Part 11 (1/2)
”Can we meet somewhere . . . or can I come there?” he asked.
”Um, here?”
”Yes,” he said. ”I thought you said your daughter was with your mother? On a trip?”
”That's right.”
”And Paul . . . he's out of town?”
Somehow I could sense where he was going with this. I hesitated. ”Yes.”
”So . . . can we meet and talk?”
No, I thought. ”Yes,” I said.
”Be there in a few.”
Chapter 20.
He rang the bell and I let him in.
”Want some coffee?” I asked.
”Coffee? Are we planning on being up all night?” I looked at him and he held my eyes. ”How about something a little stronger?” He picked up a purple My Little Pony. ”Nice hair.”
”That's my daughter's. I have an opened bottle of white wine.”
”Yeah, I figured it was Sarah's. Nothing stronger?”
I smiled at him questioningly. This was kind of feeling like a dare. Or maybe it was just my compet.i.tive nature.
”Sorry, I'm all out of rotgut. Have a seat.” I pulled out another winegla.s.s and got mine from the sink.
He sat at the table and looked out the back door at the ca.n.a.ls.
”This brings back some fond memories.” He was referring to last year when I had been saved from a much too near death experience by him and Paul. ”Suppose you tell me what's on your mind, Alex?”
”Let's talk about you first.”
He took a sip-no, make that a gulp-of wine.
”What about me?” he asked. ”What did my partner tell you?”
”He said you were getting yourself into trouble.”
”That's nothing new,” he said. ”Did he say why this time?”
”Yes, he said it was . . . because of me.”
”You?”
”Yes,” I said, ”me.”
We stared at each other across the table. He picked up a strawberry from a bowl on the table and popped it in his mouth. ”Did he say what he meant?”
”I think you know what he meant, Jakes.” I bit into a strawberry and slowly chewed it. He was staring at my mouth. And I was staring at him staring at my mouth. Jeez! What was this turning into-9 Weeks?
”Look,” Jakes said, ”I don't know how deep you want to get into this right now, Alex.”
I couldn't tell if he was kidding or what exactly. ”To tell you the truth”-and I was-”neither am I. Why don't we stick to talking about how much trouble you're in because of me?”
”None,” he said. ”Any trouble I'm in is always my own doing. You just let me worry about it.” He went for another strawberry and slowly bit into it. Juice was running down his chin. He brushed it away with the back of his hand, looking at me the whole time. Was he doing this on purpose?
”Would you please just stop it?”
”Stop what?”
”You know what. The whole biting into the strawberry thing . . . The juice.”
He popped another one into his mouth. ”I have no idea what you're talking about. These are good. Where did you get them? Whole Foods?” He was lying, but I couldn't prove it so I went back to the topic at hand.
”You've been giving me special treatment, haven't you? Not considering me a suspect? Letting me help?”
”You know things about these people I don't,” he explained. ”And I'm not treating you as a suspect because I don't consider you one.”
”Even though everyone else who was there that day at the Emmys is a suspect.”
”Were,” Jakes said. ”They were suspects in the beginning. I didn't know them. I know you.”
Then I had to go and open my big fat mouth. ”Well, I found out something today, as a matter of fact.”
”What's that?”
I couldn't help myself. I was excited about the info. I told him about visiting Aaron Summers's landlady and getting his parents' address from her.
”What the h.e.l.l are you doing? It really bugs me that you do that kind of thing on your own. You're an actress, remember? I'm the detective.” He gave me a stern look and then asked, ”Why did you start with Summers?”
”He auditioned for a role on my old soap. I was able to get his home address and check it out.”
”Well, four are actors,” he answered. ”I checked with the Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA, like you suggested.”
”Four?” I asked. ”What about the fifth man?”
”Still checking.”
I sat back in my chair. ”Jakes, if they're all actors, what does this mean?”