Darnell had come home for lunch, and Millie took the day off, knowing how hard the interview would be for her mother. Darnell’s wife, Trista, a thoracic surgeon, wasn’t home, and his children were at school, so the five of them sat in the dining room. They made small talk at first, learning Millie was an elementary school teacher and Darnell was an architect. When Darnell and Trista decided to start a family, Agnes moved in with them to help look after the kids.
“What about James?” Felix asked. He’d obviously done some homework before the interview.
“Jamie,” Agnes corrected with a smile. “He’s the baby and has a touch of wanderlust. He’s a jazz musician and travels around the world. He makes a home in New Orleans when he sets his trumpet down for more than five minutes.”
“We’d like to speak to Jamie also, if he’s willing,” Jonah said.
“He’s currently on a European tour,” Agnes said. “I will ask if he’s inclined to talk to you over the phone or on one of those video calls.”
“Thank you. We greatly appreciate it,” Felix said. “You already have my contact information, but Jonah will leave a business card for you also.” Jonah removed one from his wallet so he wouldn’t forget later.
Agnes accepted it with a gentle smile. “Jamie knows we’re speaking with you today, and I won’t say he disapproves, but he’s hesitant to dig up the past again.”
“I completely understand,” Jonah said. “Before we begin, I do want to apologize. This can’t be pleasant for you, and we wouldn’t be here if we could clear Bo’s name without talking to his family. We want to aggressively investigate Earl’s death, but in a way that causes the least amount of trauma for your family.”
“Furthermore, I think your husband is a hero,” Felix said.
Agnes searched Felix’s face before making eye contact with Jonah, who nodded. His ties to guns and violence were too complicated to express in a few words. He’d pulled the trigger more times than he wanted to remember, but he’d faltered the one time it mattered most.
Bo Cahill had not failed; the system had failed him.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“Jonah and I are just trying to figure out why Bo would’ve falsely confessed to killing a man,” Felix said.
Agnes shifted in her chair. It was subtle but still there. “We, unfortunately, don’t have those answers for you. You can rest assured I demanded to know why Bo would confess to killing a man he’d probably never even met. He just told me he knew what he was doing, and I had to trust him. We didn’t have much time left, and I wasn’t going to spend it arguing with him.”
“You might have the answers we need and just aren’t aware,” Felix corrected. “It’s our job to parse the truth from perception.”
“Fair enough,” Darnell said, joining hands with his mother and sister. Tragedy either destroyed a family or bound them closer. The Cahill family seemed to fall into the latter category.
“To the best of your knowledge, did Bo even know Earl Ison?” Jonah asked.
“I don’t think so,” Agnes said, shaking her head. “Bo had never mentioned the man’s name to me.”
“Did Bo have friends in Savannah?” Felix asked.
“No,” Agnes said emphatically.
“He sure as hell wasn’t a homophobic asshole either,” Millie said. “Our uncle Mickey, his brother, was gay. Daddy loved him.”
“I cannot even believe my father’s mouth formed those hateful words,” Darnell said.
Jonah stroked a finger over his chin while he thought through the possibilities. “Could your uncle have been friends with Earl?”
“Mickey did have friends in Savannah, but he had already died in a car accident before someone murdered Earl Ison,” Agnes said. “Bo was devastated when Mickey died.”
“Have you ever met any of Mickey’s friends from Savannah? Did he talk about them? Was he into the drag scene?” Felix asked.
Agnes tipped her head to the side for a few moments. “I don’t think Mickey dressed in drag, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he enjoyed watching their performances. I’m sure he talked about his friends, but I can’t remember any names after all these years. Like I said, Mickey had passed away before all this happened.”
It sounded like a dead end to Jonah, but he’d ask Marla about Mickey next time they spoke. “Was Mickey’s last name Cahill also?”
“No,” Darnell said. “His last name was Reeder.”
