Off the Record (An Avery Shaw Mystery Book 10)

by Amanda M. Lee

  I sucked in a breath as I read through the details. “A twenty-year-old African-American female was found strangled in his trailer park. He was one of three suspects, and the cops narrowed it down to him.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why isn’t he in prison?”

  “The case never went to trial,” Eliot replied. “The cops misplaced some blood evidence. They didn’t have much of a case after that. The judge ruled case couldn’t move forward without physical evidence.”

  I delved deeper into the file. “This says the victim was strangled and shot.”

  “Yeah. That probably occurred because she revived after the first bout of strangulation and the killer panicked and shot her rather than risk an escape. That was the lead detective’s theory, anyway.”

  I tugged on my bottom lip as I considered the new information. “The first victim was sexually assaulted.”

  “I noticed that, too. That’s one of the details that doesn’t mesh.”

  “Unless he learned his lesson back then,” I mused. “Or maybe he can’t get it up any more. He is older.”

  “That’s also a possibility. I’ll leave that question for Jake to ask.”

  “So Don Hamilton was a suspect in the murder of a black woman twenty years ago and now he’s been close to another two deaths. I’m betting there were more in other locations throughout the years.”

  “Most of them are probably unsolved, too,” Eliot said. “Once the carnival left town, the cases would’ve gone cold, even if investigators thought to consider Hamilton and the other carnies.”

  I rocked back and forth between the balls of my feet and my heels. “It’s him.”

  “You don’t know that,” Eliot cautioned.

  “Are you honestly saying that it’s not him?” I couldn’t help but be surprised. “There’s way too much coincidence here for it to be anything else.”

  “I hate to agree with you, but … I do. We don’t have any evidence, though. We have a theory that fits the facts.”

  “So, we need evidence.”

  “I think we should tell Jake what we found.”

  “I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.”

  “Then I’ll repeat it.” Eliot was firm. “I think we should bring Jake in on this. He’s likely to work with you if you’re forthcoming for a change.”

  He had a point. “Fine.” I heaved a heavy sigh. “But if he cuts me out of this you’ll be wearing the Wonder Woman Underoos and rolling around in butter sauce tonight.”

  “Yeah, we’ll talk.” Eliot reached for his phone. “You won’t regret this. It’s a good move.”

  I could only hope he was right. Working with the cops instead of in competition with them felt all kinds of weird and wrong. “Call before I change my mind. Ugh. I think I’m getting heartburn. This is your fault.”

  “You’ll live.”

  28

  Twenty-Eight

  “What are you doing?”

  I sent Eliot an odd look as he kept one hand on the nape of my neck behind the pawnshop counter and used the other to riffle through drawers while waiting for Jake. Eliot placed the call twenty minutes earlier. Even though I could hear only his end of the conversation I understood that Jake was leery, but on his way. Now all we had to do was wait … and listen to the rumble of our stomachs.

  “Just stay right here,” Eliot prodded, refusing to release me as he searched through the drawer. “I’m pretty sure it was in here.”

  He sounded as if he was talking to himself rather than me. “What are you looking for?”

  Eliot blew out a sigh and shifted his eyes to me. “If I tell you, you’ll start running.”

  That didn’t sound good. He was looking for something I disliked, but … why? “Is it Paris Hilton?”

  Eliot made a face. “No, it is not Paris Hilton.”

  “One of the Kardashians?”

  “No.”

  “Is it cooked carrots? I think they’re disgusting.”

  “I’m well aware of your food selection oddities,” Eliot said. “You’ll dip pickles in tomato juice, and mix pickled beets and cottage cheese, but if a cooked carrot touches your plate you have a total meltdown. I’ve got it.”

  Someone was full of himself. “How do I feel about carrot cake?”

  “You like carrot cake.”

  Hmm. This was turning into a fun game. “What about ice cream cake?”

  Eliot tilted his head to the side, his eyes flashing. “Are you testing me?”

