Clarity Must Prevail: 1, #2

By Robert Brewster

From the author of last year’s ground breaking legal drama ‘A Moment of Clarity’ now comes the sequel ‘Clarity Must Prevail’ a bone chilling International thriller that puts our small town heroes in the worldwide spotlight once again.  This time it is behind the scenes, where they are not in their natural comfort zone.  Come along for the ride as newly retirees Judge Jackson and Sheriff Clayton are caught up in a case of global intrigue with possible universal ramifications.  How can their small town ways contribute to preventing the loss of immeasurable innocent lives?  This unrestrained page-turner will have you hooked from the start.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Brewster
• Release date: Jan 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781542657150

Robert Brewster

Robert C. Brewster is the author of seven fiction novels. There is also a non-fiction account of his time spending summers along the New Jersey shore in the late sixties and early seventies, called: 'On the road to find out.'  He is a writer/film actor/voice character specialist and lives with his wife Kim and daughter Britany and son Kristy in St. Sauveur des Monts, Quebec, Canada. 

Book preview

ROBERT C. BREWSTER

CLARITY MUST PREVAIL

A JUDGE JACKSON

&

SHERIFF CLAYTON NOVEL

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AUTHOR’S NOTE

First, I would like to thank you for buying a copy of ‘Clarity Must Prevail’.  This story picks up exactly where ‘A Moment of Clarity’ left off.  If you have not yet read ‘A Moment of Clarity’, please let me send you a FREE e-copy or audio book version.  These characters are very special to me and you should experience them from conception.  Please send me an e-mail at my website:  www.robertcbrewster.com   and put A Moment of Clarity in the subject line.  I always look forward to hearing from my readers.

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ALSO BY ROBERT C. BREWSTER

FICTION

A MOMENT OF CLARITY

NO BORDERS NO BOUNDARIES (REVISITED)

DECEIT DECEPTION AND DELIVERANCE (REVISITED)

LIGHT UP THE WORLD

GENTLEMEN & PIGS

NON- FICTION

ON THE ROAD TO FIND OUT

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Create Space Publishing in 2017 by Robert C. Brewster

Copyright © Text Robert C. Brewster

First Edition

The author asserts the moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. All Rights Reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior consent of the author.

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination.  Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover design by Britany Rose Brewster

Special thanks to Annell, Theo, Jennifer, Michel, and Mary for finding all the little things I missed.

You put one foot in front of the other.

It’s the only way my friend.

All you’ve got to do is begin.

Jasonwilsonmusic.com

Prologue

IT WAS A JOYOUS OCCASION, and everyone was in a celebratory mood.  It had been almost eight months since the end of the trial.  A lot had happened since then.

Sheriff Calvin Clarence Clayton and Judge Elijah Joshua Jackson retired seven weeks to the day after Rueben Lord Junior was arrested.  Bessie Sue Flanders was appointed temporary sheriff as nobody wanted the job.  Billy Bob Bozeman had his eye on the vacant mayor’s job but he had just lost to Mrs. Bridgman, the assistant principal at Clayton County High School. 

Savannah Jackson Madison was elected by acclamation to replace her grandfather as the new county circuit court judge.  Her fiancé John Burke also ran unopposed for the job of sheriff.  This was because the locals found out how integral a part he had played in helping convict Tim Carl, as well as compiling evidence against Rueben Lord Junior.  Todd Martin finally did get a job at a big city law firm, but it was in Philadelphia and not Atlanta, as he had wished for.

Ida Mae and Jacob Jeebs were still living at Shady Acres Senior Estates. Jacob’s condition had stabilized, and he was no better or worse than he had been at the time of the trial.  They were also scheduled to join the dinner group here tonight but Ida Mae’s younger sister was visiting for the weekend.

Jessica Clayton Stanton was promoted to sergeant after she received her medal and citation for bravery for saving her grandfather’s life at the failed bank robbery attempt.  Bessie Sue Flanders was retiring the moment Sheriff John Burke was sworn in.

