Ghost of Honor – Bonus Scene

Beginning of Chapter One – From Drew’s Point of View

At first, I wasn’t surprised to see Ernie Polk walk into the atrium. He’d been invited to the wedding. But his expression—serious and focused—sent a chill down my spine. No congratulations, no smile, just that no-nonsense cop face I’d seen too many times before.

I watched as Everly greeted guests beside me, her hand resting in mine. Ernie locked eyes on me and made his way through the room with purposeful strides. Dread settled in my gut.

“Drew Parker,” Ernie said, not even glancing at Everly. “I’m placing you under arrest for the murder of Jerry Kaminski.”

Murder? Jerry was dead? I blinked, the words barely registering. The image of Jerry’s face from last night at Cappy’s Tavern flashed in my mind, his eyes narrowing as he made lewd comments about Everly. We’d had a short argument about his inappropriate crush on her, but he seemed fine when the bar owner escorted him out.

“Jerry’s dead?” Everly asked, her voice tight with shock. “What happened?”

Ernie avoided answering her and started reading me my rights. “You have the right to remain silent.”

Patrea appeared at Everly’s side, already in action. “And you will remain silent,” she commanded, her voice steady. “Let him take you in. Don’t say a word until I get there.”

I hadn’t moved or resisted, but her words grounded me. I trusted her. But Everly wasn’t about to stand back. “I’m coming with you,” she said, determination flashing in her eyes.

Still in her wedding dress, she looked ready to fight the world for me. She always did. It’s part of why I love her. She doesn’t back down when someone she loves is in trouble. Her mind goes into overdrive, looking for ways to fix things. I recognize the impulse because I’m the same way.

Patrea placed a firm hand on Everly’s arm. “Not this time, Everly. Let me handle this. You need to trust me.”

I caught Everly’s eye. “Stay here. Deal with everything. I’ll be fine. I haven’t killed anyone.”

“I know that,” she said fiercely, her glare cutting into Ernie. She did not doubt my innocence, but that didn’t ease the tension. The room was quieting, whispers spreading as guests realized something was very wrong.

Then came a booming voice, cutting through the air like a blade. “What’s going on here?”

Junior Pease shoved his way forward, face flushed with anger. I invited him because he’d asked me to help at the VFW a few times, and we got along well. I liked him, but he sometimes tended to be a bit intense. I figured he could use a night of fun. “You can’t be arresting a veteran on his wedding day! In front of God and everyone!” His voice cracked with emotion. “I won’t have it!”

The tension in the room thickened as more guests drifted in, watching the scene unfold like they were at the theater. Junior squared off with Ernie, voice rising as he laid into him. “This isn’t how we do things here, Ernie Polk! You should be ashamed treating a good man like a criminal. Explain yourself!”

Ernie’s jaw twitched, but he stayed calm. “I’m doing my job. That’s all you need to know.”

Junior was having none of it. “Shame on you, Ernie!” he shouted, finger jabbing toward the officer. “We take care of our own here. Your mother would be ashamed of you.”

Ernie’s patience snapped. “Step aside, Junior,” he growled, voice low and dangerous. But Junior wasn’t backing down. The room buzzed with whispers and confusion, turning what should have been the happiest day of my life into a spectacle.

My father-in-law stepped forward, a steadying presence in the chaos. He put a hand on Junior’s shoulder. “Junior,” he said in that calm, authoritative way he had, “let’s have a word outside.”

Junior paused, eyes flicking toward him with respect, then huffed, allowing himself to be led away, though not without one last look at Ernie.

“I didn’t kill Jerry Kaminski,” I said, my voice loud enough to carry across the room.

As Ernie’s firm grip led me away from the shattered remnants of our celebration, I caught a glimpse of my parents’ faces. Their expressions mirrored disbelief and anguish, etched with lines of worry and fear. I knew they believed in me, but the accusation hanging over my head would surely torment them. The thought of their distress pierced through me like a blade, adding another layer of pain to the nightmare unfolding around us.

I held my chin defiantly high as Ernie perp-walked me through the crowd, my gaze meeting the bewildered stares of the wedding guests dead on. I refused to look away because that would signal guilt, and I wasn’t guilty of anything. Each step toward the waiting squad car felt heavier than the last. Ernie’s grip felt like a vise on my arm as he guided me down the steps and helped me into the back seat of his cruiser.

Seated in the confined space of the police vehicle, I stared at Ernie’s face, trying to decide if he thought I’d done murder.

“You know I never laid a hand on Jerry. That’s not how I handle things.”

His expression softened briefly before returning to its usual stoic facade.

With a heavy sigh, Ernie closed the door and circled around to the driver’s seat. The engine roared to life, drowning out any further protests I could muster. As we began to pull away from the venue, dread settled like a lead weight in my stomach.

“My hands are tied, Parker. What I know and what I can prove are not the same. I have to go with the evidence.”

“What evidence?”

“We’ll talk about it at the station.”

“Fine,” I met Ernie’s gaze in the rearview mirror, my reflection showing unwavering determination. “I’m not worried about what will happen to me because I know I’m innocent,” I stated firmly. Looking directly at him, I added with disappointment, “If you had any decency, you would have waited until the reception had ended.”