  “Maybe.”

  “We can play the food game for clothes later,” he suggested. “I’ll bet I’m going to win because you pay zero attention to the food I like.”

  I balked. Did he really think that? “That’s not true.”

  “Oh, really?” Eliot didn’t look convinced. “What’s my favorite cake?”

  I answered without hesitation. “Chocolate with peanut butter frosting, which isn’t easy to find. You have to make the frosting yourself, and I don’t even own a mixer.”

  Eliot’s eyebrows hopped. “How did you know that?”

  “You mentioned that your mother made you a peanut butter cake when you were a kid and it was your favorite.”

  “And you remembered?”

  “I remember everything.”

  Eliot pursed his lips. I think he took the statement as a challenge. “What’s my favorite vegetable?”

  “Roasted Brussels sprouts. You like them tossed in olive oil with garlic salt and pepper.”

  Eliot didn’t bother to hide the fact that he was impressed. “Are you telling me you’ve actually been listening all of this time?”

  “I know. It boggles the mind.”

  “What’s my favorite kind of steak?”

  “Porterhouse.”

  “What’s my favorite seafood?”

  “Scallops. You don’t like messing with shells if you don’t have to.”

  The corners of Eliot’s mouth tipped up as he moved a bit closer to me. “One more. What’s my favorite ice cream?”

  “Chocolate. You’ll eat other stuff – like cookie dough and Mackinac Island fudge – but you like simple chocolate the best. You like to put that spray whipped cream on it.”

  Eliot framed my face with his hands and shook his head, dumbfounded. “You always manage to take me by surprise. How do you do it?”

  “I’m too complex for the human mind to grasp.”

  “You also have an ego the size of your hidden candy collection.” Eliot kissed the tip of my nose and then took me by surprise when I felt something snake past my hips. I glanced down, my eyes widening when I saw the twine snaking through my belt loop and heading to Eliot’s.

  “What are you doing?” I tried to move away, but the location of the counter as it pressed into my back didn’t allow it.

  “I’m tying you to me.” Eliot answered without hesitation. “Now that we have a probable suspect you’re likely to take off on your own and get in trouble. You won’t be able to do that if I tie you to me.”

  “Hey!” I slapped his hand away and scrambled to put some distance between us. He used his hip to box me in, but I don’t fight like a normal girl so that wouldn’t work. I slammed my heel against his instep, swiveling my upper body at the same time I swung out my lower body and caught him off balance.

  “Oomph. Avery!”

  He expected me to utilize the space I created by forcing him to move, but I knew he could overpower me that way. Instead, I hopped up on the counter and swung my legs to the opposite side. I was almost over when he realized what I was doing and grabbed my waist.

  “Let me go!”

  “No! I’m protecting you. You’ll get in trouble.”

  That’s where Fawn found us five seconds later, the look on her face reflecting undisguised glee.

  “Did you catch her going through the register?” Fawn asked, moving closer. “Are you holding her until the police get here?”

  Eliot’s face, red with exertion, registered baffled consternation as he stru
ggled to maintain his grip on me. “We are waiting for the cops – the sheriff, to be exact – but she wasn’t stealing anything.”

  “He’s the one stealing something,” I sputtered, gasping for breath as I strained against his muscular arms. “He’s stealing my freedom … and trust … and the peace of mind that he believes in me.”

  “Oh, you’re so freaking dramatic,” Eliot complained, digging his fingers in when I managed to shift a bit. If I kept up this level of force I’d be able to slip away in a few seconds. I could feel it. “Trying to keep you safe is not stealing your freedom.”

  “That’s exactly what you’re doing!”

  “It’s certainly not the same thing as stealing your peace of mind. Where did you even hear that?”

  “I made it up … but it’s a real thing.”

  “Whatever.” Eliot grunted as he finally lost his grip.

  I was triumphant … for exactly one second. Then I realized that I was falling over the edge of the counter and had no way to stop myself. That’s when I panicked. “Eliot!”

