“The firm had investments. Several of the names under it are partners in the firm. Some are firm clients. I can be thankful, I suppose, that Stephen preferred to hide his fraud and handle his own accounts. And Loretta’s father had his own broker.”
“Loretta’s father was a Malcolm, dear, even if he pretended he wasn’t.” Mavis began spreading her tarot deck on a lap table she kept for that purpose. “He knew how to avoid crooks.”
“You have no proof Clancy was cheating anyone,” Iddy argued. “Being wealthy and connected does not mean you’re dishonest.”
“The crystal showed him shrouded in blood.” Mavis didn’t look up from her cards. “He wasn’t a good man.”
“His aura wasn’t open. Greed was his primary color.” Evie scrolled down more. “And Gustav Swenson was one of his first clients, if this is in order of date. If Gustav is dead, does that mean the Swensons are no longer clients?”
“Grandma Swenson, the starlet and real estate mogul’s daughter, may be in her eighties, but she’s alive. Gustav Swenson’s account is a trust, probably shared by her kids and grandkids.” Jax took back his tablet. “If we’re talking murder, we need to know if anyone accessed Clancy’s computer before or after his death. We need to know the same for Pendleton. I’ll ask Oswin to look into Pendleton, see if he’s as good as he says.”
“You think Rube and me can’t do Pendleton and Clancy too?” Roark asked in indignation.
“I think we need the cases separate until we know they’re connected. Does Afterthought have anything like a bar where the city hall folk hang out?” Jax asked.
“Guns and Hoses for happy hour,” Evie reported gloomily. “It’s too rowdy at this time of night to learn anything. We’d better get out the Ouija board and see who I can summon.”
Jax’s response to mention of the Ouija board was predictable. “Rowdy it is.” He stood and left her with the tablet. “I don’t know who’s sending them, but we’re still receiving digital files from Pendleton’s office. Read those. They’ll be more useful than ghosts.” He gestured at R&R. “Your choice, the bar or start looking into Clancy’s files.”
“You won’t learn anything if I walk in with all them white folk.” Reuben headed for the back door. “I’m on Clancy until you get me into some voting machines.”
Roark looked torn. “I’m good for rowdy, but da cops will be locking up Clancy’s ’puters if I don’t dig now. You shouldn’t be goin’ down alone, lawyer man.”
“Fine.” Working up a snit, Evie slapped the tablet in Gracie’s hands. “I’m going with Jax. It’s only Thursday night. How bad can it be?”
Ignoring protests, she dashed upstairs to change into jeans. The bar was air-conditioned, and she wasn’t in a mood to be hit on by every Hairy Tom Dick in the place.
She checked on Loretta, flipped the sheet off the kid’s head, turned off the flashlight, and set her book on the table. Loretta barely stirred. Evie kissed her forehead and dashed to her room to change.
When she came down, everyone had scattered but Jax, who was scowling. “You’re so predictable,” she told him, before heading for the front door. “You don’t even know where Guns and Hoses is. I could totally scam you into believing I’m psychic.”
“Street behind the courthouse. I know how to use the internet. I appreciate that you’re not wearing the skimpy shorts but...Karma Police?” He gestured at Evie’s bright yellow T-shirt.
She beamed and wiggled her hip-hugger bell-bottoms. “Theskimpy shortswere Aunt Val’s hot pants. Aren’t they cool? So are the bell-bottoms. I need to dig around in that wardrobe some more.” She ignored his reference to her T-shirt. That was totally her own.
“Why am I predictable?” He led her to his newly-acquired Harley.
Evie nearly jumped for joy. She’d probably rode on the back of that thing when she’d been a teenager and dating the mayor’s son.
“Cool memories,” she informed him, before climbing on behind. “You could have walked off without me, but you didn’t. You could have told me how good I look in these jeans, but you didn’t. You waited for me and scowled. Predictable.”
“You would have just followed me. I didn’t want you walking these streets alone if there’s a killer on the loose. He’d probably murder you on general principles.” He kicked the motor into gear before she could respond. “And you look good in everything.”
Evie enjoyed the flattery but didn’t think the rest qualified as respect. At least he acknowledged her obnoxiousness. She guessed that was a form of recognition.
He parked the bike in the city lot that had once been her mother’s home. The noise from the bar could be heard from down the street.
“A wake or a celebration?” Evie asked.
“If those are mostly cops and firefighters in there, as I assume from the name, I’m gonna guess this is a normal night of letting off steam.” Jax draped his arm over her shoulders as they entered.
Evie didn’t mind. She liked having him close, acknowledging thezingbetween them. And she’d never been in a rowdy bar before. Loud country music hurt her ears. Crowds distracted her to the point of insanity. And getting drunk was a hallucinatory experience when her third eye went uncontrolled. But with Jax at her side, watching over her, she’d learn to deal.
“Your competition, third booth on the right,” she shouted into Jax’s ear. “You want to tackle them while I tackle the secretaries over at the end of the bar?”
“You think I’m letting you loose in this crowd?” he shouted into her ear. “There are three predators ready to pounce the minute I do anything stupid like let you go.”
“That’s sweet.” Evie stood on her toes to kiss his jaw. Then she ducked from under his arm and shoved him toward the booth. “Go play. I’ll let the predators buy me a beer.”