“I never said he was,” I said, my hackles rising. “I never once tried to insinuate he paid Leo Putnam to drive his wife’s car to that parking lot – even though that’s exactly what I believe happened.”
“I know that,” Eliot said wearily. “People are going to jump to conclusions, though.”
“They’re meant to.”
“Avery, this is going to be huge,” Eliot said, choosing his words carefully. “This story has everything people like to read about. You have rich people from the suburbs. You have a wife who helped a homeless guy. You have a husband who visited freaky sex clubs and who keeps sex toys in the garage at a rental property. You didn’t tell me you took photos of those, by the way. They were a nice surprise when I read your story this morning.”
“Of course I took photos. I needed them for proof.”
“I need you to be serious,” Eliot said, fixing his troubled eyes on me. “Promise me you’re going to be really careful from here on out. I still think we should’ve called Jake and told him about Putnam last night.”
“Oh, don’t worry about Jake,” I replied. “Jake is going to find me this afternoon. I have no doubt.”
“I don’t either.”
I rubbed the spot between my eyebrows as I considered my options. “Do you have to work at the sheriff’s department today?”
“No.”
“Are you worried Jake is going to yank the job because of me?”
“I don’t care about that,” Eliot said. “I don’t think he would do that, though. I’m sure he’s going to be ticked as all get out, but he’s not the type of guy to punish me for your actions.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
“You,” Eliot said. “Someone killed a woman and dumped her body in a parking lot. You think the killer used a mentally impaired man to be a patsy and cover up the crime. You’re the one who brought Adam Grisham’s sexual preferences to light. Do you think that’s going to go ignored?”
“No. I also think someone would be stupid to go after me, given all this information,” I said. “Adam Grisham would be the prime suspect if something happened to me.”
“See, that’s what bugs me,” Eliot said, wagging a finger in my face. “You’re not bothered about the prospect of someone coming after you. You think rational thought is going to stop someone who may have already killed his wife. He’s clearly not rational.”
“What do you want me to do, Eliot?”
“I want you to be careful,” he replied, leaning his head over so he could rest it on mine briefly. “You’re never going to get your big Valentine’s Day gift if you die on me.”
“Speaking of that … .”
“I’m still not telling you.”
“This is torture,” I complained.
“Welcome to my world.”
BY THE time I got to The Monitor an hour and a half later I was feeling pretty good about myself. Sure, Eliot was being a Nervous Nellie, but other than that I was on top of the world. I’d scooped everyone. Again. I really was queen of the newspaper heap.
That feeling lasted for exactly forty-five seconds after I walked into the newsroom.
“Avery, we need to talk,” Fish said, his face serious as he hovered next to my cubicle.
“Is this the part where you tell me where babies come from?” I asked, going for levity.
“This is the part where we go to the publisher’s office and hope we both still have jobs in an hour.”
“I … .” Well, crap. “Let’s go.”
I followed Fish down the hallway that led to the glass-encased office at the front of the building. All the big-wigs spent their time here, which meant I only ventured in when it was empty and I thought I could steal food.
Jim MacDonald was waiting for us when we entered the conference room – and he wasn’t alone. Tad and Jake were seated at the table as well, and the looks they were shooting each other were dark.
“Ms. Shaw, have a seat,” MacDonald said, sweeping his hand toward an open chair on his right. He was sending a message that we were together in this, and I was grateful.
“Jake.” I nodded by way of greeting.
“Avery,” he replied, fixing me with an unreadable look. He scanned my shirt, rolling his eyes as he saw the band members from the Star Wars cantina scene and read the accompanying words out loud. “Mos Eisley Cantina,” he said. “Where our friends don’t like you and we don’t either. Nice.”
“I thought it was fancy,” I replied, not missing a beat. “What’s going on? Are you here to congratulate me?”
“The sheriff and Mr. Ludington have a few questions for you,” MacDonald said. “They’re both … interested … in where you managed to glean your information on the Grisham story.”
Given the eager look on Tad’s face that seemed like an understatement. “I’m not sure how I can help them,” I said. “I printed the names of the sources I could and the rest are anonymous by their choice.”
“Who is this homeless guy from the sketch?” Tad asked.
“He’s a gentleman I had interaction with in Detroit last evening.”
“What’s his name?” Tad pressed.
“I’m not sure I can recall it.”
“Ms. Shaw, I have explained to Mr. Ludington and Sheriff Farrell that we’re prepared to stand behind you if you wish to keep your sources anonymous,” MacDonald said. “They still insisted on speaking with you. What you do in this situation is completely your decision.”
“Thank you.”
“How did you find out about the sex clubs?” Jake asked. His posture gave the appearance he was relaxed but I could tell he was anything but.
“I … .” I glanced at Fish. Marvin’s tip about the sex clubs wasn’t something we necessarily needed to keep quiet.
“One of our other reporters visited The Black Hole on occasion,” Fish answered for me. “He recognized Adam Grisham from the news conference. He’s the one who told us where to start looking.”
“And who is that reporter?” Tad asked.
