by Judi Lynn
“How’s Didi?” Ansel asked.
Jazzi explained about the utter wreckage at her house and Gaff’s idea to question all of Gil’s old friends.
Ansel drained his coffee cup and went for a refill. The house was warm enough while they were working, but drafty when you sat down to take a break. Hot coffee hit the spot. “If this is the same guy who shot Donovan, he doesn’t mind killing to get what he wants. I’m glad Didi’s staying at Walker’s.”
“River, too.” Jazzi would snatch the boy and hide him at her place rather than have him put at risk. “I’ve never seen Gran latch onto a kid so fast. Makes me wonder if she’s met Peter yet.”
Ansel grinned. “I think Gran likes kids better once they can walk and talk. She has a thing for the naughty ones. She’ll like our kid when we have one.”
Jazzi’s jaw dropped. “You’re assuming our kid will be naughty.”
“If he takes after his mother . . . “ He let that hang.
“I was NOT . . . “ She couldn’t in good conscience finish that sentence, and his grin widened.
Bain shook his head. “Kids today have too much free time. Put them to work early and they learn some discipline.”
She bit her bottom lip. Better not to say what she was thinking. Kids, to his dad, meant free labor with few benefits. Heaven forbid he should offer them hugs or praise.
Bain scowled at her. “What? No comment?”
She met his gaze. “Do you want one?”
He might be an idiot, but he wasn’t stupid. “Maybe not.” He drained his coffee cup and rested both elbows on the table, suddenly serious. “If Detective Gaff thinks maybe one of the men who went to prison with Didi’s husband is behind the break-ins, does that mean he thinks I’m in the clear? That maybe I can go home?”
“I doubt it.” She finished her coffee, too. “He’s still in the beginning stages of his investigation, making lists and checking them twice.”
Bain grunted. “I don’t need clever answers.”
“She’s right,” Ansel said. “It’s too soon for you to get crossed off the list, but Gaff’s making progress. There’s no use getting antsy. Let’s get back to work.”
The guys went back to mudding, and she went upstairs to yank trim off every wall. With the help of her crowbar, she’d finished by the time the guys called it quits and closed everything up to go home. The ride across town was quiet. Bain’s brooding put a damper on any small talk. They’d just walked in the kitchen door and Ansel had lowered George into his dog bed when his cell phone buzzed. Jazzi fed the pets while Ansel took the call. Bain trudged upstairs to his room.
“I’m going to take a shower and watch a little TV on your laptop,” he called to them.
Fine with her. The less of Bain, the better. When Ansel finished his conversation and hung up, he turned to her. “Walker asked if we could stop by his place tonight. He offered to buy pizzas. I said we’d be there.”
She loved pizza, and she had a soft spot for Walker. “Is he okay?”
“He’s worried about Didi. Wants to brainstorm a little.”
“Not a bad idea. I don’t have any leftovers for Bain to heat up, though.” Inky threaded in and out between her ankles, and she stooped to pick up the cat and snuggle him. He was a brat, but he loved attention. She glanced at the bouquet of flowers she kept in the crockpot by the kitchen sink. He’d bitten off three more heads. When he got bored by himself during the day, he did things to purposely annoy her.
Ansel followed her gaze and raised a blond eyebrow at her black cat. “You know we could lock you in the basement while we’re gone.”
Inky narrowed yellow eyes at him, and Ansel laughed. “He’s incorrigible.”
Marmalade came to Ansel to be picked up. Ansel scooped him into his arms, stroking his orange fur while he walked to the corkboard on the wall to glance at the list of restaurants they called when they wanted delivery. “We’ll order something in for Bain.”
“Whatever he picks is fine with me.” And it was, even though Ansel’s brother hadn’t paid for one thing since he moved in with them. Cheap, cheap, cheap! But she wasn’t doing this for Bain. She was doing it for Ansel, so she kept her opinions to herself.
Ansel huffed. “He’s not picking. I am. He’ll eat whatever shows up on the doorstep.” He decided to play it safe and order pizza. “I know he eats that. He almost died when we had Chinese, too exotic, so we’ll stick to something simple.”
