 
BRUISED (BOOK 1)

BY

STACY-DEANNE

Copyright © 2015 Stacy-Deanne

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

Readers: Thanks so much for choosing my book! I would be very appreciative if you would leave reviews when you are done. Much love!

Email: stacydeanne1@aol.com

Website: Stacy's Website

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Twitter: Stacy's Twitter

Other titles by Stacy-Deanne Include:

Bruised Series

Stripped Series

Tate Valley Sexy Suspense Series

The Seventh District

Dead Weight

You're the One

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CHAPTER ONE

"You okay?" Homicide Detective Dee Quarter followed her partner, Lisa Swanson, out of Ernest Juarez's living room.

Uniformed officers and forensics examiners cleared the way for the beautiful, black detectives.

"Why you asking me that?" Lisa popped chewing gum into her mouth. "If I am okay?"

"Mmm." Dee shrugged. "Well, it's not every day we see a victim battered and bruised." She lifted an eyebrow. "So I wondered if it—"

"Evoked any memories?" Lisa stuck the gum wrapper in her pocket. "No. Not everyone who's battered and bruised reminds me of what happened. Can we get to the case, please?" She gestured toward the crowded hall. "So we got a huge Hispanic male beaten to death in his living room."

Dee nodded. "No murder weapon." She glanced around the area leading to the kitchen. "Or at least not one we see."

Lisa chewed. "No witnesses. Neighbors said they didn't see or hear anything."

"Except our friend in there who discovered the body." Dee nodded toward the kitchen.

"You spoke to him yet?"

"Nope. I decided to wait on you before I spoke to him." Dee presented a cunning smile. "Just didn't expect it to take a year."

"Well, excuse me for taking my sweet time, but Baltimore traffic is hell this time of night." Lisa pointed to the kitchen. "What's his name?"

"Jake Jenson."

Lisa went in. "Jake Jenson?" She stopped when she saw the attractive, sandy-haired white man at the kitchen table.

He lifted his head and planted his hands on the arms of his wheelchair.

Lisa nudged Dee. "Why the hell didn't you tell me he was in a wheelchair?" she whispered.

Dee slipped her hands in the pockets of her slacks.

"Jesus," Lisa whispered.

"I might be in a wheelchair but I'm not deaf." Jake turned his chair and looked Lisa straight in the eyes. "Wow. If I'd known the detectives on the case would be so beautiful I might've killed Ernest a long time ago."

The women gaped.

"Sorry." He smacked his lips. "That was a horrible joke. It just came out. I tell bad jokes when I'm nervous."

Lisa huffed. "And do you think that joke was appropriate seeing how you'd be the most likely suspect?"

"Oh, I know I am. I discovered my best friend bashed to death. I wouldn't expect anything less than you thinking it was me."

Lisa took out her notepad. "This is a murder, Mr. Jenson. Can you try to be serious?"

"I'll start by introducing myself properly." He wheeled toward her. "I'm Jake Jenson."

Lisa took his hand. "I'm Detective Lisa Swanson with Baltimore Homicide." She let go of his hand. "This is my partner, Dee Quarter."

Dee shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Jake laid his hands in his lap. "So fire away. Hey, why don't I save you the trouble? Uh, no, I don't have an alibi for the time Ernest was killed, which we all suspect was not long before I got here."

The women exchanged glances.

Jake counted on his fingers. "No, I don't have a reason to want my best friend killed. No, I didn't think he'd been acting suspicious lately as if someone was after him, and I am not sure who would wanna do this to him." He raised his hands. "Did I miss anything?"

Lisa opened her mouth to speak but tapped her notepad instead.

Jake chuckled. "I hate it when people do that."

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"What you're doing. I'm pissing you off. I'm annoying you."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am. I'm being an arrogant asshole, but you won't call me one even though you want to because I'm in a wheelchair. Tell me I'm lying."

"Look, you're not the first person I've—"

"Seen in a wheelchair? Flip it, Detective Swanson. How many times has someone told you that you weren't the first black person they've known or met? Now how condescending did that make you feel?"

"So you're being a jerk because I didn't call you an asshole?" She stroked the side of her smooth haircut. "That's a first. Yes, I do think you're an asshole but my mission is to find Ernest's killer and not trade witty insults back and forth with you." She winked. "Better?"

He tilted his head. "We're getting there."

"And since you so graciously took it upon yourself to assume you knew what we'd ask, could you tell us a bit about Ernest at least?"

"We've been friends since high school and were very close. He was thirty-five, like me. He was a great friend. We always hung out. All of us guys get together regularly here to play poker."

Lisa jotted. "And is that why you were coming here tonight?"

"We were just gonna hang out. Him and me."

"So he invited you over?" Dee asked. "Knew you were coming?"

"Yes, ma'am. I know what you're thinking." Jake smiled. "That if he invited me over than the murder was a surprise."

Lisa squinted. "Usually it is."

"No, I mean he didn't expect the murderer to come over. See, he knew I was coming over. The murderer knew Ernest, I'm sure."

Lisa stood to the side. "And how do you know the killer knew Ernest?"

"No forced entry." Jake wiggled his right foot.

He's not paralyzed?

He straightened up in the chair. "So no forced entry means Ernest let the killer in, right?"

"You're not paralyzed?" Lisa shut her eyes. "Shit. Sorry. It just came out. It's not my business."

"No, I'm not paralyzed." He clasped his hands. "I have incomplete paralysis."

What the hell does that mean?

She wouldn't dare ask.

"I can move my legs." He sat back. "I can even walk a little bit, but that's the extent of it." He rolled his chair back. "And let me save you the trouble of asking. I was in a car accident, okay?"

"Look, I'm sorry." Lisa exhaled. "I hope I didn't offend you."

"When people ask you a certain question a million times you tend to get used to it." His smiled faded.

"What did Ernest do?" Dee asked. "For a living?"

"He worked at AM Pharmacy. He was a pharmacist's assistant. Been working there for about ten years."

"So you don't know of anyone that would wanna hurt him?" Lisa tapped her pad.

"No, not bash him to death like that. I mean you gotta be pretty fucked up to do something like that. Course Ernest had beefs with people sometimes, we all do. But nothing that would warrant someone beating him to death."

"What about someone close to him?" Dee moved closer to the table. "Any feuding relatives or men he'd gotten into a fight with recently? Any exes?"

"Well, there's his soon-to-be ex-wife Tori. And, no, they were not exactly on great terms."

"So I assume things were getting nasty because of their impending divorce?" Lisa nibbled on her pencil eraser.

"Things were beyond nasty between them. Look, Ernest didn't want Tori anymore. He just wanted his daughter. They have a teenage daughter and they both wanted custody."

Lisa jotted. "That's a possible motive."

"Yep." Dee put her hand on her gun belt. "A very powerful one."

"I've been pondering if Tori could do something like this." Jake waved his hands. "As much as I don't like her, I can't believe she could kill him. Besides, she's like five-five and Ernest was six-two and two hundred pounds. You think she could beat him like what we saw in there?"

"She could've hired someone to," Dee said.

Lisa scratched the side of her head with the pencil. "You mean as intelligent as you are about crime, Mr. Jenson, that didn't cross your mind?"

"Holy shit." He rolled his chair back and forth. "Oh, man." He tapped his lap. "That bitch did it, didn't she?"

"We're not accusing anyone until we see something substantial," Lisa said. "But we'll talk to her in the morning. You mind giving us her number and address?"

Jake did. "She should be at the dentist office on Fifth tomorrow. That's where she works."

Lisa nodded and jotted. "Can we have your information?"

Jake gave them his number and address. "Anything else?"

"No." Lisa put her notepad away. "But we'll definitely be contacting you again."

"Is that a promise?" He sniffed Lisa's pants as he left the kitchen.

She pulled at her pants. "Did he just sniff me?"

"Told you about wearing that cologne and driving all these men crazy." Dee straightened her blazer. "So what do you think of Mr. Jenson?"

"Strange as hell. I mean who cracks a joke like he did right after their buddy's been killed?"

"Well, he did say he tells bad jokes when he's nervous."

"Yeah, but that's... We gotta keep an eye on him."

"So what is it? I mean you think he killed Ernest and called us?"

"It's been done many times before. It's the perfect diversion. Killer pretends to be the one who found the body."

"But he's in a wheelchair. I mean it's hard enough for a regular person to beat a man Ernest's size and so viciously. You really think Jake could've done that?"

"You know the biggest thing I've learned in five years of being a detective?"

"What?" Dee crossed her arms.

"That many times it's the ones you least expect."

"I don't know about that but I do know one thing." Dee glanced down the hall.

"What?"

"He sure is fine. Don't you think so, Leece?"

"Please."

She made her way down the hall.

CHAPTER TWO

Lisa entered the waiting room of the dentist's office the next morning. A little old woman with a swollen jaw sat beside a dusty, fake plant in the corner. A middle-aged brunette looked up from her magazine then went back to her business.

"I said get out!" a woman yelled from the little room behind the counter. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Hello?" Lisa rang the bell. "What's going on in there?" she asked the two women in the waiting room.

"I don't know but I wish the dentist would hurry the hell up." The old lady patted her jaw. "My head's about to burst I'm in so much pain."

"I said get out!"

"I'm not going anywhere!" Jake shouted.

"Jake?" Lisa ran around the counter and into the room.

A petite, Hispanic woman with blonde streaks and a stud in her nose was huddled in the corner with her arms full of files. "Get out!"

"What the hell's going on here?" Lisa stood in front of Jake. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He wheeled away from a desk sitting in the middle of the room. "The same reason you're here. I asked Tori to tell me where she was last night and she refused."

"I don't have to tell you a damn thing!" She moved toward the desk. "Who are you?"

"I'm Detective Lisa Swanson." She showed her badge. "Baltimore Homicide."

"Well, can you please get him the hell outta here?" Tori placed the folders on the desk. "I mean, he's nuts! He just rolled in here and started questioning me and I have no idea why."

"Uh..." Lisa held her waist. "Ernest is dead."

The color drained from Tori's face. "What?"

"Oh, come off it, Tori, you knew," Jake said.

"Just hold it!" Tori waved her arms. "He's..." She clutched her smock. "He's dead?"

"I'm sorry," Lisa said. "I know this is hard but I need to talk to you."

"Oh." Tori sat behind the desk. "So if you're here it means that he was murdered. Oh, God." Her eyes widened and then she looked at Jake. "So you think I'd do something like that, Jake?"

He pushed his wheelchair against the desk. "I demand you tell me where you were last night."

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Lisa pulled Jake's wheelchair back. "You're not a cop so you don't have the right to demand anything. She doesn't have to talk to you."

"Well, why would she not tell me where she was last night if she's so innocent?"

"Because, once again, she doesn't have to tell your ass anything." Lisa held the door of the little room open. "You might think you're a cop but you aren't. Now please leave."

"Leave?" he scoffed. "She might've killed my best friend and you want me to leave?"

"I want you to let me do my job." Lisa gestured out the door. "We're done here."

He shook his head and wheeled out of the room.

Lisa shut the door. "I apologize. He had no right to even be here."

"He's dead?" Tori planted her hands on the desk. "How? Why?"

"He was beaten to death. Jake found the body."

"Oh, my God." Tori put her hand over her mouth. "I can't believe this. We just talked yesterday evening. You sure it was murder?"

"Oh, yeah." Lisa got out her notepad. "He was beaten so badly you could hardly make out his face." She whistled. "Whoever killed him was extremely angry."

"Oh, wait. So are you here to tell me Ernest is dead or to accuse me?"

"I'd just like to ask some questions so that I know where to begin."

"Maybe I should call a lawyer?"

"Do you have a lawyer?"

Tori stood. "I didn't kill Ernest. Yes, we hated each other and, yes, I said many times I wanted him dead, but I couldn't kill him. Ernest is the father of my child. No matter what I thought of him, I couldn't hurt him."

"What you just said was quite interesting." Lisa stood up. "What would make you want Ernest dead?"

"I used to want him dead." Tori hugged herself. "But, uh, he finally let me go so I could live my life again."

"Live your life?"

"The reason Ernest and I were getting a divorce in the first place is because he..." Tori's voice shook. "He was very abusive."

Lisa's heart skipped a beat. "He...beat you?"

"I was with him for fourteen years." Tori moved a strand of hair from her face. "I loved him."

"You stayed fourteen years with a man who beat you? Had he done it the entire time?" Lisa tried to shake the weakness out of her voice. "Or did it start later on?"

"I should've seen the signs." Tori looked away. "He was kinda controlling and jealous when we dated but—"

"You thought of it as a compliment, right?" Lisa's hands shook. "That a man would love you so much that he'd get so mad over you?"

A tear fell down Tori's cheek. "All my life that's the only type of love I saw from men. My dad beat my mom." She shook her head. "Damn near killed her, and I thought it was supposed to be like that. Then I dated men who beat on me and—"

"Pretty soon it was the only type of love you knew or even wanted."

"I know to you that's gotta be pretty fucked up, huh?" Tori wiped her eyes. "I'm sure a woman like you wouldn't understand. I'm sure you're stronger than I've ever been."

"Being hit has nothing to do with a woman's lack of strength. It has to do with her confidence." Lisa moved away from the desk. "I hope you got that under control."

"You know, I don't even care about the past anymore." Tori sniffled. "I just want to be with my daughter. She's a teenager now. I want her to see that a woman doesn't need to be hit to be loved. I don't want her to continue that cycle." Tori stood up and walked to the door of the room. "He was using this custody thing to get back at me for leaving him." She balled a fist. "And despite all the hell he put me through, that's the one thing I won't ever be able to forgive him for."

****

Jake rolled his wheelchair up to the glass doors of the dentist office as Lisa walked out. "What did she say?"

"Jesus." Lisa sauntered to her car. "I told you to leave." She got out her car keys. "This is police business. How did you get down here anyway?"

"I flew." He swerved his wheelchair beside her. "That's my ride over there." He dipped his head in the direction of a shiny, black truck.

The man in the driver's seat waved.

"I can drive a little bit but he's my primary transportation. What did Tori say? You think she did it?"

"What is with you, huh?" Lisa opened her door. "You think you know everything about solving crimes. What are you so fascinated about this for?"

"Well, if you must know..." He slid closer to her. "I was gonna be a cop but it didn't work out."

"Because of your accident?"

"Nah, it was way before then." He rubbed the handle on his chair. "I probably know as much as anyone about solving crimes and what it takes, but as far as the physical aspect, I just never made the cut. So we done changing the subject? What did Tori say?"

"She has an alibi. She was in class at the community college last night."

"You gonna check that out?"

"Gee." Lisa rolled her eyes and got in her car. "I hadn't thought about that but I guess I should, huh?" She tried to close her door. "Move."

He rolled back. "You don't think she did it, do you?"

"Excuse me?" She put the key in the ignition.

"So did she lay some story on you and you started feeling sorry for her? It's a game she plays. Tori's always made herself out to be the victim. It's how she gets away with every damn thing."

"So you know so much, huh?" Lisa ran her hand down the steering wheel "Then why did she and Ernest break up?"

"Because they fought constantly. Ernest could do no right in her eyes but he loved her to death. He gave her everything."

"Yeah, including black eyes and bruises?"

"What?"

"Seems to me you don't know as much about your 'good' buddy Ernest as you think. He beat her."

"What?" He laughed. "That's crazy."

"Well, that's what she says and I believe her." She tapped her foot. "The grief and fear she showed as she spoke about it...you can't fake that, Jake."

"Bullshit. Ernest was my friend. Sure, they had fights. Some bad, but he never hit her. Did she tell you about the time she hit him with a frying pan? If anyone's been abusive, it's her. She's running a game on you, Detective. She's never once acted like Ernest has ever looked at her wrong let alone hit her."

Lisa gripped the handle of the car door. "And how does an abused woman act? Is there some script to follow?"

"No, but you're a cop. I'm sure you've come in contact with those type of women. Does Tori strike you as being abused?"

"All types of women can be abused, Jake." She put her hand on the steering wheel. "It doesn't discriminate. Abuse can happen to any woman no matter her upbringing, her culture, her career, or her strength. The thing about abuse is it tears you down. It can take the strongest woman and completely break her. It's clear to me that with your lack of sensitivity and ignorance you don't know a damn thing about abused women." She started the car.

"Wait a minute."

She slammed her car door.

"Hey." He tapped on her window.

She rolled it down.

"I'm sorry if I said anything insensitive, but if Ernest had been abusive I think I'd know. I never saw a bruise on her."

"And do you have any idea how many women are abused and no one, not even the people closest to her, knows? It's hard to hide bruises but it can be done."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Do you have any idea how much an abused woman works to hide that secret?"

"I..."

"Exactly."

She drove away.

CHAPTER THREE

An Hour Later:

"Sleep? I haven't slept well in days." Lisa lay on Dr. Guzman's couch. "They've started again."

The mature woman sitting across from Lisa slipped on her glasses and grabbed her notepad. "The nightmares?"

"They went away for a while but no matter how much I try to put it behind me it's like something doesn't want me to forget."

"That's because you have to fully face what you went through."

"I do face it." Lisa laid her hand over her eyes. "I face it every goddamn day and I'm sick of facing it."

"The only way you can come to terms with it completely is to not feel like you have to hide it. As long as you hold on to shame, you'll never fully move on." Dr. Guzman crossed her long legs. "For you to come see me out of the blue on your lunch break says a lot. What happened?"

"I'm on a new case and it turns out that the man murdered might've been abusive. At least that's what his estranged wife says."

"Do you believe her?"

Lisa hung her arm over the side of the couch. "She had that same fear in her voice and look in her eyes that I used to. It was like I was looking at myself, you know? My hands even started to shake." She patted her chest. "Took me back, you know?"

"Do you think you can be objective on a case involving a man that was abusive?" Dr. Guzman jotted. "Do you think he deserved what he got?"

