Chapter 18 #2
“Sorry, I get asked for the spiders that enhance your sex life a lot. Especially when there’s an age gap.
My bad. Anyway, depending on the spider, venom can kill in a second or leave the victim to die a long, painful death.
” He listed off several spiders to watch out for and what the effects would look like.
As he talked, Rarity could feel Jonathon’s eyes on her. It was going to be a long, quiet ride home. Unless she explained to him what Todd had been talking about. She broke into Todd’s monologue.
“So, where would someone get enough venom to kill a full-sized man almost instantaneously?”
“Dude, are you looking at murder or assisted suicide? Either way, there are laws against both. I can’t help you kill someone. It just doesn’t feel right.” Todd held his hands out between them and took a step back, running into a cage.
“No, we’re not killing anyone. Someone already died and we’re trying to find out why,” Rarity said, patting down the air in front of her with her hands. The last thing she wanted was for Todd to freak out and let these spiders loose on the floor.
“Oh, well, there are places that milk the venom out of spiders. They shock them. It’s cruel and inhumane, in my opinion.” He tapped the glass in front of a large wolf spider, according to the sign on the glass cage. “Isn’t it, buddy?”
“How do you get this venom? Buying on the black market?” Jonathon stepped into the questioning.
“I, of course, have never done such a thing, but if you ask Jax, he can give you a card and an email address. Send this dude what you need, then he’ll give you a price.
When you pick up the venom, you pay the cash.
Easy peasy. But don’t tell Jax I told you.
He doesn’t think anyone knows about his connections. ”
Jonathon took Rarity’s arm. “Thanks for the information, Todd.”
As they walked toward the door, she paused at the empty cashier counter. “We need to talk to Jax.”
“No, we need to get this information to Drew and he’ll have someone come talk to Jax. Having one supplier doesn’t mean he was the killer’s supplier. Let’s let law enforcement take this arm of the investigation from here. You did good finding this possible murder weapon. Take the win.”
As they got into the truck, Jonathon started it, then moved to the next parking lot.
They could still see the front door of the store.
But, from the angle, Rarity didn’t think Todd or Jax could see their truck unless they stepped outside to look.
She turned to Jonathon. “Are you sure we shouldn’t talk to Jax? ”
“Positive. This is why I’m part of the group. To keep you all from crossing the line. One person is already dead. Let’s let Flagstaff come over and chat with Jax about his side business.” He turned the radio’s volume down. “Let me call Drew, then we’ll go grab lunch.”
Once the call was made, they settled on a Mexican restaurant, and after ordering, Jonathon pulled out the small notebook he always carried. “You did good with this. What made you think of the spiders?”
“A really bad dream,” Rarity said, sipping her frozen margarita.
She wasn’t driving, and being around all those spiders had given her nerves a twinge.
She told Jonathon about the dream. “I’ve also heard something about people using the spider bite as, well, you know.
So I got to thinking that if Mason and Talia had a spider as a pet, maybe he might think, why not.
Especially since from his to-do list, they were back together and she was moving back in. ”
“So that’s what Todd thought. That we were together and I needed some help in the bedroom.” Jonathon sipped his coffee. “Honestly, if not for Edith, and your age, you’d be my type, Rarity. You’re strong, independent to a fault, and intelligent. Archer is a lucky man.”
“I think that at times, he doubts that statement.” Rarity smiled. “Thank you, though. I should have thought that maybe Todd would get the wrong idea and I could’ve warned you.”
“It’s a bump to any older man’s ego to have someone think you’ve caught a pretty young thing. Just don’t tell Edith I said that.” He smiled as they brought out the food. “They’re always so fast here. I wanted to tell you what I found out about Talia Brooks.”
“Anything useful?”
“Well, Drew told me about the Netflix thing, and you were right. A quick call to her agent asking if she was being considered wiped that off the board. The agent wasn’t too happy that rumors were circulating since they were trying to get her a new role now.
If producers thought she’d already accepted something, they wouldn’t offer and probably wouldn’t let her audition.
He got off our call quickly, saying he needed to clean up this mess.
” Jonathon talked in the moments he wasn’t devouring his enchiladas.
Rarity had a chicken taco salad that was so good, she wanted to eat the entire shell. “So she was just trying to get attention at the showing. She seems to like that a lot. Was Drew able to verify if she and Mason were getting back together?”
“Drew no, but I have a friend in the LAPD. His wife has a gossip blog. I guess they call her an influencer now. He told me over drinks one night that she makes more money from advertisers than he does after almost fifteen years at the department. But he has benefits, she doesn’t.
Match made in heaven. Anyway, she said there were some rumors going around about Mason and another girl.
Someone who worked for him a few months ago.
Then last month, Talia announced that they’re back together and she’s moving to his mini mansion in the valley.
Daisy, that’s the wife, she talked to Mason, and he confirmed the Talia thing, but told her that the other thing was bogus. False news.”
“Or,”—Rarity was beginning to see between the lines—“Talia found out he was moving on and nixed it. Then came home.”
“That was my take. And Daisy’s. She said Talia’s one of those who doesn’t want something unless someone else has it.”
As she finished her salad, she thought about what Jonathon had found out.
Talia and Mason had been reuniting. Yet, when Rarity had talked to her that night at dinner, she’d mentioned Bret, and him going home for an audition.
And that he’d only come because he needed to see her.
Rarity needed to go back to her notes after she’d talked to Talia and see if she’d written down exactly what Talia had said.
And if Bret was here the night that Mason died.
Maybe he wasn’t happy with Talia’s new plans and had changed them?