Part 22 (2/2)
”Anytime,” he said. ”You'll need somebody to tow it, though.”
”I'll have my garage guy get it.”
”You have a regular guy to look after . . . that car?” he asked.
”No,” I said, ”my other car, but he'll come and get this one for me.”
My mechanic's wife was a longtime soap fan. She would have made him come out in the middle of the night to get the car if I'd called.
”Okay,” he said. ”Just have him come to my office and I'll make sure he gets the keys. Now, do you have any other info for me?”
I took out the notepaper I'd written on and gave it to him. ”Mason Stone got the job over at The Best Days Are Ahead, but he died before he could do even one episode.”
”And who benefited from that?” he asked.
”That other name I wrote there, Matt Lewis.”
Jakes frowned at the paper. ”I guess I should look into Mr. Lewis, then. Thanks. What about the other show?”
”I've got a call in,” I said, ”and I'm still waiting to hear.”
”Good,” he said. ”And what's this name? Eisenstein?”
”Oh,” I said, ”I remembered that this morning. He's the replacement on my show for Jackson Masters.”
”Thank you, Alex,” he said, giving me an appreciative look. He folded the note and put it in his pocket. ”That's very helpful. Now, what about the other thing?”
”What other thing?”
”What we talked about,” he said. ”You know, about you backing off.”
I hesitated.
”I knew it,” he said. ”You're too p.i.s.sed to walk away, aren't you?”
”Wouldn't you be?”
”Yeah, but with me, having somebody try to kill me is an occupational hazard. If it bothered me enough, I'd stop being a cop.”
”So, what would you do if you stopped being a cop, Jakes?”
”I'd probably die,” he said.
I could tell he meant it. The job was everything to him. I didn't know what it would be like to have a man like that in my life. On a permanent basis, I mean.
”So you're not going to back off?” he said.
”No. At least, not until we find who killed Jackson and the others.”
”And who tried to kill you.”
”I think it'll come down to the same person, don't you?”
”Yes,” he said, ”I do.”
”But why?” I asked. ”And how come they didn't try to kill me the way they killed all the others? Strangling me somehow.”
”I guess that's not part of the plan,” Jakes said. ”They want you out of the way not as part of the pattern, but because they think you know something. Do you?”
”Just what I've told you,” I explained. ”And certainly nothing that's worth killing me over.”
”Maybe if you gave it some thought-”
”I have,” I said. ”I've been wracking my brain and I can't figure it out. Why don't they try to kill you? Aren't you more of a danger than I am?”
”Apparently not,” he said. ”But there's also the fact that killing a cop is a bad idea. We hunt down cop killers forever.”
”Yes, that would be a bad idea,” I said, ”but you don't mind if I worry about myself, just a little?”
”I want you to worry, Alex,” he said. ”I wish you would worry a h.e.l.l of a lot!”
”Well,” I promised him, ”you're going to get what every man wants.”
”What's that?”
”You're going to get your wish.”
Chapter 42.
As I got into my car, my cell phone sang out ”Let's Talk About s.e.x,” and I pushed the phone icon.
”Alex Peterson?” a man's voice asked.
”Speaking.”
”Hey, Alex, this is Ross over at The Depths of the Sea.”
”Ross, thanks for calling me back. How was your vacation?”
”Never long enough. I guess I should just be thankful we got a few days, right? The other shows-like yours-are working all year,” he said. ”I saw you at the Emmys. You looked awesome. Too awful about what happened.”
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