“Bo’s daddy passed away when he was a little boy. His mama remarried and later gave birth to Mickey,” Agnes explained, playing with the gold cross hanging from a chain around her neck. “I was heartbroken when my mother-in-law died early in my marriage, but I’m so grateful she didn’t live to see what happened to her boys.”
They chatted for another thirty or so minutes, hoping to find new leads from the family. Agnes did recall the name of one of the prison guards working at the county jail, Opie, and one who worked at the state facility, Bird.
Felix looked up from his notes. “Do you think Opie is a nickname?”
Agnes smiled. “He had red hair and many freckles, so probably. Pretty sure Bird is a nickname too because he looked a lot like the basketball player for the Celtics.”
“It’s still beneficial,” Felix assured Agnes. “If they’re still living, we’ll find them.”
After concluding the interview, Bo’s family walked Jonah and Felix to the door.
Darnell shook their hands and said, “Even though clearing his name won’t bring Daddy back, this means a lot to us.”
“We’ll do everything we can,” Jonah assured them. “If Jamie decides to speak to us, please let him know the time of day doesn’t matter. I’ll rearrange my schedule however he needs it.”
“I will pass your message along,” Agnes said.
Neither man said anything until they were driving away from Darnell’s house.
“Do you think Agnes knows why Bo confessed to killing Earl?” Felix asked. “She could be protecting someone just like Bo had.”
“Possibly,” Jonah said. “Who? Jamie?”
“He was awfully young at the time his dad confessed to killing Earl, but maybe he had a juvenile record. I will see what I can turn up.”
They stopped at a steakhouse outside of Macon. They’d seen the billboard along the highway and decided it sounded good. As much as Jonah wanted to eat a thick, juicy steak, he settled for a massive grilled chicken salad. Felix wasn’t worried about his waistline or cholesterol. He ordered a steak that was bigger than his head and onions rings that were the size of Jonah’s fist.
“You can have one,” Felix said when he caught Jonah staring at them and salivating. Jonah took two. “What’s next?”
“I need you to drop me off at Tire Discounters when we get back to town,” he said.
“I wondered where your car was,” Felix said, spearing a bite of steak.
“Some asshole slashed my tires when I was at The Dive Bar interviewing two of Earl’s friends.”
“What? Why are you just now telling me?” Felix asked.
Jonah shrugged. “I can’t prove it had anything to do with our investigation.”
“Come on, computer geek. You’re probably pretty familiar with probability and statistics.”
“Very,” Jonah said, nodding. “I agree it’s improbable the two things aren’t connected, but I’m not ready to start pointing my finger yet.”
“We’ll be extra cautious going forward.”
“Agreed,” Jonah said. “After I pick up my car, I need to purchase a water heater to replace mine. It died this morning.” He told Felix about Kendall bursting into his bedroom, and Felix laughed until tears streamed down his face.
“If you didn’t have bad luck, you wouldn’t have any.”
Jonah nodded. “True.”
They left the restaurant a short time later. When they neared Savannah, a promo came on for the nightly news. “Who killed Earl Ison?” a familiar voice asked. “That’s what I’m going to
find out. Tune in at eleven and—”
Felix growled and stabbed a button on the radio to change the station. “Fucking Jude Arrow.”
“Not a fan of The Straight Shooter?” Jonah asked, straightening in his seat. He’d started to get drowsy with a full belly, but Felix’s irritation perked him up.
“He’s a sanctimonious prick,” Felix snarled. “I’d like to give the arrow shoved up his ass a good twist.”
“Whoa,” Jonah said. “Such hostility. How do you know him? He hasn’t been with the local news for long.”
“Journalism school,” Felix spat out like the words tasted terrible. “He went to Atlanta afterward and became a big deal. If I cared about him even slightly, I’d find out why he left Hotlanta for a much smaller market.”
Jonah looked at his friend and noted Felix’s rigid posture, firm jaw, and white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel. Yeah, he didn’t care even the tiniest bit. Jonah let it go because he wasn’t an annoying shithead like Felix and Rocky.
