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Back Murder Past Due Save as PDF
Chapters (36)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Acknowledgements
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE

I almost laughed in his face. The man had a colossal ego. “We don’t have enough time to go into that. Just stop and think for a moment about what you did to Julia nineteen years ago. Walking away and leaving her pregnant, knowing she would probably marry Ezra. You have a lot to answer for.”

Godfrey’s face whitened, and I knew I was right. He had lied about not knowing Julia was pregnant when he left her. To his credit, he didn’t try to deny it now.

“I’ll go get Justin,” I said, rising from my chair. “And you take it easy with him.”

Godfrey didn’t answer. I left him gazing at the wall.

In the kitchen, Justin and Diesel were still on the floor. Justin’s face was buried in Diesel’s neck, and Diesel was muttering away. “Are you okay?” I stopped a few paces away from the pair.

Justin looked up at me, his face slightly tearstained. “Yes, sir.”

“Why don’t you wash your face and hands?” I said. “Do you still want to see Mr. Priest?”

Nodding as he got his feet, Justin went to the sink and splashed his face with water. After patting himself dry with a towel, he washed his hands.

“I’m ready,” he said as he turned to me.

I put a hand on his shoulder and kept it there as he preceded me out of the kitchen and to the living room. His steps were slow but steady.

We paused in the doorway of the living room. Godfrey stood, facing us as we came into the room.

Justin stopped several feet away from his biological father, and Godfrey drank in the sight of his son like a man who hasn’t had water for weeks.

“Justin, this is Godfrey Priest. Godfrey, this is Justin Wardlaw.”

“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Justin said. He took a step forward, his hand out, but Godfrey didn’t move. Justin faltered.

Godfrey started to speak. He stopped to clear his throat. “It’s nice to meet you, too.” He finally held out his hand, and Justin stepped forward to take it.

Godfrey shook his son’s hand, his eyes still fixed on the boy’s face. Now that I saw the two of them together, I spotted certain features they shared. Justin had Julia’s coloring and her eyes, but his nose and cheekbones were just like Godfrey’s.

Godfrey drew Justin toward the couch, and they both sat down, neither one of them speaking, each simply staring at the other.

“What happened to your face?” Godfrey asked.

I turned and stole away, leaving father and son alone together. I would let Justin explain the bruise.