I nodded, "It's the right thing to do."
I stepped past him to sit down in the cab. I looked back up at him, "Could I ask a personal favor of you?"
"Name it!" He said.
I looked down at my hands, "My name is featured heavily in the illegal actions that Francesca enacted in order to bring Panolic down. I'm not asking you to destroy evidence or anything, but could you give me a day before you go to the police? I don't care if I go to jail, but I'd like to be able to say what needs said to the couple who raised me face-to-face. Afterwards I promise that I'll come back and see justice served for my part in all this."
"Where are your adoptive parents?"
"Their missionaries to New Guinea."
"New Guinea." Jim said softly as if to himself. His eyes met mine as he said, "Sounds like a good place to stay lost. Why don't you stay lost there for a few months and then send me a postcard with an address and I'll send you enough money for you to stay lost."
"That's sweet of you, but I don't want to get you in trouble. I'll come back and serve my time."
He shook his head no, "Turning over evidence like you have is apt to get you a reduced sentence of one to two years, but I now have a first-class experience as to how vindictive Francesca Marelli can be. You wouldn't last one month in prison and justice wouldn't be served by you dying in such a way. I'm satisfied with everyone getting their jobs back and the schemer behind all this being brought to justice. That's more than enough for me. Send me a postcard and have a good life Kim. God bless!"
I was crying again as he closed the car door gently. The cab merged into the street as I sat in the back in a state of profound shock.
It had all happened just like Grace had said it would. I had made a choice and done the right thing, even though I knew it would cost me my life and yet God had made a way where there was none before. I didn't have to go to prison and face the hell that I'd be in for there!
Fresh tears came to my eyes as it dawned on me that God still cared for me!
Somehow knowing that helped everything else. I still had to tell my parents though. I'd break the news to my brother first as he lived in the city. I didn't want to tell him any more than I wanted to tell my adoptive parents, but it was best to cover all the bases that mattered, as I didn't put it past Francesca for a moment not to send out multiple boxes of incriminating material.