by W L Knightly
“Good, then you won’t mind telling me about you and Hayden.”
“This is about Hayden?” She looked back and forth between the two. “I don’t understand what you mean about me and him. We talked for a while, went on a few dates.”
“Did you sleep with him?”
Dannie gave Jo a look like she could nail her to the nearest wall. “I don’t see how that is relevant if I did or didn’t.”
“I’m just trying to figure out why you called him about a drug deal and had him go look into it. Is that proper procedure?”
Dannie’s bitchy smile faded. “I thought I was doing him a favor,” she said defensively.
“Well, you might have sent him to his death,” said Jake. “Why did you send him there to begin with?”
“He had told me that if I ever got any drug reports to call him first. He wanted to try and win brownie points with the chief to work his way up, and I liked him, so I said okay. When I didn’t hear back from him, I assumed it was because he didn’t find anything or would take it from there.”
“So, you had a report called in, and instead of telling dispatch, you called Hayden.” Jo shook her head. “It didn’t occur to you to check on him after that? That someone could have shot him interrupting a drug bust or something?”
“I’m not getting involved.” She held up her hands and backed away from the counter.
“You already are,” said Jake. “And I need you to tell me anything else you remember.”
“All I know is he wanted my help to move up, and I was good with that. He’s not even in his grave.” She teared up and put her hand to her mouth.
Jake could see the moment Dannie’s emotions affected Jo. She let out a breath and leaned in over the counter. “We’re not trying to disrespect him. We’re trying to find out who hung him up and sliced him to pieces.”
And just like that, Jake realized how hard Jo could be. The look on the other woman’s face was horror. “I didn’t want to know how it happened.”
“It wasn’t pleasant,” Jo added. “So, if you think of something else, anything at all. The name of his runner, where he hid the drugs. I want you to come to us immediately, or I’ll not only tell the chief about your little side tricks, but I’ll help you pack up your fucking shit and walk you to your car.”
She stared at Dannie a moment longer until the woman nodded. And then Jo walked away. Jake went after her, the two of them headed back to their office.
“Wow, you really pulled out the claws for that one,” he said over her shoulder.
“Did you just suggest that was a cat fight?” She gave him a sideward look. “Because I would have been just as assertive if she had been a man.”
Jake knew better than to argue with her about that as they approached the office door.
Kevin from the lab was there, and the door was still taped off as they worked inside.
“Did you find anything?” Jake asked.
“Not yet, but we’ll test everything back in the lab. I think we have a few more hours here, so you can’t come in.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Jake. “We have work to do.” All of their case files were still in the office.
“Well, you’ll just have to find somewhere else to do it.”
Jake looked at his phone. “We only have a couple more hours here. Let’s take this to the diner and have an early dinner, and we can go over what’s in our heads.”
Jo sighed. “I have a better idea. Come on.” She grabbed Jake’s arm and gave him a tug, digging in her high heels until he gave in and followed.
Jake figured she’d tell him, but she stayed quiet until they got to the car. “Where are we going?” he asked as he opened his door.
“Not that I don’t appreciate the food down at Speed’s, but I think I’ve gained five pounds in the past week.”
He groaned and slumped in his seat. “I don’t like eating anywhere else. The people at Speed’s are used to me hanging around and making myself at home.” He couldn’t do that anywhere else.
“Relax. We’re going to my place, and I’m going to cook for us.”
Jake wasn’t sure it was such a good idea, but he didn’t know how to protest without offending her. “You cook?”
“Yes, I know how to cook. And since I’ve got a terrible habit of bringing my work home with me, we’ll be able to look over the case.”
After driving to one of the nicer parts of town, he had to ask. “How long have you lived here?”
“Not until recently. But I love it. I’m all settled in.”
“Did you grow up here?”
“For a while. My mother had family here years ago, but most moved away or died. I moved away when I went to college in Seattle, but some of my childhood was spent just outside of Olympia.”
“You’ve been all over the state. What made you choose to come back here?”
“I love it here, and the job I’ve always wanted became available.” She pointed ahead to her driveway. “You can park behind my car. Damn thing wouldn’t start this morning. I’m going to have to take it in.”
“I’ll take a look at it before I leave. Maybe I can help.” He wondered if the invite was simply her way of getting a ride home, but that was okay with him. The evening was young, and they would still have nearly an hour left of work.
He stopped the car behind hers, and after killing the engine, he followed her to the door. “This is a nice house,” he said, looking up at the cozy little brick home. It had a lot of windows in the front and looked like it would be a nice place to raise a family.
Where the hell did that thought come from? Jake shook his head, trying to clear some of the crazy.
“Thanks,” Jo said. “It’s comfortable. I think it’s much too big, but it’s what I got.” She gave a shrug and acted as if she had no choice. She opened the door. “Come on in.”
Jake walked inside and noticed immediately how neat and clean the place was. She had decorated it in creams and whites, and there was just the right amount of black and raw wood to make it warm and inviting. “This is nice.”