After he’d placed the order and put money on the kitchen island to pay for it, they went upstairs to shower and change before they drove to Walker’s house. This time of night, traffic was heavier than usual and it took them longer to get there. It had snowed a little during the day, and the roads were a little slippery, so everyone drove with caution. Gaff called Jazzi on the way.
“Mind if I drop in to talk to you tonight? I thought you might want to keep in the loop of what’s going on. If you hadn’t called me about Didi’s place, I wouldn’t have followed this lead.”
“Thanks. We’d really appreciate it. We’re almost to Walker’s house right now. Want to meet us there? He has pizzas coming.”
“Even better. Didi will be there, too. I’ll see you in a bit.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “I can only nab one slice, though. My Ann’s got bean soup waiting for me at home—one of my favorites.”
“Ansel’s too. See you soon.” Ansel especially liked beans in white chicken chili. She’d have to remember to make a pot for him. That and potato soup with big chunks of ham. She decided to cook both of those on Saturday to have on hand.
When they pulled into Walker’s drive and started toward the door, River flew out of the house to greet them.
“Did you bring any cookies?”
She bit her lip. “I sent extras with your mom last night.” Then she got flustered. “Not your mom. Sorry, I meant Didi.”
River laughed. “I call her Mom. She doesn’t care.” His face fell. “No cookies?”
“Sorry, I put the rest in the freezer for Easter.” Ansel had grumbled about that, too. He hadn’t gotten as many as usual to snack on. Next week, they’d make oatmeal raisin and sugar cookies and peanut butter fudge. She’d make double batches of cookies this time. Oatmeal raisins were his favorite.
River sighed and linked his arm through hers. “That’s okay. Are you making chocolate chip cookies next week? I think you should make more of those so there’s lots of leftovers.”
Ansel’s other favorite. “Maybe we’ll make those instead of the sugar cookies, a double batch.”
“Yes!” With a skip in his step, he led them into the kitchen.
Walker had completely remodeled his house. They’d spent a weekend helping him, along with Jerod and Thane. Now, a soft gray sofa and two chairs circled a coffee table in the living room and a huge deep blue sectional could be seen in the lower level TV room. In the kitchen, new white kitchen cabinets gleamed with black granite countertops. A heavy round oak table was surrounded by six chairs.
Didi opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass for Jazzi while Walker handed Ansel a beer. She smiled. “Thanks for coming.”
Jazzi explained that Gaff would arrive soon, too.
“Good.” Walker sounded relieved. “Maybe we can figure out what the heck’s going on.”
The pizzas arrived before Gaff did, and they waited another five minutes before he got there. Then they opened the boxes and dug in.
Gaff didn’t waste time since his Ann was at home waiting supper for him. “I checked on every name you gave me, Didi, and every one of the men Gil went to prison with is out on the streets again, including his cellmate.”
Didi blinked. “That means no one’s ever going to get blamed for killing him, doesn’t it?”
“I’m afraid so. No one ever talked, and there was no way to prove who did it.”
She looked ups
et, and Walker reached to place a hand on her shoulder.
Gaff went on. “Not only are they out, but three of them are back in River Bluffs. I went to see them, and I’d guess they’ll be back behind bars soon. Not a repentant body in the lot of them.”
Walker’s grip on Didi tightened. “Did you get a feel for who might be behind the break-ins?”
“They’re all as shoddy as the next one. Gavin, the cellmate, came back here to take up with his wife again. She visited him every week in prison, bringing him cigarettes and news about their two kids. He works with his dad on a roofing and painting crew, so he always has a job to come home to.”
“Why didn’t he get along with Gil?” Walker asked.
“Now that’s interesting.” Gaff finished his pizza and grabbed for a napkin. “Gavin hated Gil for the same reason Jarrett did. Ronnie—the kid Gil protected, even in the joint—kept stirring up trouble. He’d have been pounded to mincemeat if it hadn’t been for Gil. No one really wanted to tangle with your ex. He was too smart and was known for biding his time to set things right.”
