Above the Fold & Below the Belt (An Avery Shaw Mystery Book 14)

by Amanda M. Lee

  “No, but I don’t think that question applies to our relationship,” he pointed out. “It also makes me squeamish ... so don’t use us as stand-ins for your comparisons when it comes to rape, okay?”

  “Fine. Fair enough.” I held up my hands in defeat. “I just don’t understand it from either side. Why would they still be together?”

  “I don’t know.” Eliot looked conflicted as he rubbed his chin. “Are you certain they broke up in the first place?”

  “No, but it’s too weird to consider otherwise. She’s on the record accusing him of rape. Either that didn’t happen and he forgave her or it did happen and she’s fine letting him in her house. I’m uncomfortable with both those scenarios.”

  “That’s because you’re an oddly moral creature sometimes,” he teased, poking my side. Even though his eyes were full of mirth I recognized the trouble lurking in their depths. “I don’t know, Avery. I need to think about it.”

  “Because it doesn’t make sense, right? I’m not missing some easy explanation, am I?”

  “Not even a little,” he promised, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead. “It’s weird. I don’t know what to tell you. I need to give it some thought.”

  “I guess we both do.” I reclined in the booth, smiling in thanks at Jake when he delivered our beer. “Thank you. I’ll put a special tip in your underwear band before leaving for the evening.”

  “Don’t make me thump him,” Eliot warned gravely, causing me to laugh.

  “Are you guys done discussing whatever it is you’re hiding from me?” Jake asked as he swigged from his mug.

  I nodded. “Yeah. As for keeping things from you, let it go. You’re the one who hasn’t called a news conference on Dan Crawford’s death even though he was shot in front of the courthouse. Don’t think I haven’t noticed that. Unlike everyone else, though, I know what you’re doing.”

  “Is that a fact?” Jake’s eyes lit with amusement. “What am I doing?”

  “You don’t want to go on record right now,” I replied without hesitation. “You don’t want to open yourself up to questions. You’ve sent out barebones news releases, but they repeat the same thing. You don’t know where to look any more than I do, but you can’t admit that because the local television stations will eat you for lunch if you do.”

  “That’s an interesting theory,” Jake noted. “I can’t answer either way other than to say that the investigation is ongoing.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I glowered into my beer as Eliot went back to focusing on the television. “I saw the third ex-wife again today. I wasn’t expecting her either. It was ... weird.”

  “Whose third ex-wife?” Jake asked.

  “Crawford’s.”

  Jake stilled. “You saw Lily? Where? She hasn’t exactly been easy to track down.”

  Oh, well, that was interesting. “You have talked to her, right?”

  “We tracked her down once to discuss things with her,” Jake hedged. “Our follow-up visit never happened because she’s laying low. What about you? Have you talked to her?”

  “I just told you I ran into her in a place I didn’t expect to see her.”

  “That’s not what I asked and you know it.”

  “I might have spent quality time interviewing her,” I hedged, grinning at the way he leaned forward. “She works in a furniture store on Hall Road. I tracked her down there first.”

  “That’s where we tracked her down,” Jake said. “She wasn’t there today. She called in sick ... and yet wasn’t at her condo.”

  Hmm. “Maybe she was at the doctor’s office,” I suggested.

  “Where did you see her?” Jake asked, refusing to let me derail the conversation.

  “I’m not sure I can recall.” I avoided his gaze. “Um ... look, the Lions are driving.”

  “They won’t make it past the fifty-yard line,” Jake shot back. “Where did you see Lily? I want to know.”

  I pointedly turned my attention to Eliot. “It will be kind of fun staying in the old apartment. We can sleep on top of each other thanks to that double mattress. It will be like camping ... except fun.”

  He smirked. “Don’t drag me into this. He won’t stop questioning you until you answer.”

  I knew that well. I took another sip of my beer and rolled my neck. “Who wants to talk about tampons?”

