Jailhouse Glock (13 page)

fourteen

“You’ve been drinking,” Maddy
accused. “And it’s not even noon yet.”

“I could say the same thing about you,” Jake fired back.

She slammed her hand over her mouth, remembering the two
vodka screwdrivers she’d imbibed only moments before. He was right
. Who was she to judge when she was guilty of the exact same thing she’d just chastised him for?

But she wasn’t about to let him off the hook so easily.

“The difference is I’m not trying to rent a room where there’s a minor child. The report on you says you have a drinking problem. I need to know if it’s true.”

He lifted his chin and stared her down. He was definitely nervous, and it was her experience that when someone was uncomfortable, there was usually a good reason why. She was pretty sure his had everything to do with alcohol.

“I won’t have an alcoholic living in my house.”

He nodded. “Fair enough. No drinking while I’m here. You can throw my sorry ass out—no questions asked—anytime you think I’ve fallen off the wagon. You can even keep all the rent money on top of the security deposit.” He paused to study her face. “So will you at least consider renting me your upstairs rooms?”

Before she could respond, all three of her sisters rushed over to stand behind her.

“And you are?” Lainey asked, stepping in front of Maddy as if to protect her, a maneuver that didn’t go unnoticed by Matthews.

His eyes crinkled and he held out his hand. “Jake Matthews. I’m trying to rent a room here for a few months.”

As Lainey shook his hand, Maddy heard Kate’s sharp intake of breath when she stepped forward and got her first look at the ex-cop.

“Kate Garcia, Maddy’s youngest sister,” she said, emphasizing the youngest part.

“I’m Deena Hernandez, also her younger sister.” She made a sweep
ing motion with her arm. “Come on in, and we’ll talk about it.”

I hate being dead,
Tessa said, standing so close to Jake it was a wonder he didn’t feel a chill.
This guy is freaking gorgeous. I’m suddenly reminded that sex is like air. It’s only important if you’re not getting any.

Maddy held out her arm to stop Jake from coming in. She wasn’t ready to deal with it yet, not with all the other things on her mind. “My sisters were just leaving. I have your card, Mr. Matthews. I’ll be making a decision sometime today, and I’ll call you.”

She closed the door quickly before she changed her mind. The check in his hand was too tempting and she had to really give it some thought. Her decision would be more rational if she made it away from those searing blue eyes.

“Are you nuts?” Deena asked. “Aren’t you desperate for money? You’re turning away a guy who wants to pay to use the rooms upstairs for a few months—the rooms that are currently vacant, I might add? The least you can do is check him out.”

“I already have,” Maddy said, nudging her sisters back into the kitchen. “He’s an ex-cop.”

“That’s perfect,” Lainey said. “Not only will you have extra money but the guy looks like he could hold his own in case someone decides to pay you a little visit.” She picked up the picture of Bernardi and Jessie and pointed at the dead guy. “Need I say more?”

“I know,” Maddy said. “And I’m considering it, but I want to mull it over a little while longer. It’s a big decision to open up your house to a perfect stranger.”

“Want me to get Colt to vet him?” Lainey asked.

“What? No,” Maddy responded quickly. “Rogers has already
started the process. Besides, you’d have to admit to Colt that you were
over here when you met him, and you and I both know your husband would see right through that. Then the nonstop lectures about us butting out of his investigation would commence.”

Lainey slapped her hand to her head. “Oh dear God, yes. I forgot about that. Tom Rogers can do it just as easily as Colt.”

“Well, guys, I hate to break up this party, but I really do have to run. I’m already late,” Kate said, grabbing her purse and heading for the door.

“Me too,” Deena said, following her. “And make sure you call Kate and me the minute you two get back from the bar girl’s house. Then we’ll meet in a few days and plan our next move.”

When Lainey and Maddy were finally alone, Lainey asked, “Have you heard any more from your lawyer?”

Maddy shook her head. “Only that he’s coming up Friday with some of his team to discuss my case.” She swallowed. “He’ll need the retainer then.”

“Do you have it?”

“Most of it.”

Maddy thought about how many problems would be resolved if she just allowed Jake Matthews to rent her upstairs. What could it hurt? Rogers had already done a thorough background check and had all but confirmed there were no problems. Other than the fact that he’d left his job a year ago, possibly because of his drinking. Most importantly, nothing in his history indicated the slightest hint of issues with young girls. Jessie might even be safer with him around.

But what worried her most at the moment, if she closed her eyes right now, she knew she would still see him standing at her doorstep. She could visualize his light blue shirt opened at the neck just enough to allow a peek at the few chest hairs poking through, the faded blue
jeans that looked like they were made especially for him. Even though
she knew Lainey was right about having him around for pro
tection, the fact that she was even thinking about stuff like that
scared the crap out of her.

She was jarred from her thoughts when her phone rang, causing her to gasp. After glancing at caller ID, she made a face at Lainey
before answering. “Hey, Colt, what’s up? Tell me you have good
news.”

She hoped he didn’t pick up on the guilt in her voice for sneaking around behind his back. Knowing her brother-in-law the way she did, he probably would. She braced herself for his reprimand.

“I’m at the hospital with Flanagan,” he said before muttering to someone else, “Don’t let anyone in that room until after forensics gets here.” There was a slight pause before he continued talking to her. “Sorry, Maddy, I’ll make this quick because I have a lot of things to do before—”

“You’re at the hospital?” Maddy interrupted. “Is everything
okay?”
Silently she prayed that it was. After receiving a call a few years
back
telling her that Jessie had fallen and broken her arm at school, she now dreaded it whenever someone called from there.

“Foxworthy’s dead.”

“What? I thought he was getting better.”

“He was,” Colt said. “But if my gut is correct, someone decided to hasten his demise.”

“You’re saying he was murdered?”