“Thanks. I’ll start dinner after I change. Feel free to kick your shoes off and make yourself at home.” She went straight to the bedroom, and before shutting the door, she turned around. “There’s drinks in the fridge, or you can wait on me. I’ll be right out.” She shut the door, and he was left to roam.
At first, he thought he would just go sit his ass on the big pillow-back couch and wait, but then something caught his eye. Across the room was a large cork board, and on it was hung at least fifty post-its and other large pages, some which had photos of the victims.
“You made an investigation board?” He wanted to be impressed, but the fact that she was pinning sensitive case evidence on her wall like wallpaper, along with her theories, was good for no one.
“Oh, that, yeah. I know it’s kind of silly and that real detectives like us aren’t supposed to use this, but lucky for us I did, right?” She gave a bright smile.
“I guess it all depends on how many visitors you have a week. We wouldn’t want to lose the integrity of our case.”
“That’s the best part. I don’t ever have anyone over. As a matter of fact, you’re my first guest.”
He looked down at her big, oversized tee and yoga pants and wished he could tell her how good she looked. But he wasn’t about to go there. She knew she was pretty and didn’t need him telling her. Besides, she might go into her whole inappropriate mode again.
“So, do you just stand here and look at it or what?”
“Actually,” she said, walking over to the couch which had been arranged around the board as if it were a television. “I sit here.” She lowered herself to the couch and curled her feet up beside her.
“No tv?”
“Yeah.” She reached over and picked up a remote, and before Jake knew it, her TV came up from the cabinet below the corkboard.
“Wow. That’s a serious tv. Fancy.”
She bit her lip and loo
ked as if she had made a mistake.
“It’s cool. I like it.” He didn’t know why he had to reassure her, but he didn’t want her to feel weird.
“So, what do you want to eat?” she asked, jumping from her place on the couch. “I can make us pancakes, or omelets, or a frozen lasagna.”
“I thought you could cook,” he said, earning a hard look.
“I can. I just don’t have anything else here. We could figure something out if you want?”
“Let’s have lasagna. By the time it’s done, we can figure out what we’re going to do about Tanner. We have to go after him tomorrow. I need more answers about Hayden. I have a feeling his path will actually lead to answers.”
Jo walked to the kitchen, and Jake followed, stopping in the doorway. “Maybe Kevin will call with good news,” she said, looking over her shoulder. “I hope they find something.”
“You and me both.”
“I’ll just be a minute. I’m going to throw that lasagna into the oven, and then we can take it from the top if you want.”
“Sounds good to me.” Jake sat on the couch and looked at her board. There was only one thing wrong that he could see. He got up and walked over to find a basket with a chisel-tipped marker and a stack of post-its. Then he filled in the rest of the letters to the word EXTORTION.
Soon, the smell of their dinner filled the air while they went over the case piece by piece. Thankfully, she’d brought home some of the records about Elliot’s cases.
After Jake had a full belly, he could barely keep his eyes open. The last thing he remembered was fighting to stay awake while reading an old report.
Chapter 23
Jake
Jake roused from a deep sleep. In fact, it was the best night’s sleep he’d had in months. “Shit,” he said, looking over to see Jo eating something from a bowl. “I need to get home before it gets too late.” He couldn’t stay the night with her, no matter how badly he wanted to.
Jo laughed. “I think it’s a little late for that, silly. It’s already morning.”
He looked out the window and realized the darkness was because the sun hadn’t come up. “What time is it?”
“Almost six a.m.” She turned up the bowl and drank her milk, which made her appear much younger than she was for some reason. She also had lost her yoga pants, and now all she wore was the long T-shirt.
Jake wondered if she’d gone to bed or slept with him on her end of the couch. “Why didn’t you wake me up and send me home? I shouldn’t have stayed.” He raked his hands through his hair and then rubbed his eyes.
“Why not? You were sleeping soundly, and I went to bed after an hour of listening to you snore.”
“I don’t snore,” he said.
“Like a bear,” she said with a laugh. “But it’s okay. I won’t judge you if you don’t judge my puffy eyes and the pillow creases on my face.” He wanted to tell her she looked good to him but kept it to himself. “Besides, I figured from what the Hangman said, you needed it.”
He really had needed it, but he didn’t want anyone to talk or for Jo to get the wrong idea. It didn’t help matters that he had a rock-hard erection. But no matter what had caused it, her or morning blood flow, nothing would happen between them. She had made that more than clear. “You and the Hangman should mind your own business.”
“I did, and that’s why I left you alone.” She walked her bowl to the kitchen, and he heard her milling around while he looked down and found his shoes missing. They were on the floor near the couch, and he didn’t remember pulling them off.
He quickly put them on and patted his pockets for his keys as Jo came out with a hot cup of coffee. “I know you like it dark, so I didn’t bother putting anything in it. I hope you like it.” She passed him the smiley face mug and then turned around to look at the wall.
“I can’t wait to talk to this guy. I want to figure out why he ran.” She took one of her post-its and tacked Tanner’s name to her wall.
“I should go,” he said. “I need to shower and change.” He couldn’t do that there without a fresh change of clothes.
