REDEMPTION
CHAPTER 1
Lindy Harrington woke up with the carved wooden grip of her .38
caliber revolver still clutched in her right hand. Nestled between
her rib cage and abdomen, the stainless steel cylinder was
strangely comforting against her skin. The metallic taste of copper
in her mouth reminded her that she was far too familiar with the
taste of her own blood.
Much like a child might cuddle a favored stuffed animal; Lindy
had clasped the gun to her body throughout the long restless
night, while she weighed the pros and cons of pointing the muzzle
at her husband's head and squeezing the trigger. Unclenching her
hand, she placed the pistol on the nightstand beside the bed.
Flexing her fingers to restore circulation, she gently touched
her stomach right below her navel where the embryo would have,
given the chance, transformed into a living, breathing baby; her
baby. A year ago today, she thought. The memory of that morning
hit her like waves pummeling a shoreline. Pinching the bridge of
her nose to stay the tears, she struggled against the tidal wave of
sorrow that washed over her.
So far, she'd been unable to discover any defense against the
darkness that consumed her each time she thought about that day,
the day two completely unrelated events pushed her into an abyss
so deep even a glimmer of light couldn't be found. Rolling to her
side, Lindy drew her long slender legs up into the fetal position.
She lay quietly, with silent tears soaking through the fabric of the
pillowcase underneath her.
Refusing to submit to the pain, she forced herself to roll to the
edge of the king size bed, and then dropped her feet over the side.
She carefully placed the revolver back into the top drawer of her
nightstand, but she left the drawer open this time.
Samantha Charles - Author of Redemption A Parson's Gap Story
published by Black Rose Writing
From Salvation: the second novel in the Parson’s Gap Series
By Samantha Charles
Jack looked at Lindy, and she stood to leave the room. Jack waved her back in her seat. “Hell,
you might as well stay. If we don’t keep you in the loop, you’ll get all tangled up in the line,
most likely hang yourself doing it.”
“He called from the clinic. He had overheard a conversation between the other doctor and
a former patient. From what he could hear, the woman wanted contact information on the
adoptive parents. Evidently, the exchange between the two of them heated up, and Dr. Gupta
stormed out of the office and caught him listening.” Jack held up his hands. “That was it; I shut
down the conversation to prevent further exposure and told him I would pull him out. That was
yesterday morning.”
Grady’s brow creased. “Any idea who the woman was?”
Jack nodded. “He didn’t have a name, but he said she was a buxom blond and she was
‘all made up like a harlot.’”
Grady and Lindy locked eyes.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought too,” Jack commented. “It would be a long shot, but maybe
we’ll get lucky.”
“You think it’s Jerrianne?” Lindy asked.
“I don’t think anything yet other than we have a vague description of a woman that could
potentially resemble her,” Jack responded, “and for obvious reasons you are not going anywhere
near that woman for the time being. You understand me Lindy?”
Usually staying away from the town whore would be an easy choice for Lindy. She
purposely avoided any encounter with the proprietor of Parson’s Gap only overnight
accommodations. Lindy and Jerrianne may have grown up together, but the ties that stretched
between were woven with threads of mistrust and hostility. Now, Jerrianne seemed to be the only
key to unlocking the door that led to the child Lindy so desperately needed to find. Lindy glared
at Jack across the table.
“Jack, I could talk to her again. If she is the woman that went to that clinic, we are going
to need some answers from her. I’ve known her all my life…”
Grady shook his head. “And in this case, familiarity definitely breeds contempt. That is
exactly why you are going to stay away. You aren’t exactly on Jerrianne Jackson’s list of trusted
confidants. She isn’t going to open up to you of all people. The last time you tried to talk to her,
she threatened to get a restraining order for God’s sake.”
Jerrianne had been Lindy’s lifelong nemesis and the reason her childhood dreams of
happily ever after had gone up in flames, but Sara had most often been the intended target of
Jerrianne’s predilection for cruelty. She had bullied Sara at every opportunity and her final blow
had led to her death, and Lindy’s current state of distraction.
Lindy rolled her eyes. “Do you really think I can’t control myself if I talk to that slut?”
Lindy asked incredulously. “For God’s sake Grady, give me a little credit.”
“Until we get some answers, I don’t trust you in the same town with her, much less the
same room. Got it?”
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