Oh, fuck that. Being a shithead was much more fun. “Or you could use your investigative reporter skills to ferret out the information. If you cared, that is.”
Felix released the steering wheel with one hand so he could flip Jonah off. “Kiss my ass.”
Felix’s ass was definitely not the one Jonah longed to kiss.
By the time Jonah collected his car and drove home, it was already after six. He’d spent the last leg of their journey back to Savannah on the phone looking for a plumber who could replace his water heater. Everyone he called was booked solid for weeks, and none of them offered emergency services, which was odd since they could charge double for their labor.
Defeated, dingy, and wishing he could shower, Jonah changed into a pair of clean sweats and a T-shirt before calling Royce.
“Hey, big guy,” Royce said when he answered the phone. “Why do you sound like Eeyore?”
Jonah chuckled, then explained his predicament.
“This is your lucky day,” Royce said enthusiastically.
“It is?”
Royce laughed. “I just happen to know a guy who has amazing plumbing skills.” Jonah heard a loud snort coming from the other end and suspected it came from Sawyer. “What?” Royce asked.
“Do you remember the last time you tried to help a friend with a plumbing issue?” Sawyer asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
“It was a freak thing,” Royce said defensively.
“You nearly flooded Candi’s upstairs bathroom,” Sawyer said. “You can’t be trusted.”
“Oh, yeah?” Royce asked. “I haven’t begun to show you my prowess around the house yet.”
“I’ve got your prowess right here,” Sawyer quipped.
“I’ve changed water heaters plenty of times,” Royce argued.
“How many is plenty?” Jonah asked, reminding them he was still on the phone.
“At least twice,” Royce replied. “It’s easy. Have you already purchased a replacement water heater?”
“No. I’ve been out of town interviewing people for our current podcast investigation,” Jonah replied. “I can get one pretty fast though, except I don’t have a vehicle large enough to haul it.”
“I got you covered there too. I have this new badass SUV, and the only thing I’ve hauled so far is groceries,” Royce grumbled. “Call Sal at Sal’s Hardware. He’ll know everything we need to replace the water heater. You can pay for the order over the phone, and I’ll swing by and pick it up in about an hour, then head over to your place.”
“This is my lucky day,” Jonah said.
“Famous last words,” Sawyer warned, raising his voice to be sure Jonah could hear him.
“Why are you yelling in his ear?” Royce asked. “I have you on speakerphone, asshole.”
“Shut up and drive, dickhead,” Sawyer returned.
Jonah laughed at their antics. “Strangers observing you two would think I’m deranged for envying your relationship.” But only because they’d be focusing on the wrong things. Yeah, Royce and Sawyer called each other names, but if you paid attention to the tone of voice and sappy look in their eyes, you’d see how much they loved each other. Asshole and dickhead were their pet names for each other.
“Do you hear that?” Royce asked. “He admires us.”
Sawyer laughed. “Jonah, you need new friends.”
He thought about the new people who’d entered his life over the past year, Royce and Sawyer were among them. Jonah’s mind snagged on the image of Avery sleeping in his arms that morning. “I think I’m doing pretty good.”
Since Royce was coming over, Jonah didn’t bring up the real reason he called. They said their goodbyes and Jonah called Sal’s. Just as Royce said, the owner helped him place the order after telling Jonah how to find the size of the tank he currently had. Jonah paid for the purchase and told Sal that Royce would be by to pick it up in about an hour.
“That one is pure trouble,” Sal warned.
“Yes, sir,” Jonah agreed. “Thank you for your help tonight.”
Feeling relieved, Jonah called Avery. His call went straight to voicemail, so Jonah left a message.
Avery immediately sent back a text. Can’t talk right now. Sorry. I’ll call you later.
