“How delightful for both of us.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I sucked in a breath. “Okay. Here goes. I wish Jake and Lauren would’ve waited a week because she knows what I was doing yesterday and I don’t want Jake to know. Now, she strikes me as the loyal type and I’m fairly certain she understands I don’t want Jake up in my business, but he is the sheriff and she’s a county employee and I’m worried he might pressure her to tattle on me … and we’ll be at war if that happens.”
Eliot’s mouth dropped open. “Wow!”
I wasn’t sure what to make of his reaction. “Wow?”
“That is so much better and worse than I thought it was going to be.” Eliot’s expression reflected baffled amusement. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re not jealous.”
“Why would I be jealous? I want Jake to be happy … and I picked Lauren. I like her.”
“At some point you’re going to be a little jealous,” Eliot countered. “You won’t be able to help yourself, but it’s okay because I expect it. As long as you don’t want to trade me in for Jake in the process, I’m fine with it.”
“I don’t get jealous … unless someone steals a limited-edition collectible that I want. Then I get jealous … and occasionally even.”
Eliot exhaled heavily. I could practically see him trying to muster his limited patience. “It’s okay if you feel a twinge of jealousy here or there where Jake is concerned. You guys are close and you’ve spent a lot of time together over the years. I can live with that.
“As for the other thing, I don’t know what to tell you,” he continued. “I don’t think Lauren is the type to blab, but she and Jake looked as if they were going to talk well in to the night – maybe this morning – so she very well could’ve blabbed.”
That was exactly what I was worried about. “Luckily I didn’t get a chance to tell her my theory that someone in the clerk’s office is helping whoever dropped that packet. Even if she does open her mouth and tell Jake what I’ve been working on, it won’t hurt me too much.”
“You are allowed to have as many theories as you want, and I promise not to get in your way. I will, however, be downtown all day. I expect you to think first before rushing into trouble. I will help as much as I can … but you’re not to do anything stupid like wander into deserted alleys or push a politician to murder. Do you understand?”
I nodded without hesitation. “I understand that you’re ridiculously bossy.”
Eliot didn’t bother to hide his eye roll. “I can live with that. But you need to be careful. You can theorize all you want. Simply make sure you stay safe while doing it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now … finish your breakfast. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day.”
I had a feeling he was right.
ELIOT LEFT ME TO my own devices once we hit Mount Clemens. I spent the first twenty minutes looking around – and by that I mean I picked a spot close to the political tents and slurped coffee while watching the candidates interact with one another. It was an interesting, if somewhat boring, endeavor.
I was about to track down Tad, who was conspicuously absent, when Elizabeth Justice caught sight of me and bee-lined in my direction. I wasn’t the type to flee unless it benefitted me, and I couldn’t figure out how running so early in the day (and after such a heavy meal) would do that, so instead I forced a smile and waited for her to make her intentions known.
It didn’t take long.
“Where have you been?”
“And a happy Sunday morning to you, too,” I shot back, sipping my coffee. “How is life?”
Justice rolled her eyes. We didn’t know each other well – barely at all, really, because I’d only had occasion to visit her courtroom on assignment a handful of times – but she clearly didn’t care that I was a virtual stranger.
“You’re a rude thing, aren’t you?” Justice made a clucking sound with her tongue. “That’s the word people toss around most when talking about you, by the way. I thought you’d want to know.”
“As long as it isn’t ‘Twilight fan,’ I’m fine with that.” I took another sip. “Did you need something?”
Justice wore an intimidating pantsuit – one right out of the book How to Succeed in the Political World Without Freaking Out Men – and she crossed her arms over her chest as she regarded me. “You weren’t here yesterday.”
I wasn’t sure what kind of response she wanted. “True?”
“I thought you would be down here all day. The election is Tuesday.”
“It is, but I had other things going on.”
“More important than the election?”
I was convinced the documents I was trying to track down had something to do with the election, so I couldn’t answer that question honestly. Still, I wasn’t a fan of Justice’s attitude. “Even I have the occasional day off.”
“Not before an election you don’t.”
“I’ll make sure to tell my boss that, because I’m guessing he has no idea that’s the rule,” I supplied. “I can’t believe no one told him … what with him being in the news business for thirty years and all.”
Justice narrowed her green eyes. “Are you trying to be cute?”
“If you ask my boyfriend I don’t even need to try. If you ask my mother it’s an impossible endeavor. If you ask me I’m kind of ‘meh’ on the whole thing. I’m basically just trying to absorb caffeine so I have plenty of energy to approach the day.”
“Good grief. I can’t believe you just said all that. What a waste of time.”
If I didn’t already violently dislike Elizabeth Justice, I might start liking her for being so honest. She was being honest about how lazy she thought I was, so I opted to forego that route. “Did you need something?”
“I need a lot of things,” Justice shot back. “I need some sleep, even though that’s basically out of the question until the election is over. I also need someone on my side who realizes the importance of having a woman in this position.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood when I realized where she was leading the conversation, but I kept my mouth shut.
