Chapter 7

The empty pizza boxes sat on the edge of the table. Jac got up and located where she’d left her water, and stretched a few times. She looked over to see Brent frowning at his computer. His partner didn’t look any happier where he sat glaring at his keyboard. “I’ve gone through as many male profiles as I can stand to look at today.” Really though, had she expected just looking at a few faces, she’d spot one that called out ‘killer’? She stretched again, hoping this would signal to them that she was tired and more than ready to leave.

Brent looked up first. “Figure out the site?”

She shrugged. “Well, I had to buy a membership to it, to get all the way in.” She rolled her eyes. “Of course, my profile is not filled out and is completely unpublished, and as soon as this is wrapped up, I’ll be closing that.” She took another sip.

Brent grinned at her. “Not interested in a love quest?”

She almost spit her water out. She sputtered a few times, then gave him an exasperated look. “No.”

He chuckled. “You and my partner have a lot in common on that ground then.”

His partner’s head popped up. “Ignore him.” He gave her an exaggerated look. “He believes everyone has a soulmate out there somewhere.”

She gave him a serious look. “Oh, so do I.” Then bit her lip. “Of course, in my situation, my soulmate is in some faraway place, and his ship crashed on the way to find me. Now he has amnesia and can’t even remember why he was on the ship in the first place.”

Detective Merritt laughed. “Okay, everyone is getting a little tired.” He stood up and stretched. “Show us what you’ve found out, and we’ll clue you in on anything we don’t know yet.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him, then shrugged. “It’s nothing too fabulous over here either.” She walked back over to the desk and put one knee on the chair, and clicked the mouse. “Basically, you sign up, full address and all that, and you get a membership number.” She clicked on her account. “The highlighted areas other members can see the gray boxes are only for me and the company.” She pointed to one highlighted box. “I had to create a username.” She sighed. “Then, to communicate with other members, I send a message through their message box, if anyone replies it’s in the inbox.”

Detective Merritt stood behind her, reading over the screen. “So they can see what city you live in, age, height and whatnot and your username and that’s it?”

She nodded. “Pretty much, any other information I’d have to personally tell them.”

Brent was beside her now. “Like financial information.” She nodded again, then turned to look at the fax machine as it began printing.

The detective sighed and went over to get the printout. “Last financial statement.” He pulled it out and studied it. “It doesn’t tell us much we haven’t figured out trying to trace the account.”

Jac watched him walk over and write four thousand under Clair White’s name. “It’s increasing.” She stated quietly. He turned and gave her a blank look. “The amount, each time it’s increased.”

Brent stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Yeah.”

She shook her head to snap out of the sad she felt coming. Turning back towards Detective Merritt, she held up her hands. “Did you manage to find out anything?”

He nodded slowly. “I have the office address for the website but no names yet.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll take a run over there tomorrow and see if I can’t get something.” He looked at Brent. “Did you get any further than you were an hour ago tracing the money?”

Brent leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. “Not much; most places are closed now, so I can’t go any further tonight.” He shrugged. “The same account was used, but now it’s been closed, all funds wired elsewhere.” He looked at the board for a second. “I couldn’t get anything more than a post office box because the account has been closed.” He glanced back at him. “I’ll give that bank to the captain and see if he can pry something further from there. Which will take court orders and all that because of the bank’s privacy policy.” He sighed. “So, really I have twenty-seven thousand dollars transferred from an account and wired to a place I’m having trouble getting to.”

Brent’s partner frowned. “Chances are when you do find it, a fake ID and another post office box will come into play.” Brent nodded and then stopped and looked at the door.

Jac turned around. “Sandy?”

She walked slowly into the room, her short blond curls bouncing with each step. “I thought I’d come and pick you up.” She walked towards the redheaded man and extended her hand. “I’m Dr. Gains, a friend of Jac’s.”

He smiled and shook her hand. “Detective Brent Jordan.”

She looked over at the other man leaning, who nodded to her from where he stayed leaning. “Detective Reid Merritt.”

Sandy smiled at them and then turned to Jac. “You didn’t tell me they were so good looking, hun.”

Jac chuckled and shook her head. “So you thought you’d come pick me up, huh?”

Sandy shrugged. “And check things out.”

Jac looked at the two men. “Forgive my friend; she’s sometimes too nosy for her own good.” She watched Brent spin the map board around to the blank side and wink at her. “If we’re done beating our heads against the keyboard for tonight, I’d like to go home.”

Detective Merritt pushed away from the wall and nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll pick you up in the morning, and we’ll start again.”

She nodded and chewed the inside of her lip. “I’d like to think tomorrow is the last day, but maybe I’m dreaming a little.”

Brent shrugged as he bent down to turn off his computer. “Never hurts to dream.”

Sandy beamed a smile at them. “Pleasure to meet you both.” Then followed Jac from the office.

Brent turned and smiled at Reid. “Well, the doctor was a bit of—nice.”

Reid laughed. “You shouldn’t drool on their feet it looks too eager.” Then he frowned. “A doctor of what, I wonder.”

Brent stopped and glared at him. “Don’t even think about it. I thought Jac was going to throw the monitor at you when she saw her life on your screen.”

Reid looked shocked then smirked. “Yeah, I was a little worried for a minute too.” He flicked off the light switch. “Meet you at Rusty’s?”

