Breach Of Trust

By Jo Hoden

FBI Agents, Franklin and Taylor reluctantly take on a cold case, placed upon them by their superior, Agent Morris. In what becomes an emotional and frustrating journey, covering over 1,000 miles, Franklin and Taylor struggle to contain their emotions, as the true extent of the cold case comes to light.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jo Hoden
• Release date: Jan 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301758005

Jo Hoden

I am a dreamer. I talk a lot. I like to write whatever is in my head, so I took it a little further

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Breach of Trust

Published by Jo Hoden at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Jo Hoden

License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All characters and events, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Chapter One

Mary Elizabeth Cuthbert was born on May sixteenth. Precisely two minutes later her mother Elizabeth passed away after looking into Mary Elizabeth’s eyes for the first time. With her father never remarrying, Mary grew up an only child. Raised by her loving father with a little help from the church, she never did feel as though she was missing out on having a mother. She would question it when school friends enquired as to where her mother was. The story was always the same. Her father would tell her he was not allowed to have two so very special beautiful people all to himself and that God wanted her mother to be with him to help others. She never did quite fully understand the story, although she knew what a special woman her mother must have been if God had taken her to be with him.

Mary Elizabeth and her father lived in a house situated on its own land around three miles from Florence in the quiet town of Norfolk, Omaha. Every weekday Mary Elizabeth’s father would take her to school before going to work at the flour mill. After school, she would wait in the school playground until her father picked her up again for the journey home. All throughout school her father never once failed to pick her up. Even when she went to the diner with friends, he would be there to pick her up whenever she was ready to go home. Once home, Mary Elizabeth was free to roam the fields at the rear of their house. On occasions her father would join her.

As the years passed, Mary Elizabeth’s father’s health deteriorated. At sixteen years of age it was now her job to look after her father. Leaving her newspaper job at the end of the working day she would return home to care for her father. When he retired to bed each evening, Mary Elizabeth could take time out, sit out on the porch and look at the stars. The only break in her routine was when her boyfriend Jake popped in to see her on weekends.

Jake was the only child of Reverend and Laura Corton, though he wasn’t Laura’s biological child. Reverend Corton didn’t mind so much that Jake had a girlfriend. He did, however, limit the time Jake could spend with Mary Elizabeth, allowing Jake to stay out till 9 pm on Saturdays and 7 pm on Sundays. Reverend Corton was well aware of how promiscuous young girls could be and did not want his son to be distracted from his studies. He had plans for Jake and they did not involve a girlfriend, let alone an unwanted pregnancy. He did, however, like Mary Elizabeth very much and was well aware she did not believe in sex before marriage. Mary and her father occasionally dined with the Reverend and his wife. With her father’s dwindling health, Mary Elizabeth would at times have to attend alone.

On the morning of her seventeenth birthday Mary Elizabeth went downstairs to find her father had made her pancakes for breakfast. ‘I knew I could smell pancakes. I thought I was dreaming.’ She ran over to her father and hugged and kissed him. It was the first time in months her father had made it to the breakfast table. She noticed her father was looking tired and gaunt; a shadow of his former self. His ill health was beginning to take its toll.

As they sat down to breakfast, Mary Elizabeth’s father handed her a card and a small box. ‘Happy Birthday, Beth.’ Her mother’s name was Elizabeth. Whenever her father regaled her with stories about her mother, he would refer to her as Beth. It was his nickname for her. Over the years Mary Elizabeth too would often be called Beth. Jake had also recently begun to use the name. He thought it was pretty cool, not like the overly mature name of Mary Elizabeth.

Mary Elizabeth opened her card. ‘It’s a beautiful card, father.’ She rose from her seat to kiss him on the cheek.

‘Open the box,’ he urged excitedly.

Mary Elizabeth untied the pretty red ribbon tied around the box and opened it. Inside was a silver butterfly pendant on a silver chain. ‘I love it; it’s beautiful. Thank you, father.’

Taking the necklace from its box, she handed it to her father, who placed the chain around her neck. ‘You look more like your mother with each passing day, Beth.’ Mary Elizabeth had inherited her mother’s gorgeous strawberry blonde hair and green eyes.

Mary Elizabeth kissed her father goodbye. ‘I have to go to work. I’ll make something special for tea, your favourite maybe.’

‘Mmm, I can’t wait. Love you, Beth. Have a good day at work.’

