AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I agree. The Chief is going to need a lot more than just a tattoo.
Billy continues, “His wife, Judy—”
“Janet.”
“Janet, right. She’s got an attorney flying down from New York. It’s going to be a circus man.”
“It already is a circus.”
Just then, a knock sounds from the back door.
“Billy, I gotta go. Thanks for calling—keep me updated.”
I slip the phone back onto the mantle and hurry across the house, ready to send my fist into the reporter’s nose who had the balls to creep onto Sylvia’s property.
I swing open the door.
Jesse rushes in, winded, face beet red from the cold air.
I quickly shut the door behind him. “What the hell are you doing here, son?”
He doubles over, gasping for air.
“You okay? What’s going on?” I guide the kid to the kitchen table, glancing over my shoulder to ensure Sylvia is still asleep.
Jesse collapses into the chair.
I squat at his feet. “We need to be quiet, she’s sleeping—what’s going on?”
A bead of sweat rolls down his face. “I ran here. Parked the bike I found about a mile out.” He’s sucking in air as he’s talking. “Didn’t want the media people to see me.”
“Sit tight.” I rise, fill a glass of water, hand it to him. I watch as he chugs it in one go.
Jesse licks his lips, takes a deep breath, then looks up at me. “I needed to talk to you.”
“So talk.”
“You heard that my dad is awake?”
“Just now, this very second in fact. I know that he says he remembers a cross tattoo on the guy who pushed him.”
“Stroud.”
I nod.
A wry smile crosses Jesse’s cracked lips. “I got him, man. I got him.”
“What do you mean yougot him?”
“Well, I told the cops thatIsaw Stroud in my neighborhood the night my dad was pushed—didn’t want to get you in trouble.”
“Good. And?”
“And of course they didn’t believe me. So I camped out last night, right there at the police station, refusing to leave until someone took me seriously. Finally, that woman officer—Young—pulled me back for another interview. I told her to check Stroud’s cell phone GPS, to pin his location for the night my dad was pushed.” His smile grows. “She got a warrant from the judge to access the records, dude, and guess what—he wasthere.Right around midnight, just like you said. He was there, atmy house.He did it. Tried to kill my dad for fucking his girlfriend. They’ve got a warrant out for his arrest. Attempted murder, dude. We got him.”
I blink, processing. Between this and the fact that Harris saw a Celtic cross on the man’s arm who pushed him, the chief will have to interview Stroud. I can’t fight the smile. “Nice work. You got him, Jesse.Yougot him—You’re a hero.”
“That’s not all. I guess they traced his movements over the last few days and Stroud was in the same location that that Tennessee girl’s body was found. Crystal Cheri. They think he’s connected. They’re going to dig in.”
