New Media & Old Grudges

by Amanda M. Lee

  Ingalls swallowed hard but didn’t volunteer additional information. He looked as if he was about to flee at any second, even though there was nowhere for him to go.

  “It’s fine.” I forced a smile that I didn’t feel. “I’ll let it go ... for now.”

  “That’s probably best,” Ingalls agreed, smiling indulgently. “Thank you ever so much for your visit. I’m sure you can find your way out.”

  “We can.” I nodded and paused halfway into my turn. “I know you were working for Tad. I’ve seen the files. I’ll be back and you will give me the information I’m looking for.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “You might want to give that some thought tonight. I’m not in a very good mood, which means I’ll need to take it out on somebody. You’re making a pretty enticing target ... and I’m notorious for my payback.”

  “If you say so.” He steadfastly studied his fingernails. “I have work to do. You guys need to clear out of here.”

  “I’ll be back, too,” Andre warned. “The only reason I’m leaving now is because she wants it. You and I are going to have a talk of our own later. You should probably prepare yourself.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “And there you go lying again. You’re horrible at it.”

  13 Thirteen

  Andre was annoyed as he walked me back to Main Street.

  “You should’ve let me kill him.”

  I slid him a sidelong look and shook my head. “We both know you weren’t going to kill him.”

  “I know nothing of the sort.”

  “You would never do that in front of a witness.”

  “You don’t know.” He sounded grumpy. “What are you going to do now? He’s clearly your guy.”

  There was only one thing I could think of and it wasn’t at the top of my to-do list. “I don’t know. I need to think.” I rubbed my forehead. “The blackmail files obviously serve as a motive for whoever tried to take out Tad. Unfortunately, I’m in those files.”

  “Anyone else good?”

  “Eliot. Jake. Clara Black.”

  “Who’s Clara Black?”

  “She used to be on the county board. She was running again until a few weeks ago, but then she retired.”

  “Maybe she didn’t retire. Maybe she was forced out.”

  That was an interesting possibility. “Maybe. He also had files on his soon-to-be ex-wife and father-in-law, who just happens to be the publisher of my newspaper.”

  “Maybe the publisher suspended you because he’s the guilty party and he wanted everyone to believe it was you.”

  I hadn’t considered that, but it could also be an avenue to explore. MacDonald and I didn’t have the easiest of relationships. When he first came on the scene he thought I was a world-class jerk (which I was). Since then, we’d developed a grudging respect for one another.

  “Maybe.”

  As we turned the final corner, I didn’t notice that Andre was no longer keeping pace with me until I’d walked a good twenty feet and realized he’d gone quiet. I stopped and glanced back at him. He was staring at a spot beyond me ... and he looked worried. When I glanced in that direction I found Eliot standing on the sidewalk watching us.

  He didn’t look happy.

  “He’s going to kick my ass.” Andre didn’t look angry as much as intrigued. “He doesn’t care who I hang with. He only cares who you hang with.”

  I waved off the notion and shook my head. “It will be fine. Don’t worry.”

  “Do I look worried?”

  I couldn’t quite peg the emotion that Andre was hiding. He almost looked exhilarated, which I found weird. “Thank you for the assist. I can take it from here.”

  Andre must’ve picked up on my nervous energy, because the smile he adopted was cocky. “Nah. I want to talk to your man. It’s been a long time.”

  “It hasn’t been that long.”

  “It’s okay.” He didn’t bother looking at me, instead focusing all of his energy on Eliot. “Hey, man. How’s it going?”

  Eliot’s expression looked to be carved out of granite as he regarded me. His response to Andre was amiable enough, although a bit on the cool side. “I’m fine,” he said after a beat. “I didn’t realize you two were hanging out today.”

  “Your woman needed help with someone so I obliged. She’s pissed at you, by the way. Whatever you did ... well ... you might want to start begging now.”