Brent sighed longingly. “Exactly what I hoped to hear you say.”

***

Jac flopped back into the large white cushions on Sandy’s couch. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

Sandy was sprawled in her graceful way across the chair. “You are doing it.”

“I know, but so far, I’ve been able to stay out of everyone’s reach.” She took another sip of the weirdly flavored cooler. It didn’t taste like any kind of breeze to her.

“You could get lucky and stay hidden in the dismal basement and not have to do anything other than the computer work.”

Jac moaned. “Wrong. That’s not going to happen; we’re going to Elaine Azaire’s funeral tomorrow afternoon.” She held the cold bottle against her forehead to distract herself from the panic.

Sandy raised her eyebrows at her. “How did that happen?”

“Mr. Azaire would really like the three of us, investigators, there to check people out and keep an eye on things.” She rolled her eyes at her friend. “The only things I’ll detect are feelings of grief just before I pass out on the floor from the overload.”

Sandy sat forward on the edge of the chair. “Does he think the killer is going to show up at the funeral?”

“I don’t think so, I hope not.” She slumped back further into the cushion. “How am I going to make it through a funeral, Sandy? People hugging, consoling, touching—” She glared at her own hands then back to her. “Grief is one of the hardest emotions for me to deal with. It sucks me in to the point where I can’t break free from it. It’s worse than hatred and vulgar emotions. I don’t want to pass out in front of a church full of people.”

Sandy set her glass down and sat on the floor in front of her. “Keep your hands out of reach, most definitely, you’ve gotten really good at that. Most people probably won’t look twice at you. Stay close to the detectives, and most will avoid you altogether.”

Jac let out a slow breath, trying to calm herself. “I’ll try. I don’t know how I’m going to completely avoid it though.” She glanced at the clock. “I really have to get going.”

Sandy stood up slowly. “You haven’t really mentioned the two detectives.” Her voice was filled with suggestion.

Jac set her drink down and picked up her purse. “Please, don’t start match-making again.”

Sandy paused with the keys in her hand and sighed. “I’m not trying.”

“You know a relationship just slows me down. I’m a better person on my own.”

Sandy looked at her for a moment. “You only say that because you’ve had a few bad ones.”

Jac laughed. “Bad ones? They were actually great, or so I thought.” She shrugged in a nonchalant manner. “Of course, being able to see when a man cheats on you turns it bad fairly quickly.”

Sandy leaned against the counter and looked at her for a moment. “Would that be better if you didn’t have the ability to see? I’ve counseled a lot of women that are constantly wondering if their partner is faithful. It consumes them to where their health is affected. Examining every moment and trying to find a sign that their fears are reality.”

Jac rubbed her hands over her face and groaned. “No, it’s not better, not really, then I’d be in a relationship with a cheater and not know it.” She shrugged and then lied to her only friend. “I’m happy alone.” Her friend shot her an exasperated glare. “Seriously.” She shrugged. “I’ve never been in a relationship where I could actually be completely myself, Sandy.” Jac studied the floor for a moment. “For years, I wished for a nice man who I could share a life with.” She looked into sad knowing eyes. “One that would accept all of me.” She shrugged again. “I gave up on that fantasy and accepted my reality long ago. I’m happiest alone.”

Sandy smiled at her. “I can tell this conversation is going to go as far as it usually does.” She grabbed her purse from the counter. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

Jac laughed. “You make it sound like I’m difficult.” Her friend just rolled her eyes and opened the door.

***

He knew Brent was watching him as he sat there silently swirling the beer in his glass. “You know you could pretend not to be thinking about work.”

Reid grinned. “I could, but we both know I would be.”

Brent sighed. “Tell me you’re at least brooding a little bit about Miss Jacinda Brown.”

Reid took another drink and debated on getting another drink. “Why would I be brooding about her?”

Brent leaned across the table. “At least thinking about her?”

Reid shrugged and set the empty glass down. “I am, she’s taken this case further in a few days than we managed in three weeks.”

Brent laughed and shook his head. “Yeah, she has. But that’s not what I meant. I couldn’t help but notice the two of you spark off each other. She’s hard not to stare at all the time, don’t you think? Hair up, hair down, doesn’t matter she’s just vibrant…”

Reid’s eyebrows shot up. “Spark? There are no sparks, it’s more like stubborn meets determination. And if she’s so vibrant, why are you trying to put her in my lap then?” His mind, whether he wanted it to or not, automatically pictured her cuddled into his lap. Great imagery he didn’t need.

Brent set the glass down and leaned back, folding his arms over his chest. “How long has it been since you did something other than work?”

“A few years I guess.” He saw the look on his friend’s face. “Oh no, let’s not discuss that dead end. I am not falling into that trap again.” He fought to keep the memory of finding his fiancée with another man from filling his head, of course, it did anyways. Until that one moment, he’d thought love completed a person and bettered them. He was wrong.

Brent gave him an exasperated look. “Not all women are like your ex.”

Reid pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at the time. “That’s fine, but I’ll save the happily-ever-after for you and the rest of the male population. I think I filled my quota in that area.” He stood up and grinned. “I’m outta here, we have a long day tomorrow.”

Brent raised his glass in a toast and then drank the rest. “Yeah. I love funerals, a group of strangers crying together, should be fun.” He frowned and got up.