Read Vengeance: A Reece Culver Thriller - Book 1 Online
Authors: Bryan Koepke
Vengeance: A Reece Culver Thriller - Book 1 (28 page)
Epilogue
T
he Rocky Mountains
were gleaming white with a covering of fresh snow. Haisley and Reece sat at a table outside the Jefferson County Courthouse. The building was known in some circles as the nipple of justice because of its protruding periphery atop a circular base.
“Hey man, I’m sorry about your mother,” Haisley said.
“Yeah, it sucks, but I’m glad they found her body. I hope it was quick and painless,” Reece said sadly.
“Well, it should feel good that you got the guy that was responsible for her death,” Haisley said.
“Yeah, I just wish I hadn’t loaned her my rental car.”
“You got to let that go, Reece. The past is the past,” Haisley said.
Reece stood up as a white van with the logo for the Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office pulled into parking place a few yards away.
“Hey guys, what’s going on?” Natalie said, walking toward them.
“Good to see you,” Reece replied.
Natalie came to a halt facing them and said, “Reece, I’m very sorry for your loss. Hey, if you need anything, anything at all, I’m just a phone call away.”
“Thanks.”
“Did you get everything set up?” Natalie said.
“Got it,” Reece said as Natalie took a seat on the opposite side of the table. They waited in silence for a while and Reece checked his watch.
“Looks like she’s here,” Natalie said as the three of them watched a silver Maserati Quattroporte zoom into the parking lot.
“We’ll meet you guys inside,” Reece said. He and Haisley walked into the courthouse and made their way down to one of the interview rooms that were normally used for meetings between jail inmates and their attorneys.
Soon after, Natalie escorted Tracey Roberts into the room. The walls grimly reminded him of the room back in the St. Louis jail.
Reece and Haisley sat on a bench along one of the walls and watched as Natalie and Tracey Roberts took seats on the opposite side of a table. Reece heard a loud noise and turned to see Crystal Thomas being led into the room wearing orange Jeffco Jail attire. Mother and daughter started talking, and before long they were both in tears. At one point Natalie allowed them to exchange a hug. The guard returned to the room and took a tearful Crystal back out to the jail facility.
Reece and Haisley followed Natalie and Tracey Roberts out into the hallway.
“Mrs. Roberts, this is Reece Culver and Haisley Averton. They’re the men I told you about,” Natalie said.
“Oh, Mr. Culver, thank you so much for bringing Crystal and me together. This means so much to see my daughter again after all of these years,” Tracey said.
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Roberts.”
“Well, I guess I’ll be on my way. Thanks again,” Tracey said as the four of them reached the top of the stairs and filed into the main atrium.
“Mrs. Roberts, there’s one more thing,” Reece said, motioning toward a hallway that led off to the left. Natalie led the way and Tracey followed with Reece and Haisley a few steps behind. Tracey had a lightness in her gait that hadn’t been there when he’d seen her earlier. Reece hurried ahead and opened the door to a conference room, motioning for Tracey to go ahead. She entered first. A man dressed in a blue suit was standing just inside the door.
Tracey turned back toward Reece with a funny look on her face as if to say, “What are we doing here?”
Reece shut the door and moved out of the way.
“Mrs. Roberts, my name is Special Agent Stephen Cox with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Cox said, holding out his identification. “If you’ll please have a seat, I have a few questions.”
Tracey looked over at Reece and dropped into one of the chairs on the opposite side of the table from Agent Cox.
The door to the conference room opened, and a man wearing a beige sports coat, brown pants, and a green tie entered.
“What are you doing here? What’s this about?” Tracey said, standing from her seat.
The man in the sports coat pulled out a black wallet. “Mrs. Roberts, I’m Agent Derrick Johnston with the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.”
Agent Cox walked over to the door, opened it, and motioned for Reece to leave.
“Ms. Roberts, I believe you too have met previously at the Golden Spur Casino in Blackhawk, Colorado,” Cox said as he closed the door behind Reece.
Reece found Haisley sitting on a wooden bench on the opposite side of the hallway.
“Good job, Culver. So, what’s next for you?”
“I’ve got a job interview down at Caulder Space Systems next Monday. Between now and then I’m going to get some rest.” He clapped the older man on the shoulder. “You know, maybe I’ll catch a flight down to Cabo San Lucas. You wana join me?”
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