"No one deserves to die the way he did, but I admit my sympathy waned a bit. But I'm a cop, right?" She sat up. "It's my job. I mean, I've had to solve murders of people I hated and it didn't make any difference to me. But Jake..." She blew a breath. "He really hit a nerve."

"Who's Jake?"

"He's the best friend of the deceased. He said that Tori didn't 'act' like a victim."

"Oh." Dr. Guzman pouted her lips. "Must've been hard to hear that, huh?"

"You see why I work so hard to hide it? I mean, people have their own ideas of what an abused woman should be. They think it has to do with strength, but no. Anyone can be abused and I told him that. Hell, you think he'd not be so judgmental seeing how he's in a wheelchair. You think he of all people would be more open-minded."

"Why? Just because someone is disabled doesn't mean they can't be a jerk." Guzman smiled. "Doesn't mean they can't be insensitive or wrong. He's still human. Is what Jake said bothering you or is it bothering you that Jake said it?"

"And what does that mean?"

"You usually don't care what anyone thinks, but you seem to have taken what Jake said to heart. Is there some kind of connection brewing?"

"What? You mean do I like him?" Lisa crossed her legs at the ankles. "I just met him yesterday. I don't even know him."

"Well, if you don't like him then why are you so worked up?"

"Oh, maybe it's because I was abused and he was a complete ass for what he said."

"So you don't like him? You don't find him attractive?"

"I...I didn't say that. He's very good looking and kinda charming in a cocky sort of way. But if you think there is romance going on here, you're wrong."

"All I know is that I've been working with you for the last year and this is the first time you've mentioned a man other than Mason."

"Ugh." She touched her stomach. "Please don't say his name."

"Well, he's why we're here, isn't he? As for Jake, it's okay to feel something for him. You don't have to be afraid of that."

"I'm not afraid." She stood. "And this is ridiculous. I'm not interested in any man and certainly not some jerk in a wheelchair. Can we drop this, please?"

"If you like him you won't be able to run from that forever. And you're going to have to open up to people about what happened to you." Guzman set her notebook aside. "I just hope you'll be able to deal with it when the time comes."

****

Dee stopped Lisa at the soda machine when Lisa got back to the station. "Guess who's sitting at your desk with flowers." Dee smiled from ear to ear.

"Flowers?" Lisa got a cherry soda from the machine. "No one ever gives me flowers."

"Well, someone certainly did today." Dee hooked her arm in Lisa's and walked her to their desks.

Jake turned when he saw Lisa. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?" Lisa unhooked her arm from Dee's. "You're the last person I want to see right now."

"I know." He took the bouquet from his lap. "These are for you. I'm sorry if I upset you earlier. Though I'm curious as to how I did exactly."

Lisa took the flowers. "It's been so long since a man gave me flowers."

Dee smiled. "Well, I gotta make a trip to the file room." She got a folder off her desk. "Be nice, Leece." She left.

"You didn't have to do this." Lisa sat behind her desk. "It really wasn't that big of a deal."

"Oh, it didn't seem that way to me." Jake rolled to the side of her desk. "Why did you get so upset? I understand I might've made some idiotic comments, but it seems like more than that."

"It's nothing." She opened a desk drawer and took out a cinnamon roll wrapped in plastic. "It's just not right to take abuse lightly, you know? Just because you claim to not see it, doesn't mean it didn't happen."

"Look, I do not agree at all with abuse in any shape or form. Anyone who knows me will tell you that."

She unfolded the plastic from the sticky roll.

"But I knew Ernest and despite of the flaws he had, he'd never hit a woman. I'm telling you that he loved Tori to death."

"Most men who abuse women think it's a sign of love." She licked icing from her thumb. "You ever thought of that? Look, if you never experienced it then you can't understand it."

"Have you experienced it?"

"I, uh..." She swallowed a piece of the roll. "I have a friend who has and you can't imagine the hell she went through."

"I'm sorry about that." He scooted closer to her. "I bet your friend's glad she has you."

Lisa licked her thumb.

"You know I didn't just come to bring you flowers." He ran a rough hand through his hair. "I wanted to see if we could have lunch together."

"That's sweet, but I just came from my lunch break." She flipped through papers with sticky fingers. "And, in case you've forgotten, I'm working on a case. Your best friend's murder case, remember?"

"It doesn't mean we can't take time to get to know each other better."

"You ever watch The First Forty-Eight?"

"Of course."

"Well, they call it that for a reason."

"Oh, you're a hard one to crack, huh?" He sighed. "If you don't wanna have lunch then just say so."

She wiped her hands on a napkin. "It's not that I don't want to."

"Then what is it?"

"I, uh..." She turned from his intense stare. "Just think we should keep our mind on the case."

"Well, if that's true then you'll be glad to know I checked out Tori's alibi and she was definitely in class last night."

The sweet bread stuck to the inside of Lisa's mouth. "You checked?"

"Well, yeah."

"I don't believe this." She moved papers aside.

"Look, Ernest was my friend and I can't just wait around. Anyway, I didn't have anything else to do."

"What will it take to get through to your obviously thick skull that I'm the one with the damn badge, Jake? I admit this was a little cute at first, but now you're stepping over the line. Stay outta this case. I mean it."

He smiled. "No chance."

"I'm not asking you, Jake." She put on her reading glasses. "I'm telling you."

He squinted.

"What are you staring at?" She switched her computer off hibernation.

"You look pretty in glasses."

She took them off.

He scrunched up his face. "Why did you do that?"

She logged on to the Internet.

"Oh, I get it." He nodded. "This is your usual approach to guys, huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, Dee told me that guys have tried and failed."

"Why are you all up in my business? Slow your roll big time, okay? There is nothing between us except this case. You're just the dude that found the body. That's all."

"No, I think I'm more. It's obvious that I push your buttons. I wouldn't do that if I was just anyone."

"So what are you saying?" She rested her hands on her keyboard. "What? You think I like you or something?"

He shrugged. "Do you?"

"Leece!" Dee ran up. "I just got a call. We might've found the murder weapon."

"Seriously?" Lisa pushed back from the desk.

"They found a bloody, steel bat in one of the dumpsters about a block from Ernest's place."

"Shit," Lisa said. "We need to get down—"

"Come on!" Jake moved to the front of Lisa's desk. "We need to get down there."

Dee covered her grin.

"Look, I'm sick of this." Lisa stood. "You're not going any damn where, Jake. You are not a cop."

"Come on, let me go." He threw his head back. "I won't get in the way. I promise."

"You're in a wheelchair but are you deaf too? Hell no, you're not going. Look, we, Dee and I, need to get down there. I don't know what the hell you need to do." Lisa closed her blazer. "Let's go, Dee."

"Wait." Jake rolled behind them. "What the hell am I supposed to do?"

Lisa answered without turning around. "When they start paying me to care about what you do, I'll let you know."

"Wait." He stopped between them. "Did you say a baseball bat, Dee?"

"Why? Does that mean something?"

"Ernest coached little league baseball at the Johnson Community Center. He recently got in a big fight with Jerrod Carson, the custodian there. Carson's kid was one of Ernest's players. Apparently, Carson didn't like Ernest's coaching methods, and they went to fists."

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Lisa asked.

"I just now thought of Jerrod when she mentioned the bat."

Dee got her keys. "So what do you want to do, Leece?"

"You go see about the weapon and I'll go talk to Carson."

"Okay." Dee left.

"What about me?" Jake rolled alongside Lisa. "What do I do?"

"Nothing!"

She turned the corner and ran downstairs.
CHAPTER FOUR

"Look, I'd like to help you any way I can, Detective Swanson." Jerrod Carson sat his portly body on the bleachers in the Johnson Center gymnasium. "But I don't know anything about Ernest's murder. This is horrible. We didn't get along, but I wouldn't want anyone dead."

"So why didn't you two get along?"

"I never liked how he was with the kids. He was too rough. He'd be ranting and cursing when they did something wrong. It just wasn't right. The other parents were scared to say anything, but I wasn't gonna let him talk to my boy like that." He flung his arm about. "They are just little babies. He's supposed to teach them sportsmanship and how to win the right way. Instead, he taught them that you can do whatever you want as long as you win." He pulled on his graying blond beard. "So I confronted him because he cursed my boy out. Had him crying his eyes out. Then he called him a sissy."

Lisa jotted his words down.

"You don't call no young boy a sissy like that and in front of the other kids. Because of that they started teasing him and my son didn't wanna play anymore. So, hell yeah, I was mad. I confronted Ernest, he cursed me out, I cursed him out, and then we got into a fight. That was the last time I saw him."

"How long have you known Ernest?"

"About ten years. In the beginning we were cool but then he started asking me for money all the time."

"Money?"

"Yeah, he couldn't ever keep no money. That's one reason he and Tori didn't work out. He'd take every little bit of money they had and gamble it away."

"He gambled?"

"Shit." He leaned back. "If the casino was a state, he'd be a citizen. Man, he ate, drank, and slept gambling. Couldn't keep two dollars in his pocket. He almost put his family in the poorhouse. Shit, I don't know why Tori stayed with him as long as she did."

Lisa pointed with her pencil. "So how often did he ask you for money?"

"All the damn time. I used to try to help him out but it got to where he never paid me back. Shit, I ain't rich. I got a wife and kids myself. I don't have money to be throwing away. Ernest begged all the time. That's why he couldn't ever keep any friends." Jerrod rubbed his knuckles. "I bet you his death has to do with owing somebody money. He owed everybody he knew something."

"Lisa?" She heard Jake's voice behind her.

"I don't believe this." She hit her palm to her forehead. "Does a brick have to fall on you for you to get the point?"

"Nope." He looked toward Jerrod. "Jerrod."

Jerrod motioned to him. "I'm so sorry about Ernest. I know we didn't get along, but I never wanted anything to happen to him."

Jake looked Jerrod from head to toe. "I wanna believe that."

Jerrod's bushy eyebrows wiggled. "It's the truth."

"Forget him." Lisa waved in Jake's direction. "What were you going to say about Ernest before we were so rudely interrupted?"

"Well, maybe he owed someone money and they killed him," Jerrod said. "I mean, I wasn't the only one he was hitting up."

"That's a lie," Jake said. "I mean, Ernest used to have a problem with gambling but he'd gotten better."

"Either you're a gambler or you're not," Jerrod said. "There's no in between." He stood. "I gotta finish my work."

Lisa tapped the pencil on her chin. "You mind telling me where you were last night between seven and nine?"

"I went to see my mother." He got the mop and bucket from the corner. "She's in Ferritin Hospital. She slipped in the tub and broke her leg."

"Ouch," Lisa whispered.

Jerrod pushed the mop into the empty bucket. "I was there at least four hours. We watched Dances with Wolves. May I go now?"

Lisa nodded. "Thank you for your time."

He left the gymnasium.

"So what do you think?" Jake asked. "You gotta check out his alibi."

"Duh." She put her notepad in her pocket. "You're something else, you know that? I've had yeast infections that were easier to get rid of than you." She walked toward the doors.

"One thing you should realize about me, Lisa, is that I'm very determined."

She turned toward him. "You seem to forget that you're just as much a possible suspect as Tori and Jerrod. You found the body."

"Come on. You know I didn't do it."

"I don't know that. You said you could walk a little bit, right? How do I know you can't walk enough to kill a man?"

His face turned red. "Ernest was my best friend. I'd never hurt him."

"I'm just saying that you shouldn't be so cocky and think that you're cleared. Tori and Jerrod have alibis. We know you were at Ernest's."

"Not at the time of the murder." He clenched a fist. "You know I didn't do it. I know you believe me."

"You just met me so I wouldn't be trying to read my thoughts if I were you." She checked her watch. "I gotta go."

"Hey." He wheeled to the doors and blocked her exit. "How about dinner tonight?"

"I'm flattered, but—"

"I'm a big boy, all right, Lisa?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"It means if you don't wanna date me because I'm in a wheelchair, you can be honest about it."

"Don't be silly. This has nothing to do with you being in a wheelchair." She straightened up. "Don't you want me to do all I can to find Ernest's killer? How can I do that if I'm distracted?"

"Ah, I see." His face lit up. "So I'm a distraction? See, I knew you liked me." He sucked his lip. "I think you like me a lot."

"You don't know what I like."

He held the door open with his chair. "Oh, I know you like me." He rolled over the threshold. "I'd bet my money on it."

****

That Night:

"No, trust me, Guy." Jake placed their plates in his kitchen sink after dinner. "The person who killed Ernest definitely knew him."

"Not necessarily." Guy got two root beers out of the fridge. "He could've let a stranger in thinking it was safe and he got killed." Guy closed the refrigerator door. "Happens all the time."

"No, listen." Jake took a root beer. "In at least ninety-five percent of murders with that much violence, and no forced entry, it's usually not a stranger." He opened the bottle. "You're forgetting crime of passion." He slurped. "You didn't see the body." Jake shivered. "It...man, if I didn't know it was Ernest I wouldn't have recognized him. Someone not only wanted him dead, they wanted him to suffer."

Guy sipped at his root beer. "It has to be connected to gambling then."

Jake yanked the bottle from his mouth. "But Ernest had stopped."

"If that's the case then why was he still hitting us up for money?" Guy picked lint off his jeans. "You really believe he wasn't still gambling?"

"He told me he needed money because he was behind on his gambling debts."

"Come on, man. You can't just stop being a compulsive gambler. It's an addiction." Guy slid the door to the patio open. "Let's go outside."

They went out onto the patio.
CHAPTER FIVE

"It's a beautiful night, huh?" Guy scooted a lawn chair closer to the little patio table and sat down. "Man, I just can't believe he's gone. I keep thinking about all the times we spent together." Guy laughed. "Remember when he'd do his impressions? Remember his impression of Martin Lawrence?" He guffawed. "Remember when he'd do George Lopez? Shit, he could act just like him."

"I keep thinking he's gonna walk through the door or call." Jake stared at the pavement. "But I know he won't."

"So you say someone who knew Ernest most likely did it." Guy propped his feet up in the chair. "If it's someone he owed money to then we'll never find them."

Jake rotated the bottle in his hand. "It could be the damn mob for all we know. You know the kind of characters he got involved with when he gambled." Jake set his root beer on the table. "I wonder how well we knew him. What secrets he hid. I mean, Tori claims he was abusive."

"That's bullshit." Guy took a few gulps of his drink. "He never laid a hand on her."

"That's what we think, but can we really be sure? Why would Tori lie? I can't answer that and neither can you." Jake scratched his head. "So how can we say it's not true?"

"Well, there's one bright spot to this case at least." Guy stretched out. "Those detectives sure are hot, huh? When I first saw them I thought one of my porn fantasies had come true." He wobbled his head. "Two sexy chicks with guns? Oh. I wouldn't mind them taking me down for questioning." He grinned. "Especially the one you like."

"Lisa. Oh, man." Jake scooted up in his chair. "I felt so guilty because of what I was thinking when I first saw her. I mean, I'd just found my best friend dead and all I could think about was her and me sweating in between the sheets."

"Whoa." Guy stuck out his hand. "Tell me how you really feel."

"Look, it's been a while since I met a woman and felt that instant spark, you know? That hasn't happened since Katherine. She was the only woman I felt that way about. You think it's a sign that it's time for me to be in a relationship again?"

"Well, that depends." Guy propped his legs up in the chair. "Does Detective Swanson feel the same way?"

"She's not someone you can easily read, but that's what I like about her. She's a challenge." Jake ran a finger down the bottle. "You never know what she's gonna say next. I love her personality. She's so cute when she's trying to hide what she's thinking."

"And it doesn't hurt that she looks like Nia Long, does it?"

"Hell no." They bumped bottles. "But it's not just because she's gorgeous. There's a connection I felt the minute we started talking. But she's got a secret of her own. I can tell. Something she's desperate to keep hidden. I wish I knew what it was." He tapped the arm of his chair. "I'd like to be her friend, but I don't know if that's an option."

"Ask her out."

Jake finished his root beer. "I did twice and she refused. She claims I'm a distraction from the case."

"And in women speak that means she likes you but is afraid." Guy lifted his bottle. "Ask her out again. And next time don't take no for an answer."

****

Three Days Later:

Lisa and Dee arrived at Ernest's family church just as the funeral ended. A hefty crowd of people made their way out of the entrance. Sobbing women hugged and kissed each other on the cheeks. Teary-eyed men shook hands and talked in tight circles. The reverend consoled people as they parted.

Guy Feldman wheeled Jake down the ramp of the side entrance.

"God, I really hate doing this." Dee took off her shades. "I mean, at the man's funeral?"

"We have no choice." Lisa also took her shades off and put them in the pocket of her blazer. "Besides, I'm sure they would appreciate us being here since it's to help find Ernest's killer."

"Well, we'd better get started." Dee approached a group of elderly women in big hats.

Lisa greeted guests and then approached Jake and Guy.

"Detective Swanson," Guy said. "I guess you came to see what you could find out?"

"I'm so sorry about Ernest. I know you both cared about him a lot."

"I don't care what anyone says." Guy put his hands in his pockets. "I knew Ernest as a good guy and no one's gonna change that image for me."

"And no one should. May I speak to Jake alone?"

"Go on." Jake tapped the side of Guy's leg. "I'll catch up with you in a little bit."

Guy joined a group of distraught guests several feet away.

Jake blocked the sun with his hand. "What's up?"

"Why don't we go for a walk?" Lisa dropped her head.

Damn it.

"I..." She covered her eyes. "I'm..."

"It's okay." He buttoned his suit jacket. "I'm not offended at all."

"Jesus." She exhaled. "I don't know why I said that. I mean, I swore on the way over here that if I saw you I wouldn't say anything stupid or offensive and the first time I open my mouth—"

"Lisa." He took her hand. "It's okay."

Something about the way Jake looked at her. So transparent. So real.

She snatched her hand away.

So consuming.

"Did I do something wrong?" He rolled backward a little.

