The White Angel Murder

54

Stanton drove home and by the time he parked and got into his apartment it was nearly one in the morning. Royal’s alibi had checked out. His secretary, who ran to the police station once Royal’s attorney called her, and his official calendar placed him in Singapore the week of Tami Jacobs’ death. Stanton checked the airlines and the hotel. The hotel only had records going back a year but the airline had him checking in and out when he told them he did. They also had credit card transactions from Singapore at the time.

The District Attorney had sent an ADA to negotiate the deal and draw up the plea bargain contract. They would be there a few hours hashing out the details of Hunter’s guilty plea. When they were done, a uniform would call Harlow and let him know they had the address.

Stanton kicked off his shoes, took off his clothes, and changed into sweats. He was too wired to sleep and instead he flopped onto his couch and turned on the television. An interesting series based in a fantasy world was on and he watched an entire episode before getting up to go to the bathroom.

When he came out he checked his fridge and remembered there was no food. He ordered a pizza from a twenty-four joint; extra cheese and tomatoes, and got out his credit card, reading the numbers off before putting it back into his wallet.

As he sat back down, he was hit by how much he missed his boys. It was too late to call them now. The temporary orders of the potential divorce decree specified that he couldn’t call them past six, but he wanted just to hear their voices and wish them good night.

He wondered if, when they got older, they would even remember him.

His own father had been distant and Stanton felt like he couldn’t care less where he was or what he was doing. His grandfather had raised his father that way. He was a man with tightly held Victorian values. His father had told him stories that at the dinner table there was to be nothing but absolute silence. His grandmother once tried to ask about everyone’s day and his grandfather had quickly shut her down and let her know that the dinner table was no place for conversation, especially from a woman.

Someone knocked on his door. Stanton didn’t move for a time and then went into the kitchen and pulled out his gun from a cupboard. He held it behind him as he answered the door.

Jessica stood there holding a pizza and a six pack of Diet Coke.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey.”

“Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

She walked in and sat down on the couch, placing the pizza on the coffee table. “I couldn’t sleep. I was just going to come over but I didn’t want to come empty handed.”

“I’m glad you came. Let me get some plates.”

He placed the gun down on the counter and pulled out two plates and two glasses and came back over and sat down next to her.

“What are you watching?”

“I don’t know what it’s called. It’s good though. About a king trying to rule seven kingdoms and all the deceit that’s going on in his court.”

The other pizza came and Stanton placed it down on the table as well. They ate and chatted about their kids and careers. When they were done they watched television, Jessica placing her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and they watched a DVR recording of David Letterman.

“I’d like to sleep here tonight,” she said.

“Okay. But … you know I can’t …”

“Not before marriage, right?”

“Yeah,” he said, relieved that he didn’t have to say it.

“That’s okay. I just want you to hold me in your arms.” She leaned in and kissed him a long while. They rose and went into the bedroom.

*****

It was seven in the morning when Stanton was woken by the sound of his shower. They had slept in each other’s arms all night. Nothing sexual had taken place but it was an intimate night, long kisses broken with the conversations that you don’t share with strangers.

Stanton got up and went to his balcony and sat cross-legged. He said a long, meditative prayer and then went inside, catching her as she was walking into the kitchen.

“Afraid all I got is cold pizza.”

“It’s all right,” she said, putting an earring in, “I’m gonna grab some coffee from Starbucks before heading in.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to. It was really hard to resist. But it’s just something I think I have to do.”

“I know. But I’ve always figured that’s what repentance is for.” She walked over and gave him a long kiss. “Some things are worth repenting for.”

When she left, he went and changed and headed to the beach for a morning of surfing. By seven, there were too many families and teenagers on the beach to get a spiritual experience on the ocean. Occasionally though, when there was no one and nothing but the sea, the morning mist, and the sun, he would have deep experiences with God. Deeper even than those he would have in church.

The waves were light and the water choppy. He finished early and headed back to his apartment. As he got in he checked his cell phone. There was a text from Tommy:

got address get ur ass down here