I nodded and glanced at the mirror where I knew Genevieve was watching. "I think you may be right," I told him.
It was time to plan another trip.
Chapter 16
Jesse pulled up to the curb outside my dad's house in his Chevy truck, got out, and walked to the front door. A surge of guilt washed over me like a tidal wave. I hadn't dated since my strange interaction with Ryan Kain. We hadn't moved forward beyond flirtation, and I doubted either of us knew where things stood before his sister had him committed or hidden or whatever she'd done to him. Part of me felt as though I was betraying him. Why I felt beholden to a man I'd only kissed a few times was a whole other kettle of fish.
"Glad to see your date has enough sense to come to the door instead of blowing the horn like some kind of caveman."
"Dad, cavemen didn't have horns." The doorbell rang. A flashback of every guy who'd ever picked me up from our house in Sandusky went throughout mind.
My dad hurried to answer the door before I could get there, and I felt the blood rush to my face. I was an adult, and there was my dad, screening my date like I was sixteen again.
He held out his hand to Jesse. "William Rich," he said. "Call me Bill."
Jesse shook Dad's hand. "Jesse Moreno."
I scooted around Dad. "Goodnight, Dad," I said. Jesse and I went down the fronts steps together.
"It was nice to meet you, Mr. Rich."
"Call me Bill," Dad yelled down the walkway."
We walked to Jesse's truck, and he opened the door for me. Somehow, the dynamic felt strange. When we'd been in the police academy, we'd competed against one another. I'd thought of Jesse as the one to beat, not the one to date, yet there he was, opening my door like a real gentleman.
"Thanks." I had to stretch to get up and into the cab of the truck.
Jesse hopped into the driver's seat, looking like the step-up was nothing at all to him. Of course, at over six feet tall, he didn't have to climb as high as me.
"I'm sorry about my Dad. He was reliving my high school days when you picked me up."
"I guess it’s hard to let go of things like that. It’s no big deal. I'll bet staying with your folks again is strange."
"It’s just my dad. My mom passed away."
"I'm sorry," Jesse said. We drove in uncomfortable silence for a block or so. "I hope you like Mexican food," he said. "I was thinking El Casa Mexicana"
My stomach growled in response. I hoped Jesse didn't notice. "No, that sounds great."
The restaurant was packed. We found a seat at the bar while we waited for a table. Jesse ordered a beer, and I ordered a frozen margarita.
"So, why did you move to Los Olivos?" I asked.
"It was close to some of my family. I applied to the police department and was offered a job right away. I guess everything falling into place made me think this was where I was supposed to be."
"Ah. So, the fates aligned."
"Something like that. What about you? I heard you left Sandusky for some big promotion to detective."
"I made detective, but I stepped into one of those cases that leaves you lying low while the dust settles. I did some other consulting after that."
"And that's what you're here for now? Consulting?"
"I came for the holidays, but things changed, and I somehow took on a case I hadn't planned on."
Jesse took a sip of his beer. He grinned. "So, picking up the case had nothing to do with having a shootout in a department store?"
"No, I'd already agreed to look into the case before the unfortunate shooting."
"Unfortunate for those punk kids. I don't know what gets into these kids' heads."
"I think those kinds of crimes are easier to understand. The kids felt envy. They felt left out of the Christmas season. Or maybe they needed some cash because of whatever they had going on in their lives, legitimate or not."
"Greed is a powerful motivator," Jesse said.
"It's one of many, but I think it’s at the top of the list."
"What else is there?" Jesse asked.
"Power, lust, revenge...mostly it comes back to greed."
"So, what are you into when you're not working a case?" Jesse asked.
I fought the urge to laugh when I considered that I hadn't worked a case in a year. "Well, you met my dog, Milly. We’ve been doing a lot of running. I read books and work around my cabin. Things have been quiet." Except for the horrible nightmares that made it impossible to sleep for long periods of time, but since I've been back on the case, things have quieted down.
The pager buzzed, alerting us that our table was ready. We followed the hostess through the crowds to a cozy booth. Within a few moments, chips and salsa seemed to have appeared alongside the menus. I smiled. "Oh, perfect!” My year of isolation had not lent itself to going out to eat much. Smelling the spicy food and tasting the salsa was sensory overload.
"So, what about you? What have you been doing to keep yourself busy?"
"I…well, I might as well be upfront with you."
My stomach lurched. I was afraid of what Jesse might say next. "Upfront?"
"Yes. Well, the reason I moved here is to be closer to my mom's family. The truth is, I needed their help."
"Well, I guess we all have times in our life where we have to take a step back or ask for help." Or live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere to avoid being hunted down and killed by the people you testified against.
"It's not like that. I met someone a year or so after I left the academy. She was everything I wanted, and we got married right away. Within a year, something happened that changed my life forever: we had a daughter." Jesse grabbed his wallet and flipped to a picture of a gorgeous little girl. "Amelia's two, now."
"So, you're married?" I grabbed my purse, ready to make my departure.
"Widowed. My wife died unexpectedly when Amelia was six months old."
I let go of my purse. "Oh. I'm so sorry.”
