“Siblings,” Bob said. “That’s why I try to avoid mine.”
“I just don’t know what to do for him.”
“Probably the best thing is to let him be. He’ll work it out.”
“Right.”
Two men in dark suits walked past Bob and Sabre and entered the courtroom.
“Do you know those guys?” Sabre asked.
“Never seen them before. Probably a couple of hired guns. I hope they’re not involved in one of my cases. It’s a pain working with lawyers who don’t know this system. They get paid big bucks to come here, and we have to lead them around, showing them the ropes. We do all the work, and they get the fat paycheck.”
“I didn’t mean to get you on your soapbox.”
Sabre and Bob watched as the two men showed identification to the bailiff working the metal detector. The bailiff stepped outside and pointed toward Sabre and Bob.
“I think they’re looking for you,” Sabre said. “What have you done?”
“He didn’t point at me,” Bob said. “He pointed at you. Do you want to make a break for it? I think we can get away, or at least have a high-speed chase. We could make the six o’clock news.” Bob was still rambling when the men approached.
“Are you Attorney Sabre Brown?” the shorter of the two men asked.
“Yes, I am.”
The man reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved an ID with his photo. He showed it to Sabre. “I’m Agent Roy Nakai. I’d like to speak to you about a case you’re involved in. I was informed we could use an office in the back.”
“Sure.” Sabre glanced at Bob, rolled her eyes, and walked inside with the two agents.
One of the bailiffs took them to the sergeant’s office. Sabre felt nervous, like the first time she’d been called into a judge’s chambers.
“What’s this about?” she finally asked.
“Have a seat,” Nakai said. Sabre sat down and so did he. The other agent remained on his feet. “I understand you represent the Standish children.”
“I do. Has something happened?”
“The children are fine. We received a report yesterday that you met with a guy named Bill. He has several aliases, one of them is Nesbitt.”
Sabre gave a sigh of relief. “Yes, I had coffee with him.”
“Why?”
“Because I thought he might be the same guy who had taken nude photos of my clients.”
“Did you realize we had an active investigation going on?”
“I assumed so, but I also have an active juvenile court case that I needed to investigate.”
“I understand.”
The other agent spoke in a harsher tone. “We recently commenced a sting operation, but so far, he hadn’t responded to any of our profiles. You could’ve interfered with that.”
“I’m sorry, but I still have to investigate my case.”
“It’s not your job to solve crimes.”
He was trying to intimidate her, but she didn’t back down, even though she realized she’d gone a little too far. “Don’t tell me how to do my job, and I won’t tell you how to do yours.”
Nakai shook his head at the other agent and turned to Sabre. “What’s done is done. Apparently, you were appealing enough to the suspect to get a response.”
“I guess so, which is kind of creepy.” Sabre still wasn’t sure what they wanted from her. “Did you catch him?”
“Not yet. We don’t have his address. Everything he used on the site was bogus, but we understand you have another date with him for dinner tonight.”
“Yeah, but I don’t plan to go.”
“We would prefer that you did. All you have to do is show up, so he doesn’t get spooked. We’ll make the arrest. We may even catch him before he sees you. Either way, we don’t expect him to be armed or dangerous, but we won’t take any chances. You don’t need to be afraid.”
Sabre wasn’t afraid, at least not until he said that. “Of course. I’ll be glad to help get him off the streets.”
When the agents left, Sabre found Bob and told him what was happening.
“Look at that. My little Snookums is a spy. Can I go?”
“I think you better sit this one out. If they see you hanging around, they’re liable to arrest you for stalking me.”
Sabre’s phone vibrated. She removed it from her pocket and smiled. “It’s JP,” she said to Bob, then stepped away before answering the phone. “Hi, babe.”
“Hi,” JP said. Sabre’s heart sank. Something was definitely wrong. JP always started his conversations with, “Hey, kid,” or something more intimate.
“I’ve been asking too much of you lately,” JP said. “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. You don’t need to keep staying at my house to help with Morgan. I’m arranging for a babysitter.”
“It’s not a problem. I have something I need to take care of this evening, but it won’t take long. Then I can come over.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Yes, it is. I love being with Morgan, and I want to help you when I can. I know this is important to you.”
“It’s important that I show the court I can handle this parental thing. Isn’t that right?”
“It is, but having me help is still handling it.”
“Just do your thing. I got it covered.” He hung up.
Sabre’s shoulders drooped as she walked back to where Bob was sitting on a bench in front of Department One.
“What’s wrong?” Bob asked.
“I’m not sure, but I think JP may be breaking up with me.”
“No. That doesn’t make sense. What did he say?”
Sabre summarized their conversation.
“He’s not breaking up with you. But there is something going on, and it seems to be tied up with his brother. Family issues can be very draining. You just need to be supportive and remember that JP is crazy about you. I don’t mean to scare you, but he may be pushing you away because he’s in some kind of danger.”
“I thought about that. But I’d rather he break up with me, than get hurt… or worse.” She shuddered at the thought of something bad happening to JP.
