Eliot shot me a surprised look. “We’re going back to the shop. Once you have any information, we expect a call.”
Derrick looked pained. “You know I can’t do that. Jake will issue a news release when he’s ready.”
I looked around at the assembled personnel again. There wasn’t a paramedic in sight. “They don’t have anything anyway,” I said. “Ray wasn’t here.”
Derrick’s eyebrows rose. “How can you possibly know that?”
I didn’t bother hiding my smirk. “I know all and see all.”
“How really?”
“I’ve been in the game long enough to recognize when things aren’t going your way. You don’t have anything. That’s why Jake is outside. He’s cooling off.”
Derrick glanced over his shoulder. “We just got here. We don’t know if we have anything yet.”
“You might have enough to put Ray away, but you don’t have him or Jessica. You’re still looking.”
“I can’t confirm or deny that.”
“It doesn’t matter. I know.” I shot him a triumphant look. “You know what else I know? Next time I’m going to track them down myself and not give you a heads-up. You guys did me dirty. I’m not working with you I’m working against you.”
Eliot opened his mouth as if to argue but said nothing. He wasn’t happy with the declaration, but realized calling me on the statement was in nobody’s best interests at the present moment.
“We could arrest you for impeding an investigation, Avery,” Derrick warned.
“Go ahead. I can’t wait for you to lay out your case in front of a judge, especially when I called you thirty minutes ago with a hot tip that solves your case. That will be on the record, too.”
Derrick scowled. “Stay out of this.”
“No. This is my story.”
“Avery ....”
Eliot cleared this throat, cutting off my cousin. “This isn’t the time to pursue this argument. She’s angry and she’s not going to back down. There’s nothing you can say to get her to see reason.”
“Can you get her to see reason?” Derrick looked hopeful.
“No. All I’m saying is that there is no compromise to be made here. You guys need to separate, go to your corners, and come back for round two when things have settled.”
Derrick held my gaze for a beat longer and then took a step away from the truck. “I’ll tattle to your mom at dinner tomorrow night if you cause trouble, Avery.”
Oh, well, that did it. “So you’ll narc if I don’t do what you want.”
Derrick nodded. “She’ll make a big scene in the restaurant and you know it. Is that what you want?”
What I wanted more than anything was to find Ray and beat him until I got the answers I needed. “I guess we’ll have to see where the day takes us.”
“It’ll take you to jail if you’re not careful.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time. I ....” I broke off when my phone started ringing. I recognized Carly’s number and sent the call directly to voicemail. I didn’t have time to listen to her complain about carrying around a watermelon under her shirt. I would call later to apologize. “What was I saying again?”
I frowned when my phone rang again. “She’s not going to stop until I listen to her complain,” I muttered. I pressed the phone to my ear. “I’m in the middle of a showdown with the cops. Can this wait?”
“No, it can’t wait,” she practically shrieked. “I’m in the hospital.”
My heart plummeted. “Is something wrong with the baby?” As much as I didn’t want to deal with the fact that my best friend was about to give birth to the worst thing that had ever happened to me, I knew she was looking forward to adding to her family. I would never wish ill on her or the baby.
“I’m in labor.”
That wasn’t what I was expecting. “Oh. I ... um ... congratulations?”
I could practically hear her rolling her eyes on the other end of the call. “Are you purposely trying to irritate me? I’m in labor!”
“So you’ve said ... twice.”
“You need to get to the hospital.”
“No, I’m dealing with stupid cops. I can’t come to the hospital.”
“You have to.”
“I’m good.”
“No, you really have to.” This time her voice was tinged with tears. “Kyle is at a meeting in Ann Arbor. I can’t even get him on the phone. He won’t come out of the meeting for another few hours and then it will take him an hour and a half to get here. I’ll be alone all that time.”
A sick feeling began spreading throughout my stomach. “Please tell me you want me to go to Ann Arbor and drag him out of the meeting.”
“You need to be my coach. The baby is coming. They don’t know how long, but I don’t want to be alone. I need you to come to me.”
She had to be kidding. Who in their right mind would want me in a delivery room with her during one of the most important – and painful – moments of her life? Nobody sane. The pregnancy had clearly depleted her mental capabilities. “I can’t do that.”
“You have to!” She wailed the last word and burst into tears, forcing me to hold the phone away from my ear. “I can’t go through this alone. You’re my best friend. I’ll die if you’re not with me. I just know it.”
I glanced at Eliot. He looked amused at my plight. “This is not funny,” I growled.
“She’s your best friend,” he said. “Are you really going to abandon her in her time of need?”
“Listen to Eliot,” Derrick prodded. “He knows what he’s talking about. By the time the baby is here, we’ll probably have Jessica and Ray in custody. This works out well for both of us.”
He was full of crap. This worked out well for him, not for me. Still, I couldn’t leave her hanging. I blew out a sigh and returned the phone to my ear. “I’m on my way.”
“Thank you.” She was a blubbering mess and I could imagine snot running