Tonight the judge and the sheriff were treating everyone to dinner at the ‘Sea Biscuit’ before leaving on a five-day fishing trip to Canada.  They had even rented a stretch limousine for the occasion.  It was big enough for all seven of them and a few more people if they so desired to ride in luxurious comfort.  As they were pulling into the ‘Sea Biscuit’ parking lot they had to wait momentarily as a large van displaying ‘Ace Air Conditioning and Refrigeration’ was pulling out of the long drive. 

Well I don’t know what came over you two skinflints, Lilly said smiling, and winking at both her father, and the judge.

Whatever it is, we are all in favor of it. Mildred smiled looking at her dad and blowing both men a kiss.

The van had to back up into the main parking lot to let the limo pass.

I hope there is no problem with the air conditioning, it's hot tonight, the judge said glancing at the van as it manoeuvred to let the limo pull around it.

Frank wouldn’t let him leave if that were the case.  Mr. Timmons is a stickler for details, isn’t he gumpy?  Savannah said as the large van drove past them, and the repairman waved before proceeding down the restaurant’s long narrow driveway.

Well, that’s why I love this place.  In all the years I’ve come here with friends and family, I’ve never been disappointed.  That is not something you can say about many things today.

I think your gumpy is trying to tell us something, Savannah.  Either that or he’s going to go all sentimental on us, Jessica said. She was slightly feeling the effects of the champagne they had all been drinking since they left Clayton, a few of them a little more than the others.

No longer a special agent working exclusively for the White House, John Burke sat back and took it all in.  As the rest of them laughed and got boisterous, he stared at the woman who would soon be his bride and reflected on how lucky he was to be here.  Happenstance and duty to his country had brought him to a little county in Florida in the middle of nowhere.  Now it was love that was going to keep him there.

When the ‘Ace Air Conditioning and Refrigeration’ van reached the end of the driveway, it turned right and immediately pulled to the shoulder of the road and stopped.  The serviceman took the clipboard that was on the passenger seat and began filling out the tedious forms that came with the job.  He looked at his watch and wrote down his check-out time, sixty minutes from now, next to the check-in time that he had written down when he had first arrived.  He also added the cost of the parts that were necessary to complete the job.  It all added up to a pretty penny.  He checked his watch again and figured he still had close to an hour to kill before he would be officially signed out for the day.  He noticed there was a ‘Joe’s Smokehouse and Grill’ franchise restaurant just a stone's throw away.  He put the clipboard down and drove over to where he knew a succulent rack of baby back ribs and a stein of cold beer had his name on it.  It had been a long hot day, and he deserved it.

AS THEY ALL EXITED THE LIMO, Frank was there to greet them and quickly explained how his refrigeration alarm had gone off when he had entered the kitchen this morning.  He had called his usual repairman, but he wasn't available until tomorrow.  He remembered he had seen another refrigeration repair truck next door with an easy phone number to remember and called them instead.

Well I'm impressed judge, he came right over and lucky he did, I needed a new compressor.  I have a few thousand dollars of quality food in that freezer.  I think I might just make him my regular guy from now on.  Frank could sense that his audience was getting bored.  Enough of my woeful life tonight is your night and the county of Clayton’s to celebrate.  Florence will be here in a few seconds to take your drink orders, Frank said as he showed them to the judge’s usual table in the alcove.

WELL I’M GLAD I won't be here at the end of next month when you adjudicate your first and hopefully last high-profile case, the judge said as Florence placed their drinks in front of them.

Come on gumpy, Rueben Lord Junior is no longer high profile, Savannah said with a wink and a smile.

I wouldn't count on it...

Once a big city lawyer always a big city lawyer, the sheriff interjected cutting off the judge in mid-sentence, and they all laughed.

So what do you think John, I mean sheriff.  That’s going to take some getting used to, isn’t it C.C.? 

You bet your ass E.J., you bet your ass, he said to a table full of laughing people.

Well I think you guys can go on all the fishing trips you want, and not worry about things around here, we can handle it, John said smiling at his one true love.

So you two boys are going back to your formal names then?  Mildred asked unable to wipe the elated smile off her face.