"No." She rubbed her hand. "I just don't think it's appropriate, you know?"

"Ah, yeah." He waved his finger. "Because of the case." He winked. "Got it."

She grinned. "So now you're mocking me?"

They strolled across the lawn.

"Look, I don't want you walking on eggshells around me." Jake repositioned his wheels. "I hate that I make you feel that way."

"I try not to." She stepped on a dead flower. "It's just not easy to be the person around the person that's..." She gestured to him.

"Disabled?"

"Yeah. I'm just being honest."

"I get it. I was the same way before I was disabled." He stopped beside a tree. "I just want you to be comfortable with me. I wanna be your friend."

"Why?" Lisa tore a leaf off the tree.

He made a sucking noise. "Because I think you need as many people in your life that care about you as possible. I know what you're thinking."

"Oh, do you?" She stood against the tree. "And what am I thinking?"

"You want to ask me how I ended up in this chair."

"No." She tore the leaf apart. "I don't ask anything that's not my business unless it has to do with a case."

"Oh, you're curious, all right." He rolled closer. "See, there are certain questions people have in their heads when they first see me. And by the stunned look on your face when we met, you had those same questions."

"I came here to see if I could find information about who might've killed Ernest. Not to play your games."

"You like my games." He moved his wheelchair back and forth. "And you like me."

She threw the leaf down. "I'm gonna go see what I can find out."

"Whoa." He rolled in front of her. "We were talking about all those questions people mentally ask when they first see me. I bet you were thinking, 'Oh, poor little wheelchair guy.'"

Lisa rolled her eyes.

"Then you followed that with, 'I wonder what's wrong with him?' Then it turned to, 'Was he born like this? Is he paralyzed?' Then we get to, 'Is he slow or special too?'"

"Stop it!"

He rolled back.

"Yes, I did wonder what happened to you, but I don't appreciate being treated like an idiot."

"It's just a point I was trying to make. Ever since I've been like this all everyone seems to see is my chair. That's all that ever matters to most people. Outside of a few friends, people don't ever wonder what I'm thinking or feeling. They just see me as a chair and not a man."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"Yes, it is. But I appreciate folks who are honest instead of those who patronize me. I mean, I go places and people stare. The first thing they wonder is what's wrong with him. Some ask, some don't. I get doors opened for me. I get free dessert at restaurants. But none of it's because I'm a nice guy." He chuckled. "It's because of this chair. To a lot of people all I am is a chair."

"Jake." She touched his shoulder. "I swear I don't think of you as a chair." She bent down and kissed his cheek.

"Don't you see why I like you, Lisa?" He placed his hand on her back. "Because I know you understand how it feels to be seen as what you are and not who you are. I bet being a black woman, you've had to face that a lot, right? People seeing you as a color and gender but not always as a person."

She looked down.

"It's the same thing I go through. Only those that can experience it will understand." He moved his hand to the curve of her back. "We have a lot in common, Lisa."

Her nipples hardened against her bra. "I'm not so sure about that."

"Bend down," he whispered.

"Why?" She kept her eyes straight ahead.

"Because I wanna kiss you."

She leaned over.

"Excuse me?" A tall, elderly man with a shiny bald spot on his head approached. "Detective Swanson?"

Lisa jerked up.

"Oh." Jake turned his chair toward the man. "Hello, Dr. Oxford."

"Hello, Jake," he responded with a scratchy voice. "I'm so sorry about Ernest." He patted Jake's shoulder. "You know he was like a son to me."

"That means a lot. Lisa this is Dr. Armin Oxford. He's the pharmacist that Ernest worked with."

"Oh, yes." Lisa shook his hand. "We've stopped by the pharmacy a few times but you've been out of town."

"Yes, family business. I wanted to let you know I'm willing to do all I can to help with the investigation." He breathed into his hands. "It just won't be the same without Ernest. It's been hard to work without him around."

"I can imagine," Lisa said. "If this isn't too painful, would you mind answering some questions now?"

"Certainly. I'd do anything to help find Ernest's killer." He put his handkerchief away. "Ask away."
CHAPTER SIX

"I appreciate you agreeing to talk to me again." Lisa sat on Tori's couch the following evening.

Tori dumped clean towels beside Lisa and began folding them. "I don't know what else I could tell you, but for my daughter's sake I'll help if I can." She pressed a towel against her stomach and slapped out the wrinkles. "She hasn't been sleeping well. Says she sees his face every time she closes her eyes."

"I'm so sorry she has to go through this." Lisa got her notepad. "How have you been? I know it was hard for you to open up to me about the abuse. If you need someone to talk to about it I wouldn't mind you reaching out."

Tori laid a folded towel on the coffee table. "I thought you came here for Ernest."

Lisa crossed her legs. "Didn't see you at the funeral yesterday."

"You were there?" Tori laid another towel down. "My sister took Rita but I didn't go. I suppose that makes me sound awful."

"No." Lisa got her pencil. "With what you say he put you through, I understand." She cleared her throat. "I don't want to waste your time so I'll get this wrapped up as quickly as possible. Do you know of anyone Ernest owed money to because of his gambling habit?"

"Habit?" Tori snatched a towel from the pile. "I don't call not being able to go one day without gambling just a habit. The man was completely obsessed with it. He cared about gambling more than he did Rita and I." She laid the folded towel down. "The only time he paid any attention to me was when he was beating me upside the head. The gambling is what led to the fights." She shifted her weight to one side. "See, I'd question him because there wasn't enough money in the bank for some bill or other expense, and then he'd lie and cop an attitude." She picked up another towel. "Then he'd hit me and the next thing I know I'm putting ice on some swollen body part." She glanced at Lisa. "You get used to it."

You have no idea.

Lisa pressed the pencil to her lips. "I met Dr. Oxford at the funeral. He seems nice."

"That man is a god."

"What do you mean?"

Tori untangled two towels. "If it hadn't been for Armin and his wife we'd have been homeless a long time ago. They helped us out when no one else would."

"So they gave you money?"

"The Oxfords were our lifeline. Ernest and I were thousands of dollars in debt. Well..." Tori shrugged. "I still am thanks to Ernest. Anyway, the Oxfords gave us loans, paid for odds and ends. They were always there when we needed them."

"Well, that definitely is gracious but why would the Oxfords be that kind?"

"They thought of Ernest as a son. They don't have kids and Ernest was the son they never had. He filled a void for them. Dr. Oxford even tried to get Ernest help with his gambling addiction."

Just then Lisa's phone rang.

"Excuse me." Dee's name and number popped up on the screen. "You got something, Dee?"

"I sure as hell might. I just came from the pharmacy again. Spoke to another one of Ernest's co-workers and she said that a woman named Sofia Weathers was in the pharmacy just days before Ernest was murdered."

Tori stared at her while folding a towel.

"So?" Lisa asked.

"So the woman was irate. I mean, off the damn wall. She was so mad that they almost called the cops to get her to leave. Apparently, her daughter overdosed on prescription meds about four months ago and Sofia blamed Ernest because he handled the prescriptions."

"Holy shit." Lisa stood.

"What?" Tori asked.

"So you see what that means, Leece?" Dee asked. "If that doesn't give Sofia Weathers a possible motive, I don't know what does."

****

"I ain't got nothing to hide." Sofia Weathers forced her wide hips through the doorway.

Dee and Lisa followed the heavyset black woman into her spacious living room.

"You wasted a trip if you think I care about Ernest Juarez." She flung her hand out. "Go on and sit down."

They sat on the couch.

"Are you angry, Ms. Weathers?" Lisa asked.

"Hell yeah, I'm angry." She gaped. "Y'all coming up in here like I'm supposed to care about Ernest Juarez." She turned up her nose. "I'm glad he dead!" She scratched under her headscarf. "I know why y'all here. I ain't stupid. You think I had something to do with it because of Teraine, right?"

"Who is Teraine?" Dee asked.

"You mean who was she." Sofia hit her chest. "She was my daughter." Her lips trembled. "She died because of that bastard! So, no, I don't give a damn if he's dead. I didn't kill him, but I hated him enough to." She fanned herself. "Lord have mercy. I...I can't deal with this."

"Sit down." Lisa got up and tried to help her to the couch, but Sofia waved her away. "We're so sorry for what you've been through, but you do have a strong motive."

"My sweet baby." Sofia rocked. "She was only twenty-five years old." Tears scattered down her face. "She was in nursing school. She was doing everything right. She didn't deserve to die."

"I'm so sorry," Dee said. "But why do you blame Ernest? I don't mean to sound insensitive but he only filled the prescriptions. Wasn't it the doctor that authorized them?"

Sofia looked past Lisa and glared at Dee. "That's the damn problem. They was giving her pills that she wasn't supposed to have!" Sofia charged Dee. "See you up there talkin' and don't know a damn thing about what you're talking about."

Dee raised her hand. "Just calm down."

"And where the hell you two come from any damn way? Where were you when my daughter was murdered? She might not have been shot or stabbed, but she was murdered just the same."

"Let's just get this straight, Ms. Weathers." Lisa sat back down. "Are you saying that Ernest was illegally filling prescriptions without authorization from the doctor?"

"That whole damn pharmacy does it! See, people have addictions and the pharmacy doesn't give a damn. My daughter was addicted to those meds and the doctor cut her off a year earlier, but Ernest kept filling the prescription. Shit, this isn't the first time this has happened."

Sofia paced with her hands on her jiggling hips. "You just don't know."

"What proof do you have that this is going on?" Dee asked. "Saying this happened to your daughter is one thing but you're making a huge accusation about the entire pharmacy."

Sofia walked to the couch and stuck her face in Dee's. "You want proof? Talk to Maggie McCarthy."

"The attorney?" Lisa scooted to the edge of the couch. "What does she have to do with this?"

"She's representing me and a bunch of other people in a class action suit against AM Pharmacy. It's all under the radar now, but we're going to the media and everything soon."

Dee whistled. "Maggie's not the type to put her name on something if it's not a sure thing so this must be genuine."

"You damn right," Sofia said. "She's representing about forty of us who have lost loved ones and friends to deaths because of AM Pharmacy's negligence and downright crooked behavior. They don't give a damn about the people." Sofia spread out her arms. "It's all about money. They're doing all kinds of shit and no one has known all this time." Sofia crossed her arms. "But they're gonna know now."
CHAPTER SEVEN

Lisa rushed to her and Dee's desk with two cups of scalding coffee. "Ouch." A drop spilled over and hit her hand. "Here." She set the Styrofoam cup on Dee's desk. "Careful, it's hot." Lisa sat at her desk. "You find anything?"

Dee scrolled the Google results. "I see a few things mentioning accusations against the pharmacy." Dee squinted at the screen.

"Girl, here." Lisa held up her reading glasses.

"Nuh-uh." Dee moved her hand. "I don't need your glasses." She squinted more. "I can see."

Lisa blew into her coffee. "Well, if you squint any more your cheekbones are gonna pop outta your face." Lisa sipped her coffee. "What if Ernest's death is just the tip of the iceberg and we've stepped into some big conspiracy?"

"Oh." Dee mocked. "Suddenly I feel like I'm in a Patricia Cornwell novel." She flicked her Brazilian weave off her shoulder. "And Gabrielle Union can play me in the movie."

Lisa bumped her. "Girl, you are too crazy." She laughed. "I'm serious though. What if Ernest's death uncovers something bigger than we can imagine? We gotta find out more about Ernest. And I mean the stuff maybe his wife and friends didn't even know."

"Well." Dee propped her elbows on the desk. "You can always start with his best friend."

"I said stuff his friends didn't know."

Dee pointed ahead.

Jake rode past a group of jabbering cops.

"Oh." Lisa set her coffee down. "How many times do I have to tell him that this is police business?"

"Oh, come off it." Dee picked up her coffee. "You know you like him."

"And what have I done to give you that idea?"

"Girl, please." Dee got a sugar packet from her desk drawer. "You gotta wake up pretty early in the morning to run game on me."

Jake stopped between their desks. "Hey."

Lisa propped her hand under her chin. "What are you doing here?"

"Do we have to go over this same song and dance every time I show up? I told you I'm not gonna just sit at home while you work this case. Now if you have a problem with that, I'm sorry."

"Well, I needed to talk to you anyway," she said.

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Do tell." He laid his hand on her desk.

"Do you know who Sofia Weathers is?"

"Uh...should I?"

Dee dumped sugar into her coffee. "She's the mother of a young woman who died about four months ago from a prescription pill overdose."

Lisa swallowed coffee. "Apparently, Ernest filled her daughter's prescriptions illegally and Sofia blames him for her daughter's death."

"Wait a minute." Jake stroked his chin. "No fuckin' way. Excuse my language, but Ernest would've never done anything so unethical. He'd never play with someone's life."

"Not even for money?" Dee twirled her watch around her wrist. "We all know he was a gambler and in debt."

"No, okay? I don't like how every time you tell me something about this case it makes Ernest look more and more like the bad guy. He was the victim. No one deserves to have their head bashed in no matter what they supposedly did."

"This is a big deal," Lisa said. "Sofia and others have filed a class action suit against AM Pharmacy and it's about to go public soon."

"What?"

"At least forty people are in on the suit," Dee said. "All of them have lost loved ones or friends to an overdose and they say it's because AM has been illegally feeding people's habits."

"No, this is just..." Jake took a deep breath. "I can't speak on what AM has done but I know Ernest."

"Really?" Lisa propped her arms on the desk. "You didn't even know he'd started gambling again. You had no idea he beat his wife."

"That she claims he beat her."

"Face it, Jake." Lisa logged into her computer. "You didn't know Ernest as well as you thought you did."

"None of that's important, though, is it? Finding his killer is. What's the next move?"

"I'm gonna talk to Maggie McCarthy tomorrow." Lisa typed something into her computer. "She's the attorney handling the suit."

"Can I come?"

Dee giggled.

Lisa pointed to her forehead. "I'm gonna have to get the word 'no' plastered on my forehead for you to get the hint."

"Oh, please." He put his hands together.

"No way."

"Come on, Lisa." He sighed. "It's been hard just sitting back, you know? Ernest and I were like brothers. It kills me to know I'm not doing all I can to help."

Lisa groaned.

"Please, Lisa. I won't ask to go anywhere else."

She propped her foot against the desk.

"Please." He wheeled closer to her desk. "Just let me feel like I did something. He was like a brother to me. Please."

"All right." She pushed him away. "But you'd better stay out of my way and keep your mouth shut."

"I will." He held up his hand. "Scout's honor."

Dee stirred her coffee. "You were in the Scouts?"

He smiled. "Nope."

****

The Next Day:

"You have no idea how big this thing is, Detective Swanson." Maggie McCarthy wiggled in her chair behind her desk. "For the last two years the DEA has been investigating AM Pharmacy on everything from illegally refilling drugs to conspiracy."

"What's the DEA?" Jake asked.

"Drug Enforcement Administration." Lisa jotted on her pad. "We met with Sofia Weathers. She says she's the one that started the class action suit."

"Sofia has been a tremendous help in getting us leads and she even sought out the others who've become involved in the suit."

"But how can you be sure Ernest was at fault himself?" Jake scooted up. "I mean, he was just an assistant."

"He might not have known what was going on."

"No one said Ernest knew about the other things." Maggie picked up her pen. "But he was the one that filled Terrain's medicine every time she came in. He had to have known the doctor put a stop on the medication."

"Wait a damn minute here." Jake gripped his wheels. "First Ernest is an abusive husband, then he's a compulsive gambler, and now he's a drug dealer?"

"We're taking about possibilities here, Mr. Jenson," Maggie said.

"Well, you're a lawyer," he said. "I suppose you have proof linking Ernest?"

"Calm down." Lisa touched his arm. "She's not defaming Ernest."

"The hell she's not. He's the one who got murdered yet every time I turn around someone is badmouthing him. Do you guys even care that he lost his life?"

"I would never want anyone killed," Maggie said. "I'm just telling you what could be possible. No, I don't have proof against Ernest specifically but he worked there, didn't he?"

"So how much does AM know?" Lisa asked. "About the suit?"

"They don't know anything about the suit but they've been aware of the DEA's investigation for a while. So far they're coming up clean, but with Sofia and the others' help, we know we're on the right track." She got a piece of paper from under a stack. "Here are the names and information of all the clients in case you're interested."

Lisa took the sheet.

"Every one of those people has lost loved ones because of AM's practices. We're gonna stop it." Maggie bobbed in her chair. "If we have to keep filing suits until I'm one hundred years old. I've made a promise to these people and it's sickening that a place that so many people trust to keep them healthy is the main place that's killing them."

"So I guess this is all about money?" Lisa looked over the list. "This is a shame. It's a complete shame if this is really what's going on."

Jake swallowed. "Ernest didn't know. He did not know. My friend would not be involved in anything that could hurt someone."

"Can I keep this?" Lisa shook the paper.

Maggie nodded.

"Answer this for me as an attorney, Maggie." Lisa folded the paper. "Do you think Sofia Weathers is capable of murdering Ernest Juarez?"

"Let me tell you my answer as a mother." Maggie laid her pen down. "If I felt that someone was responsible for killing my daughter...I'd be capable of damn near anything."

CHAPTER EIGHT

Many things went through Lisa's head as she approached Jake's door that night.

Wasn't this a switch? She'd been getting on him about popping up everywhere she went and now she shows up at his place?

Hey, no big deal, right?

So what if she came over? They had plenty to talk about concerning Ernest's case.

She rang the doorbell.

Come on, answer before I lose my nerve.

"Just a minute!"

She placed her hand on her pounding chest. How could a man in a wheelchair make her so...so...horny?

She shook her head.

No, that's not it.

If she wasn't horny then why did her nipples turn into darts at the mention of his name?

The door opened. "Lisa."

Damn, he looks good in that blue shirt. Shit. Can he tell I'm horny?

She sucked her chest in.

I feel like an idiot.

"What are you doing here?"

Uh...

