Free Justice Served: A Barkley and Parker Thriller by R. Barri Flowers Page A

told Victoria. “One of them may
have decided to settle a score once and for all.” He wasn’t sure he
believed that, not in this case, but would pursue all leads. “In
the meantime, we’ll need you to come and identify the body.”
    Rebecca Ferguson had already done that and
had probably seen more of him in recent times than the man’s wife.
But, in addition to standard and official procedure of positive
identification by the next of kin, in some strange way Ray believed
this just might put closure to this chapter of Victoria Wallace’s
dark life with Blake Wallace.
    Whereas their investigation still appeared to
have a long way to go. Ray was admittedly more than a little
disturbed that this was going on under their noses and they seemed
almost powerless to do anything about it. With four men dead and
countless others at risk, they sure as hell had their work cut out
for them. And the clock kept ticking.
    A madwoman was out there somewhere, waiting
for the next opportunity to strike. Almost daring anyone to try and
stop her before she put the bat and her rage to victim number five
in continuing to draw deadly attention to the plight of battered
women—and now battered men—in the Rose City.
     

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
     
    The jogging trail provided breathtaking views
of the Willamette River with the Cascade Mountains peeking out of
mounds of thick, white clouds. The morning itself was sunny and
birds could be heard singing, as if for an audience.
    This was hardly noticed by Carole, her mind
preoccupied with work and working out as she did her daily run. She
had been jogging for ten years now and loved pushing herself as
hard as she could, as if to slow down would make it that much
harder to catch up.
    The results had been a sculpted and taut body
that was the envy of women half her age. It also gave her a sense
of personal achievement and satisfaction that could not be matched
even in the courtroom.
    She was so focused that she had not heard the
runner come up behind her until right at her heels.
    “What’s up, Judge Cranston?”
    Carole looked over her shoulder at Stuart
Wolfe. He smiled, looking athletic in a tee shirt, shorts, and
well-worn running shoes. She smiled back, and saw that he was
taking in her attire of a short-sleeved top, running tights, and
running shoes.
    “Hi, Stuart,” she said on a breath. “What’s
up with you?” She was almost afraid to ask, given the recent
troubles with his wife.
    “Thought I might find you here.” He pulled
alongside her. “I have some good news. First, I wanted to thank you
for talking to Vivian.”
    “No problem,” Carole told him. At least not
yet. She hadn’t honestly known what might come from her chat with
Vivian, other than that it had made Carole reassess her thoughts
about having a family someday.
    “She’s decided she wants to have the baby
after all.”
    “I’m happy to hear that, Stuart.” Carole
showed him her teeth in a genuine display of joy for them both.
“I’m sure you’ll make a great father and Vivian will make a great
mother.”
    “So would you,” Stuart said warmly.
    Carole felt a slight chill at the notion. “I
wouldn’t be too sure about that,” she said. “I bite back when I’m
bitten.”
    He laughed uneasily. “Well, as far as I know,
it takes a while before babies can put some snap into their
bite.”
    “I wasn’t referring to babies,” she said
cynically. “I was talking about men who take it upon themselves to
back women into a corner they can’t get out of.”
    Stuart’s face darkened. “Is that what I was
doing?”
    Carole grinned weakly, deciding she didn’t
like where this was going. “Forget it. Maybe I’m just living in the
past too much, thinking about things that might have been and never
will be.”
    “Listen, Carole,” he said sympathetically,
“beating yourself up over things for which you have little to no
control is wasting energy that could and should be put to better
use.”
    “Beating myself