Jay ran a hand though his long curtain of loose hair, realizing what had happened. “You tried to run a search for the woman you think you kept seeing.”
“Think? I don’t forget faces, Jay. I don’t forget the things I see or hear. It was a curse growing up, but I learned to use it. I know who I saw, and I know now that she is Ruby Wei. You still going to run with the line that she’s not involved?”
Jay sighed, stood and met Dave’s eyes. “Maybe you’re right and I should have said something, but I already have one friend in danger. How could I risk putting another in the firing line?”
Dave tilted his head to the side, clearly not having expected that answer. “A friend? How can she be your friend after you—”
“Ruby became more like my younger sister after I helped Linda free her.” Jay huffed. “She was hurt over her grandmother’s choice and my actions, but she would never hurt me or Stella.”
“Then what was she doing in Salisbury?”
The man seemed genuinely curious which hopefully meant that their rendezvous at the motel had gone unnoticed.
“She wanted to find out about Stella. She had heard Mr. Haraby was in town, then saw me and put two and two together.”
Jay held his breath as Dave looked him over, wondering if the man would spot the new lie.
Dave’s phone rang, but he held Jay’s gaze for another two counts before finally pulling it free and answering.
Jay listened to the one-sided conversation and deduced that it was the estate agent Dave had engaged to find him a house.
Dave ended the call and met Jay’s eyes again, carrying on their conversation as if there had been no interruption. “I understand where you might be coming from, but I need you to understand now that I can take a lot from people but not lies.”
Jay felt a chill race up his spine at the look that had come into Dave’s green-blue eyes, making them cold as winter ice.
Then Dave smiled, thawing all the ice and becoming his usual self again. “So next time you don’t want to tell me something, just say so. I can be patient.”
Jay half smiled. “Fair enough.”
Dave waved his phone. “That was the agent. She’s rustled up six houses for me to go look at. Do you want to come along?”
Jay chuckled. “No, I think you are far better at sweet talking people. You can handle her alone and get us a good house.”
Dave smirked. “You’re right there. What will you do?”
Jay gestured vaguely at his laptop. “Carry on working. At some point, we have to leave here and actually enter the battle.”
Dave nodded thoughtfully, turning to shut down his laptop. “I suppose, but we shouldn’t take short cuts. I’ll go through the hits for Lloyd’s people when I am back.”
Jay nodded and waved him off, then collapsed in front of his screen again. He knew that Dave had a good point, but where Dave could not tolerate lies, Jay couldn’t handle idleness. His plan was not perfect, but he also knew that he could wait his whole life and not find one that was.
Stella had already been gone a month. If this really was a serial killer, then the monthly deadline was approaching, and a new body would be found.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
He pulled Dave’s laptop towards him, powered it up, and inserted the tiny drive Joe had given him. Immediately the program Joe had created got to work, giving Jay open access to everything Dave had been using the computer for.
He bypassed Dave’s emails and other private matters. He hadn’t come on here to spy, but simply to look over what Dave had learned about Lloyd. He couldn’t wait for Dave to return and for his thorough, but painfully slow, look into every hit. Where Jay was fire, darting and leaping and connecting things, working best out in the open, Dave seemed more like water, slow, methodical, testing his environment before finding the weakest point and pushing through.
He scanned the list of names and found three that had links to his own works. Jay smiled and clicked into them, saving the information to his USB. The Sheriff was under the thumb of Lloyd and his men for a gambling debt. Lloyd, it seemed, hadn’t left his old profession at all, but was merely hiding the fact. Along with the Sheriff was another senior officer and the main source of the town’s news. With the three of them under Lloyd’s control, it shouldn’t be hard for Gary to realize that he was being fed what he wanted to hear. It also showed that Jay’s suspicions about Lloyd were right. The man had had his hand in the affairs of Carthage for nearly a year and a half. That was why none of these murders had made the news. It also meant that something had gone wrong eleven months ago, making someone notice the murders, which was all hushed up again when Lloyd convinced Gary to relocate.
