Passions of the Dead (A Detective Jackson Mystery/Thriller) by L.J. Sellers Page A

family?”
    She looked stunned. “Of course not.”
    “What happened to your father in the parking lot at the tavern? I mean the real story.” Jackson wanted to keep her off guard. He had a feeling this woman wasn’t good at hiding things.
    Lisa looked away, stared at her cigarette. “I don’t know. My parents won’t talk about it.”
    “Let’s go down to headquarters and have this conversation.” Jackson stood, prepared to follow through.
    “Oh, come on.” Lisa held up her hands. “I’m not sure, but I think Dad and Uncle Jared got into a fight. My mother quit talking to Uncle Jared when she realized Dad had brain damage.”
    “What did they fight about?”
    “I don’t know.” Lisa glared at him. “You don’t think my dad had anything to do with the murders, do you?”
    Jackson hadn’t envisioned that scenario, but now he wondered. “What does your dad drive?”
    “A van with his business name on the side.”
    “What color?”
    “The front is white and the sides are covered with pale-blue pool water.”
    Damn . It could be the light-colored van the neighbor had seen. Had Shane borrowed his father’s van or had the father and son worked together? “Where can I find your brother?”
    Lisa shrugged. “No clue.”
    “The fact that no one knows where he is makes me think he’s using again. Is he?”
    “I don’t know.” She grimaced. “He was in a methadone program and doing great, then he lost his job and everything went to shit.”
    “The Recovery Health clinic? He’s a heroin addict?”
    “Yes.” Lisa pressed her lips together. “Shane started pulling away from us a few weeks ago. I called the clinic but they wouldn’t tell me anything.”
    “Have you ever seen Shane get violent with anyone?”
    “Don’t even think it.” Lisa stubbed out her cigarette and stood up. “Dad didn’t kill anyone and neither did Shane. No matter how bitter they are.” Lisa walked back into the building and Jackson let her go.
    He loved family loyalty, even when it was misguided. Walking up the alley to his car, he tried to take stock of the investigation. He had three possible suspects, all of them connected to Jared Walker, who seemed to be the primary victim. In the past month or so, Jared had fought with his brother-in-law, causing him brain damage, and possibly blackmailed his ex-boss. Were these events connected?
    The blackmail was clearly about money. Jared had lost his job and needed cash. He may have also been bitter toward Roy Engall. Bitter . Lisa had said Kevin and Shane were bitter too. He had assumed she meant toward Jared for causing Kevin’s brain injury, but Shane could have been bitter about many things.
    Jackson climbed in his cruiser and called McCray. “What have you got, partner?”
    “Damon was surprisingly candid. He says Shane has been showing up to crash at his place, but not last night. He claims Shane is devastated by the death of his family members and, I’m quoting here, ‘not in his right mind.’”
    “Any idea where to find him?”
    “At his dealer’s, a guy named Zor, who lives on 8th Avenue between Polk and Almaden.”
    Jackson started the engine and rolled slowly down the alley. “No address?”
    “Damon says it’s a blue house on the north side of the street. I’m only six minutes away and I’ll meet you there.”
    Two dark-blue Impalas parked at the end of the street would have made any drug dealer nervous—if he stepped out to notice. Dealers were not typically outdoor people. Their clients came to them, they conducted their business in dark shabby rooms, and they rarely let clients hang around for any length of time. Jackson was skeptical they would find Shane at the house. It was all they had though, and Shane was their primary person of interest. Jackson needed to get him into custody so he could step back from this case long enough to see his family. Maybe sleep a little.
    He climbed out of the car and felt the familiar painful tug. He’d forgotten