"Uh..." She held her arms behind her back. "I needed to tell you something about the case. Why else would I be here? I'm sorry I stopped by without calling. You, uh..." She peeked inside. "You busy?"

"No." His smile took up his entire face.

She wanted to dive right into it and never come out.

She swung her arms. "Am I disturbing you?"

"Oh, you could never disturb me. I'm just surprised you came by though." He took the dishtowel from his shoulder. "I've been dreaming and hoping that you would."

"Jake." She grabbed the doorframe. "Why do you have to be such an asshole all the time?"

He laughed. "Well, at least we're making progress, huh? You're beginning to say what you feel about me instead of hiding it." He moved back from the door. "Come on in."

"I always say what I feel." She stepped inside.

His home wasn't much different than hers except for the large flat screen television mounted on the wall. His computer desk sat beside the window just like hers. She loved looking out of the window while fooling around on her computer. Maybe he liked that too.

Her nostrils celebrated the aroma of chicken and fresh herbs. "It smells great in here." She peeked down his empty hall.

Guess when you're in a wheelchair you don't have the luxury of clutter.

She stepped back into the living room.

Jake watched her with a sneaky grin.

What in the world is he thinking? Does he feel something?

She tugged on her blouse.

Jesus, can he tell I'm horny?

"You seem awfully uncomfortable, Lisa."

"Who, me?" She giggled. "No, I'm...I'm fine."

"Do you always giggle like you're high when you're fine?"

"I said I'm fine." She cleared her throat.

"I told you I don't want you tiptoeing around me. Nothing you could do would offend me or anything."

She clasped her hands. "Uh, contrary to popular belief, not all of my actions revolve around you."

"So what did you have to say to me?"

She scanned the photos on his bookshelf. "We got the DNA results back from that bloody bat. It is the murder weapon."

"Oh, I already know."

She picked up a photo of Jake and a group of men who favored him. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I already called up there. Dee told me that the blood on the bat was Ernest's but it had no traces of the killer's DNA."

"I'm gonna wring Dee's neck. She had no business telling you that."

"I'm Ernest's friend and, from all indications, I seem the only one concerned about this case."

"That's a lie."

"I deserved to know. Besides you were gonna tell me anyway. Isn't that why you're here?"

She raised the picture of Jake and the men. "Is this you and your brothers?"

"Yeah." He pointed them out and named them. "We go on family trips together every year." He grabbed the photo and touched her hand in the process. "This was last year when we went canoeing."

"You canoe?"

"Hell yeah." He handed her the photo. "Shit, I love watersports. Do you?"

She blew a raspberry. "Do I look like I do watersports to you?" She put the picture down. "I don't do water unless it's in a tub, okay?"

He laughed. "Well, maybe I can change your mind about that one day. I could teach you how to canoe." He sniffed her. "Could teach you more than that if you let me."

"Why are you always sniffing me?" She picked up the photo of Jake standing in a tuxedo with a petite blonde-haired woman.

"Why are you always wearing that perfume?"

"Wow." Lisa moved her hand over Jake and the blonde woman. "You look so different standing. I didn't realize you were so tall."

"I'm six-three."

Mmm.

"I know this sounds ridiculous but seeing this picture of you is so weird. I mean, I only know you from the chair." She stared at the photo. "I guess I never pictured how you would look standing and walking."

"Does seeing that picture make you see me differently?"

"No, it just..." Her heart fluttered. "It's just—"

"Arousing?" he whispered. "To see me standing? To see me in a position of strength opposed to being a cripple?"

"You're not a cripple. I've never thought of you like that."

"Lisa." He chuckled. "You've gotta get a sense of humor where I'm concerned." He hit her thigh. "I'm just fucking with you. But seeing me standing does something to you, right?"

She swallowed. "Not the way you're taking it."

"Oh, I don't know about that." He parked his wheelchair against the bookshelf.

"What are you doing?"

He put one hand on the shelf and the other on his chair. "Ah." He brought himself up.

"Jake."

Oh, God, this is so rousing.

Just seeing Jake at full-height with that intense glare focused on her made her wetter than Niagara Falls.

He placed his feet firmly on the carpet. "Mmm." He closed his eyes.

"Wait." She set the picture down and grabbed him around the waist. "I don't want you to fall and hurt yourself."

"No, it's okay." He gently pushed her away. "I wanna show you."

"You don't have to show me anything."

He took delicate steps. "I want...to show you that I'm a man."

"Come on, this is silly. I know you're a man."

"But you like what you see in that picture, don't you?" He inched toward her. "I see how you looked at that picture just now. I want you to look at me like that."

"Jake."

"See?" He chuckled between breaths. "I still got it." He continued toward her.

"Please. I'm nervous you'll hurt yourself."

"It's just a little pain." He made it to her. "It's worth it to see the look on your face." He sniffed her neck. "To hold you and show you that I can do anything any man can. I just need a little more time to do it."

"Please." She inhaled his fascinating scent. "Sit back down. You don't have to prove anything to me. I've never seen you as less than a man."

He lifted his hand to touch her face. "Ah!" His knees buckled.

"See?" Lisa grabbed him. "You stubborn fool. You're willing to get hurt to come on to me?" She helped him back into his chair.

"It would have been worth it just for a kiss."

"Jesus, Jake." She put his hands in his lap. "I'm not like those other people that can't separate you from your chair. I know you're a man." She glanced at his erection. "God knows I know it," she whispered. "That's one thing I don't doubt, okay?"

"That was exciting, though, wasn't it? Being able to walk toward you and see the look on your face...so stimulating."

Lisa turned from the protrusion in his lap. "I can tell."
CHAPTER NINE

"Oh, that smell is outta this world." Lisa peeked into Jake's kitchen across from the living room. "That chicken smells great."

He rubbed his hands together. "I'm making viva Madrid Spanish chicken."

She sniffed. "Well, I don't know what that is but it smells heavenly."

"You like chicken?" He stopped beside her.

"I love chicken."

"Well, I always make too much for myself so you're welcome to join me. I guess I never got used to cooking for just one person." He laid the dishtowel on his shoulder. "Being a chef and all."

A chef? And I hadn't ever bothered to ask.

Lisa's shoulders dropped. "I'm sorry."

"About what?" He laughed. "Would you stop apologizing every damn minute?"

"It's terrible that I didn't bother to ask you what you did." She checked out the bubbling chicken and sauce on the stove. "I just assumed you didn't work."

"Well, I don't work anymore." He stirred the chicken around in the skillet. "I tried to continue when I first got hurt but it was too hard for me. You gotta be able to move around the kitchen among the other cooks and keep up with the orders in a huge restaurant. It got too difficult to do in a chair. See, I was the executive chef at The Marian Bistro. I'd just gotten the promotion a few months before I had my accident. I was the youngest head chef they ever had."

"What?" She put her hand on her chest. "I love The Marian Bistro. I mean, I only ate there on special occasions but the food was amazing."

"I was a sous chef there for eight years then got promoted."

Oh. Nothing sexier than a man who cooks.

He tapped the spoon against the skillet. "Should be done in about ten minutes."

She inhaled the smell and closed her eyes. "I never would've guessed you were a chef. And it's not because of the wheelchair." She raised a finger. "It's just your personality is so big that I'd expect you did something different like lion taming or something like that."

"Ha, ha, ha!" He put the spoon down. "What am I gonna do with you, huh?" His eyes stopped at her breasts. "Though I have some ideas."

"Uh..." She moved from the stove. "May I see more of your house?"

"If you agree to stay for dinner you can."

"Okay." She smiled.

"What would you like to see first?" He went back into the living room. "Your wish is my command."

"I hope this doesn't make me sound like a—"

"You wanna see the bathroom, right?"

"Yeah, I'm kinda curious how you take baths."

"I only take showers." He led her down the hall and stopped at the open door on the left. "I never was a bath person even before I got hurt." He flicked on the bathroom light. "I like to get in and out." He rolled inside. "As you can see the bathroom is big enough for me to move around in my chair freely."

"I'm not in a wheelchair but even I complain about my bathroom's lack of space." Lisa looked around. "My bathroom is way smaller than this. I can barely turn around in it without knocking something over."

"And over there is my sink." He pointed to the small sink under the window. "Everything is spaced out so I have room."

"Yeah." She peeked behind his shower curtain. "Oh, you..." She did a double take. "There's no tub?"

"No. I shower in my chair."

"What?" She stepped back.

"Yeah, see." He slid his chair over the drain in the shower." He pointed to the knobs on the wall. "And I can adjust the shower head with these. I also have a handheld thing I can use when I shower."

"Wow." Lisa checked out the innovation. "I guess I never thought about how different just doing the regular things are for a person in a wheelchair."

"Yeah, most people don't." He rolled from behind the curtain. "Anything else you wanna see?"

"I'd like to see your bedroom."

"Oh, really?" He tilted his head back. "Well, like I said, your wish is my command."

"I just wanna see it, Jake."

He rolled down the hall. "Yeah, that's what all the chicks say."

"Get your mind outta the gutter." She hurried in behind him.

"Me?" He stopped at the room at the end of the hall. "You're the one trying to get me into my bedroom so you can take advantage and you're blaming me?"

She tapped the top of his head. "You wish."

He flicked on the bedroom light. "See? Nothing out of the ordinary." He rolled inside. "Except for this god awful rug my grandmother knitted." He lifted it. "But I love her so I tell her it's beautiful."

Even his bedroom was similar to hers. A wall painted in boring beige with boring beige curtains, and an archaic wood floor. A full-sized bed in an old-fashioned wood frame sat in the middle of the room with a ceiling fan over it. A hideous, floral chair sat by the closet.

"Impressed?"

Lisa turned up her nose. "Uh, may I be blunt?"

"Please." He straightened his light blue bed sheet.

"This is the most pitiful-looking bedroom I've seen in my life. I mean you need to call HGTV immediately. Do they have an emergency number?"

"All right, I get the point." His mouth crooked to the side. "But I'm not fortunate enough to pay for an entire design team."

"Not saying that you need a design team, but, damn, can't you dust once in a while?" Lisa dragged her finger over the top of the television. "Jake, this is ridiculous." A mound of dust hung off her fingertip.

"Hey, I'm a bachelor." He shrugged. "Dusting is not in my repertoire." He glided toward her. "Maybe I need a woman to take care of me, huh?"

She turned from his flirtatious gaze. "But you know what's worse?" She sat on the bed. "Mine looks almost as bad."

"Ah, see, you have no excuse. Women are born with a knack for designing."

"Not me. I don't know a damn thing about designing or decorating." She kicked her feet back and forth.

"I've never been interested in that stuff. Just give me a curtain to hang and I'm fine."

"So will I ever get to see your bedroom?" He tried to kiss her.

"Yes." She pushed him away and stood.

He raised an eyebrow. "When?"

She whispered into his ear. "In your dreams."

"Ouch."

She left the room.
CHAPTER TEN

"Here you are, madam." Jake laid the plate of chicken and rice in front of Lisa.

"This looks great." She took a huge sniff. "Smells even better than when it was cooking."

"Women get hot when they eat my food, so watch out." He laid his plate in front of him. "One woman told me that eating my food was like making love."

"Right." Lisa blew on her plate.

"I'm serious." He leaned toward her. "I make a double-decker chocolate chip cake that would make you orgasm. One woman said she needed a condom afterwards."

Lisa's crotch tingled.

"You like chocolate?"

She picked up her fork. "I love chocolate."

"Did you know that most women love chocolate because it releases endorphins? Studies show that chocolate is a huge aphrodisiac for women." He moved back in front of his plate. "I could make it for dessert if you want some."

"Oh, I think that would be too dangerous."

He smirked.

"So is your food a seduction tactic? Is cooking a way you show a woman that you like her?"

"Nah." He laid the napkin in his lap. "I just do it to get women in bed."

Lisa blinked.

"I'm just kidding. To me, cooking is how you relate yourself to people. How you show you care."

She sniffed the chicken again. The smell of bacon and pitted dates arrested her senses. "So, uh...do you cook for a lot of women?"

He scooped rice onto his fork and blew on it. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

"Well, since you say you cook for women to show you care, I'm just wondering if there are a lot of women who you like to show that you...you care."

He looked up from his fork. "Are you asking me if I'm seeing someone?"

"It's not my business." She waved. "I'm just wondering since you say all these women enjoy your food so much if that means you see a lot of women."

"Let me get this straight. It's not your business, yet you still wanna know?"

She glanced at her food and shrugged. "Well, yeah."

"I am as single as a man can get." He stirred his chicken and rice. "Thought that was obvious."

"You're the one bragging about how your food makes women come."

He chuckled and dropped his fork on the plate. "I didn't say it like that!"

"Well, you made it seem like it." She laughed. "I mean, if you're gonna say your food's that good then it better live up to the hype."

"Well, taste it and tell me if it does or not."

She brought the fork to her mouth.

"Hold on."

She stopped.

"I forgot the drinks." He wheeled to the fridge and opened it. "I have juice and soda. Is that okay?"

"Sure."

Why not wine?

"You have grape juice?" she asked.

"No, but I have cranberry juice." He held up the container.

Cranberry juice? I'm trying to eat dinner not get rid of a urinary tract infection.

"That's fine." Lisa cut a tip of the chicken breast and wrapped a piece of bacon around it. Her tongue celebrated the moment the food hit her mouth. "Mmm." Her toes curled. "Woo!" She fanned. "Oh, this is..." She held onto the table. "Damn!"

He came back with the drinks. "So does it live up to the hype?"

"You didn't lie." She pointed to the plate. "I don't know if you put some magic potion or what in this but if great sex could be a dish this would be it!"

"See there?"

She moved the food around in her mouth to soak up the flavor. "The chicken is so succulent and juicy."

"Glad you like it." He set a glass of juice beside her.

"I appreciate the juice but this meal is worthy of wine or champagne." She stirred rice into the juices of the chicken. "You don't drink?"

His face dropped. "No." He scooted up to his plate. "I used to." He cut into his chicken.

"Wait, there's a story there somewhere." She waved her fork at him. "Come on with it, Jake. Your entire face changed when I asked that. What's going on?"

He stopped chewing.

"Jake?" She touched his arm. "What is it?"

He dragged his fork across his chicken. "I don't drink because drinking is what got me in this chair in the first place."

She poked at the chicken breast. "How?"

"Well, the car accident I had? It was completely my fault. I was driving drunk and now I'll pay for it for the rest of my life."

"Are you an alcoholic?"

"Yes."

Mason is an alcoholic too. Am I a magnet for every drunk in Baltimore?

"I hit a tree and now I'm like this." He jiggled in the chair. "Sure, I can stand and even walk a little bit but I'll never have full use of my legs again. And you know what?" His mouth trembled. "I deserve it."

She stroked his arm. "We all make mistakes."

"No!" He hit the table. "It's way more than a mistake, Lisa. I should've been the one to die that night. I should've died!"

"Died?" She stopped stroking him. "Are you saying you killed someone?"

"She meant the world to me." He laid his fist to his mouth. "I loved her so much."

"Who?"

"Katherine." He breathed into his fist. "My fiancée."

Lisa covered her mouth.

"It happened the night of our engagement party in two thousand eight." He picked up his glass. "I told Katherine I was good enough to drive. I insisted. She begged me to let her drive but since I always drove drunk I knew I could handle it."

Lisa moved her hand from her mouth.

"You see, part of being an alcoholic is being arrogant. We tend to think we can do anything under the influence. You get so used to being drunk that it becomes a part of you. It consumes you."

"I know."

"How do you know?"

"I'm..." She flicked her hand. "I'm just agreeing with you."

He sniffled. "I thought if I drove slowly everything would be okay because I'd driven drunk many times before." He covered his eyes. "I wanted to prove to Katherine that I was Superman." He slammed his fist on the table. "That I could handle it, you know? I was completely insane. I can't believe how I had no regard for not only my life but anyone else's."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"Oh, it is. Back then, I didn't care about anything but that bottle. With all the love I had for Katherine, even that didn't stop me from drinking."

"If just stopping were easy then no one would be an alcoholic, Jake." She held his hand. "You're a good person. You made a mistake. I'm sure you wish you could take it back every day, but things happen for a reason. Even things like this."

"I can't tell you what happened exactly. All I remember is getting in the car. I guess I blacked out because the next thing I know a firefighter pulled me out of the car. There were flames everywhere." He waved his arms. "People were screaming and crying. The smoke was so thick I almost threw up." He touched his neck. "I can still taste the smoke. It was all in my clothes." He pulled his shirt. "I can still smell it. It's like it never goes away."

"Is Katherine the woman in the picture with you?" She pointed across the room.

"Yes." He wiped his eyes. "That was taken the same day she died. We took that picture right before we went to the party."

"Oh, Jake." She laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

He clenched her hand.

"It's okay." She kissed his cheek. "It's okay."

"I knew something was wrong with my legs immediately. Something just didn't feel right but I didn't care. I just wanted to get Katherine out. I couldn't understand why they were pulling me out and not her."

Lisa put her arm around him.

He whispered, "I realized there was no reason to pull her out." He sobbed. "She was already gone."

She hugged him. "I'm so sorry."

"I live with this every damn day." He cried into her shoulder. "For months I had nightmares about her."

Lisa rocked him.

"I can't explain how guilty I feel. It should've been me, Lisa." He pulled away from her. "It should've been me."

"No." She put her hands on his cheeks. "Listen to me. It happened for a reason, Jake."

"No."

"You've gotta get past this. I know you loved her but it was just meant to be." She wiped tears off his cheek with her thumb. "It was just meant to be."

"I haven't had a drink since that night." He looked her in the eyes. "And I swore I never would."

"Shh." She stroked his cheek and reveled in his cologne that resembled that fresh aroma that always followed rain. "I know it's hard but you have to move on."

Look who's talking.

"Have you moved on?"

"What do you mean?" She felt his hair.

"You have something in your past that you run from too. Letting go works both ways."

