fight was for justice and maybe a bit of revenge against predators. His was for, what? Power and prestige? Or was there more to Nick Basanelli? “Why did you become a prosecutor?” I asked.
One corner of his mouth ticked up. “That’s a conversation we’ll have over drinks. Several.”
I tilted my head, my attention grabbed. Was Nick asking me out? Or was it a colleague type of comment? Tons of colleagues went for drinks after a trial. What did I want it to be? “Every time I ask you a question, you evade,” I murmured.
“Yeah.” He looked back at the stack of case files and research sheets. “I probably do. Have a drink with me tonight after work, and we’ll talk.”
That wouldn’t do. I had a spa appointment, and for what, I hadn’t even asked. Probably a facial or a massage. I’d be mellow and greasy and probably not prepared for drinks. Or I’d be pumped up with more intel on Melvin Whitaker, the drug trade, and how Aiden was involved. “I’ll have to take a raincheck on that,” I said.
Surprise flashed across Nick’s face to be quickly banished. “Sure.”
Triumph filtered through me, and I hid the accompanying amusement. Most women probably didn’t turn down an invitation from the handsome attorney. I cleared my throat and got back down to business. “What’s the connection between my former boss and the Lordes?”
Nick dragged a case file from the bottom of the stack. “Aiden was pinched in an effort to answer that very question.” Nick handed over several eight by ten photographs.
I pulled the first one closer to see Aiden and Scot meeting in a red booth in a darkened room. “Where is this?”
“Dunphey’s Bar over on Oakwood,” Nick said, sliding that picture out of the way. “This is down at the marina.” The second picture had Aiden on a sailboat at the lake and Scot leaning over the rail, their expressions intent.
I fought the urge to run my finger over Aiden’s angled face. “Who was under surveillance?”
“Devlin and the Lordes,” Nick said, showing yet another picture of my dead boss and Aiden together—this one at the park. “The DEA caught sight of these pictures and had Devlin taken in the drug raid with the hope of getting him to talk and implicate Scot Peterson. They asked for assistance from the local cops, so they wouldn’t tip their hand and show they were making a federal case. The local cops practically coerced your former boss to charge Devlin, hoping it would force a situation.”
I shook my head. “Why did the DEA raid our offices and arrest Scot? Aiden hadn’t had a chance to talk, or it looks like he didn’t, so why tip their hand?”
Nick tapped a pen on the table. “Because Scot was going to rabbit. He’d purchased a first-class ticket to Jamaica and was leaving first thing Saturday.”
I just couldn’t see Scot being part of anything illegal. He’d been the prosecuting attorney for years, winning the election every time he came up. I tried not to stare at Aiden’s mugshot on the wall. All right. “Does the name Melvin Whitaker mean anything to you?”
“No. Why?” Nick leaned toward me.
I told him about the elderly ladies, Randy Taylor possibly selling drugs to the blonde girl from the spa, and the scribbled note in Scott’s case file for Aiden that had Melvin’s name written down.
Nick listened intently and took notes. “When the private investigators you hired get back to you, let’s chat. The county will pay their fee. I think you might be on to something here.”
Maybe. “I have an appointment at the spa.”
He paused and leaned back, his eyes thoughtful. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
I shrugged. “I’ll be careful. If Randy’s blonde friend gives me an opening, I’ll just ask about drugs.” I gave up and looked at the mugshot. In it, Aiden’s hair was mussed and needed a cut, his jaw was whiskered, and his blue eyes pissed, even in the black and white photo. “You and Aiden are the same age, and both grew up in Silverville. Were you friends?”
“I’m a year younger,” Nick said. “And no. I was the golden boy, and he was the rebel.” Pure fact leveled out his tone.
“It looks like things haven’t changed,” I said, my heart hurting a little.
Nick followed my gaze. “Tell you what. Assist on this case, give it your all, including your connections, and I’ll help you help Devlin if I can.”