  “Do not make me haul you in,” Jake warned, extending a finger so it was directly in front of my face. “I am not kidding. I need you to get it together and tell me where you saw Lily. It could be important.”

  I didn’t answer. My inner stubborn mule wouldn’t let me.

  “Eliot?” Jake challenged quietly.

  “I don’t know where she saw Lily,” he replied. “She didn’t mention it.”

  “Where was she earlier today?”

  “I’m not answering that.” Eliot was strong in his refusal. “I’m going to tell you the same thing I told her. I will not squeal on her. Not to you, not to anybody. You guys need to keep your crap away from this relationship.” He moved his finger between the three of us to stress that he was talking about our mutual friendship and not something else. “Your issues are with each other and I’m not going to play mediator.”

  Jake made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. “Avery, I need to know where you saw her. I’m not kidding around.”

  “I’m willing to tell you where I saw her in exchange for information,” I offered. “I think that’s the only fair way to approach this.”

  “No.”

  “Then I’m not telling you.”

  His eyes fired with fury. “I will lock you up.”

  “Under what charges?” I was having none of it. “You can’t lock me up for keeping quiet about a source. That’s illegal ... and if you try I will scream to every news station and newspaper in the state about you infringing my rights. Don’t think for a second that I won’t.”

  He glared. “What information do you want? If it’s specifics on Crawford, I can’t help you. The investigation is in a delicate place and we’re unable to share information at this time.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Simmer down.” I waved my hand. “You have nothing on Crawford’s death right now and you’re hoping to hit liquid gold the same as me by casting a wide net because you’re not sure where to focus. I’ve got it.”

  Jake rolled his eyes. “Ugh. “You have no idea how much I hate you right now.”

  “Oh, I have some idea.” I rubbed my hands together as I leaned forward. “I don’t want information on Crawford. I can muddle through there. I want information on Savage.”

  For the first time since the jockeying started, Jake’s expression reflected worry. “I can’t talk about Savage’s trial.”

  “Fair enough. I want to talk about Savage himself.”

  “I don’t see why, but ask your question.”

  “Do you have people following him when he leaves the courthouse at night?” I had no idea why I asked the question. I knew there was no way Jake would answer truthfully. I followed Crawford myself so I was fairly certain the answer was no. Jake likely couldn’t spare the manpower. I simply wanted to put the notion in his head because the idea of Jake discovering Ally and Savage’s affair was too juicy to ignore.

  “Are we following him?” Jake furrowed his brow. “Why would we be following him?”

  “It’s just a question.”

  “We’re not following him. Despite being on trial, he has some rights.”

  “Of course he does.” I made the okay sign with my fingers and followed it with a ridiculously sarcastic head bob. “Yeah, okay.”

  Eliot snickered. “I love watching you guys interact. It’s like being back in high school.”

  “It’s a highlight for me, too,” Jake sneered, his eyes on me. “Tell me where you saw Lily.”

  “She’s a regular at Lexie’s yoga studio,” I answered without hesitation. There really was no reason to keep it secret. Jake couldn’t move on the information right away. “
She has been from the start. She was at a class today and plans to go again the day after tomorrow.”

  “Not tomorrow?”

  “That’s not what she said. She acted surprised to see me ... but it felt rehearsed. She tried to talk above her pay grade and everything. It was ... odd.”

  “Is she one of your suspects?” Jake asked.

  “I have multiple suspects. I can’t exactly rule her out. She is not, however, high on my list.”

  “Who is?”

  “I’m not telling you that.”

  He scowled. “You need to be careful on this,” he said finally, tightening his grip on his beer. “There are a lot of potentially dangerous players in this one.”

  “I’m well aware.”

  He turned to Eliot. “Keep watch on her. She’s messing with people who might want to squash her.”

  “She can take care of herself,” Eliot said. “I’ll be there if she needs me. I always am.”

  “He is,” I agreed, leaning my head against his shoulder and smiling. “Do you want to get sloppy drunk and fool around?”