"This isn't about me. You can't hold on to the pain forever."

He slipped his arm around her waist. "This is the first time I've talked to a woman about this. I haven't been this close to a woman since Katherine." He captured her lips with his. "Mmm. You're so beautiful. I've wanted to hold you like this the moment we met." He sucked at her neck.

"Jake." Her breasts heaved as she panted. "We can't do this." She laid her hand on his knee. "We don't know each other well enough yet."

"We do know each other." He laid his hand on the back of her head. "We know each other better than anyone else could." He lifted his hand to touch her face.

Lisa jerked back.

"What?" He kept his hand in the air.

"I..." She stood. "Don't...don't do that." She pointed a shaky finger. "Don't ever do that, okay?"

"What did I do?" He lowered his hand.

"Just don't raise your hand to me like that." She leaned over the table. "Just don't."

"Shit." He pushed back from the table. "There's no friend that was abused, is there?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I kept trying to figure out why you got so mad at me outside of the dentist's office. It didn't make sense until now." He rolled to her. "It was you. You're the one who was abused."

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about, okay?"

"I might be in a wheelchair but I'm not stupid."

"I gotta go." She yanked her purse off the table. "This was a mistake."

He veered his chair in front of her. "You can't run from it."

"Move, Jake."

"You don't have to be afraid to tell me what happened."

"I said move."

"You gotta move on like you just told me."

"Please move." She cursed under her breath.

"We can talk about it." He took her hand. "I promise I'd never hurt you."

"I said move!" She yanked her hand away. "There's nothing to talk about! I have a friend who was abused. Can we drop this now?"

"You're lying. You need to talk to someone about this."

"Who the hell are you to give advice about what I should do? You don't know a damn thing about me!"

"I think the person who really doesn't know you is you."

"Go to hell." She marched to the door.

"And this is what you do when you don't wanna face the pain? You lash out?"

"Go to hell!"

"Lisa?"

She kept her back to him. "What?"

"Right now when I told you about Katherine it felt amazing. It was like all my pain leapt out of me. I feel so free now. Don't you wanna feel the same way? Aren't you tired of holding on to the past?"

She swung around. "Nothing happened to me, okay? Not a damn thing!"

He rested his arms on the side of his chair. "Why are you lying?"

"You think I was abused?" She faked a laugh. "Me? I'm a cop, Jake."

"And like you said...abuse doesn't discriminate."

She walked out and slammed the door behind her.
CHAPTER ELEVEN

"He's another damn drunk!" Lisa slammed Dee's kitchen cabinet closed. "Is there a sign on me that says I'm hot for drunks or something?"

"Girl." Dee rinsed her plate, ran the garbage disposal and put the plate in the dishwasher.

"This is bullshit, isn't it? Why do I keep attracting drunks?" Lisa gathered cups off the table. "He's another damn Mason."

"Whoa." Dee scraped the food off another plate. "Hold it on that one, sista. I highly doubt he's like Mason."

"He's an alcoholic just like Mason."

"No, Mason is an alcoholic and an asshole. There's a difference. And he has a very, very, very bad temper."

"Jake could too for all I know." She set the cups on the counter beside Dee. "I don't know enough about him to say if he has a temper or not."

"Come on. Jake hasn't shown any signs of having a temper like Mason's." Dee rinsed out the cups and put them on the top rack. "Besides, he's in a wheelchair. All you'd have to do is knock him over and run." She giggled.

"That's not funny, Dee."

"You're being completely unfair to Jake by comparing him to Mason. No one deserves that treatment."

"Shit, Mason was the gentlest thing when we first met. The next thing I knew he was slamming my head upside the car door. Don't tell me I'm being unfair."

Dee rinsed out a bowl. "But doesn't it make you feel good that Jake trusts you enough to tell you all that? He didn't have to."

"I know it was hard for Jake to share but knowing that he's an alcoholic is scary, Dee. I can't go through the shit Mason put me through again."

"Plenty of men are drunks and they don't beat women. Don't let Mason off the hook so easily by blaming the booze."

"I know you're right, but I can't pretend that Jake being an alcoholic isn't a big deal to me because it is."

"How did you feel when he told you about the accident?"

"I felt close to him like I've known him for years."

"You know why that is?" Dee set a bowl on the rack. "Something inside is telling you that you can trust Jake. Why run from that?"

Lisa put the salt back in the cabinet. "Because I'm afraid of where it might lead."

Dee scrubbed a pan. "You're afraid of it leading to a romance?"

"I'm not ready for that step again, Dee." Lisa closed the box of rice and put it in the cabinet. "It'll be a long time before I can trust a man again. Do you know how humiliated I felt when he said he knew I was abused?"

"You have nothing to feel humiliated about." Dee closed the dishwasher and turned it on. "Please explain why taking a chance with a nice and very handsome man who obviously cares for you is a bad thing."

"Because for a relationship to work it takes trust."

"Jake asked you out on a date. Did he mention relationship?"

"No, but it could lead to that." Lisa wiped crumbs off the tablecloth. "And if I'm not comfortable enough to tell him what happened to me, how would it ever work? There are people I've known for years who I can't tell. You and Guzman are the only two I'm comfortable with knowing."

"You're forgetting that part of a relationship is growing and learning to trust someone. If you got to know Jake better then you'll eventually be comfortable with him. That's what love is all about."

Lisa scoffed. "So now we're to love?"

"You have got to realize that Mason abused you and you did nothing wrong."

"You don't think I know that?" Lisa brushed crumbs from her palm into the garbage. "Who you telling? I give that same speech to women all the time, remember? But knowing something and feeling it is completely different."

"No, it isn't." Dee turned to her. "You know what's different now? Before, Mason had you in a prison." She picked up the dishrag. "Now you have yourself in one."

"You think you know so damn much, but when have you been abused? What the hell do you know about it?"

"I know how hurt you were and still are." Dee wiped the counter. "I know how it hurt me when you'd come here in the middle of the night and I'd have to wipe your tears." She squeezed the rag into the sink. "Put ointment and ice on your bruises."

Lisa sighed.

"I went through it too because I'm your friend. I carried just as much of the emotional pain. You have no idea, but seeing you go through that was the hardest thing in my life."

"Oh, Dee." Lisa hugged her from behind. "Without you I wouldn't have gotten through it. I don't have anyone to depend on but you. Lord knows my own mother doesn't give a shit." She turned Dee around. "But you do. You always do."

"And I always will." Dee patted her back. "You're like a sister to me, Leece. That's why I'm proud of myself for what I did earlier." She wiped the counter.

"What are you talking about?"

"Okay, I'm sitting in front of the red light across from the Plaza, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Guess who comes rolling up in the other lane in a shiny, silver Mercedes." She rolled her eyes.

"Mason?" Lisa covered her mouth. "Are you shitting me?"

"Hell no, I'm not." Dee shook the dishrag into the sink. "It took every ounce of religion I had not to jump into that convertible and strangle his ass."

"Oh, my God." Lisa fell into a chair. "Just...just thinking about him makes my heart do summersaults."

"And he got the nerve to look pitiful. I hope he's miserable because he deserves it." Dee squeezed the dishrag. "He deserves to be in jail for what he did to you."

"Well, putting one of the most successful defense attorneys in the city in jail is not as easy as you think."

"You didn't even try. What pisses me off more than him beating the hell outta you is that you didn't press charges."

"Don't."

"He almost ruined your life, Leece. He took a beautiful, intelligent, strong woman and tore her down to nothing. Maybe you can forgive that but I can't." Dee laid the dishrag in the sink. "He's driving around in a new Mercedes and you're still falling apart. Girl, please."

"Stop it, okay? We've been down this road a hundred times."

"Yeah, well, I'm gonna keep driving down it until you give me a convincing reason as to why you never got his ass locked up." Dee rinsed out the sink. "Lawyers aren't above the law."

Lisa opened the freezer and got a cherry Popsicle.

"What's sad is that because of that asshole, you're letting an opportunity with Jake slip through your fingers."

"I'm tired of talking about Jake." Lisa took the frozen treat out of the wrapper. "I told you why it would never work."

"You can give all the excuses you like but I think Jake's the one."

Lisa pushed the Popsicle into her mouth. "You're delusional."

"No, I'm not." Dee got a glass from the cabinet. "You are not your past and you are not your bruises. You have to remember that."

"Then who am I?" Lisa sucked the Popsicle.

"You're Lisa Swanson." Dee got ice from the icemaker. "And you deserve to be happy as much as anyone."
CHAPTER TWELVE

The Next Night:

The phone rang, waking Lisa from her nod on the couch. She sleepily grabbed for the phone and checked the caller ID.

Jake Jenson.

She cleared her throat and answered. "Jake?"

"Hey. You in bed already?"

"No, I dozed on the couch." She coughed. "What is it? Got something to tell me about Ernest?"

"No, it's about something else. Can I come in?"

"Wait." She went to her window. "You're outside my door?"

He waved from the sidewalk. "Can I come in or not?"

"Goodness." She opened the door. "Come on up." She tied her robe closed.

"Uh..." He dipped his head toward the porch steps. "I'd love to but you don't have a ramp."

She snapped her fingers. "Shit." She pointed to the side. "You can come in through the side door. Let me go unlock it."

Lisa ran to the kitchen and opened the side door. "Sorry. I gotta get a ramp."

"Do you?" He entered the kitchen. "So I guess that means you would like me to continue to come by?"

"I didn't say that." She avoided his stare. "I'm just saying I should have a ramp anyway. Never know when someone with a wheelchair will come by."

Jake grinned. "Nice kitchen."

"Please." She closed and locked the door. "My house is stuck in a time warp."

"Yeah, you ain't lying." He turned his nose up at the curtains on the kitchen window. "I think they stopped selling those curtains before I was born."

"Shut up." She laughed. "You want something to drink or anything?"

"That depends." He rolled away from the window. "What are you offering?"

"Behave."

"I am behaving." He raised his hands. "I don't want anything. I just wanna talk to you."

"What is it?" She got a glass out of the dishwasher.

He drifted to the table. "It's about us."

She got the orange juice from the fridge. "Us?"

"Yeah, you can't be too surprised after what happened between us the last time."

"Would you like some cookies?"

"No, I just—"

She bent over his shoulder. "I have chocolate chip. I baked them myself."

"I see."

"Maybe you can taste my chocolate and see if it stands up to yours."

"I'd love nothing more than to taste your chocolate, Lisa." He peeked down her robe and into her cleavage.

She rose. "I meant the cookies."

He touched his chest. "I did too."

She laughed. "You're hell on wheels, aren't you? I bet you got all the women squirming."

She set her glass down and got the cookies from the jar. "Bet you win them over with that big smile and that innocent look you always give."

"Why? Am I winning you over?"

"Were you always this flirtatious or do you do it to compensate?"

"Hey, I'm still a stud." He touched his collar. "I don't have to compensate. When I first got hurt, I wondered if the chair would hinder me but it doesn't where women are concerned. See, I get a lot of attention from women because they see me and at first they feel sorry for me or wanna help me." He rubbed his thighs. "Then that leads to them offering to cook me dinner or take me out." That famous smirk appeared. "And from there comes a host of possibilities."

"So you're a whore." She set the cookies on the table and sat down.

"No. When did I say I sleep with all these women?"

"Oh, so it's 'all these women' now?" Lisa put her glass to her lips but didn't sip. "If you're getting this much action in a chair you must've been something else outside of it."

"I think you're getting the wrong idea of me." He got a cookie.

"You're the one who keeps bragging about how much women fall all over you."

He turned the cookie around in his fingers. "And that makes you very testy for some reason, doesn't it?"

"I just wanna make sure that the things you say to me isn't the same bullshit you say to other chicks." She crossed her arms on the table. "I mean, how do I know it's not, Jake?"

"I guess you'll have to trust me. I know that's hard for you to grasp but you can at least try."

"How many women have you slept with?"

He spit cookie crumbs on the table. "What?"

"I mean, on a regular basis." She tapped the table. "I bet you get more ass than a pair of jeans, don't you?"

He coughed. "At the risk of harming my reputation, no, I do not."

"Oh, come off it, Jake." She wobbled her head. "You are a stud. I mean, look at you. You're gorgeous and got a tongue that could get a woman to do anything. You're telling me you don't use that to get women into bed?"

"All men use that to get women into bed."

"See?" She laughed. "So you're no better."

"So you expect me to be perfect because I'm in a wheelchair?" He wiped crumbs off his chin.

"No, I expect you to be honest and not come in with the same bullshit you run on every woman because I'm not having it!"

"And how the hell did we get here? One moment we're having a nice little talk and now we're arguing? Did I do something I'm not aware of?"

"No." She put her hand on her cheek. "I apologize. I have no right asking you about the women you've been with but men are known to lie."

"So are women." He bit into the cookie again and grimaced. "And these cookies suck."

She looked at the cookie in her hand. "Everyone likes my cookies."

"No, everyone tells you they like your cookies."

"What's wrong with them?"

"They're just so dense." He dropped one on the table and it bounced. "I didn't know cookies could bounce."

"Go to hell, all right?" She broke one in half. "I'm sorry that I'm not some great chef like you."

He slapped crumbs off his hands. "I'm gonna have to teach your ass how to bake. A two year old could make better cookies than these."

"Well, go get a two year old then." She pushed the cookies away. "You've only been here for five minutes and you've insulted my curtains and my cookies."

"And you called me a whore." He brushed crumbs off his lap.

"I apologize." She chewed the tough cookie.

He does have a point about these cookies.

"So is playing mind games with women how you get off?" She crossed her legs.

"Nope." He put his hand on her lap. "This is."

She moved his hand. "Stop, okay?"

"Why?" He put it back on her knee. "You don't want me to."

"Oh, I don't?" She dusted cookie crumbs off her hands. "I'm sick of you thinking you can read my mind all the time."

"Oh, no, I can't read you. That's what I like about you." He pulled her chair close to his. "I just want us to pick up where we left off last night."

"No chance." She scooted away.

"Why not?"

"Because it was a mistake."

"I could tell how you felt when we kissed. You melted right in my hands. How could something that we both long for be a mistake?"

"I can't do this, Jake."

"Why not? Is it because you're afraid of your feelings for me? How strong this could be?"

"No, damn it, it's because I'm not ready."

"What, for me?"

"For anyone! I know what you want." She gripped her robe. "And I can't give that to you. You want a part of me that I don't have anymore, Jake." She hit the table. "I can't give something that I don't have!"

His jaw poked out. "Who is he?"

"Who?"

"The asshole that hurt you. What's his name?"

"I'm not doing this with you."

He grabbed her hand. "I wanna know his name."

"Why?"

"So I can kill the bastard, that's why!"

"Knock it off." She yanked her hand back. "What right do you have?"

"I have a right because I care about you." He grabbed her. "Lisa, I'm falling in love with you."

"This is crazy." She wiggled in his hold. "Let me go!"

"Listen to me! I've never been able to tell a woman what I told you last night. I opened my heart to you and now I'm free. I haven't felt this way since Katherine."

"Please let me go, Jake," she whispered.

"Baby, I'd never hurt you." He touched her cheek. "And I can't see how any man could."

"You're wrong." She sucked in tears. "I told you my friend was the one abused."

"Okay." He moved his hand down her arm. "If you say so then I'll take that answer."

"It's the truth."

"Okay," he whispered. "You don't owe me any explanation." He let her go and clutched the sides of his chair. "I'm sorry I bothered you. Like you said...you're not ready." He went to the door.

"Wait." She stood. "You're not bothering me."

"No?" He moved his hand from the doorknob.

"No." She stood behind him. "I want you to stay."

"Why?"

"I don't know why. I just do."

"Do you like the way you feel when I'm around?"

She dropped her head. "I like it a lot."

"That's hard to admit, huh? Makes you feel vulnerable and afraid, doesn't it?"

"I hate that feeling." She wiped a tear. "You have no idea how much I hate that feeling."

He kissed her hand. "I'd never hurt you, Lisa. I swear."

"You're so soft and gentle." She caressed his hair. "I forgot a man could be."

He caressed the back of her leg. "I can be anything if you let me."

"When I'm with you I wanna let go and trust you." She put her hands on his shoulders. "It's just hard."

"It doesn't have to be." He stroked her buttocks through her robe. "Let go with me."

She sat on his lap and laid her head on his chest. "I'm scared."

"Do you want me, Lisa? As long as that's true then nothing else matters."

"I've never felt this safe before." She brought his arms around her. "I feel so protected. Makes me wanna stay in your arms forever."

"I'm not going anywhere." He opened her robe and kissed the exposed part of her breast that peeked from her nightgown. "I'll do and be anything you want me to."

Funny how she hadn't realized how much she missed being close to a man until Jake.

How she'd forgotten how a man could bring her body to incredible peaks of ecstasy without even being inside her. How the lovemaking started at first glance opposed to first touch.

"I wanna make love to you," he whispered.

He stiffened against her.

"I know." She exhaled. "I can feel it. I assume everything's okay in that department?"

"Well." He pulled her robe off her shoulders as she sniffed his hair. "I'll let you be the judge of that." He kissed her.

"How do you...do it?"

He chuckled between pants. "Like anyone else does it."

"No, I mean..." She rocked on his lap. "Do you do it like this?"

"In the chair?" He maneuvered underneath her. "Do you wanna do it like this?"

The first time she met him she wondered what it would be like to make love in his chair. She'd looked up "wheelchair sex" just to see the possible positions. Who knew there were so many?

"You wanna do it in the chair?" He pulled her breast from her gown and sucked her nipple. "We can do it in the chair."

"Ah." She forced her nose into his sweet-smelling hair. "I don't wanna...hurt you."

"You won't hurt me." He slid his tongue up her neck. "I've wanted you the moment I met you. I'll take you any way I can."

"Oh." She pushed his head into her breasts and arched her back. "This is...this is not me."

"Then don't be you." He forced his tongue inside her mouth. "Don't be you."