"I didn't mention it before. To be honest, I'm surprised you haven’t run for it yet."
I laughed nervously. "Well, I considered it when I thought you were married. If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your wife?"
"Wrong place, wrong time. Leslie was driving home when someone in a moving van ran the red light and hit her. They said it was instant, but that doesn't really help. Gone is gone. Amelia will never know her."
I remembered when my mother had died in a horrible accident. "I understand now why you wanted to be near your family. Raising a toddler's a big job."
"It is. Sorry to put all of this out there on the first date."
The server came to the table. I ordered an enchilada dinner, and Jesse ordered the chili relleno special.
"It is okay with me, you know. I mean, we all have to find our own path."
"I'm glad you feel that way. The last person I took out made me drive her straight home."
I felt my jaw drop. "Wow! I guess you never know."
I'd bet he'd be ready to drive me straight home if he knew the mess I'd stirred up last year. I took a sip of my drink.
"No, I guess not." Jesse took the last swallow of his beer. "Speaking of that, can you believe the whole Maddox murder case?"
The hair at the back of my neck prickled. Why was he asking me about the case? "It’s unusual," I said. "Did you work on the original investigation?"
"Yeah, but it was short. Once Ava Lenore identified the killer, everything fell into place."
I nodded and wiped my mouth with my napkin. “Chief Morris said the prosecutor was ready to move forward with the case, but I'm not so sure—why would Bob Maddox kill his brother?"
"The motive is the sticky part of the whole case. But like we talked about, greed makes people do horrible things."
"I have to say, I haven't been able to disprove that Bob's the killer, but he insists he’s innocent."
Jesse smirked, showing his dimples. "Most criminals say they're innocent. That doesn’t rule them out as suspects."
> I smiled back. I couldn’t help myself. I wasn’t sure if it was the date or the margarita. "This is true, but there are a few quirky details that don't add up."
Jesse looked me straight in the eye, initiating a sensation in my belly I hadn’t expected. "If you don't mind me asking, what did we miss?"
I knew I shouldn’t give Jesse the details, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. "There was an eyewitness besides Ava. Also, there’s a financial matter I can't explain. Someone in Toronto's siphoning money out of Ralph Maddox's expense account." My stomach lurched after I'd given up the key details of the case. Every fiber of my body told me to get up and run for it. At the same moment, I was disgusted with myself for having questioned the intentions of a nice guy who'd worked on the case and was just trying to break the awkwardness of having brought up his dead wife. I bet he had no idea that asking for case details would be more nerve-racking than dumping his grief.
"Wow, an eyewitness. How did we miss that?" Jesse shook his head.
"It’s easy to miss someone who doesn’t want to be noticed. The money trail seems to be the best lead. The witness cast doubt on Ava's role in the attack, but she wasn't the murderer, and her financials came up clean."
"I have to say, Avery, you've grown into this whole detective thing. It’s impressive."
It was hard to read whether he was being sarcastic. "Oh?"
"No, seriously—you’ve been working on your own and turned up details we never got close to."
"Well, I'm not entirely on my own. Genevieve Richards is on the case and the resources the FBI provides her are a huge help."
"I have to ask: how in the world did you get a gig consulting for the FBI?"
I smirked. "Honestly? I called and asked to work on the case." I took the last sip of my drink.
Jesse whistled, long and low. "Does that usually work?"
"I have no idea. I've only ever tried it once. Genevieve was my commander at another department. She saw me through a tough case, and I closed a case on which she was stuck. I guess you could say we developed a professional appreciation for one another."
The server brought our food to the table on heated plates. My stomach betrayed me with a loud growl.
"Oh, that's right on time." Jesse laughed.
I nodded, but I couldn't respond with my mouth full. The blend of savory and spicy was heavenly. I tried to let the pure bliss of the meal set in, but Jesse was already calling me back to reality. "The Toronto thing is too bad. How much red tape is there to investigate in another country?"
"I have no idea, but since I’m just a consultant and I have a passport, I might just take a little vacation to Canada to see what I can find out."
Jesse stopped mid-bite. He forced the mouthful down and grabbed his glass for some water. "Look, Avery, I know your style's full speed ahead—I mean, I saw your handy work at that department store—but are you really considering going to Canada to track down a killer on your own?"
"Well, when you put it like that it sounds a little less appealing. Genevieve can't go on that trip—the FBI has no jurisdiction outside of the country."
"For the record, neither do we."
"No, but it’s not pushing the issue as much if I go as a tourist and happen to ask the right questions in the right places. I'm not trying to arrest anyone there. I can't even bring a gun."
"I don't know, Avery. It sounds like a dangerous plan. It could backfire in so many ways."
"I agree, but if I find out who's spending Ralph Maddox's money, I bet I'll find out if Bob Maddox killed his twin brother."
"Well, that would be good to know before it goes to trial."
"I'm sure Bob feels the same way."
Jesse and I ate the rest of our food with little conversation. I could tell he had something on his mind. Part of me wondered if I'd freaked him out so much that he was the one ready to run for it.
When the server brought the check at the end of the meal, Jesse snatched it up before I could get my hands on it.
"Not so fast." He smiled.
