by Josh Lanyon
“True, but do you actually believe that?”
“No.”
He sighed, his shoulders drooping. “Me neither.”
“But I also think Dale was a grown man, and it was his choice to get in a cage with a tiger.”
“I… I know logically it was his decision, but if I hadn’t come up with this fucking show, he might still be alive.” He clenched his jaw. “His wife and kid must hate me.”
“No point in worrying about that.”
He glanced over. “Does the job ever get to you? You obviously see a lot of death.”
“Things with kids get to me. Other than that, it’s just my job.” I was exaggerating my objectivity a bit, but mostly I was able to keep a distance from my cases. That was one reason my protective urges toward Jax were so perplexing to me.
“I could never do what you do.” He finished off his wine and moved to the grill.
“It’s not that I’m heartless.” I was almost shocked to hear myself say that. Why was I explaining myself to him? Who cared if he thought I was a cold asshole?
“I didn’t say you were.”
“It’s best for the victims if I am objective. That’s how they get justice.”
“Right.” He pulled the steaks from the grill and put them on plates. “I get what you’re saying.” He set the plates on a glass table with an umbrella. “I made a salad. I’ll go grab it.”
I watched him go back in the house, his shoulders stiff, his head down. He wasn’t anything like I’d expected, and that almost annoyed me. If he’d been some vapid, shallow guy, I wouldn’t have thought twice about him. But he wasn’t. He was intelligent, empathetic, and for whatever reason, that was affecting me.
I sat down at the table and waited for him to return. He came outside, carrying a big bowl of salad and a plate of garlic toast, which he set on the table. His expression was pleasant, but I sensed an underlying current of tension. “I figured the steak wouldn’t be enough food for you.”
“Thanks.” I was still puzzled as to how I’d ended up sharing a meal with Jax at his home. I should have refused his offer of food, and gone home to sleep. Instead, here I was, worrying about whether or not Jax Thornburn thought I was a cold, heartless asshole.
He sat, and our legs brushed slightly beneath the table. My pulse bumped up at the warm press of his leg, but then he moved it away. I focused on the food, helping myself to a big serving of salad and a piece of garlic bread. The steak was perfect, slightly pink in the center but not bloody. The garlic toast was crunchy on the outside but chewy too, and even the salad was delicious.
“Did you want another drink?” he asked, cutting carefully into his steak.
“No. I’m good.” Seeing him slice delicately into his steak reminded me to at least pretend I was civilized. I’d practically pounced on my food, and I forced myself to slow down. I rarely shared meals with anyone, and I’d gotten into the bad habit of eating like a lion that had just taken down a zebra. I cleared my throat. “Everything is great.”
He glanced up, looking pleased. “It was nice cooking again. I should do it more often.”
“You probably work long hours.”
“I do. I guess firing up the barbecue at two in the morning doesn’t appeal to me like it should.” He laughed. “I like to think eventually I’ll have more time to have a real life again.”
“You came here seeking fame. Looks like you got your wish.”
“Reality TV wasn’t really what I wanted to do. But in my business you take the jobs that come your way, hoping they lead to something bigger. This one did.”
“I guess there are worse problems to have.” I gestured to the house and big backyard. “People would kill to have your life.”
He winced at my choice of words.
“In fact, people do kill to have your kind of life. Money is one of the biggest motives for most of my cases. That and jealousy.”
“I get what you’re saying, but I’m not sure how killing Dale would accomplish anything useful for anyone.”
I took the last bite of my steak and sat back in my chair. “Maybe someone wants to ruin you.”
“Jesus.” His lips pulled tight.
“I know it’s not a very pleasant idea, but that’s people for you.”
He set his fork down with a clatter. “If they just wanted to ruin me, why drive me off the road or burn my office? Both times I could have died.”
“Not all murderers are bright.”
“I can’t believe I’m in this situation. It’s like a nightmare.”
“I’m sure.” I hesitated. “Whoever this person is, they seem impatient.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, they’re not letting much time pass between attempts. Can you think of any reason they’d feel they have to hurry?”
“No.”
“Any life-insurance policy about to expire? Are you up for some big award and one of your competitors would like to get rid of you so they can have a better chance at winning?”
“I can’t think of anything like that.”
“The one good thing about them being this reckless is there’s a big chance they’ll make mistakes. That will make catching them easier.”
He blew out a shaky breath. “Let’s hope that’s before they succeed in killing me.”
“I think you’ll be fine.”
His expression was pained. “Such overwhelming confidence.”
I laughed gruffly. “I assume you’ll be fine.”
“Better, but still not hugely reassuring.” He glanced down at his mostly untouched food.
“You should eat more.”
“Why? So I’ll have the strength to fight off the next attack?”
“I didn’t mean that.” He looked so demoralized, it made my gut hurt. “Just keep your eyes open. Be alert. Don’t drink or eat anything you don’t fix yourself.”
“How’s that work if I’m at a fucking hotel?” he snapped. He immediately looked repentant, saying softly, “Sorry.”
“I get it. You’re scared.”
“Yeah. I am. This feels…insane. Never in a million years did I picture someone trying to kill me.”