Jonah stared at the cryptic message. Should he respond to let Avery know he’d read it? Or would it be another interruption? Not replying felt rude but interrupting something important was too. This was Jonah’s first attempt at a relationship in years, and he was already fumbling. He sent a quick thumbs-up and set his phone down.
Luckily, Royce arrived and saved Jonah from himself.
“This is a nice big utility room,” Royce remarked once they carried the new water heater inside. The room was shaped like a large L and housed his washer, dryer, water heater, furnace, and a chest freezer. “The last time I changed a water heater, the tank was tucked into a closet, which made it difficult to work around.”
“Is the homeowner still talking to you?” Jonah teased.
“I’m the homeowner, although I signed the house over to Jace and Holly when I officially moved in with Sawyer.” Jonah had met the oldest Locke brother and his girlfriend, who happened to be Royce’s childhood friend and a fellow detective on the force. “They haven’t said anything about a busted water heater, and as you know, neither of them is shy.”
“True,” Jonah said.
“We need to drain the old water tank, but we want to shut off the water and electricity first. No one wants to get electrocuted.” Royce surveyed the room. He crossed to the electrical panel, opened it, and read the labels above each breaker. “Aha,” he said, flipping one of them to off. “There should be a drain built into the floor somewhere to catch runoff from your furnace.”
“It’s around the corner,” Jonah said, showing Royce where it was located.
“Do you have a garden hose you can spare?” Royce asked.
“Yeah,” Jonah said, heading out to the shed where he’d stored it for the winter.
When he returned, Royce connected one end to the water heater tank and unfurled the hose until it reached the drain. Then he reached into his back pocket and removed a utility knife and sawed through it, cutting off the excess length. “Now, we need to shut off the water and drain this bad boy.” Jonah watched Royce move deftly around the room. “Let’s hope your drain isn’t clogged,” he said, turning a valve.
Jonah held up crossed fingers as the water gurgled through the hose and down the drain. “So far, so good,” he said.
“We’ll hang out and keep an eye on it just in case,” Royce said, leaning his hip against the chest freezer. “I bet you’re glad you called me.”
“I am, even though the water heater wasn’t the reason I called you,” Jonah quipped. “I wanted to know if you’re related to Jerry Locke?”
Royce’s right eyebrow curved upward. “Yeah, he’s my uncle. Seems like a good enough guy.”
“Seems like?” Jonah asked. Wouldn’t he know?
&nbs
p; “He’s my dad’s younger brother. My dad resented the hell out of the fact Jerry took over the business when their father retired. So, I only heard hateful things about the man while growing up. The first time I met him was at my mother’s funeral when I was ten. Jerry was really nice to us kids.”
“I’d heard he moved out of state,” Jonah said.
“Yeah. My dad said the economy went to shit in the early eighties, and the housing market went to hell in a handbasket. My dad said Jerry lost his ass, got out of the business, and moved to Florida. Good ole Eddie took great pleasure in Jerry’s failures. Why are you asking about my uncle?”
Jonah told him about the investigation and the connections to Locke-Tight. “What do you know about him?”
Royce blew out a whistle. “I can’t really tell you much, and what I know is tainted by Eddie. He used to make a lot of scathing remarks about Jerry’s Christianity. Looking back now, my old man just seemed jealous of Jerry’s life. My aunt Tipsy had always said nice things about Jerry. Namely, she’d say my mom married the wrong Locke brother. I trusted my aunt’s instincts more than anyone’s. I should get to know Jerry better now that he’s back.”
Jonah perked up. “He’s moved back to Savannah?”
“Yeah. Jace ran into him recently. Jerry and his wife are both retired now. One of their kids moved to Savannah for work, and they moved too because they wanted to stay close to the grandkids. You should definitely talk to Jerry about his employees at the time. Maybe he can tell you more information about Earl’s brother and father.”
“Or anyone else on the crew Earl might’ve gotten close to while working for him,” Jonah said.
Ride the Lightning : Sinister in Savannah Book 1 Page 16