“Why n—” Jeff didn’t have time to finish his question as Emory’s lips returned to his to deliver a longer, more passionate kiss.
Emory backed away and shook his head. “I don’t know. You always do this. You confuse me.”
“I’ve never had more clarity.” Jeff wrapped his arms around Emory’s waist. “How about we put that blanket to use?”
“Here?”
“Why not? It’s the tallest building. No one will see us.”
“It’s raining.”
“Which makes it sexier.”
“It’s freezing rain.” Emory broke from him. “And we can’t have sex on evidence. Crap, I need to call Wayne.”
“Way to ruin the moment. Why would you mention his name now, and why on Earth would you call him?”
“We have to turn the evidence over to the TBI.”
“What? Why?”
“Keeping it would be tampering with evidence.”
“Haven’t we already done that?”
“We have an obligation to let the proper authorities know. I’m calling.” Emory pulled out his phone and called. “Voicemail.”
“He’s probably screening.”
Emory left a message and returned his attention to Jeff. “If I don’t hear from him in fifteen minutes, I’ll call the police and let them take care of it.” Before putting away his phone, he looked again at the text from his lawyer and thought, I don’t know what to do. Do I trust Anderson Alexander, or was the offer just to get me to drop the lawsuit? If I take him up on it, would he find another way to get rid of me? What about Jeff? What would this do to him? To us?
“Hello!” Jeff waved his hand in front of Emory’s face. “Are you zoning out on me?”
“Sorry. Just thinking. Hey, would you want to come over to my place for dinner tonight?”
Jeff brandished an incredulous look. “Man, you’re giving me mixed signals here.”
“Sorry, but I can explain it tonight.”
“Explain what…” Jeff’s words drifted off when he saw two men come through the door to the roof – Wayne Buckwald and Steve Linders.
Emory turned to see what had captured Jeff’s attention. “Wow, that was fast.”
Steve must have overheard him. “Wayne just got your voicemail. We were downstairs to talk to Darren Gleeson, but the office is closed.”
Emory greeted him with a handshake. “Today’s Corey’s funeral.”
Steve nodded. “That explains it.”
“Stop telling them stuff!” Wayne moved between his partner and the PIs. “Where’s this evidence you found?”
Emory and Jeff showed them the items and where they found them, as well as how the rope matched the rope on the flagpole. Emory shared their theory of how Corey was killed.
Steve congratulated Emory with a literal pat on the back. “Thank you for your help. We knew Peter did it and why, but we didn’t know exactly how.”
“What makes you certain Peter did it?” asked Jeff.
Wayne got in his partner’s face. “Stop telling them things!” He thrust his arm in the air with his index finger inches from Emory’s face. “This asshole was drummed out of the bureau for good reason! He’s a lying son-of-a-bitch.”
Jeff shoved his body in front of Emory. Looking down into Wayne’s beady eyes, he snarled, “If you don’t want to see firsthand the scenic route Corey took to the twenty-ninth floor, I suggest you holster that stubby little finger!”
Trying to look unfazed, Wayne couldn’t hide the sudden nervousness in his glare. “Are you threatening an officer of the law?”
Emory scooched in between them. “No, he’s not. Jeff, take a breather.”
Jeff walked away as his phone started to ring. “Hello?”
Emory turned his attention back to his former partner. “Wayne, we were never friends, but I was a good partner. What did I ever do to you?”
“You weren’t a partner! You were a glory hog. Well, you’re not getting any of it this time. I’m warning you. Stay away from my investigation!”
“I never threw myself into the limelight.”
“Well you made damn sure I didn’t get any of it!” Wayne pointed to the billboard. “And you’re really going to say that while your twenty-foot face is staring down at us?!”
“Emory!” Grinning, Jeff hurried back to them. “I have some great news.”
Emory looked over his shoulder at the embarrassing billboard. “I had nothing to do with that.”
