Rich Blood (Jason Rich #1)(15)

His gut said yes.

Waylon cleared his throat and looked past the two officers to the closed door. He’d been in fixes before, but nothing like this. How could his own mother have sold him down the river? The money should have been safe.

“All right, George,” the Black officer said. “Charge him.”

“Wait,” Waylon said, hearing the panic in his voice and gritting his teeth. He lowered his eyes to her. “What’s the deal? I ain’t talking unless I have a deal.”

“That’s not the way this works,” she fired back. “We don’t negotiate until we know what you know. Only the district attorney can make an offer.”

“I want immunity,” Waylon said. “Complete immunity or I say nothing.”

The woman glanced at her partner and then back at Waylon. “No chance. You murdered Dr. Waters. You’re going to be put to death unless you talk. If any deal’s struck, it’s going to be on your sentence. I suspect that our prosecutor will be willing to negotiate, but immunity would be an outrage.”

“It’s really simple, Pike,” the male officer said. “If you don’t give us some information right now, we’re going to charge you and take you in. If you want any chance at a negotiated plea, you need to start talking.”

Waylon averted his eyes, thinking about his benefactor.

“Who paid you the 14K?” the woman asked.

Waylon gazed at her. “It was fifteen.”

“Who?” she persisted.

Waylon Pike sighed. “The doctor’s wife,” he finally said.





13


Jana Waters lay on her back on the hard cot. She’d been in the holding cell for over a week now, and she felt better. Exhausted but improved. She still craved a Xanax, but the jail physician had put her on a tapering dose of the benzodiazepine, and she was now getting .5 milligrams a day. That was a lot less than she typically took, but it was something. She was able to think now, and she’d been thinking hard. Her brother needed to call her back. She knew lawyers in Marshall County—good ones—but she figured that none of them would want to touch her case. Braxton had been a popular figure in town. In some way, shape, or form, he’d treated many of the lawyers or someone in their families. There would be conflicts of interest and, even if there wasn’t a true conflict, what attorney in his right mind would want to get involved?

Barry Martino came to mind. He was a criminal defense attorney whose son Deak was the same age as Nola. Jana remembered him talking about one of his criminal cases at a Guntersville High basketball game last year. If Jason continued to ignore her, she’d call Barry.

When the cell door slid open, Jana cocked her head toward the opening, expecting a corrections officer with a food tray. Instead, Sheriff Richard Griffith, who Jana had met at several fundraisers, strode inside, flanked by two officers. Jana rose to her feet.

The last person to enter the cell sent a wave of gooseflesh up Jana’s arms.

Shay Lankford wore a crimson suit. She was a tall woman with an athletic figure who Jana used to see all the time at the Downtown Gym, where they both used the same personal trainer. She’d been elected district attorney three years ago in a close election, becoming the first female head prosecutor in Marshall County history.

Jana and Braxton hadn’t voted for her. Jana had found Shay to be aloof and unfriendly. The woman barely spoke to her at the gym or anywhere else but was able to turn on the charm when she spoke to a group or a jury. She was always dressed to the nines. Even at the gym, her clothes, hair, and face were perfect.

“Ms. Waters,” Shay said, stepping forward as the three law enforcement officials gave way.

“Shay,” Jana said, glaring at the other woman, not breaking eye contact.

“We have Waylon Pike in custody,” Shay said. “And he’s told us everything.”

Jana kept her gaze fixed on the prosecutor. “Did he kill my husband?”

Shay’s lips curved into a tight smile, and Jana felt a ripple of agitation.

“He did exactly what you paid him to do,” the district attorney said.

Jana’s heartbeat raced. “Wh-wh-what?” she managed.

Now Shay grinned full out, showing her pristine white teeth, her eyes glowing with intensity. “You’re really something, aren’t you? I understand that you haven’t cooperated with questioning from Officer Daniels and Mitchell.”

“Not until I speak with an attorney.”

“You’ve had a week to get a lawyer. What’s the holdup? The court will appoint you one. All you have to do is fill out the paperwork.”

Jana scowled. “I’m Jana fucking Waters. I’m not going to take a court-appointed lawyer. My brother just happens to be one of the best attorneys in the state, and I’m not going to do anything until I speak with him.”

Shay cocked her head. “You mean . . . the billboard guy?” She glanced at the sheriff and the other two officers, and they all shared a look of amusement.

“He practices in Birmingham,” Jana said.

Shay rolled her eyes. “Jana, we know what you did. We’ve talked with your bank. We know how much money you took out the day before your husband’s murder, and we know that we found the same amount on Mr. Pike. He’s confessed to the crime and given a sworn statement that you paid him to do it.”