Jo turned around with an apologetic expression. “Okay, well, I kind of need a ride, so if you could wait, then I won’t have to call an Uber.”
“Shit, sorry. I forgot. I will go take a look while you get dressed.” He glanced down at her cute little knees, the kind he wanted to spread for him.
Jo noticed his look lingering. “Sorry,” she said. “I guess I should have put my pants back on.”
Jake sipped his coffee. “It’s fine. No need to make it awkward or anything at all really. It’s just been a long time since I woke up in the morning with anyone else around.” Anyone I wanted to see. “Especially not in my own bed. As a matter of fact, it’s been a while since I woke up at all. At least from any amount of quality sleep.”
“You’re rambling,” she said with a smile.
“Sorry.” He couldn’t help but notice the coffee was probably the best he’d ever tasted too. He took another sip and closed his eyes, savoring the flavor.
“Do you like it?” she asked, walking toward her room. “It’s a dark roast. I bought it on vacation a couple of months ago, and I’ve been meaning to try it.”
It was probably some of her rich and fancy blend. “Yeah, it’s good, thanks.”
While she got ready, he walked back over to her board and smiled as he looked at how she had it all mapped out. She was very thorough, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she gave everything in her life that kind of attention. He finished his coffee and then went out to check on her car.
Thirty minutes later, her hair was in place, and her makeup brightened her eyes to their usual sunny-day appearance. She had put on some jeans and brown boots and a bright blue top that somehow made her eyes greener. “I’m all ready to go,” she said, locking the house behind her. “We’ll go by your place, and you can shower and change, and we should still make it in on time.”
“It’s your starter,” said Jake. “You’ll need another one. I know a good parts store with fair prices, and they can do the work for you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. I didn’t want to have to pay an arm and a leg to get it fixed.” She stepped up and hugged him, and Jake, taken a bit by surprise, slowly brought his arms around her and smiled as she pulled away. He had never been a hugger, and he couldn’t remember the last time a woman hugged him who wasn’t hanging all over him or on his cock.
With Jo, it all felt different. Normal somehow, even though it was completely awkward.
They went toward his house, stopping for gas on the way.
When they made it, Jo looked around like she was amazed. “I like this place. It reminds me of the camp I used to go to as a girl.”
“Well, it’s home. I can’t say I’ve ever really done anything to it but move in and live.”
“It’s got charm, like you. I like it.”
Jake had noticed Jo’s tone softening a lot when she’d say certain things to him, and he couldn’t help but have thoughts about what could be.
“Let me get ready. We really should get to work. I bet Tanner is out there mocking us for getting away.” He went to his room, and all he could think about was inviting her to his bed and making love to her. His erection was not giving him any breaks either, and he turned the shower to cold to get his mind off of her. Finally, after talking himself down, he got out, dried off, and got dressed in jeans and boots with a plain white tee and a button-down he planned on leaving in his car most of the day.
They were out the door, and Jake vowed that the next time she came to his place, he was going to make a move. Yeah right.
After calling into the station to find that Tanner had an arrest warrant for unpaid tickets and getting the all-clear to return to their office from Kevin, they arrived at Tanner’s job. “Let’s see if he played hooky again,” Jo said.
They parked out of the way and walked through the site, where Jake immediately spotted Tanner. “There’s our
man,” he whispered, nudging Jo.
A slow smile spread her cheeks. “You think he’ll run?”
“I don’t know, but we’re about to find out.” He made his way over, deliberately waiting until Tanner would be pinned between them and a wall.
“Tanner?”
The man turned around, his eyes wide. He looked both ways and was about to bail, but he had nowhere to go. He was about an inch shorter than Jake, but much lither with dirty, sweat-soaked hair and a dingy work shirt.
“Don’t do anything stupid. We’re just here to talk.” Jake was ready to chase him if need be, and the man stared back at him with wild eyes.
Suddenly, Tanner’s boss came around the corner. “Tanner. I suggest you handle your business.”
Tanner gave his boss a nod. “Yessir.” He turned and gave Jake and Jo a hard look. “What’s this about? I’m trying to work here. I’ve got kids to feed.”
“Funny, I didn’t see any kids around yesterday when you went through that window and hauled ass.”
“They live with their mom,” he said. “I only ran because I thought I had warrants.”
“You do,” said Jo with a smile.
Tanner took a deep breath and then let it out. “What do you want to talk about? I have lots of information.”
“That’s what we’re counting on. Do you know about the recent murders of Elliot Gaines and Hayden Daniels?”
“Yeah, I heard about them. What are you going to do for me?”
“What do you mean?” Jake asked.
Tanner stuck out his stubbly chin. “I mean, I don’t want to go to jail. I ain’t talking to you until you make those warrants go away.”
“Then what’s to stop us from taking you in right now?” asked Jo.
“Because I know who the next victim is.” Tanner gave them a cold, hard stare.
“If you’re looking for dirty cops, you are out of luck,” Jake said.
“Come on. You know how it works. I scratch your back, and you scratch mine, right? That’s the way they all do it, and if you think you’re something special or different, then why don’t I have cuffs on me?”