Jeff grabbed Emory’s arm and led him away. “Forget about him. I have a surprise for you.”
“What is it?”
“I got us booked on New Dawn, Knoxville! Tomorrow morning.”
“What?”
“They’re devoted a segment to Mourning Dove.”
Emory was surprised but didn’t share Jeff’s excitement. “No way. I can’t do it.”
“Don’t start panicking. Virginia and I will be right there with you. Just take a pill before you go on, and you’ll be fine.”
Emory frowned. That reminds me, I need to get a refill.
Naked, Emory emerged from the bathroom, his lean, muscular body still steaming from the shower. He saw a blinking light emitting from the phone on his desk and checked it to see a text from Jeff that read, “Might be late. You must be rubbing off on me.”
Emory smiled. “Jerk.” He read the text from his lawyer again and debated how he would answer. Why am I hesitating? I know what I want. It’s all I ever wanted. I could be back at the TBI doing what I was meant to do. Besides, if Jeff and I weren’t working together, there’d be no more conflict. He could see it as a good thing. He shook his head and sighed. “Who am I kidding?”
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Crap!” He peered through the peephole. “Jeff, hang on!” He ran to the bedroom, threw on a pair of boxers and returned to greet his guest.
Jeff took one look and quipped, “I thought we were going to eat first.”
“I thought you were going to be late.”
Stepping inside, Jeff produced a bouquet of blue roses. “I didn’t know how long it would take to get you these.”
“Oh wow. I’ve never seen blue roses. They’re beautiful.” Emory held the flowers to his nose and inhaled. “Subtle scent.”
Jeff grinned. “Like their bearer.”
Laughing, Emory took the bouquet to the kitchen. “Beautiful, yes, but I wouldn’t say you have a subtle scent. I don’t think I have a vase.”
“What, do I stink?” Jeff sniffed his underarms.
Emory found a lemonade pitcher in a cabinet. “This will work. No, you don’t stink. The opposite actually.” He half-filled the pitcher with water.
Jeff cocked his head. “I’ll take that. Is it too sappy, bringing you flowers?”
“Not at all.” Emory couldn’t help but grin as he placed the pitcher with roses on his kitchen counter. “I think it’s a wonderful surprise. As a matter of fact, I’ve got a surprise for you too.”
“For me? What is it?”
“Later. Would you like a drink?”
“Sure. V—”
“Vodka cranberry. I remember.”
While Emory mixed the drink and a gin and tonic for himself, Jeff picked up Emory’s anxiety medication from the counter and shook the empty bottle. “How long have you been on this stuff?”
Emory lied. “A couple of years.”
“You’ve been seeing a psychiatrist for two years?”
Emory served Jeff’s drink with a garnish of annoyance. “Thereabouts.”
“Because of whatever happened to you as a kid?” Jeff waited a few seconds for response. “Why won’t you tell me what happened to you?”
“I will. One day. Maybe I’ll even let you read my journal. Moving on.” Emory clinked his glass against Jeff’s. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.” Jeff sipped from his drink “You keep a diary?”
Emory sighed at the persistence of the subject. “I kept a journal. My first psychiatrist made me keep on
e to write down everything that had happened. To help me get through it.” Emory noticed Jeff’s eyes darting about the place. “Don’t bother looking for it. It’s at my parents’ house.”
“I wasn’t looking for it.”
“Uh-huh. Changing subjects. Are you ready for your surprise?”
“Should I sit down for it?”
“Sure, but I mean, it’s not anything big.”
Jeff plopped onto the couch and waved off his concern. “I was born with no preconceived notions.”
Emory gulped his drink. “I’ll be right back.” He disappeared into his bedroom, leaving Jeff to his vodka-fueled imagination. Four minutes later, Emory reemerged wearing the cowboy hat and outfit from the picture used in the ad campaign.
Jeff’s jaw dropped, and he rose to his feet. “Oh. My. God. I thought you didn’t have this anymore.”
