Maybe

from being wiped off the face of the earth a few years back, but that information is classified beyond his pay grade.

“Were you making a threat just now, Mr. Creed?”

I sigh. He’s trying to goad me, calling me “mister” to prove I don’t have a title.

“Let’s just move along,” I say, “and I’ll stay out of your life as best I can.”

“That would be wise,” he says.

He tells me how the meeting with Dani Ripper is going to go down tomorrow.

We work out a signal. After the interview is concluded, if I’m still satisfied Dani’s innocent, I’ll put my hands together and form a steeple with my index fingers.

I demonstrate it, and he nods.

51

I’M NOT GOING to hit you with a bunch of details about the Dani Ripper back story and investigation. It’s fascinating, but that could take up a whole book.

Maybe Dani will write one someday.

For now, here’s what you need to know: Dani’s husband died in their home in Cincinnati last week while the house was surrounded by reporters. Dani was staying with her friend, Sophie, in Nashville, at the time. Everyone agrees Ben died of natural causes, but the evidence found at his home “proves” he raped and killed a local minor, Jaqui Moreland. Jaqui’s death has become a thorn in the side of local law enforcement. You know the drill, everyone’s hot to solve the case. If Ben is good for Jaqui’s murder, the city goes back to being a safe place to live and raise children.

It’s to everyone’s advantage that Ben killed Jaqui Moreland.

Except that Dani Ripper doesn’t believe it. She thinks Ben has been murdered and framed for the killing. She’s a private eye, and had been personally investigating Jaqui’s death. Had even been hired by Jaqui’s mother at one point, to help find her missing daughter.

Agent Chase thinks Dani knows more than she’s saying. He believes Dani knew her husband was a murderer, and may have been covering up for him.

Here’s Dani’s problem. If she’s right, and Ben was murdered and framed for raping and killing the little girl, she and Sophie become the prime suspects. Sophie has mob connections for the killing, and Dani had access to the house for planting the evidence.

Tomorrow morning Agent Chase is going to grill the beautiful and vulnerable Dani Ripper. He’s going to show her some gruesome crime scene photos and evidence, and I need to decide if her reaction to them is authentic.

In other words, did she know her husband was a murderer? Has she seen these pictures before? After judging her reaction, if I honestly believe she’s innocent, I have the power to shut down the investigation.

But what if I think she’s lying? What then?

Simple.

I’ll let Agent Chase do his job, and I’ll deal with Sal on my own.

52

SOPHIE’S HOUSE IS upper-middle class, simple, but tasteful. But the furnishings and paintings are exquisite. There’s money here, and I don’t think it came from writing songs, as everyone claims. I mean, some of it did. She’s written several highly-successful country hits. But you know how I am. There’s cash hidden in a painting somewhere in this house, or maybe a stash of crystal meth in one of the walls.

I can feel it.

What gives me that impression? Sophie had a criminal record at one time, that’s so bad Sal doesn’t even want to discuss it. Also, when I suggested Sophie might have hired someone to kill Dani’s husband, Sal said, “If she wanted the husband killed, she’d go through me.”

Which is very different than if he’d said, “Sophie knows nothing about such things.”

Sophie and Dani are in the kitchen when I enter the house with Agent Chase and Nashville police detective Marco Polomo. Polomo introduces us, and the first thing I notice is Dani could be Callie’s younger sister. The resemblance is remarkable.

Dani’s polite, and has an All-American Girl look about her. Sophie’s quite pretty in her own right, maybe five years older, and appears to be much more worldly.

Polomo asks Sophie to leave the room, but Dani says, “You may as well let Sophie stay, because first, it’s her house, and second, I’m going to tell her everything the minute you leave.”

Polomo gives in. “Where can we sit and talk?”

“My attorney just called. He’s on his way.”

“Figures,” I say, trying to play my part of the big, bad FBI agent.

Polomo winks at me when no one’s looking. He knows I’m there to help. While Dani, Chase, and Polomo make small talk in the den, Sophie catches my eye and leaves the room. I follow her into her bedroom.

She whispers, “They’re letting you impersonate an FBI agent?”

“Yup.”

“Can you really get this thing shut down?”

“If I believe she’s innocent.”

“She is. I guarantee it.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I don’t like Agent Chase,” she says.

“He’s just trying to do his job.”

“Is he going to go after her really hard?”

“Yes.”

“I have a temper. It’s gotten me into trouble before.”

“Tell you what, if Agent Chase says something that sets you off?”

“Yeah?”

“Smack him.”

“What?”

“Slap the shit out of him.”

“He’s a federal officer.”

“I know. Isn’t it great?”

“If I hit him, you’ll protect me?”

“I will. And I’ll tell Sal. And he’ll laugh his ass off.”

Sophie smiles. “I like you. And not just because you’re handsome.”

“Thanks.”

Dani’s lawyer, Chris Fist, shows up. We join the others in the den and Agent Chase opens a manila envelope and places a photograph on the coffee table in front of Dani.

“Recognize this?” he says.

Chris says, “You can answer the question honestly.”

Dani answers, “No.”

“No you don’t recognize it?”