  He realized what was happening too late to save me. His eyes widened and we locked gazes as I fell below the counter, smacking the floor hard. “Avery!” Eliot hurried around the counter, bending over so he could stare into my eyes as I rested flat against the floor. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

  “The same three I’m going to shove up your rear end when the numbness goes away,” I barked, annoyed.

  “You’re okay.” Eliot gently helped me to a sitting position. “This is your fault for being a pain.”

  “This is your fault for being a walking booger,” I shot back. “That’s what you are … a bossy booger.”

  “Whereas you’re an absolute delight,” Eliot deadpanned.

  I opened my mouth to take the fight to a new level – one that would be outright vulgar – but the sound of a man clearing his throat by the front door interrupted what was sure to be a memorable diatribe. I snapped my head to the right and focused on an amused-looking Jake.

  “I want him arrested,” I announced, jerking my thumb in Eliot’s direction. “He just committed assault with intent to tie me to him.”

  Jake’s smile was enigmatic. “I see I’ve arrived at the perfect time.”

  Not if I had anything to say about it.

  “DOES SOMEONE want to tell me what’s going on?” Jake seemed calm despite the scene he walked in on.

  “Oh, I do. I do.” Fawn excitedly waved her hand in the air and bounced up and down on her feet.

  Jake took a moment to look Fawn up and down – I was certain he didn’t miss her oversized bouncing boobs – before pursing his lips. “And you are?”

  “Fawn Reynolds.”

  “That’s her real name,” I interjected. “She didn’t even use one of those porn name generators you find online to come up with it. I know. I looked through her personnel file and couldn’t believe it when I read it.”

  Eliot shot me a dark look. “When did you look through my personnel files?”

  Whoops. “Um … I forget.”

  “You forget?”

  “I’ve had a tragic fall,” I reminded him, smirking when he frowned.

  “I have no idea why I love you so much,” Eliot complained, pulling me to a standing position. “You can be a downright terrible person.”

  He wasn’t wrong. There was no way I’d admit that to him given the circumstances, though. “You made me fall.”

  “You made yourself fall.” Eliot was irritated, but that didn’t stop him from running his hands over my butt and thighs. “Did you break anything?”

  “Other than my pride? No.”

  “Your butt is as hard as your head.” Eliot pressed a quick kiss to my forehead before moving closer to Jake. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I really have no excuse other than … well … she had it coming.”

  Jake snickered, amused. “Yes, well … she often does.”

  “I’m standing right here and can hear both of you,” I complained, rubbing my sore bottom.

  “So, wait … she’s not getting arrested?” Fawn looked disappointed. “Why did you call the hot sheriff if it’s not to haul her away?”

  I narrowed my eyes as Jake puffed out his chest. He clearly enjoyed the words “hot sheriff.”

  “We called Jake because we have some information to share with him,” Eliot replied. “Out of curiosity, though, what are you doing here? I thought you had a terrible headache and needed to spend the day in bed.”

  “I did, but then I got to feeling guilty about leaving you alone to run the shop during the festival,” Fawn sniffed, her brown eyes widening to comical proportions. I was fairly certain she was trying to muster tears. “I didn’t want you to be here alone all day. That would’ve broken my heart.”

  “As you can see, he’s not alone,” I pointed out.

  “Yes, but I had no idea you were here,” Fawn shot back. “You take off on your own so much – leaving poor Eliot alone and miserable – that I thought I would keep him company.”

  “Are you alone and miserable when I’m not around?” I asked Eliot.

  A small smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Which answer will get me better sex tonight?”

  “Oh, don’t answer that question in front of me,” Jake whined, annoyed. “I’m a good sport – and I put up with the counter scene, which was clearly foreplay – but I cannot listen to you guys make plans for … that.”

  “See!” I smacked Eliot’s arm for emphasis. “You’re upsetting Jake.”