“Do you know there are only three women on the entire board?” Justice continued. “Three. That’s sexism at its finest.”
I waited for her to continue, but the look she shot me seemed to indicate she was done. “Sexism blows,” I offered, hoping that was the correct answer. Her intensity made me uncomfortable, although I couldn’t quite identify why.
“It certainly does blow,” Justice agreed. “That’s why you and I should be working together to make sure a man doesn’t get that seat.”
“That’s not my job.”
“Excuse me?” Justice’s eyebrows rose. “It’s not your job to make sure that everything is fair and balanced in this world?”
That had to be a trick question. “No. It’s my job to report the news and occasionally irritate my co-workers to the point they want to kill me. Okay, if I’m being honest, I do that more than occasionally. As for the other stuff, it’s not my job to influence an election. That’s not really how the news business works.”
“Oh, you’re so naïve.” Justice rolled her eyes so hard I thought she might tip to the side. “Newspapers have been influencing elections since … well … they started having elections.”
“I think you’re probably right,” I conceded, working overtime not to smirk when Justice brightened. “But that’s not how I work. I have no interest in influencing an election. I simply want to report on it.”
“Even though Tad Ludington is one of the candidates?”
That was a fair question. “Even though.”
“Well, I guess I read you wrong,” Justice harrumphed. “I thought you were a truth teller, a champion of women’s rights.”
“No, just a Star Wars fan with a sweet tooth.” I forced a smile that I didn’t really feel and edged away from the infuriated woman. “Good luck on Tuesday.”
“Oh, whatever.” Just
ice stomped off as I drained the rest of my coffee. That could’ve gone better. Of course, it could’ve gone worse. I opted to take it as a win.
I swiveled to find the nearest trash receptacle and pulled up short when I realized Tad was standing close enough to eavesdrop. He leaned on a metal bench, his expression unreadable, and he didn’t notice me staring for a full ten seconds.
“What are you looking at?” Tad scowled. “I’m not in the mood for your games, so if you think you’ll incite me to fight in public you’ve got another think coming. I’m onto you, and I have no intention of doing that.”
“I, for one, am glad to hear it,” I offered. “There’re only so many times you can embarrass yourself in public. You’d think you’d get tired of it … but apparently not. If what you’re saying is true, though, that shows real growth on your part.”
Tad let loose a low growl that I’m sure he thought struck fear in the hearts of the masses. It reminded me of the rabbit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, so all I could do was smile.
“I don’t have time for you,” Tad snapped.
“Then why are you standing there staring at me?”
“Because … because … .” Tad searched for an appropriate lie. Because I didn’t have a lot of time to waste on his inferior brain, I decided to help him along.
“You were trying to hear what Elizabeth Justice and I were talking about,” I offered. “It’s okay. It’s called eavesdropping. You’ve been doing very well on your vocabulary lessons, but that is a tough one. I’m going to let it slide today because you have so much on your mind.”
Tad adopted an expression only a serial killer could love. “I wish you would die.”
I opened my mouth to slap him with a hot comeback, but Eliot beat me to it. No, really. He slapped Tad upside the back of the head and fixed him with a hateful look as he moved between us.
“Don’t ever say something like that to her again,” Eliot warned.
Where did he even come from? I didn’t see him leave his store.
Tad was incensed. “He hit me!”
“He cuffed you,” I corrected. “If he’d hit you, you’d be on the pavement. Of course, that might be good for you because he’s so strong that you probably wouldn’t wake up until after the election. He can hit you if you want.”
Tad scowled. “I hate you.”
“I believe the feeling is mutual, but if you threaten her life – and, yes, wishing she was dead would be an example of that – I will do whatever it takes to protect her.” Eliot’s eyes were somber. “Do you understand me, Ludington?”
“I don’t understand anything about you,” Tad shot back, rubbing the back of his head. “You’re a complete and total moron, and I honestly don’t get what you see in her.”
“I don’t care about that. I simply want to make sure we have an agreement.”
Tad opened his mouth with what I’m sure would have been a scathing retort on his tongue, but he clearly thought better of it. There was no way he could outrun Eliot, and we all knew it. Ultimately he swallowed hard and nodded. “I wasn’t threatening her. I was merely … explaining why she’s a complete and total bitch.”
“Don’t call her names either.” Eliot flicked his eyes to me. “Are you poking him for a reason?”
I shrugged. “It never gets old.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”
“I don’t need to take your crap,” Tad snapped. “I’m a candidate and I have much more important things to do. The election is Tuesday, and I’m the frontrunner.”
“I heard Aiken was the frontrunner.”
Tad balked. “Whoever told you that was lying.”
“I’ll make sure your mother knows what you think about her,” I replied dryly. “While you’re here, though, I have a question about some campaign finance documents I stumbled upon.” I decided pushing Tad on the documents couldn’t hurt. In fact, he might unravel to the point where he’d let something slip. “Do you know how donations that made it onto tally sheets wouldn’t make it to the clerk’s office for declaration?”
I watched Tad closely for a response. I wasn’t disappointed when his cheeks flooded with color. “Why would I know something like that?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I was merely asking.”
