Part 17 (1/2)
”We heard from the Canadian police that they arrested someone, Frank! He confessed.”
”That may be so,” Jakes said. ”But the other four are still open.”
”You've got four cases here that I'm not convinced are connected. Look, Frank, work your four cases, but I don't want to hear the phrase 'serial killer.' And I sure as h.e.l.l don't want to see it in the papers.”
”Laura-”
”Captain to you, Detective.”
”Okay, Captain-”
”And I don't want you talking to that soap diva,” the captain said.
”She's not a diva!” Jakes said sharply, defending me. That really made me smile. ”Look, Captain, she's got inside knowledge-”
”I'm not convinced all these men were killed because they were on soap operas, Frank. That means I'm not convinced she can be helpful. But I do know she can be a distraction. And she'll attract the paparazzi.”
”They were either on a soap or auditioned for one,” he corrected. ”And she's my . . . my link to that world.”
”Listen to yourself,” the captain scoffed. ”You sound like a narc talkin' about his connection. Or worse, a junkie. Get out of my office, Detective,” the captain said. ”You're wastin' my time.”
Suddenly the door swung opened. I caught a glimpse of an attractive, middle-aged woman in a suit behind a desk before Jakes came out and slammed the door behind him. He saw me and stopped.
”Alex.”
”I, uh, your partner told me to sit here and wait,” I said lamely.
”Did you hea-” he started, pointing at the door. ”What am I saying? Of course you heard everything.”
”Not everything.”
”But enough,” he said. ”Okay, come on. Let's get out of here before the boss sees you.”
I stood and hurried after him. ”You never told me your boss was a woman.”
”It never came up,” he said. As we pa.s.sed his partner's desk, he said, ”We're going out for a drink. You want to come with us, Len?”
”Sure.” He grabbed his sports coat from the back of his chair.
We all went out the door, into the hall and down to the elevator.
”So that's what you call not causing you any trouble?” I asked in the elevator.
Chapter 31.
The three of us stopped at a nearby coffee shop. Davis had a latte, Jakes an iced tea and I had a turkey and Swiss on a baguette with onion rings as a chaser. I was starving.
”We need to clear the air,” Jakes said.
Davis and I stared at each other.
Jakes continued. ”Len, any trouble I'm in-or I get into-is not going to impact you.”
”I'm your partner, Frank.”
”Neither one of us picked this partners.h.i.+p, Len. You want to walk away, that's fine with me.”
”That what you want?”
”Actually, no,” Jakes said. ”I prefer the devil I know, if you catch my drift.”
”I do.”
I did, too. Maybe they weren't a perfect match, but at least they knew each other, and Jakes had no way of knowing who he might end up with if they broke their partners.h.i.+p off now.
”So we stay partners?” Jakes asked.
”Yes.”
”And I want to keep using Alex as a resource. Is that okay?”
”Is it okay with the captain?”
”No.”
”Then why do it?”
”Because these are my cases and I call the shots,” Jakes said.
”And what will the captain say when she finds out you kept working with Alex?”
”When we solve these murders,” Jakes replied, ”she won't care.”
”Maybe not.”
”Len,” Jakes said, ”I think it would be better for you if you weren't around Alex.”
”Actually,” Davis said, pus.h.i.+ng back his chair, ”that's fine with me.” He gave me a dirty look and stood up.
”Oh, and Len?”
”Yes?”
”She didn't leave The Yearning Tide to hurt you,” Jakes said, ”so get over yourself.”