“I lied.”
“Can I ask you a favor?”
Emory stepped closer to him. “What is it?”
“Can we postpone dinner for a few hours?”
As Emory led him into the bedroom, he didn’t notice the blinking red light hovering outside his window.
Chapter 19
“Where is he?” Jeff glanced again at the wall clock in the green room for New Dawn, Knoxville.
“He’ll be here. He’s not going to let you down.” Virginia gave her makeup a final check in the mirror. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, I did a background check on Randy Graham. He misled you guys about the type of therapist he is. He’s not licensed in psychology or counseling or anything else outside of driving. He never even graduated from college.”
Jeff stopped pacing and faced Virginia’s reflection. “That shaved-legged liar. Trying to pass himself off as a therapist.”
“He is a therapist. A certified reiki therapist.”
“What on Earth is reiki?”
“It’s like an aura massage – no touching.”
“Seriously? That’s like sex without an orgasm. What’s the point? I can’t believe you can actually get certified in massaging people without laying a hand on them. Sounds like a racket.”
Virginia again faced Jeff. “I might’ve oversimplified.”
“I assume then that reiki therapists aren’t covered by patient confidentiality.”
“Not even a little.”
Jeff gave the clock another glance and pulled out his phone. “I’m going to call him.”
“Are you sure he knew what time to be here?”
“I told him this morning before I left.” As soon as he said the words, Jeff turned away to hide his face, hoping she didn’t pick up on it.
She did. “Before you left? Did you two spend the night together?”
“Can I claim partner confidentiality and not answer that?”
“Not even a little. Spill.”
“Not now, and please don’t mention it to Emory. You know how private he thinks he is.”
Virginia held up her right hand. “I promise. Why didn’t you two just come here together?”
“I had to go home to get ready. I wasn’t expecting to spend the night, so I didn’t bring a change of clothes with me, and I wasn’t about to wear anything from Emory’s closet on TV.”
“Ooh, I don’t blame you.”
Virginia and Jeff both cracked up laughing just before Emory rushed into the green room, offering a preemptive apology. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
Jeff looked at the clock on the wall. “We’re getting used to it.”
Emory’s eyes fixed on Jeff. “I need to talk to you.”
Virginia looked at the clock again. “We have three minutes before we go on.”
Jeff pointed to Emory. “Remember, no mention of being fired. You left the TBI because you knew you could help even more people in the private sector.”
Emory blurted out, “I don’t know if I can go through with this.”
Jeff walked behind him to massage his shoulders. “You’re just nervous. Did you take one of your pills?”
A redheaded college-age girl entered carrying three clip-on microphones. “Time to get y’all miked up.”
As the production assistant clipped the microphone on Virginia, Emory stammered for words. “I… I am nervous, but that’s not it. Uh… It’s difficult to say.”
“If it’s that heavy, why don’t you just wait until after the show?”
“I thought about that, but I don’t want to go on TV and be disingenuous about the future.”
“The future? The future is we’re going to get all the exposure we can out of this pro bono case so we can start getting clients that count – the kind with money. What future are you talking about?”
“I don’t know what to do about the lawsuit.”
Jeff unbuttoned his shirt so the PA could clip the microphone to his collar and hide the wire underneath. “We already discussed this. You’re dropping it. It would be bad for business.”
“That’s not why I’m debating it. If I don’t go through with the lawsuit, I’ll have another decision to make.”
“What do you mean?”
Emory shifted his weight from side to side with each heavy breath. “Anderson Alexander came to see me the other day.”
“How do I know that name?”
“He’s the head of the TBI.”
“He came to see you? To talk you out of the lawsuit?”
The PA made her way to Emory to mike him. “That, and to offer me another job with the TBI.”
As Virginia gasped, Jeff could feel the color draining from his face. He felt as if he’d been punched in the gut and were incapable of exhaling enough breath to form words. At long last, he uttered, “How did you respond?”
