I took a moment to consider what I was about to do. Eliot would be furious when he found out. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with him at the moment, so I released that thought. Still, this could backfire on me.
In the end, my need for answers was greater than my self-preservation instincts. I pulled out the lockpick set Eliot had given me months ago and went to work. The lock didn’t take long to spring, and when I pushed open the door I poked my head inside to get a feel for the space.
It felt empty. If someone was inside, I thought for sure I’d be able to sense a presence. All I sensed in Tad’s inner abode was the essence of tool that I recognized as his personal musk. Still, I decided to be practical.
“Hello,” I called out.
Nobody answered.
“I’m selling cookies for the Girl Scouts,” I tried.
Still no answer.
“I’m breaking the law,” I offered finally. “If you’re in there, now would be the time to come out and arrest me, because I can’t guarantee that I won’t kill anyone who jumps out of a closet and tries to frighten me.”
When there was no response after my third attempt I sighed. Nobody was inside. That meant I could look around without risk of getting caught.
I kept my mittens on as I slid inside the house. It was cold, the air conditioner blowing despite the time of year, making me shudder.
Tad was a minimalist. He didn’t favor tchotchkes or figurines. I was a hoarder of epic proportions. I especially liked Converse and anything that had the words “Star Wars” stamped on it. There was a sterile quality to his house, which seemed weird because he had a passel of kids with his soon-to-be ex-wife. The house didn’t feel as if children lived within the walls, which made me wonder if he was even spending time with his children since the separation.
I figured it wasn’t wise to spend too much time inside. If there was anything of interest, it would likely be in his office. Once I found the room, the mess told me it was obvious someone had been here before me.
The drawers of the filing cabinet were open and stacks of papers littered the room. At the center of everything, on the desk, was a huge pile of files. There had to be at least thirty of them. When I picked up the file on the top — not an easy task while wearing mittens — my heart started to thump. Scrawled in familiar writing I remembered from my time dating Tad was my name.
Avery Shaw. Underneath it only one thing was written: List of grievances. This was obviously something Tad had compiled and the cops had already reviewed. As much as I didn’t want to look inside Tad’s messed-up brain, I couldn’t stop myself. I flipped it open and dived right in.
12 Twelve
They were blackmail files.
Er, well, potential blackmail files. I had no idea if Tad had used the information he’d acquired and actually pulled the trigger to blackmail anyone. That was clearly his intention, though. There was so much information to go through I could do nothing but skim. The file on me was illuminating, and I screenshot every page. I did the same with some of the others.
He had files on Jake, Eliot, and Fish. Some woman named Becky Trowbridge, who had nothing to do with anything as far as I could tell. Her file was thin. The others, though ... . He’d been amassing huge stores of information on his wife and father-in-law. Other politicians he was known to beef with were targeted, too. There was no way he could’ve come up with this information on his own, which meant he was working with a private investigator.
I was about to start digging through his financial records when my phone beeped with an incoming message. I had to remove my mittens to retrieve it. The message scrawling across the screen confused me because it looked like Uber was sending me a text. Then I remembered that Del was still outside.
Three cop cars just pulled up on the street. You might want to get out of there.
My heart thumped as I shoved the phone back in my pocket and tugged on the mittens. No matter how badly I wanted to stay and dig, I couldn’t. I retraced my steps through the house and slid out the back door. At almost the exact moment the lock clicked I heard something from inside the house. Voices ... and one of them belonged to Jacobs.
I dropped low and scurried along the line of bushes until I got back to the open gate. I crawled through it, making sure to swing it shut before hurrying down the alley. Del was right where I’d left him, his eyes on what looked to be a tablet.
I threw open the back door and climbed inside, letting out the breath I’d been holding only after I’d slammed the door. “Now would be a good time to go.”
He looked me over with curious eyes. “Did you just break into someone’s house?”
I kept my face placid. “Of course not. That’s against the law.”
He didn’t look convinced. “You’re wearing gloves.”
“I’m wearing shark mittens.” I held them up so he could get a better look. “They’re actually puppets. I do little shows with them at parties.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“And people hire you to do puppet shows with mittens?”
“I’m in high demand.”
“If you say so.” He fired up the car. “I’m assuming you don’t want to drive by the cops when we’re leaving? They probably hate puppet shows.”
He was smarter than I initially gave him credit for. “Yeah. Let’s avoid the cops.”
“Where are we going next?”
“Downtown Mount Clemens.” There was someone I wanted to talk to. “I don’t know the address. You can just drop me by the river walk and I’ll get to where I’m going from there.”
“You’re the boss.”
IT TOOK US TWENTY MINUTES TO GET TO the river walk. My mind was busy the entire ride. Tad had a stack of blackmail files and they all looked relatively new. I assumed he was trying to get his ducks in a row for his county commissioner run. Anyone who stood in his way would be attacked with the information he’d been able to garner. My file had been on top of the stack. That didn’t necessarily mean Tad had put it there. Either Jake’s deputies or Jacobs’ men had been inside the house. They could’ve put it there when going through the information.
