Justice Delayed (Memphis Cold Case #1)(13)

Something about Brad’s voice caught Will’s attention. He always felt a barrier between them when the subject of Stephanie came up. They hadn’t discussed Stephanie’s death since it happened. Partly because Will hadn’t known how to talk to Brad about it after his cousin confessed to killing her. Then Will moved away the next month. When he returned to Memphis five years later, the murder was something they simply didn’t discuss.

“Have you released the information about Lacey’s death to the media?” Treece asked.

“Yeah.” Andi looked first at Will, then at Brad.

“Not yet, and when we do, you don’t need to cover it,” her brother said.

“Why not? I bet she was going to tell me something tonight, and someone murdered her before she could.”

Will’s stomach clenched. That was exactly why she didn’t need to cover it. “Hey—you’ve just been attacked. The last thing you need is to get involved in this case,” he said.

She shifted her gaze back to him. “I’m not helpless. Tomorrow I’ll be as fit as ever. Since someone is going to cover it, it might as well be me.”

“But it hasn’t been released, so you don’t need to do anything tonight,” Treece said.

“We don’t even know if it is a crime,” Will said.

Andi smelled a story, and if it turned out to be murder like Will figured, it was possible the breakin to her apartment was related. He’d lost more than a little sleep since Andi left her position at the weather desk. It looked as though he might lose more.

Then her shoulders slumped, and she shook her head as if to clear it. “I can’t believe I’m worrying about covering this story. Someone I know just died,” she said, a pained expression in her eyes.

Will’s relief was short-lived as she swayed.

“Andi!” Treece cried.

Brad and Will jumped to catch her, but Will reached her first. He steadied her in the chair.

Treece wet a cloth and placed it on her forehead.

Will wanted to reach out to her as quiet filled the kitchen, but Brad acted first, patting her arm.

“Squirt, you know you don’t have anything to prove here.”

She moved the cloth and stared at him. “But I do. Ever since I was a kid, everyone always treated me with kid gloves because I was sick. I have to show I’m okay, that I can handle things.”

“But you don’t have to risk your life like you do,” Will said. “Everyone knows you’re a great reporter.”

“But don’t you understand? That’s why I’m good. I go after the hard stories.” She pressed the cloth to her face again. “I need to tell Maggie about Lacey.”

“Who’s Maggie?” Brad said.

“Madeline Starr. She was one of the other women who lived in the house with Steph.”

“The defense attorney?” Will said. He didn’t realize the Maggie who had mowed the yard next door was the Madeline Starr who mowed down weak cases against her clients.

Andi nodded. “We have lunch together sometimes.”

“Good,” Brad said. “This is the stuff I need to know.”

Treece set the salad and pizza in front of Andi and looked at the two men. “Andi needs to eat. Your questions can wait until she’s finished.”

While Andi ate the pizza, Brad motioned to Will that he was stepping out into the hallway to get a report from the crime scene unit. It was also a silent request to get information from Andi. After wandering around Treece’s living room for a few minutes, Will sat at the table with the two women. “How does your head feel?”

“Hurts like I had a jackhammer inside it. Not that my brother cares.” She stabbed a piece of lettuce in the bowl and brought it to her mouth.

“Cut him some slack. He’s worried about you. It scared us both when we saw your name and phone number in the dead woman’s phone.”

Andi glanced toward the door. “What happened to her?”

“I’ll trade information.”

“Deal. You go first.”

“Oh no you don’t. First you tell me how you knew her other than from the past.” He didn’t understand how Andi got involved with so many of the wrong people. Not that the Wilson woman was necessarily the wrong sort. She lived in an exclusive neighborhood, and the furnishings in the house were costly . . . but still, she was dead.

“You two don’t fool me. Text Brad to come back in. I feel better, but I don’t feel like going over it twice.”

He texted Brad while Andi ate another slice of pizza and nibbled at her salad.

“Tell me how Lacey died,” she said when Brad rejoined them. “Then I’ll explain why she had my number.”

Brad stared at her briefly. “It’s still up in the air, but I think it’s carbon monoxide poisoning—she sat in her running car with the garage door closed. When I saw the empty bottle of wine, I thought she might have alcohol poisoning, but preliminary reports indicate she only had a blood alcohol level of .15, which is not lethal by itself. I’m waiting to hear from the medical examiner on a more detailed tox screen. Now, your turn.”

“Wait—it wasn’t a homicide?”

“I told you that we don’t know yet,” Brad said. “Now, talk.”