Page 151 of Ozzie

He opens the door, and Durango is standing there, looking down the hall. “Can I come in?” he asks, still not making eye contact.

“Yes.” Ozzie opens the door all the way.

Durango chances a glance my way, then his shoulders drop as he relaxes.

“Did you think we were doing something in here?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Not sure. But I didn’t want to see anything accidentally.”

I roll my eyes.

“Anyway, the District Attorney called me with an update. John, Tom, and Patsy all took the plea deal they offered.”

I lean against the desk to steady myself. “All of them?”

Durango nods. “All of them.”

I can’t say I’m shocked. The evidence against them should be overwhelming.

“Why were they offered deals with all the evidence they had?” Ozzie asks, crossing his arms.

Durango clears his throat. “The furnace installers skipped town and refuse to cooperate and the minister who married John and Piper is claiming she wanted to get married. The prosecution is concerned what they do haveisn’t enough to convince a jury. They offered a deal before John, Tom, and Patsy figured that out.”

“Wait, wouldn’t their attorney ask questions and find out?”

Durango smiles. “Not when their attorney is an overworked public defender.”

While I feel bad that someone might not get the justice they deserve if the public defenders are that overworked, I’m happy it worked in our favor this time around.

My cousin’s smile drops.

“And there’s more,” I say.

He nods. “There is. You should know that John’s deal has a shorter sentence than the other two.”

“How short?” Ozzie asks.

“He will be eligible for parole in five years.”

My stomach churns, and I might throw up. “Only five years?”

“That’s when he’s eligible. Most of those who apply for parole are denied their first time. He’ll likely be in longer.”

Likely but no guarantee. Will he come after me? Or will he leave me alone?

Durango’s hands go to my shoulders. “Hey, I will be alerted when he’s released. We will make sure someone is watching him and make it clear he needs to leave you alone. Got it?”

I nod.

“Now focus on the fact that they are all behind bars and can’t hurt you.”

I meet my cousin’s eyes. “I’ll try. What happened to the other charges you said were coming?”

Ozzie told me that the FBI was hoping to charge them with something they did while in Texas.

“As of two days ago, the agent handling that said they would be coming soon,” Durango says.

“McClure?” Ozzie asks.

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