Yeah, we’ll see how long that lasts, Lilly also said beaming.

You’ll always be sheriff to me gramps, Jessica said looking deep into her grandfather’s eyes.

Thank you precious, he said returning the heartfelt stare, and feeling a tear welling up in his heart he had to look away. 

And this jolly old soul over here, Savannah said putting her arm around her gumpy.  Will always be the judge to me.

And don’t you ever forget that my sweetest orange blossom in the entire state of Florida and maybe the universe, the judge said hugging her, and also welling up with emotions inside.

Frank as always picked the perfect moment to arrive.  There would be plenty of time in the future for all the things emotional that must be said.  For the judge and the sheriff, it was the end of a long road but also a new beginning.  They had both vowed to spend the majority of their precious time left on this earth just doing nothing.  And if that got boring then they would find some other ‘nothing’ else to do.  That was the plan, but you know how plans work out.

Tonight, everything was going as planned and even better at the judge’s individual table.  It was Sunday night; a traditionally slow night for most out of the way restaurants, and the Sea Biscuit was no exception.  They could speak discreetly among themselves as always when sitting here but tonight they had no sensitive matters to discuss.  It was all about family and friends, and they could ‘let it all hang out’ so to speak.

That was very nice of Mr. Timmons to give you two bottles of this vintage wine on the house.  Lilly,was a little under the influence from the innkeeper’s generosity in her glass.

I think my little girl here has got the wrong end of the gator’s tail here E.J., why don’t you explain it to her.

Well, I believe if I remember correctly, Frank said, here is a bottle to the past and the present, and here is one for the future.  I believe the second bottle is a bribe for the new judge and sheriff.

You can’t be serious gumpy?

Of course I can’t and I never have to be serious again.  Isn’t that right C.C.?

You got it E.J.; we can be just two old fools laughing at the rest of the world as they roll on by.

Well before we get there. I would like to propose a toast to the most select group of people in the world..., and of course you too John, the judge said laughing, and the rest of the group spontaneously joined him.  The future of our dearly beloved Clayton is in good hands for the next three decades or so and that is thanks to the people in this room, he said, raising his glass high and the others joined him.

WHEN THE REPAIRMAN left Joe’s, it was nine twelve pm, and he still had three minutes to go before he officially clocked out for the day.  He always clocked out on time, something he took great pride in.  It was always those last minute jobs that were the most difficult, the unscheduled ones.  ‘So be it’ he thought to himself, ‘another day another dollar,' as he walked over to the van and slid open the side door. 

Inside were a very sophisticated transmitter and a high-tech parabolic microphone.  He took a cell phone from his shirt pocket, and speed dialed a number connected to the microphone.  He checked his watch again.  It was nine-fifteen on the nose.  Once contact was made he turned on the microphone, and then hit the green flashing button on the transmitter.

The person on the other end of the phone sat alone in a darkened office hundreds of miles away.  His throwaway cell phone was on speaker, and he was holding it in both hands. 

First, he heard the explosion and then the screams, and then another loud blast. 

Next he smiled, and then from deep inside him a sinister guttural laugh rose to the surface, and then his smile got even wider.

ONE

JOHN SMELLED IT a second before it happened.  He bolted upright from his chair and flipped over the table so it landed on top of the six other people who were seated around it.  The force of the blast lifted John off his feet and slammed his body against the wall. 

Bedlam ruled supreme as bodies and debris were being tossed around.  Part of the ceiling caved in, and the screams reached ear-piercing levels.  He was in and out of consciousness but somewhat aware of his surroundings.  He tried but he could not move.  The first face he saw was a very distressed Savannah, and then his world went black.

It seemed like forever to Savannah though it was only a few minutes before the police, and the first ambulance of many to come arrived.  The majority of the diners fortunately had come away physically unscathed but still emotionally damaged.  However, eight people had died in the blast, and five others were in critical condition.  The shit had hit the fan in another little Florida town.  The authorities would have to hit the ground running to determine the cause of the blast, and maybe more importantly, why it happened in the first place.  There would be many unanswered questions in the days to come, and this would be only one of them.