Jay unplugged the USB. He had added everything they had discovered about the serial killer’s victims just in case Gary had been kept completely oblivious. Jay powered down Dave’s laptop and tried to shake off the kinds of nerves he hadn’t had in decades. This was a one shot attempt. If he failed to convince Gary to keep his mouth shut, Lloyd would find out and therefore so would his handler, all of which would mean nothing good for Stella. Yet, if he was successful and he did manage to keep Gary from being an idiot, then he would have a secret weapon, a spy in the enemy camp.
Jay felt his ego twinge at what he knew he would have to do. For Stella, he would have to give up all of his pride, and even then, it might not be enough. Jay relaxed his fist to stop the USB from biting deeper into his palm.
The fact that Gary was now his only hope was a twist of fate he’d never expected. He couldn’t help but appreciate the irony as he prepared to leave and catch Gary at the one time he seemed to be alone every day.
***
Hector looked at the search he’d run and frowned. Had Jay not checked the facts himself? If he had, how had he missed this?
He let his hazel eyes lose focus as he thought of possible options. He dismissed calling Jay straight away. The man was notorious for getting annoyed at shoddy work. If he was going to raise those kinds of suspicions, then he needed to be sure, needed to have hard evidence. The man’s working history might be wrong, or maybe the company was just behind on paperwork.
He shook his head and took a look at the other posts. His finger flew across the keyboard as he ran a search for their addresses. His frown deepened.
Who spent their life flitting around the US? And what was a Seattle-born man doing speaking with a Louisiana accent and claiming Shreveport as his ‘hometown’?
Although, really, it was Jay who said that. Maybe he misspoke.
“You got a moment?”
Hector looked up to see his wife entering his office. “Of course. Have you found something yet?”
Natalie gave him a small smile, but it didn’t reach her olive eyes. “The box was as Jay had suspected. A complete jumble of fingerprints. I’ve gotten a few that are usable and run them through the system. Two belong to people who died in the Salisbury fires. A Stanley and Susan Porter. Owners of an antique store called The Bronze Rose.”
“Isn’t that where Jay got that box from in the first place?”
Natalie nodded.
Hector shut his eyes. In the four years that Jay had been imprisoned, he had spent the time going over every move his old friend had made in his bid to bring Myra Piers justice for her murder at the hands of Matthew Goldstein. Everything he had found had told him that his old friend had never stopped having his back, even when he was annoying him near senseless. He was backing him on this because he felt he owed him. If Jay had not been willing to step outside the law, to do the unthinkable and give up everything, his sister Myra would never have been given justice.
He opened his eyes to find Natalie watching, a small smile on her lips. “I can see what you’re thinking, and no, we’re not backing out now.”
“But if people are being murdered, Nat, we—”
“We,” she countered, “are already in too deep. You think that if all this is so carefully planned that the owners of The Bronze Rose were m
urdered as soon as they’d fulfilled their part, then how can you think they’d let us off?”
Hector heaved a heavy sigh. “You’re right. What else have you found?”
“Jay’s prints obviously and still running three more. On the bracelet I have found Stella’s and two others. One came back as some guy called Lloyd Bailen and the last aren’t through yet.”
Hector shook his head, making a note of the name. “I’ll run a check for Lloyd.”
Natalie opened her mouth then froze as both turned their heads in the direction of footsteps. It was far beyond normal working hours, and Hector was certain that only they had been left at the precinct. He would have preferred to work from home, but Natalie needed access to the lab and so they had stayed here.
He gestured for her to get behind him and unholstered his gun, aiming it at the glass door to his office. He was glad that the lights were on. It would be impossible for anyone to sneak into the bullpen without him seeing them first.
The footsteps stopped out in the hallway and they both tensed. Hector gave her a gentle nudge toward the window as the sound of someone shifting something heavy and metallic reached their ears. He couldn’t guess what their intruder might be doing, but he was certain that they were not a friend. Any one of his people would have seen the lights on and come to greet him.
