Wade thought about confronting Cathy’s ex by himself. After all, he was an ex-cop; he had a gun, but he had Sophie to consider now. They had a lifetime ahead of them, and it would be foolish to risk that all for the sake of playing lawman. He’d played it safe and relayed everything Cathy had told him to the sheriff.
“I can honestly say I’m more than relieved,” said Sheriff Bradley. “In my wildest dreams I couldn’t believe that Emily Richardson was capable of murder. This all makes perfect sense now that an outsider would frame her.” He tipped his hat back.
“I’ve told Cathy Moran that we’ll take the fact that she did volunteer the information and is cooperating fully into consideration. After all, she is pregnant and has a four year old son,” Wade said.
The sheriff nodded. “So how would you like me to handle this?”
“I’ve suggested that Cathy take me to her house where her ex is babysitting her son, and we’ll talk. However, I would like your guys to be waiting as back-up.”
“Sounds like a plan. And, Wade, if you’re ever thinking about joining the police department again, I always have a need for a good guy like yourself.”
“I’ll definitely think about that.”
*****
“You’ll keep your promise about telling the judge that I cooperated,” said Cathy as she put the key in the front door.
“I swear on my life I’ll do all that I can for you.”
She pushed open the door, and Wade heard the TV blaring and what sounded like the theme music to SpongeBob SquarePants playing. He walked behind Cathy as they entered the living room, and there Max sat on his father’s lap, his hands conducting along to the music from the cartoon.
“Oncle Vade,” Max said when he saw him.
“Hi Max. Hi…I didn’t catch your name?” asked Wade, looking at Cathy’s ex who was probably around his age, and slightly overweight with a goatee.
“Just what the hell is he doing here?” he asked.
“This is Nick, Max’s father. Nick, Wade Linley.”
“Max, why don’t you run along to your room and I’ll be in to read you a story later,” Wade said.
“Really?” asked Max.
Wade nodded. “Yes, really.”
Max didn’t wait a minute longer. He slid off his dad’s knee and ran along the hallway.
“Nick, Wade knows everything.”
“What the fuck did you go opening your mouth for?”
“I’m sorry…it’s just…”
Cathy burst into tears and flopped onto the couch and put her head into her hands and sobbed.
“If you cooperate, come along with me and turn yourselves in, things are going to look that much better for you,” Wade told him.
“Go along with you?” asked Nick. He stood, and the ex-cop in Wade sensed he wasn’t going to come along the easy way, so Wade pounced on him and sent him flying onto the floor. Wade still had a pair of handcuffs he’d kept from his days on the force, so he dug them out from his back pocket of his jeans and secured them on Nick’s wrists before pulling them behind the man’s back.
“You mind if I call Sophie to come and look after Max while the two of you are at the police station?” asked Wade.
Cathy shook her head as a tear flew from her face. “No, I don’t mind. I think that might be a good idea.”
Wade got Nick to his feet and pushed him out of the door where the sheriff was waiting. Wade went back in and got Cathy and walked her outside. “I’ll wait for Sophie to arrive, and then I’ll come down to the station. And we can all give a statement, okay?”
Cathy nodded. “Take care of Max for me, will you?”
Wade nodded, on the brink of tears himself. Not so much for Cathy but for that cute little boy now sitting in his room waiting for a story.
*****
“You mean this nightmare is over?” asked Grans when Sophie and Wade returned to Mountainview that night.
“Yes, just about. You’ll probably need to go before the judge again. The prosecutor will ask that all charges be dropped against you seeing the new evidence that’s been presented. And I’m suspecting that the judge will dismiss your case,” Wade said.
Grans held her chest. “I can’t ever thank you enough,” she said. “I had visions of spending the rest of my life behind bars.”
“I told you I’d never let that happen, especially now you’re going to be my grandmother-in-law.”
Sophie liked the sound of that.
“Do you think the court will let us be Max’s foster parent until they figure out what will happen to Cathy? After being around him this afternoon…well, I sort of fell in love with him,” Sophie said.
“I’d say there’s a good chance of that seeing how we’ll be a married couple soon. And I guess it will be good practice for us for when we have one of our own.”
“That dear little boy,” Grans said. “I do hope everything gets sorted out for him.”
“Me, too,” said Sophie. “But he’ll have a home with us as long as he needs one.”
“So do you think we should start planning a wedding now?” asked Wade.
“I think it’s about time we did,” Sophie said, leaning over and kissing her soon to be groom.