Page 41 of Deja New
TWENTY-ONE
She found Jason examining the papers all over the fridge and humming under his breath. Other families put up their kids’ artwork. The Drakes left each other various ransom notes
Mitchell, you fuck, you can have your Cokes back when you return my Little Debbies.
death threats
When I find out who filched my baby spinach, I will END THEM. I WILL END THEM.
and various to-do lists in progress
Grocery list: Eye of newt. Unicorn horn. Skim milk. Arsenic. Toilet paper.
He turned at once when he heard her come in the kitchen, looking bemused, nodded politely, then his gaze flicked over her shirt. She was fully aware she needed a shower and hadn’t run a brush through her hair for hours.
“That shirt,” he said, “is just one big mixed message.”
Said the sober-looking fellow in the black suit with the dimple and the crazy-ass socks.“Yes, it’s an oldie but a goldie.” Black T-shirt, large yellow smiley face, bright white lettering:I HATE YOU.“What can I do for you, Jason? Detective Chambers, I mean?”Jason, I mean. Long, tall stud in a black suit, I mean. Take me away from all the weird, I mean.
He smiled. “You were right the first time. I apologize for the pop-in, but I was reviewing the case with my captain a few hours ago—”
“Really?” In less than a month, Chambers had done more than Kline in the last five years.That’s not quite fair. Kline was CCD, Jason’s not.Oh, fuck fair. “That’s great!”
He shook his head. “Not really. I had nothing for her. I wanted to stop by to warn you—”
“Cheese it,le flics.”
“Detective Jason, this is my brother Paul.”
“Did you just call him ‘Detective Jason’?”
“And the guy next to him is my cousin Mitchell.”
“Gentlemen.”
“No,” Mitchell said, shaking Jason’s hand. “Not at all.” He turned to his cousin. “I told you I heard ‘Chick Habit’!”
“Can we assume you’re here to tell us our dead uncle is still dead?”
She sighed. “And this is—”
“Your cousin Jordan.”
She blinked at the detective, surprised. He not only knew Jordan’s name, but he knew Jordan was a cousin, not a sibling. Dennis Drake had fathered three children out of wedlock with two different women, one of them a product of a one-night stand whom the family never met. After the trial, the cousinshad to live with Emma, Angela, and her brothers. There hadn’t been any real choice—the cousins were basically orphans at that point. Thus, the Horde was born (all villains deserve a backstory). “Yes, that’s—”
Jordan was sizing up the sober man in the black suit. “Nice to meet you. But you’ve only met with Angela. How d’you even know who I am?”
The detective looked surprised by the question. “I read your father’s file. I, uh, memorized it. Accidentally.”
“Since you like memorizing reams of files, I guess you’re in the right job.”
“Yes.”
“Impressive.”
“No. Just my job.”
Angela was thrilled/mortified Jason was there, but that last comment was puzzling. The Drake case wasn’t his job; it had been closed years ago.