“I understand.” I exhaled roughly. “I’m frustrated I lost ground today. I didn’t expect this person to be as brazen as they are. I’m pissed I didn’t see today’s attack coming. But tomorrow I’ll get back to it. Once I start talking to people, I’ll get this asshole. People let things slip. People fuck up. That’s how we get them.”
“Okay.”
“But, Jax, you need to listen to what I’m about to say.”
He looked uneasy. “All right.”
“I’m not trying to scare you, but it’s important that you don’t trust anyone right now. Even people you think you can trust.”
“You mean like Trevor and Tressa?”
“I mean anyone.”
“Jesus, how do I do that?”
I felt for him. He looked lost. “It won’t be easy. I’ll get this guy. I will. But you have to stay alert. I’d feel a lot better if you’d reconsider hiring a bodyguard temporarily.”
He nodded, looking pale and worried. “Okay.”
“Yeah?” Relief washed through me. “You’ll hire someone?”
“Well, the only time I feel safe is when you’re with me.” He looked embarrassed. “I just mean because you seem like you can handle any situation.”
I was flattered, but I played it cool. “Not every situation.”
“I can’t think of anything you couldn’t deal with,” he said softly.
His intense gaze made me squirm. “Do you have a security company you trust? The sooner you get someone, the better.”
“I do.” He gave a crooked smile. “Unless you want the job?”
“Tempting, but I’m a little busy trying to catch the person who killed Dale.”
His smile faded. “Yeah. Of course.”
“If you’re done eating, we should be heading out.”
“Oh, sure.” He rose, gra
bbing the plates. “I’ll just rinse these, and we can go.”
“Sounds good.” I followed him into the house. “Tomorrow I’ll talk to Trevor and the people who could have erased Dale’s passcode.”
“Okay.” He rinsed the plates and put them in the dishwasher. Then he faced me as he dried his hands with a paper towel. “I’ll grab my bag and meet you by the front door.”
I glanced down at the clothes I wore. “I can change into my dirty clothes if you want.”
“No. I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll have the hotel wash your clothes, and we can swap then.”
“You sure? I’m perfectly capable of washing my own clothes.”
“I know. But I want to do this for you.” He studied me. “You’ve been so kind to me today. I… I didn’t think you were a compassionate person when I first met you.”
“I’m really not.”
“But you have been to me,” he said quietly. “You’ve been great.”
I could have said it was just my job, or some other thing to make him stop staring at me the way he was. I knew it wouldn’t take much to spoil his nice opinion of me. We’d probably get there soon enough without even trying. But I kind of liked the way he was looking at me; it was heady, flattering, like I was someone he believed in. Like I was his hero. I knew it was foolish to let him in even a little, but I didn’t have it in me at the moment to stomp on his feelings.
“You must bring out my better side.”
He looked pleased. “Yeah?”
I cleared my throat, forcing myself to focus. “We should go.”
“I’ll go get my bag.”
“Meet me out front.”
I left him and headed to the door. I was no doubt overthinking things with Jax. I didn’t need to worry about him getting too attached. He felt vulnerable today, and I represented security. By tomorrow, things would probably return to normal. After all, I was known for being a good detective, not for my charming personality.
Chapter Six
Lee Price didn’t seem at all bothered by having to sit down with me at the station to talk about his movements the night of Dale’s death, and the attempts on Jax’s life. He seemed concerned and willing to help.
“I’ve never had anybody bad-mouth Jax to me.” He met my gaze. “Maybe they know I’d rip them a new one if they did.”
“So you and Jax are close?” I studied him for any flicker of hesitation but saw nothing.
“I love the guy. I’m pushing sixty, and a lot of the younger producers won’t hire me. But Jax did, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
“You know how to program the keypad on the tiger enclosure, is that right?”
“Yeah. I haven’t done it in a while, but I’m sure I could fumble my way through if I had to.”
“Who else is able to do that?”
“I’m not sure exactly. For security reasons, I wouldn’t think it’s a lot of people.”
“No. It’s a short list.”
He leaned toward me. “Good. It should be.”
“I noticed you were able to get into Dale’s safe area after the attack. How did you do that?”
“My code overrides everything. It’s like a janitor’s master key.”
“Ahhh. I see.”
He gave a tense laugh. “Does the keypad have something to do with what happened to Dale?” For the first time, he looked uneasy.
“Possibly.”
“Is that yes in cop speak?”
“We’re looking at why Dale didn’t go into his safety pod.”
“Yeah, I’ve kind of wondered the same thing myself.” He hesitated. “Was he not able to get in?” When I kept my expression blank, the color seemed to drain from his face. “Are you fucking kidding me? Some son of a bitch tampered with the keypad?”
“Like I said, we’re just looking for reasons why Dale didn’t get to safety in time.”
“Oh my God,” he whispered, looking nauseated. “Why would anyone do that? Dale was a great guy. Jesus, what sick fucker would do that to another person?”
His anger and revulsion seemed sincere, not that people couldn’t put on a show when necessary. But Lee seemed genuinely upset.
“How well do you know Trevor Quinton?”
He looked a little thrown by the change of subject. “He…he seems like a nice guy. I don’t hang out with him or anything, but he seems fine.”
