pity on him and helped him with the paperwork. She asked questions, he answered, and she would fill in the lines. When it came to my name, my dad told her they were naming me after a great-great-great-grandfather who was a Civil War hero named Major Rockford Michael Jacobs. My first name was supposed to be Rockford, but the nurse took him literally and entered my great-great-great grandpappy’s title as my first name.”
“Oh, man. Was your mom upset when she found out?” Jonah asked. Felix’s eyes widened in alarm. Before Jonah could ask what his problem was, Rocky answered him.
“My mom died from her complications,” he said softly.
Jonah felt like a complete ass. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Rocky replied, patting him on the shoulder. “My dad remarried when I was five, and Michelle is the only mother I’ve ever known.”
“I don’t feel like such an asshole now,” Felix said.
“Don’t sound so smug. I still think you’re an attention whore,” Rocky told him.
The two of them verbally sparred for at least ten minutes before Jonah shoved them toward the backyard where he already had the ribs grilling.
“So, what did you find out about Bo Cahill?” Jonah asked Felix.
“He was a fifty-year-old black man who shot a twenty-six-year-old white man he caught raping his wife,” Felix said. “This Vanderwahl guy also happened to be the sheriff’s son. The prosecution claimed it was a consensual affair between Mrs. Cahill and Mr. Vanderwahl. They accused Bo Cahill of lying in wait to catch the two in the act.”
“That’s why they were able to convict him of murder in the first degree, which made him eligible for the death penalty,” Jonah said.
“Yes,” Felix said. “After reading the file, I believe Mr. Cahill was telling the truth. There’s more than one travesty of justice here, fellas.”
“Oh fuck,” Rocky said. “And Cahill was the sheriff’s guest until he was transferred to the state penitentiary after his conviction.”
“What do you want to do next?” Felix asked them.
“We dig up every rock until we find the truth,” Jonah said. “As expediently as we can because I don’t know how long Marla has.” He told them about Ellen’s caveat, and they both agreed.
“It could unravel quickly once we start pulling strings,” Rocky added.
Felix nodded. “The key is determining which are the right ones to tug.”
They spent the next few hours eating and formulating a game plan on how to attack both investigations simultaneously. There was no tension or lingering bitterness between them. Still, Jonah couldn’t shake the foreboding unease in the pit of his stomach. The repercussions of their investigations could be far-reaching, stirring up painful memories and trouble where they least expected it. He imagined the process was like poking a hornet’s nest with a stick. Some people wouldn’t want the truth to come out and would go to any lengths to keep it buried. Was Jonah prepared to feel the sting?
Hell yeah.
On Monday morning, Jonah wasn’t the least bit surprised when he swiped his badge and discovered his access to open the employee’s door was denied. He walked around the building and entered the same door as their visitors would. The receptionist looked nervous as he approached.
“G-g-good morning, Jonah,” she said, fidgeting in her seat and offering a nervous smile.
“Get him out here, Mary,” Jonah replied in response.
Mary didn’t ask which “him” he had referred to. She picked up her phone and dialed an extension while winding her pearl necklace around a finger. “Mr. Trexler, Agent St. John would like to speak—” Mary’s gaze jerked up to Jonah’s, and her pearl-winding halted. “Yes, sir. I’ll tell him.” She hung up the phone and grimaced. “He’ll be here soon.”
Trexler took his sweet time meeting Jonah in the lobby. “You had some nerve pulling a stunt like that, St. John,” Trexler snarled, his complexion was ruddy with anger. “Did you think the deputy director and I would overlook such a gross display of insubordination?”
“I had nothing to do with the article, sir,” Jonah said. It wasn’t a lie. They had agreed to discuss their next move, but Felix made a preemptive strike on his own.
A bark of dry laughter burst from Trexler. “How stupid do you think I am?” He held up his hand, showing his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. “I’m this close to firing you outright, St. John. I would be well within my right.”
“How so?” Jonah asked. “You can’t prove I had anything to do with the article. I’m not named as a source, and