Page 85 of Diamonds in the Mud

Not wanting advice on my own love life, I let it go and nodded. “Okay, you can date him.”

Sabrina laughed. “Gee, thanks for your approval.”

“What do you want?” I leaned back in my chair.

Sabrina sobered. “The Madison County High School kid’s murder. Know anything?”

I shook my head. “You?”

She tilted her head slightly as her eyes ran over my face. “You’re lying.”

I mimicked her move. “So are you,” I said just as firmly.

“Rayne, we can help each other.”

“Why do you think that?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

She was silent for a moment. “Mason was a small-time dealer. Pot and roids mainly. He sold to most every football player around. He owed money.”

“To?” I asked. So far, she’d given me more info than any of the reports from the local PD had on the kid.

“Local gang. Word on the street was that he owed them so much, they’d stopped selling to him and had moved on to threats,” Sabrina added.

Which is why he’d gone to the Reapers for the deal, I thought. Trying to get more drugs to sell in order to pay his debts back.

“Okay,” I nodded. “Thanks for the info.”

“No.” Sabrina laughed. “Now it’s your turn.”

I thought about what I’d found out and wondered what the blowback would be if Sabrina reported on it.

“Mason’s throat was cut from ear to ear with an unknown weapon. His death was quick.”

Sabrina’s eyes narrowed. “Everyone knows this. What do you know?” She stretched the words out.

I sighed. “Whoever killed him stole everything except a brand-new pair of Air Jordans worth eight grand.”

Sabrina jerked slightly. “Okay.” She wrote something down in the little notebook she always carried around. “So our murderer doesn’t know about sports fashion. What else did the murderer steal?”

“Cash,” I said. “Drugs.”

“What kind?”

“Roids. Pot,” I answered. “Like you said.”

“So, you think it was his old suppliers?”

I shrugged. “What’s the word on the street?”

“Word is that it’s his new suppliers.” She leaned closer. “The Reapers. Declan, namely.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Has he been seen?”

She shook her head quickly. “No, but he’s built up quite the list of sins in his absence. Sort of like the boogieman. He’s being blamed for everything from theft to toothaches.” She leaned back. “Are you looking into the case?”

I lied and shook my head. “Out of my jurisdiction.”

She sighed and glanced around my office. “I don’t suppose you have any updates on Sharon’s murder or Evelyn’s hit-and-run?”