  ‘You’re upsetting me,” Eliot shot back, although he didn’t press the issue further. “Actually, we did call you because we’ve stumbled across something important.”

  “You told me that over the phone,” Jake said, shuffling closer. He glanced in our direction occasionally but seemed much more interested in deer hunting Fawn. She appeared to like the attention because she offered him a series of winks that made my stomach turn.

  “Do you have something in your eye, Fawn?” I challenged.

  Fawn jolted. “I … no.”

  “You’re hurting Eliot’s feelings by flirting with Jake like that,” I volunteered. “Eliot thought you had a crush on him, and that somehow made him feel special. Now he sees you flashing your tail in Jake’s direction and his ego can’t help but take a hit.”

  “That’s not true,” Eliot snapped.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Fawn looked legitimately contrite as she turned her full attention on Eliot. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

  “You didn’t hurt my feelings,” Eliot gritted out, wagging a finger in my direction. “Don’t mess with the help. They can’t tell when you’re serious or being … well … you.”

  “I’m always being me.”

  “That’s not something to be proud of,” Jake said. “What did you guys find?”

  “Yeah, what did you guys find?” Fawn adopted an “all business” face as she stepped between Jake and Eliot. I didn’t like this little arrangement at all. She was flirting with both my men – yes, I know how that sounded – and I had no interest in ceding my territory.

  “You know what, Fawn? This is a private meeting.” I grabbed her arm and jerked her away from Eliot’s side. “We weren’t expecting you, and this is classified information.”

  “But … you’re here.” Fawn’s expression was blank. “How can you be here when they’re talking over classified information?”

  “Because they’re the majors and I’m the general.”

  Eliot and Jake snorted in unison, forcing me to ignore them.

  “I swear this won’t take long,” I added. “Do you think you can run next door and get us some coffee?”

  “But … .” Fawn broke off, chewing her bottom lip. “I don’t really want to get you coffee.”

  “But we would love some coffee.”

  “I don’t really like coffee.”

  I shot Eliot a pointed look. “Do you want to help?”

  “Oh, now you want
my help?” Eliot rolled his eyes. “Fawn, please get us some coffee. I’ll pay you for the entire day if you do it and you won’t even have to work for the rest of the afternoon.”

  Fawn appeared happy with the suggestion. “Okay.” She turned and skipped – she really skipped – out the door and disappeared down the sidewalk. I waited until she was gone to make my disdain known.

  “How has no one run her over with a train yet?” I complained, moving to the counter. “I’m serious. She’s dumber than a roomful of Kardashians trapped in front of a mirror.”

  Jake snickered, amused. “I thought she seemed nice.”

  I didn’t bother hiding my scowl. “You like her boobs.”

  Jake feigned innocence. “She has boobs? I didn’t even notice.”

  Eliot snorted as I took the opportunity to elbow him. “You’re hurting my feelings.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I like your boobs, too.” Eliot gave my shoulder a friendly squeeze before focusing on Jake. “We found some interesting information. I would’ve told you earlier but I wanted to run it by Avery and make sure she was okay with sharing.”

  Jake crossed his arms over his chest. “And is she?”

  Eliot nodded. “She is.”

  “Forgive me if I have my doubts.” Jake shifted his eyes to me. “Are you okay with sharing information?”

  I answered immediately. “Yes.”

  Jake arched a dubious eyebrow. “Really?”

  “Fine-ish. I’m okay-ish with sharing information. That’s the best you’ll get out of me so you might as well take it.”

  Jake’s lips twitched. “Fawn may have certain attributes … but your personality is really the gift that keeps on giving.”

  I knew he meant it as a dig, but I took it as a compliment. “She won’t make the final cut when I start searching for your next girlfriend.”

  Jake frowned. “You’re not picking my next girlfriend.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “We will.”

  “Something tells me I’ll win.”

  Jake opened his mouth to argue and then snapped it shut before turning to Eliot. “Show me what you’ve got before she gives me acid indigestion. I’m already halfway there.”