The idea had enough merit that he was wishing he had some leave accumulated. But Johnny didn’t believe in saving vacation and sick leave for a rainy day. If he didn’t feel like going in that day, he damn well stayed home. He couldn’t scrape together more than forty-eight hours if he tried. And with the damned Internal Affairs assholes breathing down his neck, he had to be a model employee until the excessive-use investigation was deemed a bunch of shit and closed.
Juan nodded, backed up, and settled back in his seat, visibly calmer. Even a bit abashed now that he had a plan. “Yeah, I will. I have my kids to think about, you know?” He looked at Jonas. “You should go, too. You look like you need the break.”
Jonas just kept smiling that weird-ass smile. “There’s no avoiding the demon when the demon lives in us all.”
Johnny lunged across the table and grabbed the other man by the tie. Twisted it around his fist. “Shut the fuck up. Jesus, are you crazy? You want someone reporting you to Psych, is that it? Then you’d have an excuse to blab to your heart’s content, wouldn’t you? You’re just waiting for a chance to spill your guts.”
“That’s enough.” There was a hum of temper in his ears. It drowned out the voice at his side. But the hand biting into his arm was more difficult to ignore. He cast a sullen look at Hans, loosened his hold on Jonas. Sank back down into his seat.
“Jonas, go home and get some rest. You look like shit.” Hans’s words were spoken in a kindly tone. “Juan, take some time with your kids. We’ll keep you posted on things here.”
The relief on the man’s broad face was obvious. “Thanks, Hans. I don’t want to be running out on the group, but there’s no sense in us waiting around like sitting ducks, right?”
Hans and Johnny waited until the other two had gone. Neither of them moved.
“Jonas is full of shit. This isn’t the work of no kid.” It didn’t add up. He hadn’t seen Tory since they’d burned her place down. She’d gotten the hint and taken off, the kid with her. “Tell you what, I’m going to do a little research on Tory Baltes. Maybe the crazy bitch got some wild hair to pay us back after all these years.”
“Makes as much sense as anything else in this mess,” Hans muttered. He looked Johnny right in the eye. “If I were you, I’d be extra careful. The way I remember things, when her place was torched, you were the one who lit the match.”
“You’ve got no call coming around asking questions about Ro. Acting like he was some sort of criminal.” Nora Parker sniffed indignantly and dabbed at her damp eyes with a tissue. Both of her chins quivered, and mascara was smeared in streaks beneath her eyes. Risa had never been able to figure out women who didn’t use waterproof mascara. Did they like looking like raccoons?
“We’re not accusing your husband of anything, ma’am.” Her tone was respectful but firm. “Something has to link the victims together. We think it might be an outside job they all held.” Not that there was anyone to verify that for Sherman Tull. His ex still hadn’t been located. But it was a question they’d be putting to Randolph’s estranged wife when she was questioned, as well.
“I . . .” The woman twisted the Kleenex between pudgy hands. “I just can’t help you. Roland never talked about another job. But he was gone a lot, at odd hours when he wasn’t on the late shift. Sometimes I know he was with friends. Just out with the guys. But others . . .” She raised tear-drenched eyes, the lids crusted with blue shadow. “I thought maybe he had a woman on the side. He always denied it. But a part of me wondered.” Nate’s cell rang then, and he got up and moved away to answer it.
“What about when he retired?”
The other woman drew another tissue from the box and blew noisily. “What about it?”
“Surely he was home more. You retired at the same time?”
Nora nodded uncertainly. Risa gave her a reassuring smile. “So you know how he passed the hours. Who he spent them with. Easier to keep track of each other when you’re both home full-time.”
“He’d turned into a homebody. We both did.” Nora nodded determinedly. “We were making plans of maybe