"Hmm." She savored the rapture of his thick, warm tongue. "Jake. Oh, show me. Show me why I shouldn't be scared. Show me."

"I'll show you." He sucked her shoulder. "I'll show you that and more."

"Oh!" Lisa gripped his head and closed her eyes.

Just then, her phone rang.

Jake threw her robe on the floor, exposing her nightgown. "Just forget it." He kissed her. "Nothing is more important now than us."

The phone rang again. "I want to." She moved her head with the rhythm of his kisses. "I want to so much, but—"

The phone rang again, cutting her words off.

"They'll call back if it's important." He unbuttoned his shirt. "We can't lose this feeling, Lisa. It's too powerful."

"I—"

"Shh." He slipped his fingers into her underwear.

The phone rang again.

"No." She moved his hand away. "I gotta get it. It could be about Ernest." She stumbled off him and grabbed her robe.

"Jesus." Jake wiped his mouth. "Hurry up, all right?"

Lisa ran to the living room and got the phone. "Yeah?" She panted.

"Leece, it's Dee. Wait. Why are you breathing so hard?"

"Huh?" She struggled to catch her breath. "I was in the tub and uh...I had to run to the phone."

Jake wheeled up and grabbed her from behind and forced her into his lap. "Mmm." He sucked on her ear.

"Uh...umm..." Lisa switched the phone to the other ear. "Dee?"

"Girl, what is up with you? Are you all right?"

She laid her hand on Jake's hard thigh. "I'm...I'm fine."

"I want you so bad." Jake grabbed her breast.

"Uh..." She gyrated against him. "What is it, Dee?"

Hurry up, damn it!

"Sofia Weathers is dead," Dee said.

"What?" Lisa got off Jake. "What are you talking about?"

"Hey, come here." Jake reached for Lisa.

She swatted at his hand. "Dee?"

"I just got word that her neighbor found her dead. There were no signs of foul play. They think it might've been a heart attack but won't be sure until she's checked out."

"Jesus," Lisa whispered.

"What is it?" Jake asked.

"Thanks for calling, Dee."

"I'll see you tomorrow." Dee clicked off.

"Fuck." Lisa tossed her phone on the couch.

"What?" Jake pulled her to him. "Hmm?"

"Stop." She shoved him.

"What's the matter?"

"Sofia Weathers is dead. They think she had a heart attack or something."

"What?"

"This is horrible."

"It's a shame what happened." He kissed her hand. "Now come here."

"Are you kidding?" She yanked away from him. "I just told you Sofia is dead. This could mean something to Ernest's case and all you can think about is sex?"

"At the moment..." He pointed to his crotch. "Yeah!"

"Oh, you men are unbelievable. Ernest was your friend."

"Of course he was but the woman had a heart attack! What the hell does that have to do with Ernest?"

"She still died, Jake."

"Lisa." He rubbed his mouth. "Don't switch gears on me, okay? We were about to have a wonderful time."

"Not anymore. Please leave."

"What?"

"You heard me. I want you to leave."

"Wait a minute. A few minutes ago you were gonna make love to me. You were opening up to me and now the armor's back out?"

"Guess you can say the call knocked me back into reality."

"Oh, you're unbelievable! Why are you fighting me? I keep telling you I won't hurt you like the other guy did."

"And I keep telling you I was not the one abused!"

"Oh, please." He tossed his hand. "You've obviously been hiding it from everyone so you think you'd be more convincing by now."

"How dare you?" She charged him. "You don't know a damn thing about me!"

"I know you're scared to death and that you'd rather be miserable than to be with someone who cares about you because being miserable doesn't take much effort!"

"What does that mean?"

"You just want the easy way out. You don't wanna face what happened to you and you know that if you wanna be with me you'll have to."

"Get out." She pointed toward the kitchen. "Get out!"

He wheeled into the kitchen. "You can throw me out but it doesn't mean I'm wrong. The only person that's keeping you miserable is you." He opened the side door. "Until you allow yourself to be happy you never will be. Have fun being miserable."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A Week Later:

When Jake opened his door that evening, his face didn't hold the usual spark it always did when Lisa was around. She'd regretted tossing him out of her home the second the words came out of her mouth, but she had no choice. She couldn't show vulnerability toward herself. How could he expect her to do it for him? All of this was too fast. Too real. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be ready to open up to him, but the least she could do was apologize and show him that it wasn't his fault.

He glared at her without moving a muscle.

She stepped in without an invitation.

Had he been right? Deep inside did she just crave to be miserable because it was so much easier than the possibility of getting hurt again?

Jake wiped his hands on the dishtowel in his lap. "You always walk into people's houses without an invitation?" He shut the door. "You think that badge lets you do whatever you want?"

"No." She peeked into the kitchen. "Something smells incredible." She patted her stomach. "Is it salmon cakes? I love salmon cakes."

He wheeled into the middle of the living room. "So?"

"They just remind me of my grandmother. She raised me." She swung her arms. "She made the most delicious salmon cakes. I mean, they were outta this world." She could taste her grandmother's cooking as she spoke. "She also made this great homemade macaroni and cheese. Salmon cakes are kinda special to me because I loved my grandmother very much."

"You didn't have parents?"

"I never knew my dad." She cleared her throat. "And my mother hates me and never could miss a moment telling me she wished I was never born."

Jake grimaced. "That can't be true."

"Oh, it is." She scratched behind her ear. "But that's another story for another day." She stood in front of the stove. "You need help?"

"No. What do you want so you can leave and I can finish my dinner?"

"Wow." She chuckled to herself. "Would you like some company? I'd love to taste your salmon."

"I don't think that would be a good idea." He placed the dishtowel on his shoulder. "Sorry if I'm rude but—"

"Rude? You're being downright nasty to me, Jake. It's not fair at all."

"Fair?" His pupils expanded. "You talk about fair when you threw me out of your house? I don't have time for this anymore, Lisa."

"What don't you have time for? So because I don't behave like you want you get an attitude? You pursued me. I told you we shouldn't get involved but you kept pushing."

"Well, you kept letting me push, didn't you?" He sped toward her. "You could've at least spoken to me like an adult instead of throwing a tantrum and throwing me outta your house."

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to hurt you. It wasn't about you."

"Yeah, well, I don't want your apologies. I'm not just out for a quickie here, Lisa. When I told you I felt something for you that I hadn't felt in a long time, I meant it. I do care about you."

"I know you do." She rubbed her elbow. "I appreciate it."

"I don't want your damn appreciation! I want your heart."

"I..." She pressed her hands to her face. "I'm sorry but I don't think that's something I can give anyone right now." She dropped her hands. "Can you understand that?"

"No. I will never understand how a woman so intelligent, and who could have anything she wanted, would choose misery over love or happiness."

"How do I know this can be love?"

"What are you saying?" He went to the stove and turned off the heat. "Explain."

"You keep saying I'm special and that you care but look at it from my point of view. How many men say that to women they barely know and mean it?"

"I'm not trying to get into your bed." He tossed the dishtowel on the table. "I'm trying to get into your heart." He entered the living room. "But I really don't know why I bothered in the first place. I can't help you get over your demons. It's your responsibility to do that yourself."

"So much for caring, huh? You sure give up easily."

"Can't help someone who doesn't wanna help themselves."

"Go to hell, Jake."

"You mean to be with you? That's your world, isn't it? Hell and misery." He shook his head. "I have no intentions to hide from this world like you do. I wanna live a life. I could've given up and been depressed after getting in this chair, but I didn't. I refused to be like that."

"Well, aren't you special?"

"I refused because I realized it was sad and only hurting myself to be that way. God gave me a second chance. Katherine lost her life so the least I could do was be thankful for mine."

Lisa felt tears and turned away.

"Don't you see, Lisa? God gave you another shot. Do you realize how many women go through the same thing you did and they don't survive? You survived and you don't even appreciate it."

She marched to the door.

"And there she goes!" He threw up his arms. "Running away again, huh? But you can't run from it, Lisa. You know why? Because you can't run from yourself."

She clapped. "Well, thank you for that brilliant observation, Mr. Know-It-All Wheelchair Man!"

"Whoa." He scoffed. "So you're on the wheelchair now? That's fine. Your insults don't bother me because I know you're only lashing out because you don't wanna feel the pain. I'd rather you insult me than completely dismiss what you're feeling."

"I didn't come here to hear this shit. I came here to tell you that Sofia Weathers was murdered."

"What?" He straightened up.

"Yeah, the autopsy report shows she was poisoned and it caused her to go into cardiac arrest."

"Oh, my God. Who'd poison her?"

"Well, that's the million dollar question, isn't it?" She sniffled. "You know so much. Any theories?"

He pulled at his lips. "It has to all be connected. God, Lisa, Ernest's death is probably way bigger than we imagined. Do you think the same person who killed Ernest killed Sofia?"

"I don't know. Anything's possible, right?"

"I feel like such a hypocrite." He hung his head.

"Why?"

"Because there is something I didn't tell you about Ernest. He owed me money."

"What?"

"I had some money saved up and he was in a desperate position."

"How much money?"

"Twenty thousand," Jake whispered.

"Twenty thousand?" She studied his expression. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was scared that it would make me look like a suspect. But I can't expect you to trust me if I withhold things, so I want you to know."

"Or maybe you want me to know because you knew I'd find out. Oh, God, Jake. Did you kill Ernest?"

"Did you really just ask me that?"

"What the hell do you expect? You hid something that gives you a motive!"

"Ernest was like a brother to me! I'd never hurt him. And if I did, do you think I'd have called the cops?"

"Yes! It's the perfect diversion. It happens all the time. You're so damn smart when it comes to crime so don't act like you don't know that."

"I told you this because I felt I could confide in you. I didn't expect you to turn on me."

"You didn't expect it?" She put her hands on her waist. "You want me to trust you and you hide this? How do I know you didn't kill him, Jake? How do I know that you weren't coming on to me to keep me from suspecting you? How the hell do I know that?"

His jaws tightened. "I guess you don't."

"So much for trust, huh?" she said as she turned and walked out the door.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Jake?" Dee hopped on the treadmill in the police station's workout room. "Come on, Leece, we've been down this road." She started jogging. "He's a good guy. You know that."

Lisa lifted the hand weights, finishing her set of bicep curls. "And how many 'good' guys have we busted for murder? Good people do bad things all the time."

"Come on, where is this coming from?" Dee increased her speed. "I don't get this cycle with you and Jake. He likes you and you like him, but you're causing all kinds of shit just to not face things."

"This isn't about me." Lisa put the weights down and approached the treadmill. "He lied. He specifically denied that he had any reason to want Ernest dead, but Ernest owed him money."

Dee cut her eyes to Lisa. "What?"

"Yeah, Jake told me that he gave Ernest twenty thousand dollars from his savings. We know people who were murdered for less, Dee."

"I'm a good judge of character and Jake doesn't come off as being a killer."

"You're a good judge of character, Dee?" Lisa crossed her arms. "Who introduced me to Mason?"

Dee tapped something on the treadmill and stopped jogging. "That was very fucked up, Lisa."

"I apologize."

"Don't throw that shit in my face again." Dee continued jogging.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Look, I definitely don't wanna believe that Jake is a killer but he could be."

****

"I appreciate you coming to see me, Detective." Maggie showed Lisa into her office the next day. "I hope I'm not keeping you from anything important."

"If this is about Ernest Juarez then I'm glad you called." She sat on the other side of Maggie's desk. "Is something wrong?"

"Am I the only one who thinks Sofia's murder is connected to AM Pharmacy?"

"No." Lisa swallowed.

"We both know that someone from the pharmacy got to her. Someone who is scared they'll lose everything." Maggie sipped from her coffee cup. "To top it off, the others involved in the suit have decided to pull out."

"They're afraid, huh?"

Maggie put her cup down. "They see what happened to Sofia and don't want the same thing to happen to them."

"If only someone within the pharmacy had the guts to speak out. I suppose many of them are scared too. Especially since they have to know what's been going on."

"The FBI's interest has been piqued when it comes to AM for a while now. I have a friend with the FBI and he's told me some shocking things." Maggie propped her arm up. "This conspiracy is more incredible than you could imagine."

"Well, I'm all ears."

"I'd love to tell you but...not here." Maggie put her arm down. "Might sound silly, but I've had a feeling lately that someone's been watching me. I've even been getting phone calls where no one answers when I pick up."

"But this information your friend has might help me find Ernest's killer. You can trust me, Maggie."

"We need to meet somewhere where I'm certain we're alone."

"Would you mind coming to my place tonight?" Lisa scribbled down her address and gave it to her. "How about eight o'clock?"

Maggie stared at the paper. "Eight it is."

****

That Night:

"Shit." Lisa drove with one hand and grabbed her ringing phone from the passenger's seat. Dee's name popped up. "Girl, where the hell you been? I called you like sixteen times!"

"My phone's been acting up," Dee said. "What's going on?"

"Oh, girl, you won't believe this." Lisa sped down Wabash Avenue and slowed at a stop sign. "I'm on my way to Maggie McCarthy's office."

"I thought she was going to your place."

"She's dead, Dee."

"What?"

Lisa drove toward Maggie's office. "Yeah, she was about an hour late and when I called her phone, she never answered. So finally some detective called me back and said she'd been murdered. She was shot in her office."

"Jesus Christ."

"I'm pulling into the parking lot of her office now." Lisa drove past police cars and crime scene tape. A young blonde woman sat in the back of an ambulance as paramedics gave her oxygen. "That must be Maggie's daughter," Lisa whispered.

"It has to be connected to the pharmacy thing," Dee said. "What the hell have we stepped into, Leece?"

Lisa parked beside a blue van. "I'm gonna see what I can find out. I'll call you later."

"Okay, hopefully my phone won't be acting up."

Lisa clicked off and put her phone in her pocket.

A tall, tanned man with thick black hair and enigmatic blue eyes approached Lisa's vehicle.

Lisa opened her door.

"Ma'am, there's been a homicide here," he said. "I'm sorry but this is police business and you'll have to leave."

"I'm Detective Lisa Swanson." She got out. "Are you Detective Lewis?"

His gaze flowed down her body. "You're not exactly what I pictured from the phone."

"Is that a compliment?" She closed the door.

"Yeah." He stared. "Uh, Detective Winston Lewis." He shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you, though I wish it had been on better circumstances."

"You didn't have to come down here."

"Yes, I did." Lisa locked her car with the clicker. "See, this might be connected to the murder case I'm working on."

"And how is that?"

"You mind if I don't go into details?"

"But Maggie's death is my case. So wouldn't that mean we should work on things together?"

A paramedic took the oxygen mask from the young blonde woman and helped her out of the ambulance.

"That's her daughter," Lewis said. "Poor thing had an asthma attack. Man, it's times like this I forget why I enjoy being a homicide detective."

"Not me," Lisa said. "It's seeing the pain and hurt that reminds me why I like it."

Lewis' eyebrows flattened. "Why?"

"Because it fuels me to work harder on getting the bad guys. You said Maggie was shot?"

"The custodian usually comes in around seven-thirty and he was surprised McCarthy's car was still here since she usually leaves at six on the dot." Lewis pointed to the busy building. "He went into her office and found her shot behind her desk."

"Any leads?" Lisa put her hands in her pockets.

"No. We can't determine anything by entry because she kept the doors unlocked until she left. People could come and go into the law office as they pleased."

"What about the custodian?"

"We ruled him out immediately. He works another job before he cleans up here so we confirmed that he was working at the time she was killed."

"Maggie was a well-known attorney and with well-known attorneys comes many enemies."

"I hope we can narrow down that list of enemies enough to get a suspect," Lewis said.

"Or maybe I can narrow it down." Lisa headed toward the daughter.

"Wait." Lewis blocked her. "This is my case, Detective Swanson." He rubbed his hands. "But I don't mind working with you. Maybe it would be good if we put our heads together?"

"You sure that's all you wanna put together, Detective?"

He blushed.

"Please excuse me, Detective Lewis."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Lisa approached Maggie's daughter as the ambulance drove off. "Hello," she said.

The blonde kept her eyes to the concrete.

"I am so sorry for your loss." Lisa took out her badge. "I'm Detective Swanson. You're Maggie's daughter, right?"

She nodded. "London."

"That's a pretty name." Lisa smiled.

"You're..." London sniffled. "You're on this case too?"

"No, but I think your mother's murder might be connected to a case of mine." Lisa put her badge away. "I really am sorry."

"What do you want?"

"I know right now your mind's probably going a million places at once and the last thing you wanna do is talk to me but I really think helping me could help find out who did this."

"She was a lawyer and she had a lot of enemies." London wiped her nose with her hand. "It could've been anyone."

"Here." Lisa passed her a tissue. "I'll make a promise to you. I'll do all I can to make sure your mother gets justice. Maggie's done some great things for the community and I really admired her."

"She was a fighter." London blew into the tissue. "She taught me to be the same way. She always said that no matter how scared you are or how many people try to push you around, don't back down." She rolled up the tissue. "That's why it was so strange to see her afraid."

"You think your mother was afraid?"

"Lately she just seemed frightened about something. I don't know if someone had been threatening her or what. I just got a feeling something was wrong."

"I don't suppose you know about a class action suit?"

She shook her head. "What suit?"

"Your mother had been working on a class action suit for a group of clients. It was a suit against AM Pharmacy. Did she mention it to you?"

"I don't know about a suit but I know she was working on something with the woman that got killed, Sofia Weathers. Are you saying you think my mom's death was connected to a suit against AM Pharmacy?"

"She was going to tell me something tonight that some FBI friend told her. Do you know who that might be?"

London scrunched up her face. "No. I mean, my mom had many associates so I couldn't begin to tell you."

"Well, I'm gonna keep trying." Lisa patted her arm. "Don't worry about that."

****

The Next Night:

Lisa poured herself a glass of orange juice and nearly spilled half of it when a knock sounded on the side door.