“We won’t know that until we get the autopsy report, but it looks like a hospital employee may have been involved.” He paused. “Gotta go. There’s the ME now. I’ll call when I have more information.”

Maddy disconnected, her mind racing with all the possibilities about who would have killed the man who had positively IDed her as Bernardi’s killer and thanking her lucky stars that she was nowhere near the place when it happened.

“What did he say?” Lainey’s face twisted with concern. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Her gaze shifted upward. “Sorry, Tessa.”

“He’s at the hospital. He thinks someone killed Alan Foxworthy.”

As much as I’d like to say I’m sorry to hear that,
Tessa said,
I can’t.
It means they won’t be able to use his testimony. This calls for another drink, sis. It just might be the best news we’ve heard since that scumbag Bernardi took a bullet to his head.

_____

He drove past her house just as two women exited and made their way to the cars parked out front, whistling under his breath when
he got a closer look at the one who looked younger. Dressed in green
scrubs that didn’t hide the outline of a hot little body underneath, she wore her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, making her look like an innocent schoolgirl. He felt a familiar stirring below the belt. Even though the last thing he needed was to be noticed, he took his foot off the gas pedal and slowed for a better look.

“Caramba!” he muttered under his breath.

She looked to be in her middle twenties, and although he usually didn’t go for chicks that much younger than him, he would definitely make an exception in her case.

His eyes moved to the other woman, and instantly, he decided this one wasn’t his type. Her hair was disheveled and she could stand to lose at least fifteen pounds. A closer look at her face left no doubt she was the cop’s sister, and he guessed the looker walking beside her was, as well.

He remembered the first time he’d seen a picture of Madelyn Cas
tillo and thought what a waste of a gorgeous female. It was a crying shame she’d have to rot in a jail somewhere, although he was sure there would be a lot of happy inmates when the prison bus pulled up and the lady felons got their first look at her. Just thinking about it warmed his insides—as well as a few other places.

But sending the cop to jail had never been his intention. He figured with her being a police officer and her brother-in-law as the town sheriff, more than likely she wouldn’t see jail time. A slap on the wrist or even probation with community service maybe, but he hadn’t thought they’d actually prosecute her for killing a douche bag like Bernardi.

After making a U-turn at the end of the block, he eased the car
to the curb and waited until both cars were gone before driving
back
up the street past Castillo’s house. Deciding there was nothing more
to see, he turned left at the stop sign, glancing one last time over his
shoulder at the cop’s house in time to spot two more women coming
down the sidewalk. Although he was too far away
to be a hundred percent certain, it looked like one of the ladies
might be the cop herself.

His curiosity piqued, he decided he had nothing better to do before heading back to Dallas, and he pulled over into a discreet spot where he watched the women climb into an SUV and head his way. Ducking down low enough so he wouldn’t be noticed, he waited until they passed, then quickly turned around and followed. In case either of them had noticed his car passing the house earlier, he kept three cars between his black Land Rover and the SUV. So far every
thing had gone as planned. The last thing he needed now was to arouse
the cop’s suspicions.

He had no idea where they were going, but he decided it wouldn’t hurt to tag along. If they ended up at the nail salon, so be it. But his gut told him they weren’t hightailing it to a day of pampering.

He turned south when they did, sneaking a peek at his GPS on the dashboard. They were heading toward the airport.

About that time his cell phone blared, and he reached down to check
caller ID. His mother! No way he was in the mood to listen to her cry again about how much she missed Junior. The woman would never get it through her head that her oldest son had been a loser all his life—and that if it wasn’t for him, Junior would have ended up in jail or worse long before his disappearance.

He’d hoped with Junior out of the way, his mother would turn to him for comfort, would change the way she felt about him. But Junior had been gone for over two weeks now, and the old woman still cried every night.

No, her feelings toward him would never change, and he might as well accept that fact. No matter how hard he tried, there was never any love left over for him. In his heart he knew there never would be, yet he continually strived for her approval.

What was it they said about insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. That about summed up his relationship with his mother.

He knew it was crazy, but the little boy in him still wanted her to look him in the eye and tell him she loved him. He ran the biggest drug ring in North Texas, had some of the most powerful men in the city asking how high when he said jump, and yet, he was still trying to get his mother’s praise.

Pathetic!

But for now, he’d let her believe Junior was coming home, that this time was no different than his many other episodes where he’d stay away as long as two months without any communication at all. Usually when that happened, there were drugs involved. Less than six months ago he’d found Junior holed up in some shit-shack in
Juárez with a toothless Hispanic woman who fed his heroin habit. He’d
lost a huge amount of time and money looking for him.

But there would be no money or time lost now. Not because he
was sick of always having to save his older brother, but because he knew
exactly where Junior was. His brother had screwed up for the last time and now lay at the bottom of Lake Lewisville tied to a couple of concrete blocks. No way he wanted his mother to know that.

His attention was diverted when the cop and the other woman turned down the street into an old neighborhood outside city limits. When they stopped at a small house that looked like it was condemned—and if not, should be—he pulled over farther down the road. Reaching in the glove compartment he grabbed his binoculars and trained them on the two women now marching up the sidewalk.

_____

Surveying the rundown house, Maddy took a deep breath. If all went well, they’d leave with a better understanding of what actually went down at Cowboys Galore the night Bernardi was killed. How they would get that information out of Chrissy Rockford was left to be seen. They would just play it by ear.

Climbing out of the car, they walked up a sidewalk in desperate need of attention. The concrete was full of cracks, some running the entire length of the walkway and most if it crumbled so badly, they had to step into the grass to get past. The yard itself lacked anything resembling color and the weeds were almost as tall as a healthy toddler. If this was any indication of Chrissy Rockford’s gardening skills, the woman obviously did not have a green thumb.