I thanked Del for the ride when he dropped me off. He handed me a business card before I could move away from the vehicle, explaining that he was willing to work off the books if I ever needed a chauffeur. He’d proven valuable, so I took the card. I had no idea how long I would be without a vehicle.
I tried to remember the route to Andre’s house. He lived in a rough section of Mount Clemens — one of the areas nobody talked about — and I’d only ever driven there. I was three blocks from the location and felt exposed as I made my way along the street. Nobody as much as looked in my direction, though, and by the time I arrived at my destination I was feeling better.
“Well, well, well,” Andre called from his usual perch. He sat in a lawn chair in the middle of his driveway, surveying his domain. The gang member didn’t like talking about his business dealings. I’d met him months ago and we’d become something of a team. I helped him when I could and he did the same for me. I still wasn’t sure why he agreed to help me as often as he did, but he found me amusing.
“Hey.” I offered a lame wave as I glanced at the other people hanging out on the lawn. They looked relaxed, but I knew better. They were guards of sorts, guys who did Andre’s bidding. They were most certainly armed in case his enemies made an appearance. Eliot was furious whenever I visited Andre on his turf. I understood his concern, but I wasn’t thrilled with Eliot right now so I pushed any guilt out of my head and focused on the problem at hand. “How are things?”
“Same as they always are.” Andre stretched out his long legs and regarded me with speculative eyes. “You’ve been all over the news, girl. I thought that was a no-no in your line of work.”
He always got right to the heart of matters. It didn’t appear today would be any different.
“It’s been an interesting couple of days.” I gestured toward the open chair
next to him. “Can I sit or is that reserved for one of your lieutenants?”
He snorted. “I don’t have lieutenants. You’re such a trip. Go ahead and sit. That’s Star’s chair, but she’s at the salon.”
As far as I could tell Star was his girlfriend. Or at least she wanted to be his girlfriend. The true roots of their relationship appeared tangled. All I knew was that Star hated me, made a fuss whenever I stopped by, so it was probably good that she wasn’t around to give me grief.
“Thanks.” I blew out a sigh as I sat. It was a relief to be in an area where I knew it was unlikely Jacobs or his men might stumble across me. “So ... I need information.”
Andre arched a surprised eyebrow. “I don’t know how I can help you on this one, honey. I’m not really up on the political scene in Macomb County. That’s your job.”
“Technically I don’t have a job right now. I’ve been suspended.”
I had no idea why I volunteered that information to a man who shouldn’t care, but he viciously swore under his breath, which somehow made me feel better.
“You got fired over this? Already?”
“Suspended. At least until I’ve been cleared.”
“See, this is why you shouldn’t work for the newspaper. Not only do you get paid next to nothing, but they disrespect you. If you came to work for me I could fix both of those things.”
It was an interesting offer. “Oh, yeah? What would I be doing for you?”
“Oh, you know.” He was purposely evasive. “A little of this. A little of that. You’re a known figure in this area and you’re tenacious. If I need dirt on someone, I know you’d dig it up.”
“That’s possibly very flattering, but I’m here for information from you. I don’t know that I could be of any help to your operation.”
“You might change your mind once this forced vacation goes on for more than a few days.”
“Never say never. Right now, though, I need information.”
“About what?”
“Private investigators. You use them, right?”
He nodded slowly, his eyes shrewd. “They’re a necessary evil. Why do you need a private investigator? I thought your boyfriend was up to his neck in that sort of work.”
“I’m not speaking with him right now.”
“Trouble in paradise?” Andre looked intrigued. “If you plan on leaving him, I might have another job for you.”
I shot him a warning look. “Don’t go there. It makes things uncomfortable, and I hate that. As for Eliot, we’re fighting. I’m really mad at him, but it won’t last forever. I’ll get over it and we’ll make up.”
“You sure?”
There was a time I would’ve fled rather than work at something. The thought of losing Eliot was too much, though. “I’m sure. He’s doing what he thinks is best, honestly trying to help. I’m just not at my best right now and I kind of want to throttle him.”
Andre knowingly bobbed his head. “I get it. He’s trying to fix things when you need a sympathetic shoulder. When women tell you their troubles it’s not because they want you to fix them. They just want you to be all ‘there, there. It’s going to be okay.’”
He was oddly observant about the strangest things. “I guess that’s kind of it. He also called my best friend to cheer me up. She made me go to birthing classes and watch horror videos. I’ll make him pay ... but later. Right now I need to figure out which private investigator Tad Ludington hired to dig up dirt on his enemies.”
Andre’s forehead wrinkled as he took in the information. “So, if I’m following this tale of woe correctly, the guy you’re accused of shooting was gathering information to blackmail his enemies — which is probably why you’re a suspect — and you want to know who got the information for him.”
“That’s it in a nutshell,” I agreed, bobbing my head. “To be fair, I think I would’ve been a suspect with or without the file given what happened the other day.”
“You mean when you made him look like a fool on television?” Andre broke into a wide grin. “See, that’s why I want you on my payroll. You’re always creative and not afraid to go dirty. I like that.”