Lisa set her glass of orange juice on the kitchen counter and peeked through the window.

"Great." She took a deep breath then opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for you to apologize." Jake rolled inside.

"For what?"

"For accusing me of murdering my best friend." He stopped beside the kitchen table. "You know damn well I didn't murder Ernest."

She closed the door. "What was I supposed to think when I found out you lied? I can't eliminate any suspect until I know for sure."

"Oh, so I'm a suspect now? So I suppose you think I killed Sofia and Maggie too, huh?"

She adjusted her robe to cover her cleavage.

"When are you gonna stop pushing me away?"

"Contrary to what your ego thinks, this has nothing to do with any feelings I may or may not have toward you. I'm trying to solve a murder that might be linked to a huge conspiracy so, believe me, the last thing on my mind right now is you."

"I'm on your mind as much as you're on mine and you know it. I came over here because I care and wanna help you, but I see now that this is a huge waste of time."

"Really?" She bit her lip.

"Yeah. You wanna be alone and miserable. I can't change that, so why try?"

"You have some nerve asking for so much, Jake. We haven't even gone out on a real date and yet you expect me to just open up to you?"

"Yes, because you need to come to terms with what happened to you!"

"What do you want from me?" She charged him. "You want me to tell you every fuckin' secret I've ever had? You want me to give you every inch of my soul?" She bent over him. "You want every goddamn piece of who I am? Is that what you expect, Jake?" She put her hands on his armrests. "Is it?"

"I want you to let the pain go and move on with your life. I want you to open up to me the same as I did for you."

"Open up?" She held out her arms. "Open up to you when I can't even open up to myself? Do you have any idea what you're asking me, Jake? You understand how hard this is for me? What am I supposed to do? I can't talk about it!" Her lips quivered. "I can't talk about it!"

"I can't keep going like this, Lisa. If the beginning is this much effort, I don't have the strength to go through more."

"I'm terrified of what you'll think of me." Her voice cracked.

"I think of you as a strong, intelligent, and amazing woman. And after this I'll think of you as a strong, intelligent, and amazing woman."

She cried into her palms.

"Think of what you're throwing away by holding on to the pain. Think of how happy you could be. Think of the life you could have if you just let it go. You'll never be free until you allow yourself to be." He sat back. "Let it go, Lisa. Let it go."

"The best thing for me to do is just show you." She exhaled into her hands. "I can't believe I'm doing this. I've never shown anyone before." She clenched her robe. "Not one soul." She slipped her robe to the floor.

Jake moved back.

She turned her back to him and lifted her nightgown. Every ounce of pain she'd ever felt from those bruises and scars leapt out of her body. She grew more terrified by what he might think, but a tiny bit liberated at being able to give him something that she hadn't given anyone else.

"Oh." Jake let out a muffled groan. "Oh, my God."

"That's my entire story on my back." Her eyes flooded with tears.

"Oh, that son of a bitch," Jake whispered. "That rotten son of a bitch. How could he have done this to you?"

"It was so many times. I couldn't begin to tell you how many beatings." She let out a nervous chuckle. "You see that long scar in the middle? That was a hot iron. He threw me to the floor, sat on top of me, and pressed it into my back."

Jake moaned. "God help me."

"And that one on my right shoulder is from a lamp. He tried to hit me in the back of the head on one of the many occasions when I tried to leave. I ducked and he smacked my shoulder. Thank God he didn't get my head. I most likely wouldn't be here."

"I'm sorry." His warm fingertips caressed her back followed by the touch of his moist lips. "I'm so sorry."

She turned around.

"It's okay." He pulled her into his lap. "He doesn't have the power anymore."

A tear fell down her cheeks and over her lips.

He kissed her.

The phone rang just as she kissed him back.

He put his arms around her. "I don't wanna let you go."

"I'll be right back." She got up.

He followed her into the living room.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Lisa answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Detective Swanson? This is Armin Oxford. The pharmacist that worked with Ernest."

"Oh, yes." She looked at Jake. "How are you? Is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry to be calling you like this but we really need to talk. I know some things that could help you with Ernest's case."

"Okay." She placed her hand on her forehead. "Do you want to meet?"

"That would be great. Can we meet tonight?"

"Uh...sure. You want to come to my place?"

Jake gaped.

"That would be great if it's okay with you."

"Sure, come right over." She told him her address. "You know where that is?"

"Yes, I'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Uh, we can speak alone, right?"

"Sure. See you in a bit." Lisa clicked off.

"Who was that?" Jake wheeled toward the couch.

"That was Dr. Oxford. He says he has something to tell me that might help with Ernest's case."

"What?"

"Well, that's what he's gonna tell me, right?" She straightened the couch pillows. "I need to put on some clothes and you need to get outta here."

"What?"

She pushed him through the kitchen. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" She opened the side door.

"Wait." Jake held on to the door. "I wanna stay."

"Oh, no. No way."

"I deserve to know what this is about."

"You don't deserve shit. You are not a cop. How many times and how many ways do I have to say that?"

"If your best friend got killed wouldn't you wanna be involved?"

"This is not up for discussion." She checked the clock over the microwave. "He'll be here in a little bit. I gotta get dressed." She pushed him outside.

"Wait." He blocked her from closing the door. "Will you at least tell me what he says?"

"I'll think about it."

"Lisa!"

She slammed the door.

****

"What did you just say?" Lisa sat beside Armin on her couch but still didn't believe she'd heard him right.

"I'm so sorry I didn't say anything before but I was afraid for my safety." He clasped his hands. "These people Ernest was dealing with are very dangerous."

"Wait. I'm still trying to process what you just said. Ernest dealt prescription drugs illegally?"

Armin nodded. "I was devastated when I found out. I'd suspected something was going on for a while but didn't know until he and Tori started getting threats from these guys. He told me he needed money to pay them off. Turns out he'd been selling prescription drugs for these people but because of his gambling, had taken the money they were owed."

"Jesus." Lisa straightened up.

"I know I should've gone to the cops before." He twiddled his liver-spotted fingers. "But I was so scared for me and my wife. I'm sure you know how dangerous these drug people can be. They're ruthless. They threatened to kill Ernest when he didn't have their money."

"So what made you suspect something was going on with Ernest in the first place?"

"I started getting complaints at the pharmacy from people. People said their prescriptions were short on pills. Ernest claimed to deliver meds that he never delivered. Money started disappearing out of the register and he started acting nervous. He was always looking over his shoulder and then he finally told me he'd been dealing meds from the pharmacy and I lost it." He turned red. "I almost killed him myself. I couldn't believe he'd be so careless and irresponsible. I mean, he had a wife and a daughter. These people would've killed Ernest without a thought. I'd never been so disappointed in him."

"Well, if Ernest screwed over drug dealers then that's a definite motive for his death. Can you give me any names to start with?"

"No." He frowned. "He never told me and I didn't wanna know."

****

The Next Evening:

Tori locked the door of the dentist's office. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, okay?" She headed for her car. "But I figured you'd find out eventually." She got out her keys. "I just didn't wanna be the one to tell you."

"You had no right to keep this from me," Lisa said. "These people might've killed Ernest and any time wasted is time that could've helped."

"Look." Tori stopped at her car. "Maybe it was a shitty thing to do but I don't regret doing it."

"How can you say that? If you'd told me sooner then I'd have had a better chance at finding the killer."

"I didn't say anything because of my daughter." Tori unlocked her car door. "You don't know the shit Ernest put us through. He ruined my finances and endangered my daughter's life. Now you can lock me up or whatever the hell you wanna do but don't judge me for my decision."

"You're the one that played the high and mighty role the last time, claiming you wanted to help find the killer for Rita's sake."

"Yeah, but at what cost? These drug guys or whoever the hell they are, don't play. They said they'd kill Ernest when he stole that money." Tori opened the driver's door. "They threatened to kill all of us. I was scared for Rita."

"Who are they?"

"I don't know." Tori turned toward Lisa. "I never saw them. They dealt with Ernest."

"Tori, you gotta give me something." Lisa snapped her fingers. "You gotta give me a name or something. Even if you don't think a person is connected, I need to know something, anything you know."

"Maybe Skylar can tell you. He, uh...dealt drugs with Ernest."

"Okay, where can I find this guy?"

Tori got into the car. "He hangs out at that bar, Avery's."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Skylar led Dee and Lisa past the restrooms and out the back of Avery's bar. "I don't know what you want from me." He swept his straggly, blond hair out of his face. Spiral black tats ran up and down his arms. "I don't know shit about Ernest's murder, okay?"

"Well, we know that Ernest was dealing prescription drugs he stole from the pharmacy." Lisa leaned her foot against the brick wall. "And someone dropped your name."

"Well I don't know why!" He flung hair out of his face. "Come on, man. Ask anyone who knows me if I'm capable of doing the shit that happened to Ernest and they'll laugh their asses off." He swayed. "I admit I'm not a saint, but I swear I didn't kill him."

"You know who did?" Dee asked.

Lisa moved her foot off the wall. "Do you have any idea who did?"

"Fuck!" Skylar shoved his hands into his greasy hair. "Man, I can't go down for murder."

"Look, we don't want you, okay?" Dee pointed. "We don't give a damn about you or you selling drugs. We want Ernest's killer. Now, you can tell us what you know or we can take your ass down to the station right now."

"And I'm sure you have charges that will stick," Lisa said.

"Okay, Ernest and I ran drugs for these people but I swear I don't know any names. Neither of us knew real names. We had a contact named Gun." His dark pupils went right and left. "That's all I know."

Lisa tapped her foot on the wall. "Did Ernest steal these guys' money?"

Skylar nodded. "We sold a stash and Ernest was supposed to give them the money but he spent it on gambling." He scratched his dirty arm. "They told him he had to get the money back or they were gonna kill Ernest, Tori, and Rita."

Lisa and Dee exchanged glances.

"Man, everything was happening so fast. I wanted to get outta the game but you can't just leave."

"So do you think they killed him?" Dee asked.

"Possibly, but Ernest was making many enemies. He was being reckless and stupid. He not only owed them money, but he owed loan sharks money too. He owed so much money to people that he couldn't even tell you how much he owed."

Lisa tapped her pencil against her notepad. "When was the last time you saw Ernest?"

"About a week before he died. Ernest told me that he and his friend took money to a dude named Gun."

"Took what money?" Lisa jotted as he spoke.

"Ernest's friend gave him twenty thousand to pay off the dealers."

"What friend?" Lisa looked up from jotting.

"Jake."

"Jake Jenson?" Lisa almost dropped the pencil. "Dude in a wheelchair?"

"Yeah. They used to come in here sometimes and hang out."

Lisa looked at Dee. "Are you sure, Skylar?"

He nodded.

****

"You lying son of a bitch!" Lisa barged into Jake's living room. "You lying bastard!"

"Lisa!" Dee ran inside after her and closed the door. "Girl, calm down!"

"Calm down?" She looked at Jake. "I'll calm down after I kick his ass for making me look like a fool."

He moved back. "Hey, I just came back from a really rough AA meeting so you shouting at me is the last thing I need. What the hell did I do?"

"Oh?" Lisa leaned back and chuckled. "You gonna keep playing the game, huh?"

"What game? Dee, what in the world is she talking about?"

"I'm talking about this innocent act you've been running that turns out to be a lie. You killed Ernest, Jake."

"Oh." He patted his foot. "This again. I did not kill Ernest and that's the last time I'm gonna say it." He wheeled toward the couch.

Lisa stomped behind him. "Don't walk away from me!" She flung his chair around.

"Hey!" He knocked her hands off the chair.

"Lisa." Dee got in between them. "Can we just talk sensibly here?"

"Depends." Jake straightened his shirt. "Is she capable of telling me why she thinks I killed Ernest instead of acting like a moron?"

"Moron?" Lisa flung Dee out of the way. "I'm not a moron but a fool for believing your act. Oh, you had me, didn't you, Jake? So is the wheelchair even real or is this another part of your scheme?"

He squinted. "Fuck you."

"Lisa." Dee grabbed her. "Stop before you say something you don't mean."

She pushed Dee off. "That's highly unlikely. I want the truth right now, Jake."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"Why should I tell you anything?" Jake scoffed. "You got your mind made up no matter what I say."

She tapped her foot. "Are you a drug dealer, Jake?"

"What?" He squealed. "What the hell are you talking about?" He turned to Dee. "Is she high?"

"Just tell me why you would go with Ernest on his drug deals, huh?"

"Drug deals? Lisa, what the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Ernest dealing illegal drugs and some guy at Avery's bar saying you dealt drugs with Ernest too. Don't deny it!"

"What? This is insane!" He scooted up in his chair. "I'm not a drug dealer! I've never taken or sold drugs in my life."

"Bullshit!" Lisa bent down. "You might as well stop lying now because the truth is all out." She stood up. "So why did you kill him?"

Jake's cheeks puffed out.

"You might as well come off it, Jake. You even went with Ernest to give the money to the drug dude."

"Okay, I went with Ernest and we paid off a gambling debt. That's what the twenty thousand was for. Where the hell do you get the idea that we went to see a drug dealer?"

"Because Ernest told his friend Skylar that you and him went to see Gun who's a contact for the drug guys. That man you gave the twenty thousand to was a drug dealer, Jake!"

"Well, if that's true then I didn't know it!" He fidgeted in his chair. "I swear I had no idea! Ernest told me he was a loan shark!"

Lisa tossed her head back. "Right."

"I'm telling the truth! Ernest lied to me if that man was a drug dealer! Lisa, you gotta believe me."

"Well, I don't." She sat on the couch.

"Jake?" Dee stood in front of him. "Are you telling the truth?"

"I swear on my life that I've never sold or done drugs. Ernest lied to me. I had no idea."

"Let me ask you this." Lisa slapped her hands together. "If you're a recovering alcoholic, why are you going to bars anyway? Skylar says you hung out with Ernest at Avery's."

"You can go to a bar without drinking, Lisa."

"Everything you told me is a lie, isn't it?" She stood. "Was the accident a lie? Was Katherine's death a lie?"

"Lisa." Dee grabbed her. "Stop it."

"I..." He closed his eyes. "I can't believe you said that. You throw something that painful and hurtful in my face and accuse me of lying about it?"

"You lied about not having a reason to want Ernest dead."

He clenched his teeth. "I didn't want Ernest dead."

"Oh, well, twenty thousand is a pretty good reason to want someone dead, Jake."

"Stop it, Leece." Dee let her go. "I believe he's telling the truth."

"Well, you can fall for his crap if you want to, Dee." Lisa gestured to him. "But I'm through with Mr. Jenson. The next time I see him I might be slapping the handcuffs on his ass."

"You know what hurts?" He approached her. "I thought you knew me better. I thought we'd connected on another level but I guess I was wrong. You don't have to be through with me because I'm through with you."

She stuck her head in the air.

"Now get the hell outta my house."

She flung the door open. "Your wish is my command."

****

"I know it's early." Dee sat at Jake's table the next morning. "But after last night I felt things needed to be explained."

"If you came to talk about Lisa then you've wasted a trip." He chewed a piece of fried egg. "That name is no longer in my vocabulary."

"You know that's not true."

"Don't take offense to this, okay?" He cut into the pan sausage. "But just because you baby her, doesn't mean everyone else has to put up with her crap too." He bit into the sausage. "Lisa needs to learn that she's not the only one in the world with feelings. She really hurt mine last night."

"I know that and I'm not making excuses. I feel bad for how Lisa acted, but so does she. She won't admit it, but she does."

"And that's the problem. She thinks she can treat others any way she wants to without apologizing or explaining. Well, I'm not letting her get off that easy. I'm through with her." He sipped cranberry juice. "Through."

"Jake, Lisa is like a Rubik's cube." Dee moved her hands around in a circular motion. "She has all these elements to her that you gotta twist and turn to figure out." She smiled. "She's not easy to be around sometimes and she is definitely not easy to love."

"I doubt she deserves your friendship."

"Believe me, she does. Lisa has been there for me as much as I've been there for her. She has a big heart, Jake. You just gotta go through those twists and turns to get to it. But once you do, it's worth it."

He moved the egg around on his plate. "I don't think I wanna try."

"She has had a very tough life. She was handed off to relative after relative because her mother never wanted her."

He watched her as he ate.

"See, her mother got pregnant in college. She was gonna be an engineer and had to drop out after getting pregnant. After that, she had to settle for jobs she didn't want and she couldn't fulfill her dream. She blamed Lisa for that and showed it in the way she treated her. She'd tell her right to her face that she hated her and wish she'd never been born."

Jake looked at his plate.

"Lisa never knew her father. She always had a hunch that maybe her mother actually blamed him for what happened, but since he wasn't in the picture, Lisa got all the blame."

"She told me her grandmother raised her."

"She did until she died. I didn't know Lisa then, of course, but she told me how empty she felt after that. She even tried to commit suicide when her grandmother died because she thought no one else cared about her." Dee wiped a tear from her eye. "And back then she was right."

Jake contemplated the story. "That's...that's really tough. I hate that she had to go through that, but many people have tough lives and they don't treat people like Lisa does."

"People react to what happens to them in different ways."

"So how did the monster get into the picture? The man who beat her?"

"Mason Crawford?" Dee kicked her legs out. "I introduced them at the policeman's ball." She shook her head. "And I'll never forgive myself for that."

"Wait a minute." Jake dropped his fork. "Are you talking about Mason Crawford the defense attorney? The one that's always in the papers?"

Dee nodded.

"He's the monster?" Jake rubbed his mouth. "He's a lawyer for God sakes."

"He's an alcoholic and an abuser with a horrible temper too."

"He's an alcoholic?" Jake pushed his plate away and laid his arms on the table. "I bet that's reason alone for her to push me away."

"I'm sure you're nothing like Mason."

"But Lisa doesn't know that. Or even if she wants to believe it, she doesn't trust her feelings right now. Mason Crawford." Jake pulled his bottom lip. "He's always on TV talking about the charities he gives to. Shit, he gave to the battered women's shelter a few times." He stroked his chin. "That rotten, two-faced, sleazy son of a bitch."

