Ride the Lightning - Aimee Nicole Walker Page 0,34
breath. “As am I.” Then filled her in on the rest.
“First, I am truly sorry to hear about Marla’s cancer diagnosis. I know how much you adore her. There’s nothing wrong with looking into an old case to ensure it was investigated properly either.”
“Are you going to reopen Earl Ison’s investigation?” Jonah asked.
“Of course,” she said.
“Did you know Milton and Morrissey?”
“Yeah,” Ellie replied. “They were getting close to retirement age when I joined the force. Both were absolute pieces of shit, so I’m not at all surprised by the lack of concern for a murdered drag queen. They didn’t like anyone who wasn’t white, straight, and male. I have no problem dragging their names through the mud if I find out they knew about the coercion.” There was noise in the background, and he could hear his aunt’s wife talking. “Sherry has lunch ready,” Ellen said. “You want to come over and eat with us?”
He did, but Jonah knew he would make lousy company. “Nah, but thanks.”
“Suit yourself. I’ll save some gumbo in case you change your mind.” Jonah whimpered and Ellie laughed wickedly. “I assume your podcast will continue investigating?”
“Yes, ma’am. I don’t know how much time Marla has left.”
“I understand and respect where you’re coming from, but please don’t do anything that will prevent us from getting a conviction. I want you to keep me in the loop. Pass along any important information you run across, and do not go public with anything else without my approval. Tell your asshole friend not to run any more articles, and I will guarantee he gets exclusive content once the case is solved. Fair enough?”
Fairer than he deserved. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Love you, J. You know where to find us if you change your mind and want to eat gumbo.”
“Love you too, Ellie.”
He felt much better after talking to her, even though he still felt guilty for the firestorm she faced.
By early afternoon, Kendall returned home, looking so thoroughly fucked that the man barely had the strength to wave as he passed through the house. Jonah snorted and continued looking through the renovation magazines until Rocky’s picture texts came through. Then he laughed until he cried. There was no need for Jonah to run the yoga instructor’s photo through facial recognition software because he knew the man’s identity. He quickly typed a message to Rocky. The yoga instructor is named Randy Dagger. He’s a gay porn star.
Rocky immediately called him. “Ahhhh. That’s where I recognize the stud from. The dude has a monster cock.”
“Mmmhmmm,” Jonah replied. “If your client’s wife is cheating, it isn’t with Jacque.”
Rocky chuckled. “My motto is: if you must hire a PI to find out if your spouse is unfaithful, the answer is most likely yes. But this woman… She takes the kids to school, goes to church, yoga, and various committees for causes she supports. I rarely see her talking to a man. She has lunch with her lady friend and plays tennis at the club.”
“Why are you assuming her affair is with a man?” Jonah asked out of curiosity.
“Oh, hell,” Rocky said slowly. “Why the hell didn’t I consider her lover could be a woman?”
“We’re brainwashed with heteronormative bullshit from birth,” Jonah replied. “Maybe the woman isn’t cheating at all. Surely your clients’ suspicions aren’t always proven correct.”
“They’re right ninety-five percent of the time, which is the reason for my motto,” Rocky teased.
“So, this woman is in the five percent, or she’s having an affair with her lady friend,” Jonah said. “What happens in the locker room at the tennis club, stays in the locker room at the tennis club.”
“You’re right, Jonah. I can feel it in my gut. I’ll need to be creative to catch her in the act.”
“Do you ever feel sleazy?” Jonah asked.
Rocky came back with a quick response. “All the time.”
“It can’t be fun exposing people’s secrets. Maybe she’s in the closet for a reason. What if her husband would sue for custody of the kids, or find ways to keep them away from her? Are you okay if that’s the consequence of your investigation?”
“No,” Rocky said after a long pause. “I’m also not comfortable lying to a client.”
“How are you lying?” Jonah asked. “You’ve just told me you’ve seen no evidence this woman is cheating. How long have you been tailing her?”
Rocky heaved a sigh. “A week.”
“How long does it usually take you to bust a cheater?” Jonah asked.
“A day, maybe two.”
“I think you know what the right answer is, Rocky. You’ve