Natalie moved half a step then crashed back into him, her hand muffling a scream. Hector turned his gun on the window where the outline of a very large man was visible against the street lamps. The man was making frantic motions towards the window while inside the scraping finally stopped.
Hector swallowed a warning as Natalie suddenly darted forward to unlatch the window.
“What are you doing?” he hissed in her ear. Holding her fast, he swiveled his gun between the window and the door, trying not to let the fear licking up his spine get the better of his common sense.
“Look at what he is holding,” she hissed back.
Hector followed her glance and saw the small stone pendant dangling from the huge man’s hand. It had once been Myra’s. She had gifted it to Jay, and Jay had given it to Hector when he was imprisoned. He had returned it to Jay the day he was released. He felt his grip loosen on Natalie’s arm, and she made quick work of silently unlatching the window.
“Finally,” rumbled a deep bass voice. “Thought I was going to have to leave you two.”
“How do you have that?” Hector asked, glancing once at the man, then back to the entrance where his gun was trained.
“I’m the man Jay asked to keep you two alive. He thought you might need proof. Quickly now, unless you want to die.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
“It what?”
Frank Morty pulled his eyes off the online news feed and glanced at Ruby. Although she had said she wasn’t going to get involved in all this for the sake of their unborn child, she had refused to leave Salisbury until Jay had. Even now, she kept wanting updates, trying to keep herself in the loop without stepping outside the bounds of their home.
“The police station exploded last night,” Frank replied, glancing at the news bulletin again where an image of the Natchitoches police station was now no more than a smoldering wreck.
She tried hard to breathe evenly. Her dark eyes, once curiously empty, filled now with calculation she had learned growing up at Jayden Roe’s knee.
“Any casualties? Did the report say when it happened?”
Frank swallowed a sigh. He’d spent most of his high school years being forced to help Jay garner information. His work as a drug dealer meant he’d had to do Jay’s bidding or end up behind bars. Jay had vanished his criminal past as a parting gift and a thank you for Frank’s promise to watch over Ruby. Yet he was not free. He was still working Jay’s cases because, despite the pain and suffering, Ruby truly wanted her big brother back.
“It exploded just after midnight. So far, the ruins haven’t been deemed safe for entry so nothing on casualties yet. But that late at night, there wouldn’t have been anyone there, right?”
Ruby shook her head. “Don’t be so sure.”
His computer pinged as if it had heard her words with an updated news. Ruby came to stand behind him and swore. “Badly damaged remains of two individuals found,” she read. “Coroner has confirmed that dental records will be used to identify the remains.”
“Ruby,” Frank said, catching her wrist as she turned for the door. “We can’t go there. We have to stay out of it.”
She met his gaze and gave him a mischievous smile. “I’m not leaving our property, but Jay needs to know.”
“What makes you think he doesn’t already?”
“Because he is preoccupied.”
“Then what—”
“I think it is time you and I meet the tail he set on us, don’t you?”
Frank cursed again and hurried after Ruby as she darted outside. “Ru, wait, it isn’t wise to—”
“I know you can hear me, so listen up. Do you know that Elliot plays the harp?”
Frank bit back another curse and tensed, ready to throw Ruby behind him if this turned nasty. A slim woman, with dark skin and sharp eyes, emerged from the shadows at the end of their lawn and made her way slowly forward. Flecks of gold caught the sunlight as she swept her eyes over them both.
“You are as sharp as Jay gave you credit for, Ruby Wei,” the woman smiled, inclining her head. “How long have you known I have been watching you?”
“Four days,” Ruby said. “I had guessed Jay would send a tail. Do you have a name?”
The woman tinkled a laugh. “Keira. So, what do you need help with?”
“I want you to contact Jay. Tell him about the explosion in Natchitoches.”
