Jake; maybe you should send Cara to her mother’s for a while.”
Jake lit a cigarette and rolled down the window. “You think they’re watching us?”
“If Marcus Dade is involved in this, I can guarantee you they’re watching Jenna and, by now, us.”
“Yeah, I been thinking the same thing. Maybe you should move in with JJ and keep an eye on things. I don’t think she realizes the kind of danger she’s in.”
“JJ?”
Jake laughed. “Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking it too. She’s cute, petite, and she looks like a JJ.”
“Did you know her middle name is Patience?” Harry turned down Second Street, driving slowly past the funeral home.
“You’re kidding. Hell, she’s got less patience than I do. Parents must have had a real sense of humor.”
Harry pulled to the curb and turned off the engine. “All right, Sherlock, what’s on your mind? We got a plan on this undertaker?”
Jake scanned the building and tossed his cigarette out the window. “There’s a lot on my mind, but you’re not gonna like any of it.”
Harry shrugged. “Won’t be the first time. What’s up?”
“Like you said, there’s some pretty hefty players in this game: Marcus Dade, William Elkins and Clifford Beaumont, and now this Agent Starks. We go in there and start asking questions, odds are one—or all—of us is going to wind up dead before morning.”
“And if we don’t?” Harry placed his hands on the wheel, staring into the distance. “Odds are Jenna James is going to wind up dead anyway. She knows too much.”
Jake lit another cigarette. “I think she’s aware of that. There’s another way, but it’s not on the up-and-up.”
Harry turned and studied his partner. “I’m game.”
“The reason Elkins and Dade have been able to stay below the radar for so long is they don’t leave witnesses. If you were an undertaker hired to do a job you knew could get you killed if the truth came out, what would you do?”
Harry grinned, catching on and starting the car. “I’d do X-rays of the body and document every bruise, broken bone, and defense wound.”
“And where would you keep such a file, Harry?”
Pulling back onto the street, Harry considered the question. “Not here and not at home. I’d give it to someone safe so I could have it as leverage.”
“Your niece, Loki, still doing that private-eye thing?” Jake asked.
Harry nodded. “Mostly cheating wives and husbands. She’d jump at the chance for something a little more exciting. Want me to give her a call?”
“Yes and no. We can’t spend days following him around, but she could get hurt, Harry. With Dade in the picture, she could get killed.”
Harry’s hand gripped the steering wheel, knuckles whitening. “I’ll give it to her straight. She knows how to watch her back.”
~ ~ ~
“Come in.”
Maria poked her head inside the library door. “Mr. Dade is here to see you, sir.”
“Send him in.”
William Elkins lit a cigar and leaned back in his thick leather chair. Marcus would know what to do—not only about the will but about Jordan and the rest of this mess.
“Hello, William.”
Elkins stood up and extended his hand. “It’s good to see you, Marcus, as always. Have a cigar. Can I get you a drink?”
“I’ll pass on the cigar and the drink.” Dade took a seat in the chair next to the desk. “You wanted to see me.”
Elkins picked up the will and handed it to him. “How do I get rid of this?”
Dade read the will, his lips curving slightly. “Do you know how I’ve managed to stay clean all these years, William?”
“Because you’re smart, like me.”
“That’s partly right. But I never leave a trail, William—no phone trail, no money trail, no paper trail. I don’t make mistakes… and I don’t tolerate mistakes.”
Elkins noted the hardness of Dade’s blue eyes, the firm set of his jaw. Dade hadn’t said it, but the words hung there in the air between them. And I don’t leave
Jake lit a cigarette and rolled down the window. “You think they’re watching us?”
“If Marcus Dade is involved in this, I can guarantee you they’re watching Jenna and, by now, us.”
“Yeah, I been thinking the same thing. Maybe you should move in with JJ and keep an eye on things. I don’t think she realizes the kind of danger she’s in.”
“JJ?”
Jake laughed. “Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking it too. She’s cute, petite, and she looks like a JJ.”
“Did you know her middle name is Patience?” Harry turned down Second Street, driving slowly past the funeral home.
“You’re kidding. Hell, she’s got less patience than I do. Parents must have had a real sense of humor.”
Harry pulled to the curb and turned off the engine. “All right, Sherlock, what’s on your mind? We got a plan on this undertaker?”
Jake scanned the building and tossed his cigarette out the window. “There’s a lot on my mind, but you’re not gonna like any of it.”
Harry shrugged. “Won’t be the first time. What’s up?”
“Like you said, there’s some pretty hefty players in this game: Marcus Dade, William Elkins and Clifford Beaumont, and now this Agent Starks. We go in there and start asking questions, odds are one—or all—of us is going to wind up dead before morning.”
“And if we don’t?” Harry placed his hands on the wheel, staring into the distance. “Odds are Jenna James is going to wind up dead anyway. She knows too much.”
Jake lit another cigarette. “I think she’s aware of that. There’s another way, but it’s not on the up-and-up.”
Harry turned and studied his partner. “I’m game.”
“The reason Elkins and Dade have been able to stay below the radar for so long is they don’t leave witnesses. If you were an undertaker hired to do a job you knew could get you killed if the truth came out, what would you do?”
Harry grinned, catching on and starting the car. “I’d do X-rays of the body and document every bruise, broken bone, and defense wound.”
“And where would you keep such a file, Harry?”
Pulling back onto the street, Harry considered the question. “Not here and not at home. I’d give it to someone safe so I could have it as leverage.”
“Your niece, Loki, still doing that private-eye thing?” Jake asked.
Harry nodded. “Mostly cheating wives and husbands. She’d jump at the chance for something a little more exciting. Want me to give her a call?”
“Yes and no. We can’t spend days following him around, but she could get hurt, Harry. With Dade in the picture, she could get killed.”
Harry’s hand gripped the steering wheel, knuckles whitening. “I’ll give it to her straight. She knows how to watch her back.”
~ ~ ~
“Come in.”
Maria poked her head inside the library door. “Mr. Dade is here to see you, sir.”
“Send him in.”
William Elkins lit a cigar and leaned back in his thick leather chair. Marcus would know what to do—not only about the will but about Jordan and the rest of this mess.
“Hello, William.”
Elkins stood up and extended his hand. “It’s good to see you, Marcus, as always. Have a cigar. Can I get you a drink?”
“I’ll pass on the cigar and the drink.” Dade took a seat in the chair next to the desk. “You wanted to see me.”
Elkins picked up the will and handed it to him. “How do I get rid of this?”
Dade read the will, his lips curving slightly. “Do you know how I’ve managed to stay clean all these years, William?”
“Because you’re smart, like me.”
“That’s partly right. But I never leave a trail, William—no phone trail, no money trail, no paper trail. I don’t make mistakes… and I don’t tolerate mistakes.”
Elkins noted the hardness of Dade’s blue eyes, the firm set of his jaw. Dade hadn’t said it, but the words hung there in the air between them. And I don’t leave
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