20. Twenty #2
“We’re dealing with three dead couples,” Jack replied.
“Two of them had children, one did not. We believe they all received the phone calls.” He was all business as he ran through the list. “We have confirmation on the first and third. The second couple received a phone call shortly before they died, but we have no idea what was said.”
“And then there’s the symbol,” Charlie added. “That was in all three homes.”
“The symbol?” Knox lifted his chin.
I handed over my phone. “Have you ever seen that?”
He shook his head. “No, but you showed it to me already. I guess I kind of forgot about it.”
“The symbol was at all three scenes,” I said. “We didn’t notice it at the first scene, but the killer seemed insistent on making it more obvious at the second and third scenes.”
“We don’t know that,” Jack argued. “From our perspective, it looks that way. It’s not a fact.”
“No, but obviously the symbol is important.”
“It is,” Jack agreed. “You’re the only one who has ever seen it in another location.”
“And you saw it where again?” Knox asked.
“Archie Hayes.” I frowned at the memory.
“The developer?” Knox seemed thrown. “Why were you with him?”
“I told you that night at The Spotted Cat. He was the son of the woman who hired us to take out the ghouls.”
Knox shifted on his chair to look directly at me. “I kind of forgot about that. The ghouls, I mean.”
“Does that mean Dalton didn’t send shifters over to make sure the ghouls were gone?” I mentally added another item to my to-do list.
“If he said he was going to do it, he did,” Knox replied. “He’s the most responsible person I know, but I can text him.”
“I appreciate it.” I sent him a sarcastic smile just as the server appeared with our iced teas. Hope was back as she looked between us and saw distance.
Knox put his hand on my chair again without looking at her, as if knowing exactly what he was doing. He leaned closer. “You’re a pain in the ass,” he whispered for just my ears.
I smirked, amused. “Right back at you.” When I looked up, the server was gone. “So about the symbol,” I prodded, realizing Jack and Charlie were watching us, the latter with the sort of shiny eyes I knew meant she was going to force me into girl talk at some point.
“The symbol is obviously important,” Jack confirmed. “You already tried to see Archie and came up empty.”
“That’s because his son is a tool,” I replied. “He was no help. Archie was supposedly out of town when we dropped by. Maybe he’s back.”
“You say ‘supposedly’ as if you don’t believe it,” Knox said.
I shrugged. “I have no reason to believe he wasn’t in Baton Rouge. The son was in that band that night, the really bad one that made everyone drink too much.”
Knox frowned at the memory. “That band did suck.”
“They were the worst,” I agreed. “So bad. Like … so, so bad.” I cringed thinking about it. “He calls himself Blade. He still lives with his father. That’s a red flag.”
“Doesn’t your friend Lex still live with his parents?” Knox challenged.
“How did you … ?”
“I checked your entire team when we first crossed paths a few weeks ago,” he replied, not breaking eye contact. He wanted me to know he wasn’t sorry. “I thought living with his parents was a red flag too.”
“I understand that you don’t like Lex, but give it a rest,” I ordered.
“He helps his parents around the house because they’re older and …
.” I didn’t finish it out because it would have been a lie.
“Fine,” I muttered. “His mother still does his laundry, and he likes being doted on. Plus, living with his parents means he has nowhere to take his conquests, so they have to provide the location. That makes it easy for him to walk away.”
“What a prince,” Knox drawled.
“What is your deal with Lex?” I demanded, my temper ratcheting up.
To my surprise, Jack grabbed my wrist and tugged me to my feet. When had he even gotten up?
“I need to show you something,” he said, not waiting for me to respond. He dragged me through the door of the restaurant and to the sidewalk.
“What the hell?” I demanded. “Why are we out here?”
“Because you’re an idiot and the last thing we need is you to be distracted when people’s lives are on the line.”
“I’m not distracted. He’s a jerk. I don’t understand why he’s so interested in Lex.”
“He’s interested because you’re tight with Lex, and Knox is interested in you. He doesn’t want to step on Lex’s toes if you two are together.”
That was the most ludicrous thing I’d ever heard. “I already told him I’m not with Lex.”
“Maybe he wants to be sure.”
“Why?”
Jack cocked a challenging eyebrow.
“No way.” I shook my head. “It’s not that way between us. We’re just working together for the greater good of the city.” I should have stopped there. “Honestly, I don’t know what it is with you guys, Lex, and Toni, but there is nothing going on between Knox and me.”
Jack’s lips curved. “You’re saying everyone in your life believes there’s something going on between Knox and you.”
“I don’t think there is.” Almost as an afterthought I added the next part. “Knox doesn’t think there is.”
“You two are both idiots.” Jack was firm. “Unfortunately, you aren’t going to work out your stuff in time to benefit us on this case. So for now you have to move past it.”
“I’m not the idiot.”
“That’s up for debate. Just ignore what he says about Lex and realize it comes from a place of jealousy.”
“Whatever.”
“Just like your reaction to the server eyeing Knox as if he were a porterhouse steak and they were about to outlaw beef.”
My mouth dropped open. “I did no such thing!” I was outraged.
Jack didn’t quake in the shadow of my anger. “You are a very difficult woman. I get it. This is not the time for you and Knox to be doing … whatever it is you do. You need to look past it.”
“We’re not doing anything.”
“Great.” Jack’s expression was blasé. “Then there should be no problem when we split up to conduct research after lunch.”
I glared at him. “Of course not.”
“Good. Then there’s nothing else to talk about.” With that, he strolled back into the restaurant, leaving me outside to stew.
Just what the hell was he thinking?