Page 11 of The Beachside Cafe 4
“I’m not going to continue the blackmail,” Jaymee said. “I’m not that kind of person.”
“Well, I haven’t seen Amanda in a very long time now. Especially not socially. It’s been at least three years, as a matter of fact.”
“Three years? When was the last time you talked to her?”
“That’s what’s strange, especially with you showing up like this.” He sounded confused. “She texted me a few weeks ago asking me to meet her. I did. She asked me to do some kind of job with her, something that would require the strength of a man but her cunning. Her words.”
Jaymee nodded.
“She didn’t say exactly what the job was?”
Coulter stared at her with cold eyes. “No. But after what happened to your husband, I have a pretty good idea. I think you should be looking more into Amanda, if you want to find out who is responsible for his disappearance.”
SEVEN
“I hate to admit it,” Jaymee said once she was outside and standing in the parking lot with Cameron, “but I think he’s right. It really looks like Amanda’s got a lot to do with what’s going on. I mean, she was practically with every guy on the list Doug was blackmailing. Makes me wonder if he was one of them at one time and kept an eye on her. He probably discovered all that stuff that was going on because of all the men she was sleeping around with.”
Cameron nodded, leaning back against his Jeep. “I agree with you.”
“So what’s our next move? I really think we can take Coulter off the suspect list. He as much as admitted that Amanda had asked for help kidnapping Doug. No telling what else she’s got going on.”
“Let’s go to the police station and find out what they know, if there’s any new developments.”
Jaymee nodded, going around his Jeep and getting in the passenger seat. She was feeling a bit tired and worn out. A nap was what she needed.
But she wasn’t going to admit that to Cameron. It was embarrassing. She put one hand to her forehead and closed her eyes.
“You all right?” Cameron asked immediately.
It was flattering that he was concerned so quickly. She glanced at him.
“Yes, I just had a flash of a headache, I guess.”
They were quiet as they rode to the station, both of them caught up in their own thoughts. Jaymee watched the trees go by, breathing in the air and enjoying the scent of the ocean breeze. It was another bright and beautiful day in California. She wasn’t going to let a stress headache keep her from noticing that.
Twenty minutes later, they were standing near the desks of John and Lou, discussing the progress on the investigation into IDL.
“I appreciate the work you’ve been doing on your end, Cam,” Lou said. “We’ve been keeping it from the boss. We want you to have as much leniency as you can get with this.”
“Well, I appreciate that, I really do,” Cameron responded, nodding. “Red tape can delay things.”
Lou snorted. “By a lot.” He leaned forward and picked up a folder, moving it only to the end of his desk in front of where Cameron was standing and dropping it again. “Take a look at that.”
Cameron picked up the folder and opened it, holding it at an angle so Jaymee could look also. He flipped through the pages, sucking in a deep breath. Jaymee could see why. Some of the allegations against IDL were gruesome.
“So how come nothing’s been done to stop this?” Cameron asked, his voice low, his eyes moving from Lou to John and back.
“Because the government owns the property. And they’ve got an investment in keeping all this under wraps.”
“Something’s got to be done to stop it, though. We should take it to the press.”
Lou shook his head. “That’s the last thing we need to do, Cam. I mean, it’s the thing to do, yes. But not until every i has been dotted and every t has been crossed. We have to make sure everything is right before we do anything. We can’t go off half-cocked and end up being the ones put in jail.”
“I don’t understand,” Jaymee said, frowning. “Why would any of us end up in jail?”
The men gave her compassionate looks that she knew were meant with respect.
Lou sat forward, resting his elbows on his desk and lacing his fingers together. His eyes were directly on her. “Think of it like this. We go in too soon with not enough evidence of these statements being true and make arrests. The lawyers for IDL tear us apart and destroy not just our careers but our personal lives, too. I have no doubt that if they are willing to do this to innocent humans, they’re willing to take out a few cops or family members of cops.” He turned his eyes to Cameron. “And especially whistleblowers. Investigators directly responsible for exposing the atrocities. That would be you.”
