Drawing back, she reached for her wine and took a sip. “You’re not going to get into trouble for logging in and using these programs, are you?”
“I’m in Paradiso to investigate links between some missing people here and the remains of the missing people we located in the desert east of San Diego. Why wouldn’t I be accessing these databases?” He clicked around the page, cleaning up the table, distilling it to the pertinent information.
She waved her hand at the screen. “Do you think we should eliminate the people over a certain age who died of natural causes?”
“We can do that.” He scrolled down the list. “Here’s an eighty-six-year-old woman who had a stroke.”
“Yeah, like those.” She squinted at the cause of death column. “More homicides than you’d expect outside of Tucson and Phoenix.”
“Courtesy of the border and the drug trade.”
They worked on the database together for over an hour and managed to polish off the pizza at the same time.
Jolene had limited her wine consumption to one glass, even though she could’ve used another. She collected the paper plates and the glasses.
“I think we have a good list to start going through. We already know we can ignore the murders of Jaycee Lemoin, her boyfriend, Brett, and the social worker he killed. Those didn’t have anything to do with the casino project.”
“Maybe none of these did.” Sam lifted his head. “Is that your phone or mine?”
“Oops, mine.” Jolene tossed the plates into the empty pizza box and grabbed the phone, flashing an unknown number. “Hello?”
“Jolene?”
“Yeah, who’s this?”
“This is Eddie, the bartender at the Sundowner.”
She raised her eyebrows at Sam. “Yeah, I know you. What’s up, Eddie?”
“Your cousin Melody is at the bar and she’s lit. I tried calling Wade, but he’s not picking up.”
“What’s she doing?” She mouthed Melody’s name to Sam. “Can you call her a rideshare?”
“Normally I’d do that but she’s in bad shape, Jolene. I’m afraid to let her out the door by herself, and I don’t trust any of these guys here tonight. They’re not much better off themselves. I’d take care of her myself, but I have another two hours of work and she can’t stay here in her condition.”
“Okay, I’ll be right over. Thanks, Eddie.” She ended the call and tapped the phone against her chin. “You were right. Melody’s fallen off the wagon—and in spectacular fashion. Sounds like she’s drunk and disorderly in the Sundowner.”
“Great.” Sam logged off the computer. “I’m coming with you. Maybe I can talk her down.”
“Let Chip out for a few minutes while I clean up the kitchen.” She shoved the napkins in the pizza box. As she walked past Sam, she handed him the box. “Can you throw this in the trash outside, please?”
When Chip came back inside, Jolene locked up the house and grabbed her purse. As they walked out to Sam’s rental car, she said, “I’m so disappointed in her.”
Sam opened her car door and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re not more disappointed than Melody is. Remember that. She already feels like a failure. Don’t make it worse for her.”
“You’re right.” She twisted her head to the side, and kissed the hand that rested on her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Sam’s eyes flickered for a second.
She’d meant it, at least for now.
The Sundowner had been a staple of Paradiso nightlife when Sam lived here two years ago, not that it was ever a place he frequented. He’d already stopped drinking and had separated from his wife by the time he moved here.
When she’d met him, he’d fallen off the wagon once, three months into his six months of sobriety—and that misstep had resulted in his ex’s pregnancy. He’d told her about going back on the booze, but had failed to mention the hookup with his ex.
Not that she’d known him at the time. They’d gotten together a few months after that, and had had a few more blissful months until he announced that his ex was pregnant, which had signaled the end of their love story.
Sam nudged her shoulder. “It’s at the end of the block, right?”
“The place with the blue-and-red neon sign.”
“It’s busy.” Sam cruised past the front and all the cars parked along the curb and a rideshare double-parked, waiting for its rider.
“I’ll make a U-turn.” He turned the car around at the end of the block and parked across the street.
They got out of the car, and Sam grabbed her hand as they ran to the other side of the street.
Smokers had spilled out of the bar onto the sidewalk where live music from a country rock band blared. They squeezed past a drunk stumbling out the front door.
“I hope she’s not in the same condition as that guy.” Jolene jerked her thumb over her shoulder.
“If she is, we can handle it.” Sam peered over everyone’s heads.
She tugged on his sleeve, as the bass from the band reverberated in her chest. “See her?”
“No, let’s head to the bar and find Eddie. Do you know what he looks like?”
“Big guy, shaved head, long beard and pumped-up, tattooed arms—can’t miss him.”
“Got him. He’s a busy guy. Nice of him to take the time to call you.” Sam steered her through the crowd, and they edged up to the bar.
Jolene raised her hand. “Eddie!”
The big guy nodded once as he topped off a beer. When he finished with his customer, he moved down the bar and stopped on the other side from them, folding his massive arms. “She’s gone.”
“Gone? Where?” Jolene scanned the heads around her, hoping to see her cousin’s pink-streaked black hair.
“She ordered a rideshare on her phone. I told her you were coming, but she didn’t want to see you.” He swiped the counter with a white cloth. “You know, she’s been hitting the bottle for a while, but didn’t want you to know.”
“I’m not here to judge her. I just wanted to make sure she’s safe.” Jolene hugged her purse to her chest. She was pretty sure she’d