‘Love you, daddy. See you after work.’ Mary Elizabeth surprised herself. She hadn’t referred to her father as daddy for years. Laughing, she walked out the door.

Cycling home from work, Mary Elizabeth was excited at the prospect of being seventeen. She now saw herself officially an adult. At sixteen she had considered herself a child with a lot of maturing to do. With the past year, however, Mary Elizabeth had grown as a person and blossomed into a mature young lady. She had to take rein of the household duties, as well as look after her father, whilst continuing with her employment at the newspaper. She also worked part-time at ‘Maria’s Diner’. She had had a very busy and demanding year; one, though, she would never regret. She adored her father and hated to see him struggle. He had always been such a strong man.

Jake was visiting her later for dinner. She was cooking a meal for the two most important people in her life. She smiled as she thought of Jake. He too had matured over the passing year. Mary Elizabeth daydreamed as she pictured him in her mind, a strapping lad with thick brown hair that had begun to creep down the back of his nape and past his ears. She could easily get lost in his bright blue eyes.

Cycling towards the house, Mary Elizabeth could see her father sitting out on the porch. ‘Father, hi,’ she called out and waved to him. She didn’t notice he did not wave back. She was pleased to see him outside in the fresh air, enjoying some sunshine. He was waiting for her returning home on her birthday. In a state of excitement, she pulled so hard on the brakes it caused the bike to skid as it came to a halt. She ran over to her father. ‘Father, you are outside.’ He didn’t answer. ‘Father?’ Mary Elizabeth knelt down in front of him. She held his hand; it was cold to the touch. She began to cry, ‘Daddy, daddy no! Don’t leave me, please, not you too.’

When she could cry no more, Mary Elizabeth sat on the bench alongside her father. She continued to hold his hand, sitting with him until the sun had set. A car approached the house. It was Jake, driving his father’s car. He waved as he pulled up in front of the house. Flowers in hand, he jumped out of the car and called out to her. ‘Beth, happy birthday!’ Jake waved. ‘Mr Cuthbert, it is good to see you out in the fresh air. How are you, sir?’ As Jake stepped onto the deck he immediately knew something was wrong. He could tell Beth was upset and had been crying. He also realised that Mr Cuthbert had failed to acknowledge his arrival, which was very unlike him.

Jake sat down alongside Mary Elizabeth. He didn’t say a word. He simply took her hand and held it tight. He knew Mr Cuthbert had passed away. As time passed, Jake placed Mary Elizabeth’s flowers on her father’s knee. He led her by the hand into the house. From there he called his father.

Over the coming days, church members and others in the community pulled together to help Mary Elizabeth with her father’s funeral arrangements. She was touched by their kindness. Everyone who attended the service was invited back to the house. Mary Elizabeth had never had so many people in her house at the one time. Most of the people were speaking of Mary Elizabeth as if she wasn’t even present. She heard some pondering what would become of her. Would she sell the house? How would she cope on her own?

Finding it all too difficult, Mary Elizabeth escaped out of the rear of the house and into the surrounding field. She walked to the spot where her father had years before fashioned her a makeshift swing from an old car tyre and some rope. It still hung from the branch of an old tree. As she sat on the swing she began to think what she would do. Maybe she would travel now or attend college like she had always dreamed of. Maybe she and Jake would marry and they could both live in the house together.

Mary Elizabeth believed the women in the house to be very wrong; she could and would cope without her father. He had raised her well, always telling her to believe in herself even when others didn’t. He told her she was strong and capable of doing anything she wanted. Mary Elizabeth was determined to prove her father correct and the women wrong.

‘There you are. I thought I would find you here.’ Jake had found Mary Elizabeth’s hiding place. His voice was a welcome distraction for her. ‘Are you okay?’

Mary Elizabeth smiled at his arrival and nodded.

‘Would you like me to push you?’ He had a wicked grin on his face.

Mary Elizabeth laughed at him. Although she was now seventeen years of age, and Jake eighteen, they still had their playful natures.

Jake walked behind the swing. ‘You are never too old for a push’. He began to push on the tyre, causing the swing to go higher and higher. Mary Elizabeth squealed with delight at each push. She looked up towards the sky, feeling as though she was flying. The wind blew her hair around, the cool summer breeze providing relief from the heat of the summer sun. For a moment she forgot exactly what day it was. As Jake stopped pushing on the tyre, Mary Elizabeth leaned back on the swing. Jake stood to the side watching her, laughing at her childlike grin. It was a wonderful innocent moment for them both.