TWO

HE WAS TRAPPED between the spaces where ‘Darkness greets the Dawn,’ and time only exists in the mind of the beholder.  First, his world spun out of control, and he was propelled to another time, another space, another place in his perception of reality.  It was a beautiful September Florida morning.  A cool wind rode in on a summer's breeze.  Twenty four year old Elijah Joshua Jackson was in his last year of law school and looking forward to putting his days of studying behind him.  He was heading to his first class of the day when she came into his peripheral vision.  He stopped, and immediately stared at the heavenly vision of Elsie Morgan in front of him.  In two short years Elsie would become his wife.  He was floating on a cloud and spinning out of control.  The sky was the wrong color.  Everything was swirling in a kaleidoscope of foreign images he could not comprehend or hope to understand.

Just as suddenly he was awake and staring into the eyes of Savannah Jackson Madison, his granddaughter, sleeping in a chair next to his bed.  It took his eyes a few seconds to focus, and take in his surroundings.  He realized he was in a hospital bed but had no idea how he got there.

My little Pumpkin flower, it’s time to wake up.  How in the hell did I get here and what's going on?

Savannah startled awake from her own dreamlike state, and thought for a moment that she was still in it.

Sugar dumpling you want to tell me what in the blazes is going on here, the judge said staring at all the tubes and monitors attached to his body.  For the first time since snapping out of the coma that he had no idea he was in, in the first place, he realized that he was aching all over.

Gumpy is that you? You're back, Savannah uttered wiping sleep from her eyes and trying her best to snap back to reality.

Every night for the last three weeks had been spent sleeping in the chair next to her grandfather's bed.  Every one of those nights she had prayed herself to sleep trying to erase the images of that fateful night in the restaurant.

Her life had been perfect.  She had finally fallen in love for real at the age of thirty four.  Her dream man had walked into her life so unexpectedly in the middle of the biggest trial of her life as district attorney.  Now her fiancé John Burke was just a few hospital rooms down the corridor, facing the prospect that he may never walk again.  She was now the new circuit court county judge replacing her grandfather who was now fully awake in front of her.

Of course I'm back my sweet honey flower bud.  I never went anywhere, but obviously I missed something.

Savannah leapt from her chair and did her best to maneuver amongst the wires and tubes attached to her gumpy, and give him a hug as she wept silently.

You're awake!  You're awake!  Savannah screamed so piercingly that the judge covered his ears with his hands.  Within moments the room was full of nurses and the doctor soon followed.  The bombing at the restaurant had claimed eight lives and left five in critical condition as well as totally levelling the building.  After eight almost peaceful months after the trial of the century had taken over Clayton and the world's media, this tiny enclave was in the global spotlight again.

Once the nurses and doctors were satisfied that the judge was stabilized, they left the room and he was alone again with Savannah.

Sweet Jesus orange blossom, why did you scream like that?  You almost scared me back into a coma.  Speaking of that please enlighten me on what the doctor was talking about? 

You've been in a coma for the last three weeks.  You suffered a serious concussion from the force of the blast and the stress force on your...

Enough.  Stop with the medical mumbo-jumbo.  When do I get out of this place?

Savannah smiled widely.  The grin on her face said everything.  Her gumpy was back in the real world and seemed like his old feisty self again.  It was hard for her to hold back her tears while speaking.

Gumpy, you've been in a coma.  We didn't know if you were going to come out of it.

What happened?  He had a puzzled look on his face.

There was a bomb blast, at the Sea Biscuit.

I don't remember.

THREE

COME ON, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING MORE.  Dig deeper for Christ's sake.  This is a national story but it's happening on our turf. What's wrong with you people?

Tina Christy, the publisher and editor of the Clayton County Chronicle, a bi-weekly newspaper that published on Wednesdays and Saturdays was in a lousy mood.  Last year during the Tim Carl murder trial they were publishing seven days a week and selling out.  She was clearly at the end of her tether.  For the past twenty years she had been in charge of the paper.  At age sixty four, and only a few months away from retirement she was as feisty as she had always been as a cub reporter.

