groundbreaking of the club she'd created and then more trophies as she played socially later in her life.
He was about to turn away when his gaze landed on a photo of her with a male partner. They'd apparently just won a mixed doubles tournament. Julia looked to be in her forties and the man with her was Blake Cordero. He had his arm around her, and they looked very close. Had Julia been involved with Blake? That was a twist he hadn’t been expecting.
"Jax?"
He whirled around to meet Maya's enquiring eyes. "The police said we can go. What's wrong?"
"Look at that photo. Do you recognize the man?"
She followed his gaze. "Is that Blake?"
"It sure looks like it to me."
"He knew Julia. That's weird. Or maybe it's just a coincidence."
"Maybe," he conceded, but his gut told him this was a clue.
"Excuse me," one of the officers said. "We're going to finish our investigation. You need to step outside."
"Of course," Maya said.
They left through the front door, and there were a lot of eyes on their departure. Tennis players and neighbors were gathered out front, clearly realizing something was terribly wrong.
"Hey, what happened in there?" one of the older men asked.
"You need to talk to the police," he replied, ushering Maya into his car as quickly as he could. He started the engine and drove away, wanting to put some distance between themselves and the club.
"I never thought the visit would end like this," Maya muttered.
He drove several more blocks, then pulled over to the side of the road. "Are you all right?"
"I don't even know how to answer that question. I never saw anyone die before. It was terrifying and shocking."
"I know," he said solemnly. "That was rough."
"You seem calm."
"I'm still processing."
She stared back at him. "Did we do the right thing, not telling them what she said?"
"Yes," he said forcefully. "If the killer thinks their plan worked, you'll be a lot safer, and that will give us a chance to see if we can figure out who killed both Julia and your grandmother."
"I'm starting to think I'm way out of my depth."
"Starting to think?" he asked lightly, drawing an unwilling smile across her tight lips.
"Sometimes, I'm a slow learner. What should we do now?"
He thought for a moment. He needed to get Maya out of the line of fire, and he was already concerned that the killer might have waited around outside the house to see what happened. They could have been in that cluster of players and neighbors, which meant they would know that they'd been inside Julia's house, and they would know that he was with Maya. That thought tightened his lips. This trip could have blown his cover, big-time. But it was too late to do anything about that now.
And maybe if someone had seen them there, it would work to their advantage, or at least to Maya's advantage.
"I have an idea," he said slowly.
"Good," she replied. "Because I'm out of ideas."
"You need to go to the Firebird Club this afternoon."
"And do what?"
"Tell everyone you can find that Julia committed suicide and confessed to Natasha's murder. You want them to know the truth. You've also decided not to make a movie about her life, that too many people have already been hurt, something like that."
"You want me to show that I believe the setup," she said, a new light in her eyes.
"Yes. That should make the killer relax."
"And you're sure that person is at the Firebird Club?"
"I'm certain the rumor will fly around that club and beyond. The chess tournament starts at six tonight. Most of the old guys will be playing or spectating. It's a good opportunity to catch everyone in one place."
"That would make it easier. I like the idea. In the meantime, I want to talk to Blake Cordero again."
"It might be best to leave him out of this for now."
"Why? He could be the murderer, too. If I tell him the same story, won't that be a good thing?"
He frowned. It was one thing to have her make a statement in a crowded club and another to go to Cordero's home. On the other hand, Cordero probably wouldn't see them coming, and he could protect her.
"Jax?" she asked. "I know it's asking a lot, but would you go with me?"
"I'm definitely not letting you go there alone."
Relief flooded her gaze. "Thank you."
"I'm not saying it's the best idea, so maybe don't thank me yet." He started the car and drove down the street.