Free One Chance: A Thrilling Christian Fiction Mystery Romance by Daniel Patterson Page A

do? The whole town thinks I tried to kill Pete and I'm going to come to you and say someone else is a murderer? How does that sound?"
    "You were supposed to trust me, Doug!" Penelope realized her voice was getting louder, but she just didn't care. She had been working straight out for the last few days, and had been trying her best to keep Doug from being arrested for attempted murder on top of everything else, and now it turned out Doug was keeping secrets from her.
    It was just too much.
    "I know, Penny, I know," Doug said to her, raising a hand to his forehead. "But you're in a tough enough spot as it is. I know you're going to bat for me against everyone else. I know the spot you're in. I just didn't know how you'd react if I told you. I didn't know what you'd do. I can't lose Trevor a second time, Penny, I just can't!"
    "So you didn't trust me, is that what you're saying?" she asked. Her hands tightened into fists under the table.
    Doug stared at her for a moment and then shook his head. "No, Penny. I couldn't. Not where my son is concerned. I'm sorry, buddy, but I thought if you knew everything, then you'd hold it against me, too."
    The house phone rang.
    "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" Penelope yelled as she stood up hard enough to knock her chair over. She was losing control, and she knew it, but she just felt like God was taking everything away from her one thing at a time to see how much she could take. "And if you couldn't trust me, buddy," she said with a sarcastic twist to her mouth, "then you should have been man enough to trust God and do the right thing and tell me the truth!"
    She yanked the receiver off its cradle on the fourth ring.
    "Deputy Chance!" she snapped.
    Silence for a few seconds, and then Jim's hesitant voice. "Penelope? You okay?"
    Penelope forced herself to take a breath before answering, and to lower her tone. "No, Jim. I'm not okay. But, just...don't worry about that. What are you calling for?"
    "Uh, well, I'm thinkin' you should come back in for this one. Maybe bring Doug, too."
    Trevor toddled out from the hallway that led to the bedrooms, rubbing his eyes. "Daddy, why are you and Auntie Penny being so loud?"
    Doug went over and picked up his little boy. "I'm sorry, Trev. Us grown-ups were just having a very childish argument, that's all."
    Doug's comments did not help Penelope's mood. She always kept such a tight rein on her emotions that when they did get away from her, it was with the force of a tempest. "Listen, Jim, I'm really not in the mood to come back into the office right now. I'm dealing with something here. Whatever it is, can you get one of the other guys to help you out with it?"
    "I'm afraid I can't, Penelope. Kind of directly involves you. And Doug."
    Counting to five did not help. Penelope was still on the verge of throwing the phone across the room. "What is it, Jim."
    "We just got a report in from Gainesville," Jim told her. "You sure you don't wanna come in for this?"
    "Jim," Penelope yelled, then backed down a little and said through clenched teeth. "Jim, just tell me, please."
    "Okay, Penelope, okay. Report is on a deceased female that they found a few hours back. Murdered. Single gunshot wound to the back of her head."
    And Penelope's mind put it together before Jim could finish. "Oh, please God, no," she said.
    Penelope could hear Jim draw a breath even through the phone line. "I'm afraid that's the way of it, Penelope. Camille Foster. Doug's ex-wife. She's dead. Sometime in the last forty-eight hours, is the preliminary."
    Penelope nodded, and swallowed back a sudden lump in her throat. "I understand, Jim. Look, I'm sorry for shouting. You did the right thing calling me."
    "Shoot, Penelope," Jim said. "If I got upset every time somebody done yelled at me, I'd be mad all the time. Now what good would that do?"
    "I'll be in soon. Did you call the Sheriff yet?"
    "Yup. First call. You were my second."
    "Thanks, Jim."
    Hanging up the phone, she turned to see Doug