Paradise Falls (Paradise Falls #1-5)(36)

He sighed. “I thought you’d see it.”

“We’ll start with the biker bar.”

“We?” said Jacob. “What we? You’re going to—“

“If we’re going to do this, it’s going to be as partners. I’m not your princess to lock up in a tower. Did you see what they did? It’s never going to stop, no matter where I go. I’m sick of looking over my shoulder every day, and I’m not dragging my sister into it. She’s out and she can stay out.”

“Jennifer—“

“They killed my husband, Jacob. They killed Krystal. I have as much a right to see this through as you do.”

Jacob nodded in silence. In between looking ahead or glancing at the mirrors, he stole short looks at her, keeping his face a mask. She folded her arms as she looked out the window, doing her best not to break down any more. Images of Krystal bubbled into her mind.

My best big sister teacher.

Jacob let her have her quiet. It was broken when they pulled up to the house and there was a PFPD cruiser sitting in the drive with the lights going. Jacob pulled up next to it and got out. Ellison Carlyle, Grayson’s little brother, leaned on the car.

In this case, little brother was a tad misleading. Ellison was over six feet, narrow and lean. Jennifer opened her door but Jacob motioned for her to stay in the car. Ellison stood, and adjusted his hat and mirrored aviators. The safety strap on his holster was unsnapped.

“Jacob Kane, ain’t it?” said Ellison.

“Yes, officer. Is there a problem?”

“Where were you last night?”

“He was with me,” Jennifer loudly insisted.

“All night?” said Ellison.

“Yes,” Jennifer said.

Ellison’s gaze shifted between Jennifer and Jacob. “Doing what?”

Jacob remained calm. “That’s not your business, officer. Is there a problem?”

“Yeah, there’s a problem. My brother’s in the hospital and we got two dead kids. I’m wondering where you were at the time.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your brother, but I don’t know anything about that.”

Jennifer pushed herself up out of the seat, grimacing as she shifted her weight onto the ankle that hurt the least. After closing the car door, she ignored Jacob’s motions to stay back and hobbled over to him. Jacob folded his arms across his chest. Ellison was about the same height, and Jacob didn’t look much bigger, but there was something about him that made Ellison appear mousy by comparison.

“Anything else, officer? You’re on my property.”

“Might be,” Ellison said. “Where you say you were, again?”

Jacob’s jaw clenched. “I was home all night.”

“With me,” Jennifer added.

“You wouldn’t be lying to me,” said Ellison. “Would you? ‘Cause maybe I got somebody that says you ate at the Wham with your sister and this guy wasn’t there. Maybe I got somebody that says he was out on Route 62 in an ’86 Dodge.”

“Do you?” Jacob said.

“You might have those things, but my landlady called you last night to report a break in. What about that?”

“Yeah,” Ellison said. “I sent a cruiser by, we took a look. Animal damage.”

“What?”

“Rogue coyote,” Ellison said. “Getting to be a real problem in this part of the state.”

Again Jacob asked what assistance he could provide.

“Yeah, you can tell me where—“

“I did. Do you have a search warrant?”

“Nope. Not yet.”

“Did somebody call you?”

“No.”

“This is private property. The property line is down there.” Jacob pointed down the hill. “You’re trespassing.”

“What are you planning to do about it?”

“I’ll call the police,” Jacob said.

Ellison nodded with a smile as he cracked his gum. “Alright, alright. I got things to do, places to be. Police work, you know? I’m a busy man. I’d give you my card but I think we’ll be seeing each other. By the way, you need to fix your taillight.”

Ellison drew out his nightstick and smashed the Aston Martin’s taillight. Ellison nodded and grinned as he pulled his cruiser around and tromped on the gas, sending a spray of gravel towards Jacob and Jennifer. She stumbled while trying to avoid it, and Jacob caught her as she lost her balance.

“That was very juvenile,” Jacob sighed.

“He’s very juvenile,” Jennifer said. “What now?”

Jennifer clenched her teeth and started hobbling towards the house. She stopped, and sighed. “Go ahead.”

He picked her up and carried her inside. “Now I need to think. You need to get off that leg.”

“I have phone calls to make,” Jennifer said. “I don’t want to call her parents, but I have to.”

“I know. Let me take you upstairs.”

Again, he carried her up the staircase and lowered her to her feet just inside the door.

“It’s your room now,” he said. “I’ll have Faisal see about getting you some clothes.”

“Please tell me you don’t already know what size I wear.”