"I don't mind paying." I thought about Jesse's police salary compared to my healthy nest egg.
"No way. I'm not that kind of guy. I asked; it's my treat.
Crap! I'd insulted him. "Oh, I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry. I've just been on my own for a while now. Maybe I’m just clumsy about these things."
"No worries. My pride isn’t that fragile. It's just…well, I have a daughter now, and I know how I want guys to treat her when she’s older. I try to live up to that."
"That’s sweet. I appreciate it, but I hope you remember from training: I'm not some delicate flower that needs to be taken care of."
Jesse laughed so hard, he snorted. "Um…yeah. I got it. You took out an active shooter in your spare time. You’re confident. You can handle yourself. "
I smiled. "Yes, I can."
"I wouldn’t have taken you for someone who wanted to work alone. You were the champion of team-leading at the police academy. I could do more pull-ups than you, but the way you pulled people together was freaking legendary."
I felt the blood rush to my face. "Actually, working with a team is better." Except that I didn't know who to trust.
"But you plan to head to Canada alone."
"Sure. I can't put anyone else in that kind of position."
"I'd go with you."
"I...I don't know." The urge to run nearly overcame me. What had Jesse really expected for our first date?
"Oh, I don't mean it like that. I have some time saved up, and you might want another set of eyes with you. We could get separate rooms. "
"That’s a nice offer, but you need to take care of your little one."
"I do—I really do—but I also need a break. My mother's been trying to run me off for a few days for a while now. She can't spoil Amelia if I'm always around."
I laughed. "That's true. I'll consider your offer." And I would, but the stress of not knowing his motivation made me feel like I was on an emotional roller coaster.
***
Jesse drove me back to my dad's house. It had been a most unusual date. Jesse was steady and kind. He saw things in shades of gray instead of the Technicolor and invisible ink perspective of Ryan Kain, my last date. He reached over and covered my hand with his. It was warm and reassuring in the stark cold of the December night. "This was fun, Avery. I'm sorry if I freaked you out."
I gave his hand a squeeze. "Oh, it’s all right. It looks like we’re both moving forward from a difficult time. I'm glad you asked me out. It was nice to rejoin the dating world.”
"I'm glad, too. This was fun. I'd like to take you out again if it’s okay."
"Yes. I think I'd like that." I meant it.
"I hope you don't think I was pushing too hard when I offered to go to Canada. I've never been, and to be honest, this Maddox case is bugging me. We were sure we'd connected all the dots, but it looks like there’s more to it."
"There must be. There are too many little details that don't fit. I hope I'll find what I'm looking for when I go." I leaned over and kissed Jesse on the cheek. His aftershave smelled good. The new bristle of his beard was scratchy against my lips. "Good night. And thanks again."
"Goodnight, Avery."
Chapter17
The tone of the morning alarm came far too early, but I realized that I was sleeping through the night and more often. I lay curled under the pile of blankets and went back over my date with Jesse. There was no denying that Jesse and I had some awkward moments, but we'd both been through things that had changed us. Jesse's awkward honesty was a nice change from having no idea where people were coming from. I could do without the deceit.
I sighed and extracted myself from under the covers and sleeping dog. Milly sighed and settled deeper into her warm spot. "Lucky you," I grumbled.
Genevieve Richards had agreed to meet me at the police department at eight in the morning. She was leaving to join another case at lunchtime, and I wanted to warn her about my next
move.
***
The police station was relatively empty. The new shift had already gotten their orders and headed out on patrol. A few people milled about their desks at the bullpen. I bypassed them and headed for the conference room we'd claimed as a home base.
"Good Morning, Avery." Genevieve was bundled up like she was still outside.
"Good Morning." I tried to copy her pep, but it came out forced and unnatural. "Wow, it’s like a meat locker in here."
"It’s chilly. I think they were going to call somebody about it. The rest of the department is nice and warm except for this room and the office next door."
"Well, I'll bet that makes you glad to head to the next case."
"'I'll be glad to thaw out, but I'm not glad to leave. The department has a backlog of cases, and they need me back on a full caseload."
"I understand. I'd hoped this case would be a done deal in a day or so. Instead, it keeps getting more complicated."
Genevieve put a stack of paper she'd sorted into a folder. "The prosecutor doesn't seem to think so. He said he has plenty to go to trial."
"I'm sure he’s right. Things don’t look good for Bob. Getting a conviction wouldn’t be a stretch." I rubbed my hands together, trying to warm them.
"You still don't think he’s guilty?" Genevieve shuffled stacks of evidence.
"I can't say for sure. I've found nothing to rule him out, but there are too many little details that just don't quite match up, which bothers me. I feel like we’re missing something."
"Well, I’ve always said you have good instincts. What other angle can you take on the evidence?"
I took a deep breath. It was time to confess my plan. "I'm kind of stuck. I don’t know if I can move forward on the case, at least from here."
Genevieve looked at me over her glasses with a stern expression that reminded me of a schoolteacher. "Here?"
"That's why I wanted to talk to you. I have a feeling that I need to follow the money."
"I don't understand, Avery. We've already had the forensic accountant in, and Ava was squeaky clean."
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