  “I didn’t do anything.” Eliot’s jaw tightened. “Why aren’t you with Carly?”

  “Are you serious? She made me watch a birthing video. By the way, I’m going to make you watch ten of them as payback. They’re worse than any horror movie you’ve ever seen. They’ll scar you for life and I look forward to torturing you.”

  I couldn’t be sure, but it looked to me as if his lips almost lifted into a smile. He remained placid, though, which was almost more annoying than yelling.

  “I sent you with Carly because I didn’t want you sitting around feeling sorry for yourself all day. I also didn’t want you at the house in case Jacobs showed up again. I would’ve taken you with me, but I didn’t think our relationship could survive that given your mood.”

  He wasn’t wrong. “Well, my mood is fine now.”

  “You definitely look happier,” he agreed, folding his arms across his chest. “How did you two end up together?”

  “It’s a long story.” I took a tentative step in his direction. “I’ll tell you over dinner if you promise not to yell.”

  His gaze was appraising. “Are you negotiating with me?”

  “Yes.”

  He held steady for a long beat and then sighed. “I can’t promise not to yell. I can promise to let you pick the restaurant and refrain from yelling until we get home.”

  “That’s a good offer,” Andre interjected. “If you were my woman I would’ve already fit you with leg cuffs to make sure you didn’t keep getting into trouble.”

  Eliot slowly shifted his eyes to Andre. “I appreciate whatever you did for her. I’m not sure what it was, but I have a feeling you were watching her back.”

  “She amuses me,” Andre supplied. “But what’s going on isn’t funny. You should probably watch her a little better.”

  “I’m not her father,” Eliot countered. “She can do what she wants ... even if it is idiotic.”

  I scowled at him. “I found out some really good stuff today. If you’re not nice I won’t share.”

  “You found information about the investigation?”

  I hesitated. “I found out about Tad and what might’ve motivated someone to shoot him.”

  “Then I guess it was a good day.” He extended his hand in my direction. “Come on. My offer stands. You can pick where we eat. We need to have a long talk.”

  I pursed my lips. He had to be exerting monumental effort to keep from shaking me. That would only get worse when he found out I broke into Tad’s house, something I couldn’t regret given what I’d found. I had to meet him halfway. Compromise was important in a relationship. He’d taught me that.

  “Okay.” I reached out my fingers and linked them with his, lifting my eyes and finding a momentary flash of relief flitting through his brown eyes before turning back to Andre. “Thanks for the tip on the private investigator. I appreciate everything you did.”

  “No problem. I like messing with Ingalls anyway.”

  Eliot stiffened next to me. “Cliff Ingalls? What were you doing with him?”

  “I think Tad hired him,” I replied. “We should go to dinner before we get into this. I’m starving. I’ll tell you everything I know then.”

  Eliot worked his jaw. “New plan.” He kept a firm grip on my hand so I couldn’t pull away. “We’re going to head inside the shop, get caught up, and then I’m going to buy you dinner at a restaurant of your choosing.”

  That sounded like a trap. “And what if you get annoyed by what I tell you and decide that you don’t want
to buy me dinner?”

  “Oh, I’m going to get annoyed by what you tell me.” Eliot was resigned. “That’s a foregone conclusion, but we need to get through it. We’re in this together, and if you’re working instead of pouting there are some things we should discuss.”

  That sounded unbelievably ominous. “Okay, but I want a really nice dinner. I’m thinking prime rib and crab legs ... and one of those honking ice cream dessert things with hot fudge and cake.”

  This time I was positive his lips curved. “That can be arranged. Let’s argue first. That way the ice cream will be even sweeter when we make up.”

  “Good plan.”

  MARIO WAS IN THE FRONT OF THE SHOP. He waited on a young woman — she couldn’t have been more than twenty and boasted a thin waist, huge boobs, and a set of pouty lips right out of a reality television show — and she looked to be having trouble deciding between expensive bags.