“I told him I needed to think about it.”
“Really?” Red rose from Jeff’s neck like a thermometer touching a light bulb. “What’s there to think about? They fired you! Threw you out! And I…” He waved his hand toward Virginia. “We gave you a lifeline. Opened up our business to you.”
“I was there. I know what happened. That’s why it’s a difficult decision.” Emory sighed. “Look, this could be a good thing for the agency. If I do take the job, I’d have access again to—”
“Don’t try to spin this as something you’re considering for the good of the business! Your reasons are completely selfish!”
The PA shushed them. “Please! You’re going to have to keep it down.” She pointed toward the open door. “We’re live.”
Virginia wedged herself in between the two men. “Guys, can you just put this issue aside for a few minutes? We’re about to be on TV.”
Jeff told her, “I don’t care about the show.”
Emory scoffed. “Publicity is the one thing you do care about.”
The PA clapped her hands to get their attention. “It’s time, people. Follow me.”
Jeff glared at him. “Oh, is that it? The one thing? What does any of it matter now? You’re done with us.”
Emory tried a conciliatory tone. “You know, I never said I was taking the job.”
“Don’t play semantics with me. We both know you’re taking it.”
“There’s a lot to consider.”
“I’m sorry.” Jeff embellished his tone with sarcastic empathy. “I didn’t realize how difficult this is for you. Let me make it easier. Take the damn job! We don’t want you.”
“There’s no reason—”
“Here’s a reason for you.” Jeff followed Virginia to the door. “We got along just fine without you, and we’ll do much better without your annoying stick-up-your-ass pomposity!”
“Fine! I’ll finish this case, and then I’ll walk my pompous ass back to where I belong.” Emory stormed past them but turned around long enough to say, “I’m taking the rest of the day off.”
Chapter 20
While the fight with Jeff looped in his head, Emory roamed the halls of Willow Springs Retirement Home, searching for room 165. When he spotted the number on the wall next to an open door, he saw Mary Bel
le Hinter inside. Seated in front of a window, the Crick Witch stared at the lone, leafless tree on the small patch of land visible past the walls that obstructed most of her view. “Ms. Mary Belle.”
The old woman broke her stare and coughed out a raspy laugh. “Sweet sassafras, I told m’ nephew, I knowed you’d be back.”
“Why did you think I’d be back?”
“You wantin’ me to take the curse from ya. I tell ya how – for a price.”
“Let me guess. You want me to take you to your property.”
The old woman nodded.
“Already taken care of. If you’re up for it, we’re going to drive up there right now.”
A spark of hope glimmered in Mary Belle’s cautious eyes. “Don’t play wi’ me.”
“I told the woman at the front desk I needed your help for a murder case I’m working on, and she said you could go for the day.”
“That squirrelly gal?”
“That’s the one.” Of course, she’d prefer I take you away from here permanently. “Mind you, it’s just for the day. I have to bring you back before supper.” He lied about the deadline, knowing the facility would probably be happier if she never returned.
The old woman slumped back in her chair. “What the damn point then?”
“I was thinking it would give you an opportunity to say goodbye to your land. The way it is now. Before they start building on it.” When she didn’t respond, Emory added, “Do you really want the last time you saw your property to be your last memory of it? Why not go say goodbye to it properly?”
“That better ’n nothin’ I s’pose.” Mary Belle started to push herself from the chair, and Emory offered a helping hand. “Git that away from me! I ain’t he’pless!” Once up, she grabbed her oversized purse and filled it with items from her chest of drawers.
Emory noticed the untouched food tray. “We can wait for you to finish your breakfast.”
“I ain’t hungry. Let’s git.”
He held the door open for her. “Should I lock it?”
“Don’t matter. Ain’t nothin’ mine no more.”
In a white room inside the Knox County Jailhouse, Jeff sat at a table with a suited man, who whispered, “I shouldn’t be here.”
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