“We’re not telling you that,” Fish said. “You have the propensity to turn things into a witch hunt and I’m not serving up one of my employees so you can burn him at the stake.”
“Did you go to the club by yourself?” Jake asked.
“No,” I replied. “I had company both times. A friend went with me the first night, although he wasn’t thrilled with the outing. That’s when we saw Grisham enter one of the private rooms with another woman. The reporter who gave us the tip went with me the second time, which was in the afternoon. That’s when one of the bartenders placed the man in the sketch with Adam Grisham.”
Jake could read between the lines. He knew I was talking about Eliot and Marvin. I didn’t think he was really interested in outing Marvin so he kept his mouth shut so Tad couldn’t gather ammunition. He didn’t look happy with me, though.
“Is this bartender the one who told you about the rental property?” Jake asked.
“She is.”
“What is her name?”
“She didn’t speak to me on the record,” I said. “I’m not at liberty to give her name.”
“And these women at the house who did go on record, how did you find them?” Jake pressed.
“They found me,” I said. “One of them approached me in front of the house and accused me of selling Avon. We got to talking and she led me to the other woman who happened to have a key to the garage because she used to show the property to prospective renters.”
“That’s technically trespassing,” Jake reminded me.
“She had a key.”
“How did you identify the man in the sketch?” Tad asked, his patience wearing thin. “That’s what we really want to know. Oh, and we want to know his name.”
“Someone gave me a tip about the man in the sketch,” I said. “I didn’t think it was much to go on at the time, but I decided to follow up on it. After finding one of his regular haunts I traveled to Chene Park in Detroit and wa
ited for him.”
“Were you alone?” Jake asked.
“I was … accompanied by a friend.”
“The same friend who went to the sex club with you?” Tad asked, leering. “Did he spank you while you were there? I would’ve loved to see that.”
I ignored the dig. I knew Tad was trying to incite me into a patented Avery Shaw scene. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
“What did the man tell you?” Jake asked.
“Pretty much everything I wrote in the article.”
“Did he tell you anything else?”
“He … babbled some things,” I replied. “He doesn’t appear to be on top of things some of the time.”
Jake pursed his lips. “Avery, we need to know this man’s identify. He’s a suspect in a murder.”
“I don’t think he’s a murderer,” I said. “If anything, I think someone took advantage of his mental state and suckered him into driving the car to the parking lot. I don’t believe he knew Julia was in the trunk. He still seems … confused … regarding her death. He thinks she’s going to show up back at the college.”
“We need to ascertain his mental status ourselves,” Jake said.
“I … can’t.”
“You mean you won’t,” Tad snapped. “I told you this was a waste of time.”
“Why are you even here?” I asked, turning my attention to Tad. “You have no authority to arrest or question anyone. I know you claim TOOL is a law enforcement group but your duties and abilities have never been laid out. I’m still waiting for the specifics of your group from my FOIA requests, by the way. You would be helping the public out greatly if you could speed those along.”
“You’re never going to see any documents on my group,” Tad shot back. “Stop thinking you are.”
“That’s a county-funded group. You have to make your documents public.”
“I do not.”
“She’s right,” MacDonald piped in. “You do have to make those documents public. That’s not an argument for now, though. If you two are done, I believe Ms. Shaw has some work she would like to get back to.”
“Oh, we’re not done,” Tad said. “Ms. Shaw is withholding material evidence in a murder investigation from the appropriate investigating bodies. That’s against the law.”
“Only in your empty head,” MacDonald replied.
“I want her arrested,” Tad said. He glanced at Jake. “Since our sheriff is here, I think he should be the one to do it.”
Jake balked. “Wait just a second … .”
“Either Ms. Shaw tells us what we want to know or she’s going to be arrested,” Tad said. “I have the authority to call the state police in on this if I have to. Personally, I think that might be more fun.”
Jake’s gaze bounced between Tad and me worriedly. “Avery, you need to identify the man in the park.”
The dire nature of my situation was starting to become clear. I considered what to do and ultimately decided to hold my ground. Sadly, it wasn’t for altruistic purposes. No, I only wanted to beat Tad. That was always going to be my downfall. “I can’t tell you.”
“Avery.” The way Jake said my name was almost pitiful.
“Either arrest her or I’ll have someone else to do it in fifteen minutes,” Tad threatened.
I knew he didn’t want to do it, and yet when Jake stood up and pulled the cuffs from his belt my heart did a long and painful roll. How did it come to this?
“I don’t have a choice, Ms. Shaw,” Jake said. “I’m placing you under arrest for obstructing a murder investigation. I’m going to read you your rights now.”
I stood and extended my hands, forcing myself to remain stoic in the face of Jake’s obvious misery. He put the cuffs on my wrists as he recited my rights.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmured.
I ignored the apology and focused on Fish. “Can you call Eliot and tell him what’s going on?”
Fish nodded. “We’ll get a lawyer for you. Don’t say anything until someone is in touch.”
“After she’s processed we’re taking her to the courtroom at the sheriff’s department for immediate arraignment,” Jake said. “Hopefully she’ll get a reasonable bail.”
“We’ll take care of it,” MacDonald said.