Didi pressed her lips together in an unhappy line. “Ronnie would throw his grandmother under the bus to save his own skin. Gil was wasting his time trying to help him.”
“Talking about grandmothers…” Gaff looked at Jazzi. “Ronnie’s living with his grandma. I’d like to visit her tomorrow, but Ronnie asked me to bring you along to make her more comfortable. He said she gets nervous around cops.”
Who didn’t?
When she didn’t give a quick answer, Gaff said, “The kid talked to Donovan’s dad, Ray, and Ray said his wife was a lot more at ease having you with me, so Ronnie wanted that, too.”
Jazzi frowned. “Ronnie knows Ray? That’s a stretch, isn’t it?”
“They worked together at a warehouse when Ronnie turned eighteen. Ray still works there, but Ronnie got fired and visited prison for the first time when he helped himself to a few refrigerators to sell on the black market.”
“What about this Jarrett?” Ansel asked.
“Works at a garage as a mechanic. He’s been in and out of prison for breaking and entering and robberies. That’s all I know about him so far. Not an easy guy to talk to.” He glanced at his watch. “I’d better get going. What do you say, Jazzi? Can I pick you up at ten tomorrow morning?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Walker looked dazed. When Gaff left, he shook his head. “I was hoping Gaff would find someone to investigate. I didn’t expect three. Heck, there might even be more.”
“At least he has someone who’s suspicious besides my brother.” Ansel folded his empty paper plate to toss in the trash. He looked at his watch. “We have an early morning tomorrow. Thanks for the supper, but we’d better get going, too.”
“Thanks for meeting Gaff here.” Walker reached for Didi and River’s plates to throw away with his own. “It’s no fun being in the dark, wondering what’s going on. Will you share what you learn when you visit Ronnie’s grandmother tomorrow?”
Jazzi heard the stress in his voice. “Will do. And I’m glad Didi and River are staying here with you. I think this is the roughest crowd we’ve ever met.”
“Prison cronies.” Ansel nodded and held out her coat for her. As he slid into his, he locked gazes with Didi. “Stay safe. If you need anything else in your house, wait until one of us can go with you.”
She looked near tears.
“You going to be okay?” Jazzi asked.
She nodded. “It’s just that it was Ronnie again. It was always Ronnie. He’s probably the reason Gil got killed.”
On the drive home, Jazzi twirled her ring around and around on her finger. Ansel reached over and took her hand. “I wish I could have put a big diamond in that setting. Your ring isn’t much to brag about.”
She held it up and smiled. “It’s exactly what I wanted, and it matches yours. We’re in the wrong line of work for anything clunky.”
He snickered. “Most women wouldn’t consider a diamond clunky.”
“Then they’re not banging it on gutters like I do. This ring’s a lot safer.”
When they got home, the cats rushed to greet them and even George sauntered over to beg for a snack.
Ansel hung up his coat and bent to scratch the pug behind his ears. “You’re out of luck, bud. But I’m hitting the couch soon. You can watch TV with me.”
Jazzi glanced at the kitchen island. An empty pizza box sat on top of it. Bain could at least have thrown it in the trash. Ansel followed her scowl and said, “I’ll get it. He’s my brother.”
She let him while she hung up her coat, too, and slid out of her shoes and into her house slippers. They were settling on the sofas, across from each other, when Bain came down to join them.
“Did you get enough to eat?” Ansel asked.
He nodded. “I called Dad after supper, but he was working in the barn. He’s having to keep late hours since I’m not there. I talked to Mom instead. She’s wearing out faster lately. I’m starting to worry about her. We can’t afford to hire a cook or cleaner.”
Jazzi reached for the throw blanket on the back of her sofa so that Bain couldn’t see her face. He always had to ruin everything by making it all about money and the farm.
Ansel sat up to talk to him. “You should take Mom to the doctor. It might be something that’s easy to fix. Maybe she’s anemic or needs B12 shots. It could be a lot of things.”
