told his friend and pet his head. “I’m glad you are coming with us.” Jumper’s angelic face melted him.

  Jackson missed his family since reenlisting, so far away from them in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan. He couldn’t help but notice how gray Jumper’s fur had become. Still, this was the best, most hopeful he has felt in a long time.

  “Man, you’re getting old.” Jackson leaned in and hugged his dog. “I guess I am too. What the hell am I doing over there? I should be here with you, watching our fur turn gray.”

  Jumper licked Jackson’s face.

  Jackson turned the key and fired up V8 engine. A few minutes later, Jax slid into the passenger seat with his GoPro still strapped to his chest, still recording, along with his laptop in his lap.

  “You ready, partner?”

  “Oh yeah!”

  “Wait. I forgot something,” Jackson said as he stared vacantly through the windshield, then caught himself. “I’ll be right back.”

  Jackson turned off the engine. He left the driver’s side door open and dashed back into the house. In less than a minute, he returned back with the birthday card that was on the bedside table, along with a bag of fruit.

  “What’s that?” Jax asked.

  “Birthday card for grandpa. And some fruit in case we get hungry and don’t want to stop.”

  Jackson pulled a juicy looking orange out of the bag and showed it to his son. “Looks good,” Jax said.

  “Where’s Jumper?” Jackson noticed Jumper was no longer in the back seat. He looked to the street where he saw the German Shepherd licking the street, the remnants of something delicious.