  He barked out a laugh as Jake glowered. “I’ve had worse offers.”

  I WOKE WITH A TERRIBLE headache ... and Eliot snoring in my ear. Oddly enough, it was comforting. Not the headache, mind you. That made me realize it was going to be a ridiculously long day. Eliot’s snores were another matter entirely.

  “Go back to sleep,” he growled when he realized I was awake.

  “What time is it?”

  “Time for you to go back to sleep.”

  I shifted slightly to stare at his profile. He looked rough, a bit pale and grumpy. Still, he didn’t pull away. He was always cuddly in the morning, no matter how he felt.

  I lifted my hand and stroked it over his hair. It was soft despite being snarled. His eyes were closed and he made a series of snorts as he shook off the doldrums of sleep.

  “You’re not going to go back to sleep, are you?”

  “Probably not.”

  He sighed and opened one eye. “You’re not going to throw up on me, are you?”

  I shook my head. “Not today. I’m reserving the option for the future should you ever truly tick me off ... or make me drink gin.”

  “That’s right. You have an aversion to gin.” He smirked.

  “That’s because it tastes like ass.”

  “Says you.”

  “Says anybody who isn’t crazy.”

  His smile widened. “Give me a kiss.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want one.”

  “Why else?”

  “If you do, I’ll get up and grab the aspirin and water.”

  That sounded well worth a kiss. “You’ve got it.” I lavishly pressed my lips against his, laughing when he tickled my ribs before pushing himself into a sitting position. His skin pallor was off, but otherwise he seemed okay. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m hungover. That will teach me to drink during the week. Some aspirin, water and a greasy breakfast should fix that right up.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

  “I’ll get the first round.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead before standing. He was naked thanks to our haphazard stripping the previous night, but he didn’t bother searching for boxer shorts. Instead, he disappeared from the room, returning a few minutes later with two bottles of water.

  “I forgot how small this room was,” Eliot admitted as he climbed under the covers with me. “Our bedroom at home is huge. This feels claustrophobic.”

  I took the aspirin from him and twisted the cap off the water bottle. “I kind of like it. It’s a nice reminder of where we came from.”

  “Oh, who’s feeling schmaltzy?” he teased.

  “It’s not that. It’s just ... a few months ago, this was our normal. We keep moving forward.”

  “Is that bad?” He accepted the tablets I handed him. “If so, I didn’t get the memo.”

  “It’s good,” I countered. “It’s normal. It’s not what’s going on between Savage and Ally.”

  “And here we go.” Eliot watched as I downed three aspirin and guzzled from my water bottle. “I’m guessing you’re going to be focused on them today.”

  “Maybe, but I still can’t figure out what they’re doing. I didn’t pay enough attention to the protestors yesterday. They have to be my priority today ... or at least an hour-long distraction. Fish won’t be happy if there’s a brawl and I miss it.”

  “They’re already gathering,” Eliot noted, inclining his chin toward the window. “Each day the trial goes on, the crowd will grow in size. It’s only a matter of time until something bad happens.”

  “I know.”

  “Where do you think you’ll find the most answers? That’s where you need to focus.”

  “I can’t say. The truth is, until I know if Crawford was killed because he was a douche or to be a martyr for the cause, I’m stuck. Heck, Crawford might’ve been a random target or an accident. I truly do not know which is more likely.”

  “All you can do is take it one step at a time. It sounds to me as if Jake isn’t doing any better than you are.”

  “I know, right?” I grinned.

  “You don’t have to look so happy about it.”

  “I’m not happy he’s failing. I’m happy I’m not missing something obvious. That’s allowed.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He slipped his arm around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. “We should get in the shower and then head out for breakfast. I have a feeling this is going to be a busy day.”

  “I have a feeling you’re right ... plus we have family dinner tonight.”

  “That should be fun with a gender war waging.”

  I hadn’t even considered that. “Oh, now I’m looking forward to seeing my family. I’ll be able to yell at them and blame it on their politics.”

