Page 12 of 1st Shock
Her jaw sets. She knows I’m not telling the whole truth. “You should wait for JJ. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“JJ?” My pulse picks up. “Why would he go with me to investigate a lead for Juanita Jones?”
Meg balls up the note and throws it at me. “He came by this morning looking for you, and he told me about Mickey Wilson.”
The floor seems to shift under my feet. I’m baffled. Is JJ reading my mind these days?
I share a duplex with my sister, we each have our own side. Meg needs more privacy than I do, but I have more secrets—at least, I think I do—so it suits us well. We’re together almost 24/7, and it works for us, but we need time alone. Besides, she likes to watch public television. Kill me now. I’m more of aLaw and Orderfan.
My sister senses my confusion, the wheels turning in my head, trying to find a way out of this. “I mentioned our breakthrough to him last night. He said you’d want to talk to Mickey.”
He put two and two together. I’m pissed she told him, but also slightly relieved. At least he isn’t reading my mind. “I wanted to get an early start and didn’t want to bother you. You have things to do here, and Wilson is most likely a dead end.”
She doesn’t argue, just nods once. “You shouldn’t go alone.”
“I work well alone.”
All she does is blink, but I know I’ve said the wrong thing. “I meant—“
One hand rises. A stop sign. “I know, Charlie. Going inside a federal prison to talk to a serial killer isn’t my thing. You’re protecting me again, and I appreciate it, but you don’t have to lie. Oh look, JJ just pulled in.”
She gives me an evil smile before turning on her heel and heading back to her office.
I feel like the villain in an old time movie, foiled again.
JJ bangs on the front door, making me jump. I take my time setting my coffee and briefcase on Haley’s desk before letting him in.
He checks his watch, the giant, expensive Rolex that never loses time or dies. “You ready? We’re wheels up in twenty.”
“What are you talking about? I’m headed to Hazelton.”
He grins. “I commandeered a helicopter. I’ll have you there and back in no time.”
Why am I not surprised? JJ has unlimited resources, people who owe him favors. “I’m not spending taxpayer money on this. It’s probably a waste of time.”
“You have to follow every lead, don’t you, Charlie? That’s what I like about you, your thoroughness. Just so happens I need to run an errand to the penitentiary anyway.”
“Is that so?” He’s a slick liar. “In regard to what?”
He taps on his cell and holds the screen for me to see. “I’m on a committee handling the Federal Bureau of Prisons' use of restrictive housing for inmates with mental illness. I need to speak to Warden Delacruz about a couple line items in his audit and bring back files for my boss.”
This man. He makes magic happen and it infuriates me, even when it makes my life easier. “I appreciate the offer but I’m driving.”
JJ shrugs, as it makes no difference to him. “No point in you going at all then. I’ll interview Wilson and be back before you even get there.”
The grip on my coffee cup is getting too tight. I may still end up with stains on my new shoes before this day is over.
Throwing the cup at JJ’s smirking face holds appeal. I restrain myself and look for the silver lining. At least in the helicopter, small talk will stay limited to the case. The noise will require headphones and the pilot will be able to hear anything we say. The quick turnaround is an advantage too. I’ll be home before lunch, and able to at least confirm whether Wilson has anything to do with the two skulls in Meg’s office.
Underneath all of that, I realize I’m slightly relieved I don’t have to go alone. I don’t need JJ with me, but I like the idea that he’ll make the process smoother with Delacruz and be a second pair of ears to listen in on my interview with Wilson. It always helps to have him to bounce ideas off of. JJ is brilliant as well as sexy and annoying. He can frame things in his mind, like cases and criminals, much like I do as a profiler and psychologist. But he always brings new insight to any case I’ve worked.
Meg clears her throat, announcing her presence. “Don’t forget to FaceTime me when you get there.”
“Why?”
“I want to hear what this guy says. Wear your earbud thingy so I can have you ask him questions, if I have any.”
“Why don’t you come along?” JJ asks. “There’s room in the helo, and you can hear what this asshole has to say in person.”
