Page 173 of Five Mountain Daddies

“But they’re notviolent?”

He makes a face. “Well…”

I sigh. “Well?”

“They are. I may have mislead you a little bitbefore.”

I narrow my eyes. “Why?”

“You’re a damn outside cop poking around our shit. A fucking homicide cop, no less. I didn’t trustyou.”

I nod, not surprised. Cops protect their own, and if someone might threaten the reputation of the station, they’ll do what they have to do to stopit.

“I’m not here to fuck with your shit, Mitch,” Isay.

“I get it. I know you’re poking around the Lewis murder, and shit, nobody cares. If you wanna work it, then work it. We won’t stopyou.”

I nod, feeling genuinely grateful. “Thanks,man.”

“Sure. Just, we make thearrest.”

“Of course,” I say. “Honestly, I don’t care aboutthat.”

“Then I’m an open book.” He grins at me. “What do you want toknow?”

“Jaxson Moyer,” I say tohim.

He grins at me. “Jaxson,huh?”

“What do you know abouthim?”

He sighs. “First, you remember him fromschool?”

“Sure.”

“He was a loser even back then.” Mitch takes a long drink. “The guy thinks he’s a real badass. You know the type. Talks a lot, has some minor arrests, but he’s anobody.”

“Minor arrests?” Iask.

“Sure. I got him for a drunk and disorderly once. He’s got possession, burglary once, a few other shit charges. Did some minor time, a few months, I think. He’s practically a regular at theprecinct.”

I frown at him, thinking. “So he’s minor in theNiners?”

“Very,” Mitchconfirms.

“Tell me more about theiroperations.”

He launches into a detailed rundown, but after a couple minutes I start to tune him out. I quickly realize that it’s not relevant to our case, but what he said about Jaxson keeps coming back tome.

He’s a nobody. I got the sense that he was important that night he threatened us, but it turns out that was just a lie. So Jaxson’s the kind of guy to inflate his own importance, make himself look tougher. He probably thinks his minor arrests are fucking cool or someshit.

I just don’t see the connections yet. Atticus dies in a drug deal, Jaxson’s pissed we’re investigating, he’s involved somehow, but he’s just a minor guy in this gang. He’s got an ego, that’s for sure. He and Atticus used to know each other, but I don’t know how close they were before themurder.

I have another beer with Mitch and I leave not long later, still full of questions, but I don’t think he has my answers. There are only a couple of people that know the truth, and I doubt they’ll just come out and tell me at this point. I burned my bridges with Kristi, and Jaxson’s going to get more and more aggressive as this thing dragsout.

I’m frustrated. I can’t see it, can’t see how it all lines up. Normally I can figure out a murder like a jigsaw puzzle, all the little pieces falling into place, but this one is still all jumbled. Maybe it’s because I’m too close to be objective, I just don’tknow.

Sleeping with Cora was definitely a mistake, but it was the kind of mistake I want to make again. I want to keep on making it, over and over, and I know that’s going to cloud my judgment. Still, I can’t help myself. I want everything, and I’m going to take it, sooner orlater.

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