  “I agree they’re both good prices,” she said. “I just don’t know which I want. My friend told me that people were pawning Coach and Birkin bags here, but I didn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. I just ... this is awesome. I’m happy. I’m also confused.”

  Given the way the girl batted her eyelashes at Mario and jutted out her lower lip it was obvious she was also manipulative. She was trying to get him to give her both bags. Any idiot could see it.

  “You should watch him to make sure he doesn’t give her both bags,” I whispered under my breath.

  Eliot’s eyes drifted to the woman and Mario. He looked contemplative, but ultimately shook his head. “He’s fine. He won’t let me down.”

  That was the thing about Eliot. He had faith in people until the bitter end. He didn’t question motivations or loyalty until after he’d already been burned. That was one of the reasons I loved him ... and often got frustrated enough to want to shake him. He was an all-around good guy with an impressive set of ethics and morals. My ethical lines were much blurrier.

  “Do you want a bottle of water before we get started?” he asked as he led me into his office and shut the door behind me. He was all business, as if we were about to discuss an opportunity for his pocketbook rather than the fact that I’d broken the law this afternoon.

  “That would be great.” I flashed a smile. “I had to do a bit of walking because I don’t have a car.”

  He stilled. “I didn’t think about that. We should’ve rented you a car this morning. How did you get around? You didn’t make Carly drag you to whatever unholy thing you did this afternoon, did you?”

  His reaction was almost funny. Almost. “She offered, but I didn’t think it was wise. Besides, she’s spending all her time watching birthing videos trying to convince herself she’s not afraid of what’s going to happen. I can’t be a part of that.”

  “You still haven’t said how you got around.”

  “Uber.”

  “Ugh.” He made a face. “I know you’ve heard the stories about Uber drivers being killers. I know that was in different states, but ... come on. You shouldn’t be using Uber unless you’re absolutely desperate.”

  “I was absolutely desperate.” I pressed the heel of my hand to my forehead and accepted the water he handed to me. “You’re going to be really angry when I tell you what I did. Before we get into that, you should know that I found important information. I also didn’t get caught and I’m not in police custody yet. That’s a win.”

  “You have no idea the fear coursing through me,” he complained. “The fact that you opened like that terrifies me.” He plopped down in his desk chair and fixed me with a pointed look. “Lay it on me.”

  It was the moment of truth and I was ready. “I broke into Tad’s house and found a mountain of blackmail files.”

  He didn’t immediately respond, instead blinking as he regarded me with unreadable eyes.

  “You didn’t have a stroke, did you?” I asked after he’d been quiet for almost a full minute.

  “I’m debating how to respond.”

  “Well, before you lead with anger, remember that it’s my life on the line. I had to do something.”

  “I expected you to do something. That’s why I called Carly. You were feeling sorry for yourself this morning and I figured a few hours hearing about births would snap you out of it because you hate that stuff. You’re the proactive sort.”

  Huh. He really did know me. It was a bit freaky. “Wait ... so you’re not going to yell?” That sounded unlikely. “I broke the law. I could’ve been caught. I could be in jail right now.”

  “You know that as well as I do and yet you thought it was an acceptable risk.”

  His tone was a little too clipped for my liking. “I thought about you as I was doing it, if that’s any consolation.”

  “Should it be?”

  “Probably not. I was angry and figured I could blame you for my rash actions if I got caught.”

  That was enough to elicit a smile. “That sounds ... practical.” He heaved out a sigh. “It wasn’t the smartest move, but not because you broke into Tad’s house. I had the same idea. I was going to wait until it was dark, though.”

  “You were?”

  “Yeah. The only thing we know is that Tad is at the center of this. We have no idea if you were targeted or if someone simply took advantage of what you did. We need information. Tad is the only one who can provide it.”

  He was so reasonable sometimes. It was freaky ... and a relief. “I thought you would stomp around and call me stupid.”