Chapter 50
While getting dressed for her encounter with Bill Nesbitt, Sabre realized she was more nervous than if she was going on a real first date. But instead of being excited, she felt nauseous. She was glad she didn’t have to actually eat dinner. She wished JP could be there. It would make her feel safer. She picked up the phone to call him, then returned it to the counter. Even if he wanted to join her, which he probably didn’t, he’d be too busy.
Sabre squared her shoulders, retrieved her phone, and drove to Ironside Fish & Oyster. She glanced around but didn’t see Bill or either of the FBI agents. The restaurant was one large room with lots of tables and a long bar that ran nearly the full length of the room. Rows of light bulbs highlighted the hundreds of bottles on the wall. At the end of the bar was an employee shucking oysters under a sign that read: Shuck Me, Suck Me, Eat Me Raw. The modern look, sprinkled with old nautical décor, plus the tall painted warehouse-like ceilings somehow matched the millennial clientele. She chuckled to herself—that was her generation. She fell right in the middle of the group, but she suddenly felt older than her peers, though she wasn’t sure why. She shook off her silly thoughts and walked over to the front desk to see if Bill had already signed in.
“May I help you?” the hostess asked.
“I’m meeting someone here. His name is Bill.” She realized she didn’t have a last name to give. “Party of two.”
“Do you have a reservation?”
“No. Maybe. I’m not sure.”
“I’ll check.” The hostess looked at her computer screen. “No reservation.” Then she looked at the sheet in front of her. “He hasn’t signed in yet. Would you like to be added to the waitlist? It’ll be about ten or fifteen minutes.”
“That would be fine.”
Sabre turned to walk away and nearly bumped into the c
ouple standing behind her. Agent Roy Nakai caught her eye for a split second, then turned away. He was with a woman about ten years younger than him. Sabre wondered if the woman was an agent too. She turned without speaking and walked to an open bench near the entrance.
Sabre found herself fidgeting, so she stood up. She checked her phone for the time. Five minutes had passed. Bill was three minutes late. Sabre walked along the end of the restaurant, looking at the odd things on the wall. She stopped and counted the rows of light bulbs over the bar—five rows of fifteen large bulbs. Then she turned and went back. There wasn’t a lot of waiting room, so she stepped outside. Roy Nakai and the woman with him followed. Another eight or ten customers milled around outside waiting for their tables. Sabre checked her phone again—eight minutes late. She wondered if she had been stood up. He couldn’t call to tell her he was running late or to cancel because he didn’t have her number. She’d just have to wait.
Five minutes later, Bill hurried toward her. “You’re still here. I was afraid you might be gone.”
“I realized you had no way to contact me, so I thought I’d give you another two minutes.” Sabre chuckled, but it sounded stilted. She hoped Bill didn’t notice.
He laughed. “I’m glad you thought I was worth the fifteen minutes. Shall we go in?”
“I put your name on the list. They should be calling us anytime now.”
“Good. I didn’t make a reservation.” He looked around. “But I guess I should have. I didn’t expect a crowd on a weeknight.”
“Bill, party of two,” came over the loudspeaker.
“That’s us,” Sabre said.
As they made their way toward the door, the female agent went first so she was a step ahead of Sabre. Nakai stayed several feet behind them. When they reached the door, the woman turned and said, “Bill Wright.…”
Bill’s eyes scanned his surroundings as if looking for a way out. He suddenly bolted to his left, nearly knocking Sabre down. Nakai blocked Bill’s exit, grabbed his arm, and swung him around, throwing him against the wall.
“You’re under arrest for violation of Penal Code Section 311, distributing child pornography.”
Sabre wanted to give Bill a good kick in the crotch before she left, but decided against it. He would get his in prison. She walked quickly to her car, got inside, and sighed with relief. She was glad it was over and that she hadn’t messed it up. She’d been afraid Bill would detect her nervousness, which was all mixed up with the contempt she had for him. But he must’ve thought it was first-date jitters. Sabre wanted to vomit at the thought.
She reached for her cell and called JP. He didn’t answer.
Chapter 51
After she got to her condo, Sabre tried calling JP again. Still nothing. She wanted to talk to him and tell him about her day, but more importantly, she needed to know he was all right. She missed Morgan and wanted to tell her goodnight, but she had no way to reach her either.
Frustrated, and a little angry, Sabre got in her car and drove to JP’s house. His truck was in the driveway and lights were on in the house. She called again, but got no answer. She rang the bell.
JP opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
“I called, but you didn’t answer your phone.”
“Sorry.”
Just then Morgan stepped into the room. She ran up to Sabre and hugged her. “You’re home. And just in time to tuck me in.”
Sabre looked at JP. “Do you mind?”
“Of course not.”
Morgan gave JP a hug. “Goodnight, Uncle Johnny.”
“Goodnight, Munchkin.”
Sabre followed the girl to her room as she chattered about her day.
“Uncle Johnny said you weren’t coming home tonight, but I knew you would.”
“I’m afraid I can’t stay, but I wanted to tell you goodnight. Now, hop into bed.”
“What interesting thing do you have to tell me about your day? You get to go first tonight.”
Sabre chose her words carefully. “I was able to help get a real bad man arrested today.”