The FBI and Homeland Security have taken over everything and they're not telling us dick, said Pete Barnes, the paper's senior criminal reporter.

I don't give a shit!  Tina needed a drink.  A very large one would be nice.

All of our sources are shut out.  It's not just us.  Everybody is shut out.  There are no leaks.  We're fucked, Pete said, shrugging his shoulders and trying his best to hold back his frustration.

Alright give me the facts, and then give me the rumors, Tina said.  Something about this case was bugging her.  She couldn't put her fingers on it, but it was staring her right in the face.  Why should she care?  She didn't really know any of the dead or their families, except of course for...  There was a knot in her stomach and it wouldn't go away.  What the fuck was happening to her? she thought to herself.

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WE WERE OUT FOR DINNER.  There were seven of us.  She had to catch her breath, and avoid what she had to tell him for as long as she could.  He was in a delicate state right now, and her news might put him back into a catatonic one.

We were celebrating the fact that I was elected to take over your job and John was elected to take over as sheriff.  She swallowed hard.  Also we were celebrating that you and Sheriff Clayton were off to Canada on a fishing trip.

I don't remember.

It'll come back to you, she said really regretting what was coming next.  She needn't have worried.  As soon as the words were out of her mouth the doctor and two nurses returned, and told her it was time to go home, and get a good night's sleep if she could.  She didn't fight them on it, though she wanted to.  If she didn't go home, and at least try and erase the last twenty one days from her memory, her grandfather would force her into telling him what she wasn't prepared to do.  Not today, or any day.

ALRIGHT GIVE ME EVERYTHING we got, from the beginning.

Fuck John, I've been doing that for the last couple of weeks.  Why do we always have to start over at the beginning?  A smiling but visually frustrated Florida State Trooper Matt Gracie, now on permanent loan to the Clayton County Police Force looked at his boss.

Because when you start at the beginning then I begin to remember what people want me to forget.  Does that make sense to you Matt?

Hell no John, but that's consistent with most of the stuff you told me, he said with a chuckle.  Matt Gracie was grateful to be where he was right now.  John Burke had changed his life in a very positive way and he owed him a lot.  He had been meandering through life.  Now he had a purpose.

Thanks to Sheriff John Burke’s old job as a special agent to the White House, and vice president Monica Claymore in particular, he had some serious inside contacts at Homeland Security.  He was in a hospital bed no longer in critical condition, but at least a few more weeks or longer before he would get out of here, and resume whatever life he had left.  When the time was right, God he hated that expression. But when it was, he would tell Savannah that he was breaking off the engagement, because he was no longer the man she fell in love with.  Right now he felt like less than half a man.  He was staring out the window contemplating what people do when they stare out windows.

John are you sure you're okay?  You've been drifting off a lot lately.

Just thinking about the case and how we are going to solve it, he lied.

I hope that's all it is.  I worry about you man.

John had to smile.  He had met this kid, though he wasn't that much older than him, less than a year ago.  John was like the big brother Matt had never had.  He’d taken him under his wing and revealed to him a world of covert intelligence gathering and the implications surrounding it.  Just then his phone rang.  It was an unlisted number which meant it had to be someone from Homeland Security or the White House.

Burke here, he said quickly answering the phone.

Johnny, it's me Rick.  I got a little info for you but you have to keep it under wraps for now.

Rick, he said in a tone that indicated the question was redundant.

We've identified two of the five remaining victims whose identities were unknown to us.

John's heart dropped to his stomach.  Matt instantly noticed the change of John’s facial expression and demeanor.  He covered the mouth piece of the phone and whispered.

Matt, write this down, he said looking at him and smiling. Go ahead and give me what you got, he said turning on the speaker option on his phone.

Well the guy at table six was Guido Donato, from Montreal.  The girl he was with is still a mystery.  However the gentleman at table nine dining alone was also from Quebec, Canada.  I'm running detailed information reports as we speak.  So far as we know the first guy was some local underworld figure with a lot of fingers in multiple pies, if you catch my drift.