“I … come on, Avery,” Jake said, his hand gentle as he placed it at the small of my back. “I really am sorry about this.”
I kept my mouth shut. It wasn’t because I was wise … or strong … or even angry. No, I was worried that if I tried to say anything else I would burst into tears. No one wanted to see that. Well, Tad did, but there was no way I was giving him the satisfaction.
Nineteen
Jake processed me himself and by the time I was in the courtroom he was becoming increasingly erratic. I could hear him mumbling under his breath, anger consuming him.
He pointed me toward a spot at the front table. The judge was still at lunch, but it wasn’t as though I was in a hurry to be put in a jail cell.
“Why couldn’t you just tell us?” Jake asked.
“Why do you think?”
“Because you can’t bear to lose.”
“This isn’t about winning. Okay, it’s about winning a little,” I said. “I don’t think this man killed Julia Grisham, though.”
“How did you identify him?” Jake pressed.
“I … can’t tell you that,” I said. “Someone close to me knew who he was. That’s all I can say.”
“It’s Lexie, isn’t it?” Jake asked. He was well aware of my propensity for protecting my cousin.
“I’m not telling you who it is.”
The sound of the courtroom door opening at the back drew Jake’s attention. I wasn’t in the mood to see the new arrival, but the sound of arguing was too much to ignore so I cast a glance over my shoulder.
Derrick and Tad were in a heated discussion, and Derrick’s usually olive complexion was flushed.
“You’re doing this because you’re a douche,” Derrick snapped.
“I’m doing this because I’m a servant of the law,” Tad said, puffing his chest out. “That woman is a lawbreaker. I take down lawbreakers.”
“You’re a tool,” Derrick shot back, pushing past Tad and heading in my direction. He slowed his approach as he neared, and the look he sent me was both exasperated and sympathetic. “I called your mother.”
“Are you trying to kill me?” I asked, my heart rolling. “She’s going to show up here and make a scene.”
“I didn’t tell her where you were being arraigned,” Derrick replied. “If she finds out later she’s going to have an even bigger fit. This will allow her to pout about it and get it out of her system.”
He obviously didn’t know my mother nearly as well as he thought he did. She was never going to get this infraction “out of her system.” I would hear about this peccadillo until the day I died. I knew she was too stubborn to die herself so I had no doubt she would outlive me. “What did she say?”
“She said you’re an idiot,” Derrick hissed. “I told her that wasn’t a news flash and she should be used to this crap from you by now. Why can’t you tell us what we want to know? We can make all of this go away if you tell us.”
“I’d rather go to jail.”
“That’s about to happen!”
“I think she’s protecting Lexie,” Jake interjected. “I stress the word ‘think.’”
Derrick stiffened, his face draining of color. “What makes you think that?”
“Chene Park? Who do we know who used to get high in Chene Park?” Jake asked.
“Lexie has been out of trouble for months now,” Derrick said, anger and the need to stand up for his sister fighting for supremacy. “I don’t think she’s still hanging around with that crew.”
“That’s not what I was getting at,” Jake said. “I think Lexie probably knew him from her wilder days. I wasn’t casting aspersions on what she’s doing now. I know you’re both proud of her – even if she i
s a complete and total idiot sometimes.”
“Is that true?” Derrick asked, lowering his face so it was level with mine and I had nowhere to look but his brown eyes. “Are you protecting Lexie?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said.
“She’s lying,” Derrick grumbled, straightening. “Her eyes always dart to the side when she’s lying. Sonovabitch! She is protecting Lexie.”
“Can you call Lexie and get her down here?” Jake asked.
“Don’t you dare call Lexie,” I ordered. “I am not protecting Lexie.”
They both ignored me.
“I can call her but she’s not known for telling the truth in situations like this,” Derrick said.
“Tell her Avery could very well be going to jail if she doesn’t own up to being the one who told her who this guy is,” Jake said. “She can also tell us his name when she gets down here.”
“There is no way Lexie is voluntarily coming to a police station,” I scoffed.
Derrick cocked his head to the side, considering. “She’s right. Lexie will let Avery stew in here before riding to the rescue.”
“Which is exactly why you idiots shouldn’t be protecting her all of the time,” Jake snapped.
“What are we going to do?” Derrick asked. “Avery is too stubborn to back down. Ludington is calling every news personality he can think of to make this a story. My family is going to have the ultimate of meltdowns. What are we supposed to do?”
“You’re leaving the worst part of all out of this,” Jake said.
Derrick waited expectantly.
“When Eliot gets here he’s going to torch this building to get to her,” Jake said. “Judge Dornish isn’t known for playing games. He’s not going to give Avery bail – at least not right away. He’s going to force us to lock her up overnight.”
“Wait … what?” My heart flopped. “I’m going to have to spend the night here?”
“Does that make you want to tell me the truth?” Jake asked.
It definitely wasn’t hurting his position. Still … . “Lock me up,” I said. “I’m not telling you anything. The more you two talk the more convinced I am that I’m doing the right thing.”
Headlines & Deadlines (An Avery Shaw Mystery Book 7) Page 15
