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Chapter 25

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MIKE STONE TOOK A DRAG of his cigarette and looked back toward the crowd in front of Kayla’s building. “Why can’t you answer a simple question?” He turned his gaze back toward me. “Or do you really expect me to believe you just happen to’ve been here when a woman jumped from her balcony?”

I leaned against the front of the Jeep with my arms folded at my chest, my eyes toward the ground. I didn’t want to tell Mike a thing.

“You don’t tell me why you were here, I’m going to get one of those officers over there to throw you in the back of a car, take you downtown—”

I stared back at him, and knew he wasn’t going to leave me with much of a choice. “Okay,” I said. “I know her...because she works for Angela Thompson.”

Mike was about to take a drag from his cigarette, but stopped. “Thompson?”

I nodded. “Yes, Thompson Insurance.”

“Jesus Christ, Walsh. Please don’t tell me this has to do with chasing John Thompson’s so-called killer...”

I looked him in the eye. “All that’s happened to me—and to Alex—and you still refuse to believe there’s any connection?” I gave him a look. “Maybe I’m wrong, but I have to believe you’re smarter than that.”

Mike shook his head. “It doesn’t work like that, Walsh...”

“It doesn’t work like what? You can’t just—”

“I’m the one asking the questions, okay? Godammit, I’m not going to ask you again. Tell me what the hell you were doing here, or else...”

“She was supposed to give me a life insurance policy.”

Mike narrowed his eyes. “You expect me to believe that?” He shook his head. “Don’t bullshit me, Walsh.”

I gave him my best smirk. “Why would I lie?”

Mike took another drag from his cigarette then brushed me out of the way as he smashed the cigarette out on the Jeep’s front tire.

I said, “You know this is Alex’s Jeep, don’t you? I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear you’re using it as an ashtray.”

Mike gave me a look then turned back toward poor Kayla Morton’s body, still covered on the sidewalk right where she fell.

“Witnesses say you were down here in the parking lot, screaming for someone to let you in. What was that all about?”

“I tried to help her. She had no pulse...obviously. She was dead. So I thought I’d at least try to see if I could spot someone leaving the place who didn’t belong.”

“I already told you, there’s no trace of a forced entry or any sign of physical distress inside her apartment.”

I looked down at my phone and wished Alex were with me to pull her friend the detective off my back.

Mike turned and started to walk away. “Let me just give you a little warning, okay? Next time there’s another incident and you’re anywhere in the vicinity—I don’t care if it’s a fender bender at rush hour and you’re stuck in traffic—I’m bringing you in.”

“That makes a lot of sense, Mike. Bravo.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “What a good cop you are.”

Mike gave me one last look then walked back toward the building.

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ANGELA OPENED THE DOOR wearing gym shorts and a slinky tank top. She had a glass of wine in one hand and a bunched up ball of tissues in the other. She’d been crying.

She stared at me for a moment, shaking her head. “I can’t believe it, Henry. I just can’t...” She waved her hand for me to go in.

I stepped inside. And as soon as I crossed the threshold, she threw her arms around me and cried into my chest. I felt something drip down my back and realized it was her wine.

“Oh shit,” she said as she let go of me. “I’m so sorry.” She walked into her living room and she stopped. “Are they sure it was really suicide?”

“Where’d you hear that?”

She sat on the couch in front of the glass table. Papers were spread everywhere along with an empty bottle of wine. “That’s what they said on the news.”

“That it was suicide?”

Angela nodded.

“The Sheriff’s Office was still investigating when I left, but I’d say it’s too soon to say what happened to Kayla.”

Angela closed her eyes. She started to cry again, but stopped after just a few seconds. She dabbed her eyes with the balled up tissue in her hand. She sipped her wine and pulled her foot up under her leg. “What were you doing at her place so late, anyway?”

“She’d gotten me some information. For a friend, actually.”

“A friend?”

I nodded. “I might as well tell you. It was Theresa’s life insurance policy.”

“Theresa? You mean, John’s second wife? For what? Why would you—”

“Nate, her son. He wants to know why his mother didn’t leave him a dime when she died.”

“But why would Kayla have that policy? We don’t offer life insurance.”

“I know. But she found the agency that held the policy. In fact, she said Eric even helped her.”

Angela looked past me then  jumped to her feet. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t offer you a drink. It’s just...” She hurried over and pulled out a high ball then filled half of it with Jack. “The ice machine’s not working. I don’t know what happened.”

I shook my head. “Not a problem at all. This works.”

She came around my side as we both sat down at the bar. “I don’t understand...How did Kayla get involved with this? And where is Nate?”

I looked down into my glass. “That’s actually a good question. We don’t know where he is. And I’m concerned. I don’t know what this is all about, or whatever John was into...but it’s bigger than I would’ve imagined. I believe John was into something—or maybe hiding something—that may have gotten him killed.”

“But what’s this have to do with Theresa’s son? He must be, what, eighteen by now?”

“He’s twenty-two.”

“And you don’t know where he is?”

I sipped the warm glass of Jack. “I went to see him today at this record store where he works. Turns out his coworker was shot. And Nate was gone.”

“Did Nate shoot him?”

“No, it doesn’t look like it.”

“So how did Kayla get involved with him?”

I took another sip of Jack. “They knew each other when they were younger. Although he called her at your office to see if she’d help. At first, she was hesitant. But she offered to help when I asked her to. I went to her apartment to pick up the policy.”

Angela finished off her glass of wine. “So what is it with this life insurance policy? Why do you want to see it?”

I looked at Angela and stared into her eyes. “Are you being serious?”

She tilted her head a bit. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You didn’t know John was the sole beneficiary of that policy when Theresa died?”

Angela’s eyebrows were tight over her eyes. “Why would I know? That’s none of my business.”

“I just thought...you wouldn’t know if John was suddenly two million dollars richer?”

Angela shook her head. “No.”