“Well, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tad puffed out his chest, but I could read the worry in his eyes. “Whatever you think you’ve found, it has nothing to do with me. I want you to know that.”
“I’m happy to note that you have no idea about the documents I’ve only vaguely mentioned and in no way described,” I drawled. “That’s not suspicious at all, but I’ll make note of it.”
Tad’s lips curved into a sneer. “Don’t mess with me.”
I matched his sneer with a smile. “Right back at you.”
Tad spared a glance for Eliot. “I pity you.” He didn’t wait for a response before storming off.
Eliot slid a look to me once we were alone. “Do you think it was wise to tell him what you think you have?”
“I did nothing of the sort. I merely mentioned campaign finance documents and records that don’t match up.”
“And what will you do now that you’ve innocently mentioned it?”
“See if he melts down.”
“Be careful.” Eliot’s expression was serious. “That guy is wound so tight he’s very close to the edge.”
“It’ll be fine. Have faith.”
“I have faith in you, which is why I know you’re capable of driving people to murder. You’ve done it before. I’m serious, though. Be careful.”
“I said I would.”
“Then make sure you do it. Now, tell me what you and Elizabeth Justice were talking about.”
18 Eighteen
Eliot wasn’t happy, although he did his best to pretend otherwise. He quietly listened to what happened when I ran into Justice, feigning interest the whole time, and then brought the conversation back to Tad.
“I don’t want him around you.”
I studied him for a long beat. “Is that because you’re jealous that I had sex with him in college?” It wasn’t a smart question to ask, but I wanted Eliot to chill a bit and I thought inappropriate sexual humor was the way to go. What? I’m a great reporter and terrible human being at times. I never really think about things before I do them. I go on instinct and regret it later. That’s simply what I do.
Eliot’s face was impassive. “Do you think that’s why I’m worried?”
I shrugged, noncommittal. “It can be normal to feel … exposed … when meeting your girlfriend’s former flame. In the case of Tad, you don’t have to worry. He’s terrible in bed and he has the personality of a dirty diaper. I promise I like you better.”
Eliot pursed his lips and I could tell it was a struggle for him not to laugh. “You do, huh?”
I nodded. “I like you best of all.”
“Cute.” Eliot slipped his hand around my neck and pulled me so I was directly in front of him. “You be careful. You dropped that packet bomb on purpose to see what he would do and now you’ve agitated him.”
Eliot was good when it came to reading people, so I was keen to share his insight. “You saw that, too, huh? Do you think he’s going to flee the state? He looked as if he was about to implode when I mentioned the packet.”
“He clearly knew what you were talking about,” Eliot conceded. “He also seemed agitated, which makes me extremely nervous. He’ll go after you if he feels threatened. I know you don’t believe that, but I can see it on his face.”
“I didn’t say he wouldn’t go after me. I said he wasn’t a physical threat. His idea of going after me will come in the form of verbal payback … or even a public meltdown. He’s not violent, at least not in a way I have to worry about. I’m sure there are times he wants to slam my head into a wall, but he would never do it.”
Eliot’s gaze was long and measured. “I can’t help but wonder exactly why you’re standing
up for him. I’ve never heard you say one nice thing about that guy, yet you’re protecting him now.”
“I’m not protecting him. I do know him. He’s not a threat.”
“I don’t feel the same way.”
“Well, if you want to check that situation out for yourself you can always beat the crap out of him just to be on the safe side,” I suggested. “I’d prefer you were shirtless and thumped your chest like King Kong when you did it. As for Tad, make him keep his shirt on. Nobody wants to see that.”
Eliot opened his mouth to argue. Instead, he merely shook his head and let loose a shaky laugh. “I admire your self-assurance. Have I ever told you that?”
“No.”
“Well, I do. You believe what you believe, and no one can talk you out of it. I like that you’re not swayed by other people. But it worries me at times, too. If you don’t believe Ludington is dangerous and he turns violent, you could be caught in a very bad situation.”
“Don’t worry about that.” I meant it. “He won’t hurt me. Not that way. He might try to embarrass me and he might even try to act scary. It’s not in him, though.”
Eliot stroked his hand down the back of my head and kissed my forehead. “Be careful anyway. What do you plan to do next? I know I asked you the same question a few minutes ago, but I’m hoping you’ve come up with a better answer.”
That was an intriguing question. “I’m going to take turns spying on the candidates.”
“Wow. You didn’t even try to make up a lie.”
“We both know that it would’ve been a waste of time. I’m basically going to wander around to see if I can catch the candidates doing anything.”
“What about Brucker? Shouldn’t you write a follow-up on his death?”
“In theory. There’s very little I can do, though. Jake isn’t having another conference until tomorrow, after the weekend. Brucker’s family isn’t local. No one else has tracked them down. I could talk to his schoolmates, but it’s summer and the campus isn’t packed. Plus, Oakland University is outside of the county, so that creates a level of separation that Fish won’t like.”
Extra! Extra! Dead All About It Page 17