"Lisa carries more shame than other women who have gone through this. How does a cop explain she was beaten on a daily basis? No one would understand. They'd feel she should be the one who wasn't in such a situation, but abuse does not discriminate."

"That's what she said."

"She just wants to bury the pain and that's what she's been doing for the last year."

"She can't bury it forever. Until she faces it, the pain will always have the power."

She touched his hand. "She needs you to show her how."

"No." He moved his hand. "That's not my responsibility. She has to do that if she wants to be with me. Hell, she's gonna have to do that to be with anyone. She's gonna have to face it on her own."

Dee stood and pushed the chair back under the table. "Are you in love with her?"

He scratched his shoulder.

"Aren't you doing the same thing as Lisa? She's letting pain get in the way and you're letting your pride."

"She humiliated me last night! She called me a drug dealer and a murderer."

"And you know she didn't mean it."

"I'm not running after her anymore." He cut into what was left of the egg. "If she wants this to happen, she's gonna have to come to me."

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Lisa parked in front of Dr. Oxford's home a week later.

Maybe he knew something else that could help find Ernest's killer. At least she hoped he did. Maybe he could take her mind off Jake too. That would be a miracle since nothing else had in the last week. She thought of Jake no matter what she did. Even submerging herself in this case couldn't get him off her mind.

She started up the walkway of Oxford's blue, two-story home and stopped at the door.

Boy, had she fucked up this time. She'd insulted Jake before and he always came back. He hadn't this time. Not a call, visit...nothing. He hadn't even called to check up on the case.

She closed her eyes.

The emptiness returned the moment she left his house the last time. How could someone she barely knew have such an impact so soon?

Maybe this is real. Maybe we are meant to be.

The door opened before Lisa knocked. A shapely, gray haired woman of medium height poked her head out. "Were you planning to stand out here all day without knocking?"

Lisa chuckled. "I'm sorry. I'm Detective Lisa Swanson."

"Oh, yes." The woman snapped her fingers. "You're the detective on Ernest's case. I'm Vonna Oxford, Armin's wife." She touched her sagging bosom. "Is something wrong?"

"I was just hoping to speak to Dr. Oxford, if that's okay. I've come to a dead end in the case, and I would like to know if he has more information."

"Oh, he'd be glad to help but he went out." Vonna checked her watch. "He should be back in a few minutes. Would you like to come in and wait? I was just about to get us some snacks."

"Us?"

Mrs. Oxford moved to the side.

Lisa walked in.

Ah, fuck.

Jake sat beside the gaudy, floral couch. His dumbfounded expression illustrated how she felt.

"Hey." She waved.

He kept his eyes on the television. "Hello," he said in a tone as flexible as a brick.

"Oh, that's right." Mrs. Oxford closed the door. "You two already know each other. Please sit down, Detective."

"Thank you."

Lisa stared at Jake as she sat down. "Ah, Whose Line is it Anyway?" She gestured to the television. "I love that show."

"That's interesting," Jake said. "I didn't peg you for the comedic type."

"Why not? I love comedies."

Mrs. Oxford leaned over the back of the couch. "I was just about to get Jake and me some quiche and juice. Would you like some?"

"No, thanks." Lisa patted her nervous stomach. "I'm not hungry."

"Okay." Mrs. Oxford straightened a pillow. "I'll be right back. I gotta heat it in the microwave."

Lisa crossed her legs at the ankles. "So how have you been? Haven't seen you lately."

Jake flattened his hands against his thighs. "Yeah, well, isn't that what you wanted?"

"No."

"No?" He wobbled his head. "And what does that mean?"

"You're gonna make this impossible for me, huh?"

"Make what impossible?" He grinned as Wayne Brady tumbled around on the stage.

"I realize I was wrong when I accused you of murdering Ernest or selling drugs. That's why I'm here now. I wanted to see if Dr. Oxford might have more information."

"That's why I'm here as well." His tone remained stiff. "Glad you realized your theory of me being a murdering drug dealer made absolutely no sense."

"I'm sorry, Jake." She leaned back on a pillow.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "So why do you believe me now? What made the difference in a week? Was it because I haven't spoken to you or because you feel guilty?"

"Both." She tugged on the pillow. "I know in my heart you're telling the truth. I had to trust myself in order to trust you. I really am sorry how I treated you the last time."

"So should I be flattered?"

Lisa pulled at the threads on the pillow.

Mrs. Oxford rushed in. "I called Armin. He'll be back shortly."

"Oh, I could wait," Lisa said.

"No, you detectives are so busy. I couldn't have you waiting around all day. I'll be right back with the quiche, Jake." She zipped out of the room.

Jake scooted closer to the couch. "I really don't give a damn what you think of me, Lisa. All I care about is finding Ernest's killer. And it seems like I've been the only one concerned with that."

"How can you say that? Why are you being so cruel?"

"Cruel? You're always thinking about your feelings and how people treat you. You really hurt me when you accused me. Maybe you're used to others just rolling over when you get upset but I won't." He clasped his hands. "Just because you've had a bad childhood doesn't mean you can treat people like shit."

"What do you know about my childhood?"

Mrs. Oxford came in with a tray. "Sorry for the wait." She set it on the table.

"It's all right." Jake rolled to the table. "My appetite has waned considerably in the last few minutes."

Lisa absorbed the painful comment.

"Here you go." Mrs. Oxford passed Jake a slice of quiche and set his juice in front of him. "Sure you don't want any, Detective Swanson?"

She fanned. "No, thank you."

Mrs. Oxford sat beside Lisa. "So what exactly did you need to know, Detective?"

"I've just come to a dead end. I can't find anything on those drug guys Dr. Oxford told me about. I only had one name to go on and that led me to thin air. I was wondering if he knew of anything else."

"Hmm." Vonna crossed her legs and bobbed her foot. "We don't know any names or anything. All we know is they were threatening Ernest because he owed them money."

"How close were you to Ernest?"

"Oh, he was like a son to me." Vonna took a bite of quiche. "Yeah, he was always getting into trouble and we were always getting him out. The more we got him out the more he got in it." She took another bite of quiche. "He just always knew we'd be his safety net."

"What made you take such responsibility with him?"

"Oh, we loved him like a son. See, Armin and I couldn't have kids back in the day, so Ernest became a huge part of our lives. I loved him."

Lisa smiled.

"He didn't always appreciate what we did, but we still helped him out. You won't believe the amount of money we gave to him. I guess..." Vonna smiled. "We did more than real parents would."

"The quiche is amazing." Jake chewed. "Such balance in the flavors."

"Oh." Mrs. Oxford nudged Lisa. "To get that kind of compliment from a chef? I'll be floating all day. I'm kinda self-conscious about my cooking."

Lisa smiled. "So do you have any theories on who might've killed Ernest? Sometimes it helps for me to see what others think."

"Oh, man, you really must be desperate." Jake shoveled another forkful in his mouth. "You come over here hassling Mrs. Oxford because you can't find a break in your own case? Why don't you go out there and do your job instead of sitting around and expecting others to do it for you?"

Mrs. Oxford gaped.

"I understand that you're pissed at me right now, and maybe I deserve that," Lisa said, "but don't you ever, ever criticize how I do my job. I've been making myself sick over this case ever since it began. I've put my all into this case and part of that was because I cared about you and wanted to bring justice to Ernest for you, but you know what?" Lisa stood. "I'm not gonna sit here and be belittled."

"What's going on?" Mrs. Oxford asked.

"Sit down." Jake waved his fork. "I've seen your tantrums and, frankly, I'm not impressed."

"Go to hell, Jake." Lisa stomped to the door.

"Don't leave!" Mrs. Oxford rushed behind her. "Let's just calm down, okay?"

"I'll come back when he's gone." The door opened just as Lisa reached for it.

Armin walked in. "Well, hello. How are you, Detective Swanson?"

"Isn't this nice, Armin?" Vonna put her hands together. "We have visitors."

"I can see that."

"I'll be back later," Lisa said.

"No." Armin blocked her. "You're not going anywhere, Detective Swanson."

CHAPTER TWENTY

Lisa backed away. "Excuse me?"

Armin closed the door. "You've come all this way to speak to me. I don't want you leaving until we've talked."

"I just wanted to see if you knew of anything else," Lisa said.

Armin escorted her to the couch.

She sat down. "Something that maybe you've forgotten to mention."

He sat down on the loveseat against the wall. "Hello, Jake."

Jake set his empty saucer on the table. "Dr. Oxford."

"I think I've told you everything," Armin said. "Did you not have any luck tracking down the drug guys?"

"I came up with a name but that's all."

"What name?" Armin asked.

"Gun," Lisa said. "He's some contact for the drug guys. Ernest and Jake took him twenty thousand dollars. I haven't had any luck tracking down who he is or anything. It'll be impossible for me to find these drug guys without finding Gun too."

"Oh." Vonna frowned and patted her sides. "That's a shame."

"Oh, I'm not giving up," Lisa said. "Don't worry about that."

"No, I didn't mean a shame that you can't track the guys down." Vonna took out a gun.

"I meant a shame that you know so much."

"Holy shit," Jake whispered.

Lisa reached for her gun.

"Nuh-uh." Armin took out a gun. "Just keep your hands right there." Armin took Lisa's gun out of her pocket. "Just keep calm, Detective."

Vonna hurried to the window and closed the curtains. "Move over there." She put her gun on Jake.

He wheeled to the corner.

She swung her gun. "And keep your hands where I can see them."

"I don't believe this," Lisa said. "So you two killed Ernest?"

"I told you it was a stupid idea to talk to her." Vonna stood beside her husband. "Told you she'd dig and find out about Gun."

"I thought if she knew about the drugs it would throw her off." Armin waved his gun at Lisa. "How'd you find out about Gun anyway?"

"Skylar."

"Hell." Vonna threw her head back. "Should've gotten rid of his ass when we did Ernest."

Lisa glanced at Jake.

"And how the hell did you find out about Skylar in the first place?" Vonna asked.

"Tori," Lisa said.

"Oh." Vonna shook her head. "See what you get when you don't listen to me, Armin?" She waved her gun in his face. "I told you we should've gotten rid of Tori too! You never listen to me, do you?" She hit him with the gun. "Do you?"

"I can't believe this," Jake whispered. "I thought you two loved Ernest so much."

"We did," Vonna said. "We did everything for that boy. We loved him enough to let him in on what was going on."

Lisa moved against the pillows. "What are you talking about?"

"So it's not obvious to you yet?" Vonna raised the gun. "You need us to make flashcards, Detective?"

"They're the big, bad drug dealers," Jake said. "They were all in this together, them and Ernest."

Lisa gaped at the smiling couple. "Is that true?"

Armin rubbed his gun. "You have no idea how long it took us to build this operation. We put in years of time and effort to get it going. We couldn't let even Ernest ruin it. Especially not after all we had done for him."

"We trusted him." Vonna lowered her gun. "All he had to do was sell the pills and he'd keep getting his cut. He couldn't even do that without fucking up."

"My God." Jake dropped his head.

"Then he had the nerve to steal from us." Vonna pointed the gun to her chest. "Can you believe he stole from us? The same people who'd given him money and helped his ass time and time again?"

"We couldn't begin to tell you how much money we've spent on Ernest over the years." Armin walked sideways with his gun on Lisa. "It had to be close to two hundred thousand dollars."

"He was draining us dry." Vonna grimaced. "Then he had the nerve to lie about stealing the money."

"So you killed him because of the money?"

"No." Vonna jumped in Lisa's face. "We killed him because he turned on us. After we kicked him outta the deal for stealing, he told us he'd go to the police and expose us." Vonna stood back. "Son or not, do you think we'd let him tear down what we worked so hard to build? Lose all of that money and power?" She shook the gun. "Hell no! So it was him or our future and it sure as hell wasn't gonna be our future."

Jake swallowed. "Did you kill him, Armin?"

He pointed the gun to his wife. "She did it."

"I beat the living shit out of him." Vonna smirked. "And you know what? I didn't feel bad because he never appreciated what we did for him. He just took and took like everyone owed him something. Soon our love for him turned to hate and we figured our lives would be better off without him."

Lisa glared at Vonna. "Did you kill Maggie and Sofia too?"

"Armin took care of Sofia." Vonna grinned. "I took care of Maggie. See we knew all about that class action suit and if that would've happened we'd have been exposed for sure. We couldn't have anyone digging around."

Armin walked up to Lisa. "Just like we can't have you digging around."

"Get away from her." Jake wheeled to the couch.

Armin put his gun on Jake. "You stay back. I'd be worrying about my own life if I were you. Both of you are expendable."

"He loved you both." Jake's voice shook. "He was sick and had issues but he loved you both. He said many times he wished he could pay you back for what you'd done for him."

"Well, if that's true then why did he keep getting into trouble?" Vonna asked.

"He was addicted to gambling. If he could've stopped then he would've."

"And you guys took advantage of his sickness," Lisa said. "So you can't act innocent like Ernest never appreciated your help. Are we supposed to believe that you guys didn't use Ernest's needs for your own good?"

"It doesn't matter now, does it, Miss Thing?" Vonna wiggled her neck. "Ernest is gone now and we have more peace than you could ever imagine because of it."

"Come here." Armin pulled Lisa from the couch. "Wanna make sure you don't try anything." He held her to him with his gun under her chin.

"Don't hurt her!"

"I'm okay, Jake." Lisa faked a smile. "I'm all right. They're not gonna kill us."

"Oh?" Vonna turned Lisa's face toward her. "What makes you so sure, Detective?"

"My partner knows where I am."

"We'll be long gone before she gets here." Armin pressed the gun deeper into Lisa's neck.

"Yeah, and by the time anyone does get here your bodies will be stinking up the place," Vonna said. "You think we're amateurs? We did Ernest, Sofia, and Maggie without leaving one trace of a hint. We can do the same here too."

"Uh!" Lisa stomped on Armin's foot.

He let her go. "Ah!" He bent over and dropped his gun. "My foot!"

"Bitch!" Vonna aimed at Lisa.

"Lisa!" Jake yelled.

Lisa ducked.

Vonna shot, and the bang reverberated around the room.

"Look out, Jake!" Lisa crawled behind the end of the couch.

Vonna ran toward her.

"No!" Jake grabbed the glass of juice off the table and threw it in her face.

"Ah!" Vonna dropped her gun as she threw her hands up to her face. "Armin! Don't just stand there!"

Armin went to pick up his gun.

Jake rammed into Armin's legs at full speed.

"Ah!" Armin fell into and over the television.

"Jake, be careful!" Lisa ran toward him.

"No, you don't!" Vonna aimed at her again.

"Stop!" Jake grabbed Armin's gun and pointed it at Vonna. "Don't move!"

Vonna paused.

"Drop the gun or I'll shoot him." Jake pointed the gun to Armin. "Drop it!"

Vonna dropped the gun and threw her arms in the air.

"You're both under arrest!" Jake shouted.

Lisa got her gun from Armin who was still sprawled on the ground. "I'm supposed to say that."

Jake panted. "Well, you didn't."
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

A Month Later:

The AA meeting ended and people got up from their seats and headed to the refreshment table.

A lovely scent that Jake had long missed floated through the air. He looked up and Lisa smiled at him from the doorway. She held a colorful bouquet of flowers in her hand.

His heart sank to the pit of his stomach at the sight of her. He'd missed everything about her as if he hadn't seen her in years. Could she see how much he'd missed her? She had to feel the same way or she wouldn't be here, right?

She came to me.

He didn't think she would.

Guy came up behind him. "Well, there you go, buddy." He patted Jake's back. "I told you fate controls everything." Guy chomped on a ham and cheese sandwich. "Can't keep a beautiful woman waiting. Go on." He shoved Jake's chair.

"Hey!" Jake regained control of his wheelchair and eased up to Lisa.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey." He tried to hold off his enthusiasm.

She took a deep breath. "How are you?"

"Fine. How did you know where to find me?"

"I went to your place and your neighbor told me you were at your meeting, so..." She held up the flowers. "Here I am. I hope you don't think I'm intruding." She handed him the flowers. "These are for you."

"Uh..." He took them. "Not a big flower dude but it's the thought that counts."

"The flowers are a symbol. I'm giving myself to you, Jake."

He grew warm all over. "Does that include your heart?"

"I made a mistake. I feel horrible for the way I treated you. I've missed you very much."

He gripped the flowers. "I've missed you too, Lisa."

"I've really been working the therapy lately. I realized I have a long way to go on my journey, but I hope you'll be there along with me."

"All I want is for you to be happy. I didn't cut you off for the last month to hurt you. I just needed to know how you felt about me. It's so important that you finally made a move."

"I know. It was a big mistake pushing you away." She moved as a woman entered the room. "I took your feelings for granted and I promise I'll never do that again."

He held his breath. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'd like to see where things lead. That is, if you're still interested."

"All I've ever wanted since we met was a chance with you. I couldn't stop my feelings no matter how upset I was. When I went home the night the Oxfords were arrested, I felt the emptiness again. Without you it was like a part of my life was missing."

She looked down at her hands.

"I wanted to call you that night."

"I wish you had." She smiled. "It would've gotten me off the hook for being such a jerk."

"Every day I think about you." He tilted his head. "I wanna hold you. I wanna see your smile. I wanna kiss you."

"I've wanted that too."

"I meant it when I said I'm falling in love with you, Lisa. That's something I didn't think I'd ever say to a woman again."

"I just hope you can be patient. I have a lot to get through and it won't be done overnight."

"We'll get through our demons together." He handed her the flowers. "That's how it's supposed to be."

"What are you doing?" She held the flowers out to him. "These are for you."

"No." He pulled her into his lap. "This is for me." He kissed her. "Now let's go to my place."

She caressed his hair. "Your wish is my command."

THE END

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