Dead in Her Tracks (Rogue Winter #2)(20)

“I remember how skinny the drug abusers in LA were. They weren’t interested in food. Their drugs gave them everything they needed until it was time for the next hit.”

“You think Bob was supplying Jake Powers with oxy? And it made him lose weight?”

“I think it’s worth asking him about. He had a serious man-crush on Bob and was always in his shadow. If anyone knew if Bob Fletcher had a secret hideout, it’d be Jake. He’s like a silent snake.” She shuddered.

“I don’t know him that well. He’s bad news?”

“Not really. He’s just always lingered on the fringes of the guys you don’t want to mess with. He was several years ahead of me in school, always the silent guy who hung around the bad kids. Back then he was overweight, and I think he was just looking for acceptance from a group. Like everyone was.”

“High school sucked,” agreed Zane.

Stevie tilted her head, studying him. “Who were you in high school, Zane?”

He scratched his chin, looking sheepish. “You already agreed to marry me. No backing out.”

“You were one of the troublemakers, weren’t you?”

“Heck no. I was good. I liked my classes and teachers. You might say I was a bit of a nerdy suck-up.”

“A nerd?”

“Glasses, clarinet, and schoolbooks.”

“Wait. You can play?” She’d never seen him touch an instrument.

“Didn’t say I could play it. Primarily I just carried it around a lot. I passed band class by the skin of my teeth, but I can’t play a note anymore.”

Her heart dropped. She couldn’t imagine not being able to play music. “We’ll find something for you to play. It’ll come back fast.”

“No thanks. I’m happy just listening to the Taylor clan.” A horrified look crossed his face. “Or is playing an instrument a requirement to join your family? Doesn’t Bruce play like ten instruments?”

She grinned. “Not a requirement. But I suspect Mom will have you playing something before summer. She has a way of simply setting an instrument in front of you and suddenly it feels like you’ve always held it.”

He stood up. “All this music talk is making me nervous. Let’s go find Jake Powers.”



They found Jake sitting at the bar in Fletcher’s.

For once all the lights were on, and Zane saw the bar in all its filthy glory. His shoes stuck to the floor as he walked in, and beside him Stevie shuddered. “What’s that smell?” she muttered.

“Beer and vomit.”

“Nice.”

Jake sat on a stool at the far end, alone in the brightly lit space. He slouched, his hair hung in his eyes, and his chin stubble looked four days old. He simply glared at them as they walked between the tables.

“You here to arrest me?”

“Nope. Unless you know something we don’t know,” said Zane.

“I didn’t do anything. Tony Cooper has had it coming for years.”

“You’re lucky he’s not pressing charges.”

Jake shrugged and looked into his cup of coffee.

“I’m surprised the bar is open,” said Zane. “I figured it’d close with Bob’s death.”

“I bet you’d like that,” sneered Jake. “But I know how to run everything. Who do you think keeps it afloat when Bob takes a weekend off? He doesn’t just sit on his ass here year-round. I take over at least one weekend a month.”

On the bar next to him Jake had an open bag of Doritos, ranch dip, four empty Snickers wrappers, and the remains of one of Nell’s giant cinnamon rolls.

“Hungry, Jake?” Stevie asked.

“I eat when I’m pissed.”

“How’d you lose so much weight, Jake?” Stevie said in a deceptively polite voice. “I didn’t even recognize you the other day. You look great.”

Jake’s chin lifted the slightest bit. “Workin’ out.”

“Where at? This town really could use a gym,” Zane added.

“I got equipment at home.” He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. Sweat beaded on his temples.

“You feeling okay?” Stevie laid a hand on his shoulder. “You look a little shaky.”

“You would too if you had cops breathing down your back. What do you want?”

“We want to know if Bob was dealing oxy,” said Zane. “We know he was using heavily. Was he selling it too? We found a lot of cash in his house with no explanation.”

Jake sucked at hiding his guilt. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“He’s dead, Jake. It’s not like you can screw things up for him. But we’ve got some missing women and we know Bob was involved with Vanessa Phillips’s murder. We’re just trying to put the pieces together.”

“Bob wouldn’t hurt anybody!”

Zane wanted to bang Jake’s head into the bar, knock a little sense into him. “Bob admitted he killed Amber Lynn. That falls under my definition of hurt. How about your definition, Stevie?”

“Absolutely. I suspect he hurt the other three missing women,” she prodded.

“That wasn’t his fault! Amber Lynn just got in the way.” Sweat rolled down the side of Jake’s face, and his hand shook as he lifted his coffee cup.