  “You’re not stupid. I never think that. You’re rash, but you’re never stupid ... even when you rush headlong into danger.”

  “I know that. I wasn’t sure you did.”

  He grinned. “You shouldn’t have done it in the middle of the day. You made it out, so we’ll let it go.”

  “I should tell you that Jacobs showed up. I got out without him seeing me.”

  “Oh, geez.” He slapped his hand to his forehead. “Why do you tell me these things?”

  “We’re going for that honesty thing, right?”

  “I guess so. But I really didn’t need to know that.”

  “It all worked out.”

  “It did.” He eyed me a moment and then patted his lap. “Why don’t you sit here and tell me what you found?”

  Now it was my turn to be suspicious. “Are you going to wrestle me down and sit on me until I agree I was wrong?”

  “No.” He made a face. “When have we ever played that game?”

  “We haven’t. My family used to join together to punish me when I was a kid, and that was often the way they played it.”

  “Well, I’m not them. Come here.” He patted his lap again. “I want to make up properly.”

  “I’m not sure we were really fighting.” I folded myself onto his lap and briefly pressed my eyes shut when he wrapped his arms around me. “I’m still kind of mad at you. Do you know how horrifying it is to see a baby born?”

  “I’ll take your word for it.”

  “Oh, no. I’m totally going to make you watch those videos. You’re going to cry and everything.”

  “That’s a lovely thought.” He pressed his lips against my cheek and then pulled back to study my profile. “Tell me what you found.”

  Now we were getting somewhere. “He had a big file on me. It was at the top.” I rummaged in my pocket for my phone and pulled up the screenshots I’d taken, handing the device to him. “He also had a file on you ... and Jake ... and MacDonald. He had one on his wife, several politicians I know he hates, and a few other names I didn’t recognize. I took photos of everything I could before I had to run.”

  “That was smart. At least you didn’t steal the files.” He combed his fingers through my hair. “That would’ve been a mess, especially after you said someone had already been through the files.”

  “Oh, it definitely felt like cops had been in there,” I said. “I just don’t know if it was the sheriff’s department or the state police. Jacobs entered as I wa
s leaving, so I think it’s fair to say that it was probably the county guys, which would explain why Jacobs was so keen to talk to me. Once he saw my name in the files he zeroed in and that was it.”

  “I think the media reports helped with that, too.” Eliot frowned. “Why did you go to Ingalls? Do you think he gathered all that stuff?”

  “Andre suggested him. When I asked Ingalls about his involvement with Tad he lied.”

  “How can you be sure he lied?”

  “I’m just sure. He’s not very good at it, which seems like a necessity in his line of work. Andre tried threatening him, but I didn’t want to be involved with that in case Ingalls called the cops. I thought it was best we just get out and regroup.”

  “That was definitely the smart move.” Eliot was thoughtful. “I know him well enough to hate him. He’s not trustworthy and totally unethical. I can see Ludington hiring him.”

  “Do you think we should keep pressing him?”

  “I want to think about that.” He turned his attention back to the screenshots. “You probably didn’t have much time to go through these. We’ll do that after dinner. From what you saw, was there anything interesting?”

  “Most of it was basic stuff that we already know. The material he had on me was weak. He had almost nothing on you, which probably drove him crazy. There was very little on Jake, and what he did have was slanted in his favor. I just don’t know what the plan was. Did he think blackmailing a bunch of high-profile people would get him that seat?”

  “Maybe he’s done something and wants the blackmail material handy in case someone finds out.”

  I hadn’t even considered that. “You’re smart. I hadn’t gotten there yet. What would he have done?”

  “That’s the question.”

  “We seem to have a lot of questions.”

  “I guess it’s good you’re aces at digging up information, huh?”

  “I am. I just don’t know where to start.”

  “We’ll figure it out, but I want us in lockstep moving forward. You have to promise me that. I won’t infringe on your instincts, but you need to keep me updated. This could turn on us ... and fast.”