Loretta narrowed her eyes. “You’ll tell me the whole story, even the bad parts?”
“Certainly not. Bluebirds and pumpkin coaches for you. I don’t want you having nightmares. I need my beauty sleep.” Evie dropped a gauzy tea dress on Loretta’s bed. “Wear that, and I’ll find you a tiara to go with it.”
Loretta grimaced. Before she started on a tirade, Evie slipped back to her room. She’d yanked on jeans and T-shirt after her shower with just this escape in mind. And she’d grabbed clean clothes for Jax and stuffed them in a tote. Mr. Uptight Lawyer had gone straight to the hospital from the field, covered in mud and ticks, no doubt.
Opening her window, she climbed onto the porch roof with the tote over her shoulder. In half a minute, she was in her favorite tree branch and scampering to the ground. The thundershower had ended but the needles had her soaked.
She doubted Mavis would even notice her absence. Checking back to be certain Loretta hadn’t followed, she raced out to the street where Jax’s team waited.
Sometimes, all it took was free food and a shower to command loyalty. Good thing, since she couldn’t pay.
“Take me to the palace, Jeeves,” she commanded as the sliding door opened and Reuben helped her inside.
“Did you bring food?” Roark started the engine while eyeing her tote. “I could eat a cow.”
“Cows are full of methane and manure. We’ll make Jax buy us lobster. I’ve never had lobster.” Evie studied the van’s interior in the dim light. “Spooky.”
“Well designed,” Reuben countered. “All the requisite equipment for the well-prepared spy, plus sleeping quarters. And refrigeration.” He opened a small panel in the cabinets lining the walls and produced a can of soft drink.
“Just big enough for hot dogs and beer,” she said in admiration. “Generator?”
“Of course, plus solar panels on the roof. All we need are more clients.”
“Especially if Jax gets axed from da firm,” Roark said from the driver’s seat. “This little episode today ain’t nuttin’ on da evidence he has against daddy-boy.”
“Oh shoot, I was afraid of that. Have you worked with his firm long enough to get your detective licenses?” Sitting cross-legged in the narrow space between equipment, Evie took a handful of granola Reuben offered.
“We’re not likely to get licenses for anything with our discharges,” Reuben scoffed. “And who else would hire us?”
“Smart people with money. Jax will figure it out.” She hoped. He’d been in a pretty grim mood when he’d taken off after the ambulance. “Does he know we’re on our way?”
“Probably. Ariel’s yanking his chains. Now there’s a spooky lady.” Roark swung the van into the hospital parking lot. “Sheriff posted a guard outside daddy’s room. Jax is telling him it’s a bodyguard.”
“Stockton can’t be that dumb.” Evie leaned over the front seat to look for Jax’s Jag. It was still here. “Blue is locked up, right?”
“Yup, and spilling everything he knows. If he’s going down as a killer, he’s taking everyone with him. Sheriff’s radio is easy to hack. They’re rounding up suspects right and left. Mayor won’t like being charged with fraud on those tax notices. Whether or not he knew about the Posts, he had to have known about the land being in a trust. His son has already turned his computer over to the cops.” While Roark parked, Reuben handed her a mic. “Here, stick this in your pocket. We’ll hear fine and be ready if you need us.”
“You’re not coming in?” Evie studied Jax’s friends with surprise.
“Stockton don’t like us. We’ll hear more if it’s just you and Jax. And we can be ready if he spills more that needs looking into.”
“Wow, now I’m a spy, too. Jax will be so happy.” Cheerfully, Evie jumped down and marched off to the hospital entrance.
She had no particularly good reason to float on air, except that Jax had listened to her crazy and stopped the criminals. Her family might still need to sue everyone in the universe over their property. Jax would almost certainly be fired from his firm. A whole lot of hell was building in the mayor’s office, and the ash would inevitably fall on her family. But she had no doubt that they’d caught a killer because Jax hadlistened.
She thought maybe it was confidence buoying her into the hospital and up the stairs.
Looking wiped, Jax sat in a recliner beside his father’s bed, his head back and his eyes closed. She admired the dark stubble on his sculpted jaw. He was still covered in mud and grass. It was a good look on him, but it was a wonder the hospital had allowed him entrance.
Stephen Stockton seemed to be sleeping. He didn’t appear quite so mean with an IV pumping into his arm and an oxygen mask over his face.
As Evie dropped the tote full of clothes next to Jax’s chair, the phone in his lap lit up with a message. Given that the text was only three words, she figured it was from his sister, so she picked it up.ASK ABOUT FATHER
Evie grimaced. She assumed Ariel meant their biological father. That might be another nasty tale above and beyond the current one yet to be told. Without compunction, she texted back:FEED R&R
She loved the silence following a text. She was about to check and see if the hospital still kept patient charts on paper like in old TV shows, when Jax stirred and opened his eyes. He had such lovely warm gray eyes, although they clouded a bit at sight of her. Figures. Before she could comment, his phone lit with another text.WILL DO
“Will do what?” Sitting up, he scrolled through the messages.