“So you wouldn’t say you’re friends?”
“No. He mostly sticks close to Jax and the contestants. His sister, Robin, is easier to talk to.”
“He has a sister?”
“Yeah. She’s a Location Assistant. Hard worker too.”
“I’d like to talk to her. I didn’t realize Trevor had family on set.”
“She doesn’t like anyone knowing she’s related to Trevor. She’s prideful. Wants to make it on her own with no hint of nepotism.”
“Didn’t she get the job because of Jax’s relationship with Trevor?”
He laughed. “Oh, God no. If anything, she got Trevor the job. She’d be pissed to hear you think Trevor got her hired.”
“Huh.”
He gave a stiff smile. “I can’t see Robin hurting anybody.”
“Sure. Sure. But we’re talking to everybody. In fact, I’m interviewing Trevor later today.” I tried to sound pleasant and non-threatening. “I’m leaving no stone unturned.”
“Right. I guess you need to do that.”
“What do you know about Lucinda Pinwheel?”
Again, he looked thrown by the change of topic. “Um, nice lady. Treats her animals like they’re her children.”
“I’m curious why she didn’t seem to notice the tiger was losing weight.”
“Oh, she did notice. She thought Benji had a parasite. She was treating him for that, but he just wouldn’t put on weight. She said she was going to call a vet if he didn’t improve soon.”
“So then it probably wasn’t a parasite?”
“Doesn’t sound like it.”
“She didn’t mention anything about Benji possibly having parasites when I spoke to her the day of the attack.”
“Odds are she was in a panic. She knows people are going to want to have Benji put down.”
“Are they going to do that?”
“I’m not sure. Lucinda can’t use him anymore, that’s for sure. No one in their right mind will work with that tiger now.”
I shuddered inwardly, remembering the chewed corpse. “No. I wouldn’t think so.”
“Lucinda said there’s an animal rescue in Nevada that might take Benji. They’ve taken other show animals that turn bad.”
“I wonder why the cat was still losing weight.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he was stressed out from all the lights and people.”
“Perhaps.” I nodded. “What’s your opinion of Ben Willoughby?”
He raised his brows. “Ben? Very quiet. Doesn’t socialize with anyone on the crew.”
“Is that unusual?”
“Yeah. It is. Most of us are pretty buddy-buddy. Even when people don’t like each other, we all socialize.” He laughed. “But Ben rarely joins in.”
“Ever see him lose his temper?”
“No. Nothing like that. Just keeps to himself.”
“Okay, well, I appreciate your coming in to answer my questions.” I handed him one of my business cards. “If you think of anything else that might be helpful, please don’t hesitate to call.”
He stood, looking thoughtful. “Okay.”
He left the small room, and I headed to the break area for some horrible coffee. I had Ben coming in next and then Trevor. While I waited for Ben to arrive, I killed some time talking with my fellow detectives, and when one of the officers alerted me Ben was in an interview room, I went to meet him.
Ben didn’t look thrilled to see me. His expression was guarded, and he had sweat stains under his armpits.
I sat across from him, and he avoided my gaze. “Thanks for coming in, B
en.”
“Sure.”
“You work mostly maintenance, is that right?”
“Yes.”
“Do you like your job?”
“Yes.”
If he was going to just give me one-word answers, this interview would prove fruitless. “You seem like a quiet and private guy. I’m curious why you’d belong to an organization that believes in violence.”
His face flushed. “You mean the ALF?”
“Yeah.”
“They’re not like that.”
I narrowed my eyes. “They encourage damage and destruction of property.”
“They’re protecting innocent animals.”
“So anything is okay, then?”
He flicked his brown eyes to mine. “I just send them money. I don’t actually do anything with them.”
“You’ve never carried out any acts of violence to save an animal?”
“No.” His mouth drooped. “I should do something.”
“I don’t agree, Ben. You’d risk arrest and lose your job.”
He scowled. “Well, sometimes you have to do things that are bad to make something good happen.”
“Is that right?” He really didn’t look like a vicious type, but people could fool you sometimes.
His gaze glittered. “Yeah. The American Revolution was violent. The Civil Rights Movement was violent. Sometimes violence is all anybody will understand.”
“Have you ever wanted to be violent against Jax Thornburn?”
He stilled and dropped his gaze. “No.”
“Why not? He’s the one who created Don’t Die. Shouldn’t he be held responsible for exploiting those animals?”
“Probably.”
I leaned toward him. “Did you send a threatening letter to Jax?”
His color deepened. “No.”
“We have the letter, Ben. We can check it for your fingerprints,” I lied. He would have no way of knowing Jax had destroyed the letter.
He crossed his arms. “I want a lawyer.”
I laughed. “We’re just talking, Ben. I haven’t arrested you. Would you like me to arrest you so you can have a lawyer?”
“I didn’t do anything violent. I swear.”
He was hiding something, of that I was sure. Maybe he was just embarrassed about sending a harassing letter to his boss. I continued asking him questions, but he seemed to shut down. After ten minutes of one-word responses, I decided to let him go and bring him back another time. I wanted more details about where he was when Jax was attacked.