Keira tilted her head to the side. “Sure.”
***
Jay stepped into the park and turned off the main path, following a route he had only ever seen from the sky. He rubbed his temples. Though he seemed to have slept soundly, his head continued pounding. He forced his mind to focus.
After a week of watching, he knew that Gary came here every day, following a habit he’d had back when they’d worked together. He always took two hours every day where he wanted to be alone. In the past, that had been at the end of the day. Now, it was at the beginning.
The birds were still filling the air with their morning song, and the park was mostly empty but for a few people jogging and walking their dogs. The two tails Jay had were currently following a homeless man, to whom Jay had given the overcoat he had thrown on.
“Lovely spot,” Jay said in greeting then quickly held up his hands. “Hang on. I didn’t come here to fight.”
Gary Peters stopped and turned a glare on Jay, his hazel brown eyes narrowed. “No? Then what the hell are you doing in Carthage?”
“Working.”
Gary flushed, and Jay bit his tongue, knowing he had to curb his natural urge to irritate. “I’m here because I don’t think you’d swap sides just to bring me down.”
He watched surprise and annoyance fight for space on Gary’s face before the man snarled. “Don’t act like you know me.”
Jay bit back a retort, keeping his tone level and polite. “Be that as it may, is my statement wrong?”
Gary shook his head, sandy hair catching the light. “What the hell do you want, Roe?”
“Your help.”
Gary eyed him for an infinite pause then started to laugh. Jay waited as patiently as he was able to. His research showed that Lloyd wasn’t expecting Gary until this afternoon and that Gary himself had made no plans.
“You, the great Jayden Roe, want help from a man you deemed inferior? What you want is a stooge. Some idiot to cover up whatever mess you’re in.”
Jay kept his smile hidden. “So you are here to catch the moment of my fall.”
Gary flushed then anger filled his eyes. He made to leave, but Jay barred his path, holding out the USB drive.
“I don’t know what you’ve been told, or why you believed them,
but here’s everything I have found. Don’t take my word for it, go and look it up yourself. Just be careful. I am being watched. If they get wind that you’re switching sides, you could be in danger.”
Gary scowled. “I’ll be on whatever side you’re not. No coercion necessary. Now I think I’ve put up with enough insults for today.”
“Even if it means breaking the law and aiding a serial killer?” Gary froze and Jay pressed his advantage. “I don’t know exactly what is going on yet, but I do know that they are using you.”
Gary tried to shove past again. Jay let the pain and vulnerability show in his voice as he threw his pride to the wind. “I’m not trying to insult you. I’m saying that I need your help. I’m admitting that I cannot do this alone if Stella isn’t to pay the price.”
Gary stepped back as if needing a better look. Jay forced his face to stay open. “I may not be your friend, Gary, but I do know you. You’d never break the law just for a grudge.”
“Even so,” he said after a pause. “What’s to stop me simply leaving and abandoning you to what sounds like a very dark and painful fate?”
“I get abandoning me, but aren’t you contracted to help Stella?”
Gary sneered and snatched the USB. “You actually think anything here will convince me to help you? If this is all to destroy you, then wouldn’t your defeat spare her?”
Jay shook his head. “I don’t know, and I am not willing to risk it.”
Before anymore could be said, Jay’s phone rang. He yanked it out of his pocket, meaning to reject the call, and saw Elliot’s number.
He begged a moment and turned from Gary. “What happened?”
He heard Elliot’s deep chuckle and then a familiar curse. “They’re fine. I got them out in time. I did what you ordered, but I don’t know where you want them sent.”
“Am I on speaker?”
“Yes, you bloody well are, and…” Hector’s tirade was cut off by an electronic beep.
Jay glanced at his phone and saw another call waiting. Keira’s number sent renewed spikes of panic through him. “Give me a second,” he told Elliot before switching calls. “Please don’t tell me you had to stage a rescue too?”
Jayden Roe Mystery 02-The Final Lie Page 13