8. Law & Order
Law she has no Cartel association.
My eyes flick to Tim as we clock her occupation at the same time.
‘She’s a lawyer?’ he says incredulously.
‘She’s a legit high-priced lawyer,’ I add. ‘I guess that settles the question of who wanted their relationship kept secret. She’s not a lawyer for the Cartel.’
‘If she was with him last night, we need to know,’ Tim says what I’m thinking. Lifting his jacket carefully off the back of his chair, he shrugs it on.
‘Surprise visit to Ms. Montego?’ I smile for the first time all afternoon, my anticipation growing. We’re onto something. I can taste it.
‘Let’s fill the Captain in first.’ Naturally, my partner wants to follow protocol. I refrain from rolling my eyes.
‘Go ahead. I’ll catch up on messages,’ I say as innocently as I can.
Tim levels a knowing look at me before acquiescing.
Telling Jake what’s happening with the investigation is borderline at best. Plus, I hate being accountable and having to explain myself.
The only reason I get away with it is by being the best damn detective in the department.
Results and contacts in the supernatural world swing me a lot of goodwill.
But I can only push the Captain so far with this case before he reins me in.
So while Tim is in with Butch Buchanan, I flicker Ruby back to tell her what’s happening. And maybe a little about what happened with Jake earlier.
Then we take the Skyway, the interconnected streets high above the city.
I’m not exactly sure how it works, but it involves hover-tech and cold fusion, and only autocars can use it.
It reminds me of old movies where flying cars shoot across brightly lit bolts of energy.
From the ground, it looks like rainbows of lightning crossing each other.
It’s fast, energy-efficient, and less stressful than driving.
Taking it means we can discuss our strategy and dig deeper into Jason’s sometime girlfriend.
Gina Montego’s office isn’t far, so we shoot across the Skyway, hovering down onto an original NYC street within a few minutes. Although it’s just after six pm, we’re taking a chance she hasn’t left for the day.
The lawyer is locking up as we approach her twelfth-floor office, wearing a professional charcoal pantsuit with a black shirt, auburn hair tied neatly back in a high ponytail.
Up close, I notice a smattering of freckles across her pale skin.
She looks to be early thirties, but she could have had work done.
With green eyes framed by dark lashes, she’s pretty.
She also doesn’t look like the kind of woman who would have been dating Jason Rodriguez.
‘Ms. Montego? I ask, my wrist micro flashing my police creds as a holo badge between us. Tim does the same. ‘I’m Detective Sinclair. This is my partner, Detective Easten.’
She leans closer to read the holographic badges.
‘Paranormal Police Squad,’ she says warily, shields sliding into place. She’s going to play the lawyer with us.
‘May we come in and ask you a few questions?’ I use my best professional yet friendly we’re the good guys smile.
‘I’m assuming this is about Jason,’ she says, no inflection in her voice. I refrain from making any judgment. She may not have cared about him, or she may just not trust us. She’s a lawyer, so the second option is guaranteed to be accurate.
‘It is.’ I want to ask her why she hasn’t come forward. But it took us all day to make the connection, and as there was nothing to tie them together online, I have to assume their relationship is on the DL. Which means I need to know why.
She unlocks the door without speaking, and we follow her into an understated, expensive space, the holo-lights flicking on automatically.
Past the reception desk, I can see a guest lounge area with sofas and coffee tables. Beyond it are offices with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Gina stands just inside the doorway, a clear hint that we won’t be staying long.
‘We won’t keep you. We were told you had a relationship with Jason Rodriguez. Is that correct?’ Tim gently throws the first question at her.
‘I didn’t kill him,’ she immediately says.
She’s being defensive, and it sets bells ringing for me. I know Tim is getting the same gut warning. She knows something related to his murder, so we need to coax it out of her. Which won’t be easy with a lawyer.
‘We know that,’ my partner tells her before I can jump in. ‘Cause of death was blood loss from deep lacerations, exacerbated by a blow to the back of the head when he fell. We also know you weren’t with him in the alley when he died.’
Her defenses drop, just slightly. She’s hiding something, and we need her relaxed enough to trust us with it.
‘We need to know his movements before he was killed,’ I load my voice with sympathy and understanding. ‘Anything that could lead to finding out who did it.’
Normally, I would pull out the I know you care about him card, but it could have been purely about the sex. Keeping it under the radar, plus her hesitation in confirming they had any relationship, tells me either it didn’t mean much to her or she’s embarrassed by it.
‘Did he have any enemies?’ Tim adds. I glance at him. His face is relaxed and open, blue eyes showing a hint of compassion.