School of Fish (Fish Out of Water #6) - Amy Lane Page 0,50

off and rolled his eyes, as though he’d just heard what he’d said. “Or not,” he muttered. “It is just as well that boy didn’t end up here this go-round. I think he’s done all the time he possibly can.”

Ellery nodded. “Yeah, well, keeping him healthy is a full-time job.”

“Good thing you’re on it,” Dave told him, winking.

“Thanks for keeping an eye out for Sean. It’ll help Jackson sleep.”

Dave grinned. “Just invite us to the next do. Practically made our year!”

“Ours too.” Ellery gave a brief nod and strode through the ICU, catching up with Henry and Jackson at the corridor. What he was thinking was that he and Jackson should have another party, because the people in their lives seemed to enjoy them and because Jackson was always so bemused to find he had friends.

What he walked into was a strategy session.

“The jail to get Tage Dobrevk out,” Henry said.

“Check.”

“Jenny Probst’s office to ask who knew about the file.”

“Check.”

“Ty Townsend’s place to ask him who was at the party.”

“Check.”

“His best friend’s place to get his story.”

“Check.”

“Tage’s parents to figure out where his brother and sister went.”

“Check.”

“I thought you said they were Russian,” Henry replied with a straight face.

Jackson’s eyes widened. “I will beat you,” he said, perfectly serious. “I will beat you and feed what’s left of you to my cat.”

“There won’t be anything left of me after you drag me all these places. Dammit, Jackson, split the fucking check here!”

Jackson turned to Ellery. “Bad news, Ellery. I’m about to turn our junior PI into cat food.”

Ellery tried to appear bored, but he really wanted to give Henry a raise. “Jackson and I will deal with Tage’s family,” he said before pointing at Henry. “You take Ty Townsend.”

“What do you mean, we?” Jackson asked, startled.

“I need to be there when they release Tage, and you need to talk to his family. You can drop me off at the office after that, and you and Henry can compare notes.”

“I don’t like this plan,” Jackson announced. “Henry—”

“Isn’t stupid,” Ellery said shortly. They strode past the corridor where the police were still congregating, waiting on news from Sean.

Jackson took a breath. “I’ll be back.”

Ellery made a sound of dissent, but Jackson was already on his way.

“Let him,” Henry said softly. “He’ll feel better. He’s not okay with Kryzynski being here.”

“So he lets those assholes beat on him and that makes it okay?” Ellery snarled.

“Yeah,” Henry said with a shrug. “A little.”

Ellery was afraid that if he rolled his eyes, one of them would pop out. “I am underwhelmed by that logic,” he muttered, and at that moment, raised voices down the corridor stopped them both.

They heard the ruckus, and the clatter, and then Jackson came flying out the door, stopped by the wall on the other side of the corridor. He ran a hand over his mouth, and looked at the back of it, grimacing a little at what he saw. Then he glared back in through the open door and snarled.

“Somebody get that man some ice!”

And with that, he turned around and walked back to them, split lip bleeding, and a bruise by his eye growing puffy as they watched.

“We can go now,” he said, not looking back. Henry and Ellery kept pace with him as they headed for the entrance.

“You had to,” Ellery said, irritation dripping from his voice.

“Oh yeah.”

“Couldn’t not do that.”

“Nope.”

Ellery let out a long breath, and Henry said, “How bad was the other guy?”

“Heh heh heh heh heh….”

As they burst out of the front glass doors into the balmy night, the security guards at the entrance glaring at them suspiciously, Ellery noted that Jackson’s pallor was much closer to normal, and the tightness around his eyes had eased.

Well, maybe some men needed valium, he guessed.

Some men did not.

“God!” Jackson burst out, running a hand through his hair. “Is it really this late?”

“After eight,” Henry told him with a yawn. “It’s been a bitch of a day.”

Jackson eyed him with concern. “You’re going home now, right?”

Henry lifted a shoulder. “Movie night with the flophouse guys. I’ll probably crash on their couch until Lance gets home.”

“Good,” Jackson said. “Get some food, get some rest. Text me when you’re on your way to Jenny Probst’s. I want to know what you come up with.”

“Deal. After you get Tage situated, we can meet at the office and go from there.”

Jackson nodded and was going to head to the parking structure when it was obvious Henry was turning toward the lot. “Henry,”