Page 47 of Booked for Theft

TWELVE

I couldn’t help but think that few good men remained in our country, and we’d lost one of them.

Following my sweet victory, we took everyone on a tour of our condo. I couldn’t bring myself to show them the books Senator Thaddens had given me, nor did we make mention of the documents or videos we’d acquired. Several men from Mr. Hampton’s security company did a sweep of the place, finding nothing.

The closest the government goons had gotten to our home was the garage, and according to the video surveillance, they’d limited themselves to confirming our SUV wasn’t present. With luck, the beacons had led them on a merry chase before they’d learned we weren’t going to allow them to install bugs at their whim.

The next day, we headed to the cathedral and attended Senator Thaddens’s funeral within St. Patrick’s Cathedral. To my dismay, we were assigned seats near the grieving family, as I had been the one to make certain his final wishes had been honored. While President Castillo attended, unlike Senator Maybelle’s funeral, there was no infighting among the gathered politicians, and they only displayed true grief for their lost colleague.

Once again, I couldn’t help but think that few good men remained in our country, and we’d lost one of them.

As I often did when presented with a sea of grief, I stayed stoic, refusing to shed more than a few stray tears throughout the memorial. For two hours after the conclusion of the ceremony, we loitered, viewed the body, and gave Emma our condolences.

Unlike other funerals, where the memorial transitioned to the actual burial, Senator Thaddens would have a second ceremony, where he would be lowered into the ground during a quiet gathering of his family and closest friends.

Much like with Senator Maybelle’s funeral, I was given cards, although this go around, each politician made a point of meeting me personally, thanking me for my selflessness and work at the hospital. Later, I would have to thank Bradley’s mother for foisting a monster of a purse on me. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to handle the gifts.

In the final minutes of the viewing, Emma approached, and she carried a large box. Bradley intercepted, and he grunted upon learning of its weight. Rather than maintain his pride, he put it on a nearby pew. “I’m so sorry, Emma.”

The woman smiled at my fiancé. “I am, too. These are the books Spencer wanted you to have, Janette. I hope they bring you as much joy as they brought him.”

Some of the straggler politicians glanced our way before heading towards the exit to give us some space.

“Thank you. I’ll cherish them. I just wish there was something more I could have done.”

“The pathology report came back with a confirmation of everything you had said. The cancer was malignant, aggressive, and he would have died, likely within a month or two. The heart attack spared him a great deal of suffering without any hope of recovery. And with time, it would have spread to his other organs, robbing his transplant recipients of a chance at life.”

I wanted to curse, but I controlled myself. “I hate cancer so much.”

“We all do,” she replied with a sad smile. “Your presence today comforts me more than you could ever know. Spencer would have loved to have gotten a better chance to get to know you, and I hope I can take his place on that in the future.”

“I’d love to get together.” As I’d learned the woman loved touch and hugs, I embraced her. “Still, I wish there was something I could have done.”

“I know. I appreciate that more than you could ever know. After I finish handling Spencer’s estate, I’ll be going to Italy for a while. He talked so much about where he’d gone and how beautiful it was, and I’d like to see the land that had charmed him so. It won’t bring him back, but I guess, at least for a while, I can pretend he’s with me in some way.”

I wondered how many times my heart could break for the woman. “Italy sounds beautiful.” After a moment of thought, well aware we still had a week to add reservations to the cruise ship, I inhaled to calm my nerves before asking, “Bradley and I are taking our wedding party, family, and friends on a cruise starting in late October. We’re going to Europe, where we’ll be staying for a month before sailing back to the United States. We’re scheduled to depart Europe in early January. Would you like to come with us? Bradley’s father made arrangements with the cruise line so we have first crack at the ship, so we can add you to the reservation. If you end up having a pet you want to bring along, we can accommodate most animals.”

Emma’s expression brightened, and she smiled. “Cruising is the one thing we didn’t get to do. Are you sure?”

“We’d love to have you,” I confirmed. “Bradley? Can you do the reservation on your phone?”

“I can.” Bradley got out his new toy, tapped at the screen, and got all the information he needed from Emma, including everything required for tax purposes. “What’s your phone number? I’ll text your copy of the tax receipt.”

Within five minutes, she was added to the group, and I could only hope she understood she had a way out of the United States if she wanted it.

With luck, none of us would need to make use of the out, but I held little faith in that.

“Seriously, thank you both. I had little to look forward to, and this truly helps.”

I’d been in her shoes, and I could only hope she found more reasons to hold on when tempted to let go. “Do you like horses?”

A hint of the joyful woman I’d met in her home appeared. “I’ve always loved them since I was a little girl, but with Spencer’s responsibilities, we were always afraid of committing to having them.”

“If you decide you want a horse or two, there is a stable on board the cruise ship, and I think we can fit two more horses.” I glanced at Bradley, hoping I’d remembered that correctly. “Is that right?”

“There are quite a few stable openings left. It’s a specialty cruise ship designed for transporting animals for those wishing to go on horseback riding tours with their own animals. If you want to bring a pair of horses, I can adjust the booking. Janette’s parents are getting involved with horse rescue, and they have open stalls if you don’t have the space for a stable, although it’s a bit of a hike to get to them from where you live.”

“We actually have a stable and pasture on our property, we just hadn’t been using them. You know what? I think I’ll take you up on that. Do you think two horses is a good number to start with? There’s a girl down the street from me that loves horses and wishes she could have them, but money is an issue. I bet she’d help with the manual labor in exchange for a chance to ride.” Emma dug her phone out of her purse, and she went to work on the device. “Spencer would have loved this whole mess of an idea.”