Page 67 of Tangled
“I am,” Jessica confirmed.
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Scarlett asked.
Jessica’s attention went back to the board, and she drummed her fingers on her thigh. “Wewillget Rathwell. I promise you that,” she said, turning and meeting Scarlett’s gaze. “But I can’t let this go,” she said, holding up the image of Karrol. “The three investigations where I first noticed his name cropping up were brutal. Four people died in one, and the other two involved families losing their life savings and the trafficking of street kids into sex rings. If he’s involved, whether he’s the top dog or not—although I think he is—he needs to be stopped.”
She paused, glanced at the picture in her hand, then set it down on the coffee table. “But first things first, Scarlett. We bring Gracie’s killer to justice.”
“Which starts with you going to LA tomorrow?” Sabina clarified.
Jessica nodded. “I’ll leave early so I can be down there by eleven. I want to find Luz and see what kind of information she has that she’s willing to share. Is there anything you know about her that might help me build rapport? Or topics I should avoid?” she asked Scarlett.
“Don’t talk about their parents,” she answered immediately. “She was physically and mentally abused by both, and sexuallyabused by her father. It’s one of the reasons she turned to drugs when she was a kid.”
“Got it, no mention of anyone other than Gracie,” Jessica said.
“And she doesn’t like birds or the color yellow.” Jessica nodded. “But she loves Coke—the drink, not the drug—and McDonalds’ french fries.”
“Is she still doing drugs?” Brad asked.
Scarlett hesitated. “I’m not sure, but I don’t think so. I remember Gracie making some offhand comment about how if Luz could kick the habit while living under a bridge and around both drugs and alcohol all the time then she should be able to, too. But that was a few years ago. Either way, her mind is broken—between the damage to her brain at birth, the abuse, the drugs, and lord knows what else she’s suffered, it broke a long time ago.”
“Her arrest record shows that,” Jessica said, not without sympathy. “Lots of arrests for disturbing the public, vagrancy, that sort of thing. But nothing violent or drug-related. Can you also text me Gracie’s address and the name of the neighbor?”
Scarlett nodded and reached for her phone sitting on the side table. “The apartment isn’t much, but Gracie did own it, so it’s mine now. I haven’t sold it because I wanted Luz to have it if she ever wanted to get off the streets. I have the key if you want to look inside? There won’t be anything there but the furniture.”
“That would be great, thank you,” Jessica said. Her gaze darted back to the board again. “I hate people like Rathwell,” she murmured. “Karrol isn’t a peach, either, but he doesn’t pretend to be something he’s not. Don’t get me wrong, he’s flying under everyone’s radar—”
“Except yours,” Mitch said.
“Except mine,” Jessica agreed. “But on the outside, he doesn’t pretend to be anyone other than a retired businessman.He even lives in a middle-class neighborhood in Sarasota, Florida, for god’s sake. But Rathwell. Someone who is supposed to be trustworthy, someone who’s taken apublic vowto protect and serve.” She paused and shook her head. “Well,” she said on an exhale. “Regardless of what happens in my ongoing investigation into Karrol, I’m glad you brought me in on this because Rathwell—and any other officers who might be on Sussurri’s payroll—need to be taken down. I hate corruption on any level.”
“Based on everything you’ve found today, I’m glad we brought you in, too,” Scarlett said, swinging her legs around and rising. “Now, I don’t know about you all, but I could use a break from all this.” She waved at the board. “And some food.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“She’ll call when she has something,” Brad said, watching Scarlett pace the livingroom. Jessica had texted to let her know she’d arrived in LA, but that had been six hours ago.
“We shouldn’t have let her go,” she said.
He hadn’t seen Scarlett move so much since he’d brought her home, and he wondered if this was the turning point for her morning sickness. He hoped so but knew better than to bring it up at the moment.
“She’s not alone,” he said. “You know Chad sent Tucker down to shadow her in case she needs backup.”
Scarlett paused in front of the sliding glass door and the evening light—a combination of the setting sun and the resort lights—illuminated her from behind. With her hair pulled back into a low ponytail, her curls still rose over her shoulders, reflecting a deep amber gold.
“Has Chad heard from Tucker?” she demanded.
He held in a sigh. “Come here,” he said, holding his hand out. She eyed him, then with a huff, stepped closer. He pulled her between his legs and set his hands on her hips. “We spoke to Chad twenty minutes ago, and Jessica was fine. She made contact with Luz and the two of them were sitting down for a meal at McDonalds. Do you want me to check in with him again?”
She looked down at him, then, after a long pause, sighed. As she ran her fingers through his hair, her own body relaxed. “I’m being overanxious, aren’t I?” His lips twitched. She tweakedhis earlobe. “Don’t answer that. I know I am,” she said before plopping down on the couch beside him.
He swung her feet up onto his lap and started rubbing them. “After months of not being able to figure out what happened to Gracie, you’re so close to getting justice for her. You may be anxious, but you have a reason to be.”
“Is there anything that sets you off?” she asked. He quirked a brow. “You always seem so calm. First an employee gets murdered. Then you find out I was the target. Andthenyou find out that your one-night stand works for youandis carrying your baby—”
“Our baby,” he corrected.
“Our baby. And then I drag you into a hunt for a killer. But you don’t ever seem to get rattled. How is that possible?”
