nothing, they’d left it in place, unlike Scot’s. Leaning over to type on my keyboard that unfortunately was missing the S, I conducted a criminal defendant search for Melvin Whitaker. Nothing. No arrests, no records whatsoever. Not even a parking ticket. Huh. Well.
Then I went through the database to find investigators who contracted with the prosecuting attorney’s office. While we worked with the police on every case, I wouldn’t mind an outside source on this one. I found the number for one of the Lugi uncles, who were distant cousins on my dad’s side and had been PI’s for years. I left a message asking for investigations into Melvin Whitaker, Randy Taylor, and Aiden Devlin.
Then I sat back in my chair and tried to reason through the last couple of days.
Indecision didn’t feel good, so I shifted through the case files on my desk and found Thelma Mullen’s folder and took a quick note of her address. Melvin lived right next door, so maybe I should actually do my job and start investigating these drug cases. The very least I could do would be a drive-by, and since the sun was finally not hiding behind June cloud cover, why the heck not?
Then, taking a deep breath, I called the one person I really didn’t want to talk to.
“Pierce.” Even the detective’s phone answering voice sounded cranky.
“Um, Hi. It’s Anna Albertini.” My voice sounded way too hesitant. “The DEA took most of our records, and I don’t have a casefile on Aiden Devlin. I don’t have even one document to use in prosecuting him.”
Detective Pierce was quiet for all of two beats. “Don’t you talk to each other over there?”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Basanelli already called earlier this morning, and I put him in contact with the DEA drug task force. He should have everything we have by mid-day, including all of the information on the Lordes.”
Oh. I closed my eyes and winced hard enough my nose hurt. Of course. “Lords? Who are they?”
Pierce’s sigh was forceful enough, I swear my ear burned. “Lordes with an e. They’re a motorcycle gang located north of Spokane that deals in drugs, guns, and everything else. Aiden is a Defender.”
A Defender? Episodes from Sons of Anarchy ran through my mind. “Motorcycle Gang or Club?” I asked, my voice shaking again. Darn it.
“What’s the difference?” Pierce snapped.
The difference was that one has sexy tough guys with muscles and hot bikes. The other killed people. “How long has Aiden been in this, ah, group?” I asked.
“Long enough, Ms. Albertini. It’s your job to put him away, and you should remember that. He’s a bad guy among really bad guys.”
The condescension in the tone made my teeth ache. “I know my job, Detective. Thank you for your help, and I hope you have a fantastic day.” It wasn’t a ‘bless your heart,’ but for northern Idaho, it meant the same thing. When all else fails, fall back on manners, which was a lesson I’d learned from every woman in my family. Even so, I hung up before he could say anything else. I thought it over. Nick was already on Aiden’s case. It didn’t surprise me. Nick wasn’t in the office, so he must be working from home. I needed to get my hands on that information.
For now, I grabbed my purse and headed for the door. It was time to get to work.
Summer hinted on the Chokecherry breeze as I drove through the retirement community. The flowering trees would only last a couple of weeks, but they were a welcome sight after months of grey sky and winter. Even so, in a northern Idaho spring, clouds could come rushing in any second to settle in for the week. For now, I lifted my face to the meager sun and enjoyed the drive.
Beyond a brick monument declaring the place ‘Sunnyside Retirement Community,’ perfectly tended lawns spread from single homes to duplexes, all green and bordered by flowering shrubs. The houses ranged from white to purple to an electric blue. Did older people go color blind? Or did they just have better senses of humor than the rest of us?
Double checking the address on my phone, I pulled into the driveway of a white duplex. The left side had wild pink trim along the edges and windowpanes, while the right had a muted tan.
I went for the pink side. Thelma opened the door before I could knock, wearing a short orange jumpsuit with lime green polka dots. “Anna. Oh,