Page 104 of Jack

“The people who torched Aggie.”

Silence. Then, “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope. They threw a rock into her back window, followed by a firecracker.Boom. She died a valiant death.”

“Oh, Jack, I’m so sorry.”

“I’ll figure it out.” He refused to go there. The feelings could wait.

“Okay, I have addresses, but be careful.”

“Don’t worry, Stein is with me.”

“Oh, great. Nothing like a couple tough guys to keep the tensions low.”

“Hey. We come in peace.”

“You’d better. I’ve texted you the addresses. Stay frosty.”

“Frosty?”

“Just don’t end up in jail.” She hung up.

“Jail?” Steinbeck raised an eyebrow.

“Long story. Get me directions to Elton’s place.”

Ten minutes later, they’d pulled up to a gray two-story bungalow with a small white front porch and a maroon Caravan in the driveway. They got out, crunched through a half-shoveled walkway trampled by an army of boots, and Jack rang the doorbell. Shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

The door opened—a woman in her early forties, holding a toddler. The kid sucked on two fingers, and a little girl in a yellow princess dress hid behind the woman’s legs. “Listen,” the woman said, “I already love Jesus, so you don’t have to sell me.”

Stein smirked.

Jack shook his head. “I’m looking for Elton, if he’s here.”

She rolled her eyes. “What’s he done this time?”

“He . . . um . . . I just need to talk to him about a little fire incident down at the market.”

“Fire. Ho-lycow. That kid. Ever since he lost his hockey hopes, he’s been fooling around town—” She put up her hand as if to stop herself. “Nope. I have lunch burning. He’s probably with his friend Job. Now, he’s a real catch.” She shut the door.

Ho-kay.

“Job lives on the other side of town,” Stein said, already pulling up his phone, where he’d forwarded the directions. “In the Eagle Lake gated community.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m thinking graffiti car belongs to Elton here.” He got into Harper’s car.

“Job probably drives a Porsche, got his keys taken away.” Jack said as he pulled out.

Stein smirked.

“You laugh, but I dated a girl from the Eagle Ridge gated community. She was . . . high maintenance.”

“I remember. What was her name?”

“Gemini. Ashton.”

---