“Dad won’t do it. He’s afraid it will be something expensive, and our insurance won’t cover it.”
“Then do it yourself,” Ansel said.
“Mom won’t go if it makes Dad mad.” Bain sat down on the other end of the couch. “Dad doesn’t love any of us, does he? Not even Mom.”
Ansel blinked, caught off guard. “I thought he loved you. You were always his favorite.”
“No, he just always expected a lot out of me. Always has. And I tried not to disappoint him. That, and I love the farm as much as he does.”
Bain’s comments surprised Jazzi. “Did he love your mom when he married her?”
Ansel shook his head. “Not like I love you. You’re at the top of everything that matters to me. For Dad, the dairy farm came above all of us. Always. And lately, it’s like he’s written Mom off. The less she can do, the less he thinks about her.”
Bain nodded. “He wants her there, but more like a backdrop, an old habit. And she cooks meals. Not the best meals, but there’s always food on the table. If I ever get married, I want more than that. I want what Adda and Henry have, what you two have.”
Ansel looked at his brother as if he didn’t know him. “I didn’t think you even considered getting married. I didn’t think the thought crossed your mind.”
Bain grimaced. “What do I have to offer a woman? I’m not good-looking like you or Radley. I don’t have an ounce of charm, not much money, and most of the time, I’m downright grumpy. I worry about the farm all the time.”
Ansel stared at him. “Have you ever thought it’s not worth it?”
“Never. If I could, I’d put more time and money into the place. There are lots of things I’d like to do, but Dad keeps dragging his feet. I’d like to start beehives near our fields and make honey. I’d like to add orchards on the side of the pasture close to the house and farm the fields on the other side ourselves. That way, we’d have more ways to make money than just milk, so that when the milk prices drop, we have other things to fall back on.”
Ansel’s blue eyes lit up, and the men started talking farming. The more Jazzi listened to Bain, the more she thought he might have possibilities after all. Bain finished with, “that’s why I was hoping Radley would come home. If Dad would let us, we could do a lot more than we’re doing now.”
There. He’d done it again. Ruined it.
Ansel shook his head. “He’s not going back with you. He’s no
t into farming like you are. Maybe you should partner up with someone else.”
Bain let out a frustrated breath. “If I ever get to go home. Gaff can’t keep me here forever, can he?”
Ansel shrugged, “I don’t know if there’s a time limit.”
Bain rubbed his hands over his face and stood. “Well, I’ll go with you guys to work again tomorrow. I might as well do something. Anything’s better than sitting around all day.”
“Jerod’s coming in tomorrow, too,” Jazzi told him.
Bain snorted. “Babies don’t let you get much sleep. He’ll be too tired to hassle me much.”
“You don’t know my cousin.” She watched him climb the steps to the guestroom, and she and Ansel stretched out on their sofas again. They needed to relax before calling it a day. The sooner Gaff found Donovan’s killer, the sooner Bain could go home and the sooner Didi would be safe. And she and Ansel could finally have their house to themselves again.
Chapter 11
Jazzi packed more chips and sandwiches than usual on Thursday morning. She and Bain carried the coolers to the van while Ansel carried George. With the three men and her sanding walls together, they should be able to finish them. If they got all the dust and dirt cleaned up before they left, they could prime them tomorrow.
She was going out with her sister, Olivia, tonight—their weekly girls’ night out. Radley, Thane, Ansel, and Bain had plans to meet at the Tower Bar and Grill on State Street. Walker usually joined them wherever they went, but he’d decided to stick close to Didi and River right now.
Jerod’s pickup wasn’t in the driveway when they reached the fixer-upper. Babies threw off the best routines. The three of them turned on the coffee pot and got busy. Jazzi wore a baseball cap to keep most of the dust out of her hair. She didn’t want to run out to Gaff’s car looking like she was wearing a powdered wig. Ansel didn’t bother to wear a hat, but when he ran his hand through his white blond hair, a cloud of fine white powder surrounded him.
When Jerod showed up an hour later, they all stopped for a coffee break. Her cousin had dark circles under his eyes.