I do, John said, taking it all in.

Okay the other guy's name was Bernard Papineau. He was a crime reporter who used to work for Le Montréal Press a French newspaper in Montreal before it ceased operation.  Presently he was working freelance for ‘Le Monde’ in France.  I'll know a lot more about the both of them in an hour or so.

Thanks Rick.  I really appreciate this.

Don't worry sheriff, he said with a slight laugh under his breath. I'm sure I'll find a way for you to repay me in the future.  Got to go my other line is ringing.

Stay in touch.

You can count on it.  The line went dead.

So did you write all that down man?  John said with a glint in his eyes as he rubbed his hands together.  I think we just got a big break in this case.  So far it looks like five of the eight dead had ties to underworld activities.  I mean the reporter could have been involved, or maybe he was just doing his job.

I guess there wouldn’t be much point in me running the names.  If Homeland Security is on the case it's best for us just to sit, and wait.

It seems to be looking more and more everyday that Judge Jackson or Sheriff Clayton weren't the prime targets.

At that precise moment C.C. Clayton, recently retired Sheriff of Clayton County for thirty five years, hobbled into the room on his crutches.

Hey boys, you got any good news for me?

Both men smiled at Sheriff Clayton.

I got a feeling I better sit down before digesting this news.  His stomach was growling but he didn't care.  He hated hospital food and was waiting for his granddaughter Jessica who was basically acting Sheriff though she was barely a rookie.  She was going to bring him a shrimp salad sandwich from ‘Bert’s Shore Bar and Grill’.  He was scheduled to check out tomorrow.  For the next twenty minutes the three men discussed and digested all the new information and what it could possibly mean to their case.

FOUR

RICK DAWSON, HEAD of Homeland Security on this operation hadn't told John Burke everything they knew.  Two of the people killed in the blast were a couple in their early sixties, supposedly vacationing from Pakistan.  Initial reports had found them to be just tourists on vacation.  Upon further investigation, information had come in a few hours ago that verified that the husband Raj Shalibarra had ties to terrorist organizations in Iraq and Iran.  There was no need for John Burke to know this information.  Let him work on the local angle.  This potential time bomb he was sitting on was for the big boys in Washington and not a local sheriff.  There was more to the Sea Biscuit bombing then met the eye, and he was determined to find it.  There was also the fact that they had confirmed that two bombs had detonated under the restaurant.  That fact in itself wasn’t odd.  What was though was that the sheet of paper in front of him clearly verified the explosive devices were constructed by two different bomb makers.  This fact just shed a whole new light on the case.  So many different scenarios that he had never considered were now in play.

TINA CHRISTY SAT alone at the bar of ‘The Swinging Wang’, a male strip club once owned by Tampa Tommy Tomasso.  He no longer owned it, because he was dead.  He and his stripper girlfriend Tiffany Toonice, an alias obviously, were killed in the restaurant bombing.  He had owned a string of male strip clubs up and down the coast.  He used to have female strip clubs, but quickly found out around 2012 that male strippers were more in demand with the ever-growing female retirement crowd.  She had to smile at the absurdity of where she was sitting.  Outside was a large anatomically correct sign of a cowboy with his ‘Wang’ outside of his pants and swinging from side to side.  About every thirty seconds or so, the phallic symbol would assume the erect, in ‘full attack mode’ position, and then go limp again.  He also owned the ‘Spank my Monkey’ club in Tampa proper, that was world famous because of the also anatomically correct monkey who jerked off and came forth with bursts of confetti.  The old ladies loved it and the place was packed every night.  Tina Christy had no idea why she was here.  It wasn’t the closest bar to her office; in fact it was a twenty minute drive over the Clayton county line.  She had no clue that two more victims had been identified today.  She might not know for weeks, if then.  She knew what she knew and it wasn't enough.  She had lost her husband of thirty years, ten months ago, from a heart attack.  Once they had been a team, a partnership built in heaven.  In the last few years they had become roommates.  Their marriage