Justice Delayed (Memphis Cold Case #1)(29)

Pain shot through Will’s clenched jaw. He’d seen this over and over again at the street mission. Last month, he’d discovered three girls under fourteen working as prostitutes, and now this one. At least those three were off the streets and two of them were back home with their parents. “Go on,” he said.

“She agreed to meet with me, but it had to be near the clubs where her pimp has her working. I was going to call you as soon as I got her to the apartment.” Her face darkened. “Treece wouldn’t let me come alone. That’s why she was hurt. I never should have let her—”

“You shouldn’t have been here at all,” Brad said as he walked out of the shadows. “And don’t tell me it was totally altruistic and that it didn’t cross your mind that her story might be your ticket to Atlanta or Dallas.”

Will waited for the explosion as his best friend planted his feet and crossed his arms. He didn’t have to wait long.

“That’s not fair! Reporting the news is what I do. I was here because I wanted to help that girl.” Andi fisted her good hand on her hip. “It’s no wonder that I want out of this town. You expect the worst of me, and you’re always telling me what I can and can’t do.”

“If you’d quit pulling these too-stupid-to-live stunts, I might get off your back. First last night and now this.”

Will cringed. Brad shouldn’t bait Andi. It was like taunting a bull in a pasture.

“Last night was not my fault, and you know it.”

“Maybe so,” he said, taking out his cell phone, “but one of these days you’re going to get yourself in a situation you can’t get out of. I’ll feel better if I know where you are.”

A cricket chirped on Andi’s phone.

“That’s a request to allow me to follow your location. Accept it.” Brad’s tone indicated he would not accept no for an answer.

“No.”

His eyes narrowed, and his jaw shot out. “Then I’ll put a tracking device on your car.”

They stared at each other like two boxers in the ring, and Will waited to see who would back down first. He was surprised when it was Andi.

“Oh, all right.” She tapped on her phone, and a second later, Brad’s phone dinged.

“Thank you,” he said and hooked his phone on his belt.

“I can always unfollow.”

“And I’ll know when you do.”

Will wouldn’t be surprised if Brad put the tracking device on her car anyway. He nudged his friend. “The paramedic wants Andi to go to the hospital for an antibiotic drip. I thought I’d take her. You want to get someone to take her car home? Then after she’s finished with the treatment, I’ll drop her off at her apartment.”

Brad shook his head. “You ought to make her ride in the ambulance.”

“It’s not a problem,” Will said.

A flush rushed through him at the look of gratitude Andi shot his way. He steeled his heart—he had to quit reacting to every little crumb Andi tossed him. Nothing could ever come of it. He would always only be her brother’s friend and the peacemaker between the two siblings.

“Thank you,” Andi said, looping her good arm through Will’s.

Once again he’d smoothed things over. It was the way it had always been. Since they were kids, Andi had been like a cocklebur they couldn’t get rid of, tagging along after them, and Will was always the one who defused the bomb before it exploded between the two siblings.

As soon as they were out of Brad’s hearing, Will said, “Please be more careful. I never want to knock on your parents’ door some night and tell them you got yourself killed.”

She blew out a sigh. “It’s just that she sounded so scared. I thought I could save her from a horrible situation.” Andi ducked her head. “Instead I almost got us all killed.”

“Your heart is in the right place,” he said, “but you’re not Captain Marvel. If you had just called me—”

“I can see that now.” Impatience crept into her voice. “Can I check on Treece and Chloe before they hook me up to the drip?”

“No. And I bet you haven’t had a tetanus shot in years, either.”

“Wrong. Had one last year when I did the story on drugs and cut my leg getting into that warehouse.” She moved her arm and winced.

He’d rather she didn’t remind him of another of her escapades. “Arm feeling any better?” he asked as he opened the passenger door.

“Not as bad as when the paramedic cleaned it out. Come on, let me check on them first.”

“No! Treatment first.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “You’re worse than Brad.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Get in.” Two nights in a row of taking Andi to get treated. He hoped there wasn’t a third.



The white Silverado pulled into the truck stop, circled around, and parked two cars down from JD. He couldn’t believe his luck. Johnson had raised the suspension on the pickup to put oversized tires on it—his job just got easier. He fingered the hammer in his hand as the guard climbed out and scanned the parking lot.

With the dark tint on his windows and his black clothes, JD didn’t worry that Larry Ray Johnson might see him. As soon as the guard was inside, JD pulled on a black cap and slipped out of his car, walking behind the other parked cars to the passenger side of the Silverado.