“That tendency isn’t really benefitting me right now.”
“You’re just feeling down. That tendency will always benefit you.” He stroked his chin, thoughtful. “This Ludington guy is a real snake, right? I’ve watched you take him on a few times now. He wouldn’t go for a reputable private investigator, would he?”
“No. He would want someone who gets results but isn’t afraid to skirt ethical lines. He would probably like someone cheap, too, because he’s going through a divorce and I’m guessing he doesn’t have ready funding.”
“Well, there’s only one guy I can think of.”
“Who is that?”
“Cliff Ingalls.”
The name sounded familiar but I couldn’t put a face to the niggling memory. “I don’t know him. At least I don’t think I do.”
“He has a fairly bad reputation, but there’s a reason he’s still in business. He’s not afraid to be a slime ball, which means certain people like him.”
“That’s definitely the sort of guy Tad would go for. Do you know where his office is located?”
“About three blocks from your boyfriend’s shop.”
I cringed. I wasn’t in the mood to accidentally run into Eliot. “Which street?”
“Clinton.”
The area wasn’t horrible, but it was a decent walk. “Okay. Thanks for the information.” I sighed as I stood. “I’m going to head over there now.”
Andre glanced around. “Where’s your ride?”
“They impounded it last night. I’m ride-less.”
“And you’re going to walk all the way over there?”
“Yup.”
“Man, you’re a lot of work, girl.” He got to his feet. “Come on. I’ll take you.”
“You don’t have to. You’ve already done enough.”
“I’ll take you.” He was firm. “I’m not exaggerating about this guy being slimy. It might be good for you to have some backup.”
Honestly, I was relieved not to be making the trek alone. At this point I could use all the help I could get.
INGALLS’ OFFICE WAS EXACTLY WHAT I’D pictured. It was essentially the worst space in a building full of terrible spaces. The trim on the windows hadn’t been painted in years — maybe decades — and the cement steps leading inside were crumbling.
Andre strolled into the building as if he owned it, blowing past the unhappy secretary sitting at her desk. She tried to stop him but he pretended he didn’t hear her. I felt sorry for her — this seriously had to be the worst job imaginable — so I shot her an apologetic smile and scrambled to keep pace with Andre. He’d already barreled into Ingalls’ office by the time I caught up with him.
“You could knock,” Ingalls drawled as he regarded Andre with obvious annoyance. “That would be the polite thing to do.”
“I’m only polite to people I respect,” Andre replied. “I’m here on official business anyway. This is Avery Shaw.” He gestured to me. “She has some questions for you. I expect you to answer them.”
At mention of my name, I saw something akin to recognition spark in the back of Ingalls’ dull eyes. He doused the flame quickly, but it was definitely there.
“Am I supposed to know who you are?” Ingalls drawled.
“Don’t do that.” Andre was firm ... and I was fairly certain he’d seen the same spark. “We’re not here to play games. We want simple answers from you.”
“And what answers would those be?” Ingalls kept his gaze on me a moment longer and then focused his full attention on Andre. “Since when are you helping pretty blondes? I didn’t think you rolled that way.”
“Don’t worry about my part in this. Just answer her questions.”
“Fine.” Ingalls had attitude, but he obviously feared Andre. I couldn’t blame him. While the gang member was nice to me, he didn’t have the
best reputation. He instilled fear in a lot of people. I just didn’t happen to be one of them, though I did give him a healthy dose of respect whenever we interacted ... just to be on the safe side. “What do you want to know, Ms. Shaw?”
I decided to go for it. “Have you been gathering information on politicians and local figures for Tad Ludington?”
Momentary shock flashed across his face, but he shuttered it quickly. “I don’t know who that is.”
“You lie like a dog,” Andre groused. “You’re not even very good at it. Don’t you think you should at least practice in a mirror sometimes? Geez.”
Ingalls made a face. “I’m not lying. I don’t know who that is.”
“You don’t know who Tad Ludington is even though he’s been on every news cycle for more than forty-eight hours?”
Ingalls didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, that guy. I did see something about him on television. I guess I do know who you’re talking about.”
“Is he a client?” I pressed.
“Ms. Shaw, I don’t know why you’re here or who you’re working for, but you should know I can’t talk about that. Attorney-client privilege. You understand.”
He reminded me of a snake, the way he flicked his eyes back and forth between Andre and me. There was something slimy about him.
“I’ll take that as a yes. Do you know if he acted on any of the information he gathered?”
“I don’t know anything about Mr. Ludington. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”
Andre took a menacing step toward him. “Why you got to lie, man? Seriously. Just tell the truth. It’s obvious you were working for him.”
“Even if I was, it’s against the law for me to tell you about our business arrangement. Not that we had a business arrangement. In fact, we didn’t have any sort of arrangement. I ... am done talking to you.”
Ingalls, clearly a babbler, knew his limitations. He would refuse to talk going forward. If I wanted information from him, I was going to have to get it through a different route.
Andre had other ideas. “Do you want me to beat him?” he asked. “I won’t even charge you for it. I’ve always hated this guy.”
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