“What did he do wrong?”
“He hurt some little girls, but now he won’t be able to do that anymore.”
“Did you see him get arrested?”
“Yep. They put handcuffs on him and everything.” Sabre didn’t want to get into details. “What can you tell me about your day?”
“It wasn’t as astounding as yours….”
“Is astounding your word for the day?”
“Yes.” Morgan giggled. “Did I use it right?”
“Yes, you did. Tell me what happened that wasn’t as astounding.”
“A fireman and a firewoman came to our school and talked to our class. They told us all kinds of cool things, then they let us get in the big truck and see all the equipment. They even put the siren on for a few seconds.”
“Wow! That does sound pretty astounding.”
“Yeah, and the fireman is our teacher’s husband and he gave her a kiss when he left. Everyone laughed, but he just smiled and waved to us.”
“That’s quite a story, but it’s time to go to sleep.”
“Can you please stay the night?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tonight. I’ll see you real soon.” Sabre tucked Morgan in the way she liked her to.
“Don’t tell Uncle Johnny, but you’re better at tucking than he is.”
“Did your mom or dad tuck you in at night?”
“Mom never did, but Daddy would sometimes. Mostly Conner did, but when he wasn’t home, Grandma would. I miss my dad a lot, and Conner too. Do you think we’ll ever be back together again?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart. When unusual stuff happens in life, things seldom ever return to the way they once were. But I’ve found that most of the time they turn out even better in the end. I promise you, I’m doing everything I can to make your life and Conner’s better.”
Sabre kissed Morgan on the cheek. She hated to leave her, suddenly realizing how attached she had become to this sweet child. She left the room and found JP sitting on the sofa.
He stood up. “I’ll walk you out.”
Sabre glared at him. “I guess that’s your way of saying I need to leave.”
“It’s late.”
“JP, what’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“I don’t know. Did you?” Before she could answer, he said, “I’m just tired and real sore. I’m frustrated because I don’t seem to be making any headway on Conner’s case, and I still don’t trust my brother. Once trust is broken, it’s very difficult to get back.”
She had no idea what he was trying to say, except that she wasn’t sure he was still talking about his brother. “What can I do to help?”
“Nothing.” He took two steps toward the door. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Maybe I’ll have something on the case by then.”
JP walked silently with her to her car, opened the door, and stepped back. “Goodnight,” he said, crossing his arms.
Sabre wanted to kiss him and hold him, but his body language told her to back off. She feared reaching out and being rejected. Something was terribly wrong. She got in the car without touching him.
Chapter 52
JP drove Morgan to school in silence. Just as they pulled up to the entrance, Morgan asked, “Are you mad at Sabre?”
JP was a caught off guard. He was fit to be tied, but he wasn’t about to tell Morgan that. “Why would you ask?”
“Because she didn’t stay with us last night, and I’m pretty sure she wanted to.”
JP didn’t respond.
“Is she mad at you?”
“I don’t think so,” JP said, knowing he lacked conviction.
“What did you do, Uncle Johnny? Did you do something stupid?”
“No!” JP said, more emphatically than he intended.
“What happened to you? Your face is still jacked up. Did you get in a fight?”<
br />
“It was a work-related accident,” JP said with a wink. “Now get off to school. You’re about to be late.”
JP drove to Derek’s house to see Gene. They had to do something that would shed light on Bullet’s killer. So far, all they had managed to do was eliminate their suspect list—almost everyone except Gene and Conner. Maybe he couldn’t find the killer because he wasn’t willing to look in the right direction. Gene seemed to be trying hard to help find the real killer, but JP knew that’s exactly what he would do if he was guilty.
Derek was gone when JP arrived. Gene invited him in and offered a cup of coffee.
“No, thanks. I’ve had my caffeine limit.”
“Want a beer?”
JP lifted a single eyebrow. “No, thanks.”
JP watched to see if Gene would get one for himself, but he didn’t. They sat at the kitchen table, empty-handed. JP felt out of ideas too, so he came back to the most logical one. “I still think Soper killed Bullet, but he continues to deny it.”
“Maybe I can convince him,” Gene said.
“I don’t think so. I had him in a carotid hold, and he didn’t give. I could’ve killed him.”
“But he knew you wouldn’t. You’re not that kind of guy. He might not be sure with me.”
“That’s not a good idea, Gene.”
“I’d rather kill the guy than see my son go down for it.”
JP shook his head. “Even if Soper’s dead, Conner will still get convicted of shooting Bullet.”
“I don’t plan to kill him. I just have to convince Soper that I would.” Gene stood.
So did JP. “I’m going with you.”
“No, I’d better do this one alone.”
“How will you get there? You don’t have a car.”
“Okay, you can drive, but you’re waiting outside.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.” JP held back a smile as he followed Gene out.
Soper lived in El Cajon in an area JP wasn’t familiar with. Ron had been there and done surveillance on Soper, but this was JP’s first time. He drove through an older neighborhood with small houses and manicured front lawns. JP surmised that most of the homes were probably owner-occupied. He wondered if Soper’s parents had once lived in the house.
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