As the swing slowed to a stop, Mary Elizabeth looked at Jake. His smile had gone; he looked as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. She sat up on the swing. ‘What’s wrong, Jake?’

Jake sighed.

‘Tell me what’s wrong. Have you done something? I won’t be mad, I promise.’ She knew Jake well. There was nothing he could say or do, that would make her feel any different towards him. She loved him.

‘I didn’t want to tell you this,’ he couldn’t make eye contact with her, ‘Today of all days.’

Mary Elizabeth jumped up from the swing to stand with him. She knew he was serious. ‘Tell me Jake.’

‘I’m leaving, Beth.’

‘You’re leaving? I don’t understand. Where are you going?’

‘I’ve got a job,’ he tried to sound upbeat about it, ‘in the city.’ He really wanted to go; getting a job in the city had always his dream. However, he didn’t want to leave Mary Elizabeth, especially now as he would be leaving her all alone.

‘A job?’ Mary Elizabeth tried to sound pleased for him. In a way she was happy for him. He had always spoken of his desire to live and work in the city. They had both talked of it, the adventure and life experience it would bring. She just never imagined it would be so soon.

‘I’m so sorry, Beth, but you know how much I want this.’ He was torn, torn between his dream and the girl he believed would one day be his wife. ‘I don’t want to leave you.’

Mary Elizabeth took Jake’s hands in hers and in her best upbeat tone she let him go. She had to. ‘No, don’t be sorry. I want you to go. This is what you want, what you have always dreamed of. You can’t worry about me. I’ll be fine, I promise.’

Jake held her close, squeezing her tight. ‘Thanks, Beth. I knew you would understand.’

Fighting back the tears, she held onto him. ‘Of course I understand,’ Mary Elizabeth tried to sound excited for him, ‘so we had better get organised for you going then. When are you leaving?’

‘I leave tonight.’

‘Oh’ Mary Elizabeth was distraught at how quickly he was leaving her.

‘My father is taking me to the train station later this evening and, well,’ Jake paused, ‘I’ll be off’. He took her hand. ‘I’m so sorry, Beth. I really don’t want to leave you here on your own.’ He could see how disappointed and upset she was. ‘I’ll tell you what. When I am settled, why don’t you come and visit?’

She immediately perked up. ‘Me? Really? In the city? She could not contain her excitement. She had never been to the city; only ever read about it. Now they could experience it together.

‘I will call for you. I promise.’ He began to walk back to the house.

Mary Elizabeth felt a little better about Jake leaving. She realised it wasn’t forever and she would visit him as soon as he was settled. Catching up with him, she took him by the hand. They strolled back to the house together, the long grass swaying and brushing against them in the breeze, providing a romantic element to their goodbye. Jake’s father was waiting for him as they returned. Jake turned to Beth, kissed her longingly and hugged her before running to the car. She could only wave as they drove away.

Everyone had left, leaving the house empty and eerily silent. After clearing up from the wake, Mary Elizabeth didn’t know what to do with herself. She was restless. Normally she would have her father for company. Even when he was in bed resting, she could at least sit with him and read to him. She was now all alone and she didn’t like it. Knowing that Jake would be leaving for the station soon, Mary Elizabeth sat outside on the porch and waited for him, convinced he would say goodbye to her before going. He never did. She waited outside for two hours, only returning to the house when the breeze became too cool for her.

A month passed and Mary Elizabeth never heard from Jake. Every Sunday she attended church and asked the Reverend about his son. It was always the same answer. He was doing well and was very busy with work. He was always vague with the details.

Mary Elizabeth carried on with her work at the local newspaper office. It was her permanent place of employment. She thoroughly enjoyed working there. She had also kept her waitressing job too, though she only helped out as and when required. She had been saving her money so she could head to the city and surprise Jake with a visit.

Mary Elizabeth was giddy with excitement; she had her return travel tickets in hand and was about to board the train for the city. She had missed Jake terribly and could not wait to see him. He never did send for her; they hadn’t even spoken with each other since her father’s wake. Mary Elizabeth had convinced herself he had simply been too busy at work. Why wouldn’t she believe it to be true? After all, it was what the Reverend told her every time she asked after Jake. She had no reason