  “That’s so ... you.”

  20 Twenty

  Jake and Lauren were eating breakfast in the diner when we entered. Jake, shadows under his eyes, looked as bad as we felt.

  “I see everyone had a good time last night,” Lauren drawled as she rose to join Jake on the other side of the booth so Eliot and I could sit together.

  “Yes, it will go down in the record books,” I deadpanned.

  Eliot lightly squeezed my neck before focusing on the specials board. “I’m getting the omelet ... and hash browns ... and sausage links. I’m also getting a vat of coffee.”

  Lauren chuckled. “That’s pretty much the exact same thing Jake ordered. Is that what you’re going for, too, Avery?”

  I shook my head as Jake and Eliot laughed. “No. I already know what I’m having for breakfast.”

  Befuddled, Lauren glanced between amused faces. “What am I missing?”

  “Avery always has the exact same breakfast,” Jake explained. “I believe it’s been going on since she was fourteen.”

  “The exact same breakfast?” Lauren was clearly intrigued. “What is it?”

  “Two eggs over medium, hash browns, ham, wheat toast and tomato juice,” they both droned in the same tone.

  “Knock it off,” I ordered, my hangover threatening to turn me into a crank. “It’s a legitimate breakfast selection.”

  They were both feeling under the weather, so Jake and Eliot appeared ready to acquiesce to my demand. Lauren was another story. “You don’t eat anything else in the morning?”

  I sighed, the sound long and drawn out. “I eat other things. Cereal ... Eliot makes really good blueberry pancakes ... McDonald’s has fantastic breakfast bagel sandwiches. Sometimes I have a Slim Fast because there are no other options. But when we go to a sit-down diner I prefer one breakfast.”

  “And why that breakfast?” Lauren rested her chin on her hand as she watched me, fascinated.

  “I don’t know. I’m a creature of habit.”

  “She really is,” Eliot said, rubbing my back. “I think she might have minor OCD. She has rituals for certain things ... like
eating steak and corn. She can’t alternate between the steak and corn. She has to eat all the steak and then all the corn. Also, the steak has to be doused in garlic salt and then steak sauce. It must be in that order.”

  I glared at him. “Thanks for giving away my secrets,” I hissed.

  “That’s no secret,” Jake countered. “She also likes dipping pickles in tomato juice — except she can’t even sip the tomato juice until she’s done with the pickles — and often likes to eat her vegetables first because they’re her least favorite part of a meal.”

  “I wish I had enough energy to storm out of here,” I complained. “I need the impending grease to do that.”

  “Watch when she eats her breakfast, too,” Eliot teased. “She has a ritual. She dunks the toast in the egg yolks and eats all the toast, then she mixes the hash browns and the remaining eggs, and she finishes up with the ham. It’s ridiculously cute.”

  I made a face. “Just because you said that, I’m going to eat differently this morning.”

  “No, you won’t. You can’t stop yourself. You like your routines. It’s fine.” He skimmed his hand over my hair and focused on Jake. “You’re going to have deputies all over that protest today, right? Nothing is going to get out of hand, is it?”

  Jake shrugged. “I’m going to have deputies all over the place. We both know that doesn’t mean there won’t be trouble.”

  “Yeah.” Eliot slid me a sidelong look. “You’re going to be good like we talked about, okay? Safe?”

  “Of course.” I nodded perfunctorily. “I’m a creature of habit. I haven’t died yet.”

  “I’m not sure that makes me feel better.”

  “Suck it up, Buttercup. Besides, I’m heading into the courtroom today. I need to get a feel for what’s going on in there.”

  Jake furrowed his brow. “Why?”

  “Because … just because.”

  Jake turned speculative. “This is what you were keeping secret last night, isn’t it?”

  That was a loaded question. “Let’s just say I have an idea and leave it at that. Now, where is that waitress?” I craned my neck. “I need to follow my routine so I don’t get the cranks.”