Right. Knox didn't need to give himself a headache thinking about all of this crap. He could just sit with it for awhile and maybe, down the road, he might think about looking into the case.
For his own curiosity. Not because he wanted to help Jenna.
"Sure, that's what I'll do. There's no hurry at all."
Logan stood, which meant that the meeting was over.
Knox ducked out of the office and went back to his desk, determined to get his head in the game. Last night was over, Jenna was out of his life, and he had more important work to occupy his time.
He'd think about it all later. Much later.
5
Luckily, Chris Marks was an easygoing guy and despite the fact that he and Knox had been at each other's throats in the morning, by midday they were friends again. They decided to head out for a late lunch around one-thirty, both of them starved.
"We could just go to the sports bar," Chris suggested as Knox started the car. "It's fast and cheap, and I could go for a cheeseburger."
Except that was where Knox had met Jenna. He didn't need the reminder today.
"How about we hit the pizza place," Knox suggested. "My treat."
"Then I'm in," Chris laughed. "I love a lunch I don't have to pay for."
The pizza joint wasn't far and soon they were shown to a booth in the back. They ordered a large with pepperoni and extra cheese.
"So did Logan rip you a new one?" Chris asked when the waitress had bustled away to get their drinks.
"Not really. He just told me to keep my bad moods out of the office."
"Very restrained of him. But you were in there for awhile. Did you get a new assignment?"
"No, we just chatted."
Chris' brow quirked up. "Chatted? Now you have my attention. What in the hell were you chatting about?"
Knox might as well tell his friend the truth. He was going to find out sooner or later anyway.
"Jenna and I broke up over the weekend."
Frowning, Chris shook his head. "You asked Logan for romantic advice? I guess he must know something. Ava has stayed with him all of these years."
"Shit, no. I didn't ask him about that. We talked about why we broke up. It's what put me in my bad mood."
"That was my next question," Chris said as the waitress slid their sodas in front of them. "What the hell happened with Jenna? She's amazing. Great. Oh hell, did she dump you?"
That was the second person today who had assumed that Knox was the dumpee instead of the dumper. It was starting to piss him off.
"No, she did not dump me. I'm the one who ended it."
Chris held up his hands in surrender. "Excuse the hell out of me. I didn't mean to offend you. I just...well...shit...you seemed really into her Saturday night. What in the hell happened after you went home? It must have been one big blowout. Did you find out she's married or a secret government agent?"
Both of these would have been preferable to the reality.
"Jenna and I didn't meet by chance that first night. She knew who I was."
"You're not exactly a celebrity. How did she know who you were?"
"Because she'd been following me," Knox replied with a sigh. "I'll tell you the story but you're probably not going to believe it."
He recounted the details from Saturday night all the way to when he walked out. Chris didn't say anything while Knox spoke, just nodding as if he heard shit like this every single day.
"You don't even seem shocked," Knox observed when he was done. "Not even a little bit."
"I am surprised but I wouldn't say that I'm shocked. Very little can do that after the crap we've seen in this job. Also, you've told me from your own lips that your brother is a piece of work and an asshole. It's hard to be shocked that he might be wrapped up in something nefarious, isn't it?"
"Cal is a grade A asshole but kidnap and murder someone? He's never done anything even remotely like that."
"Has he ever hit anyone?"
Knox shrugged away the question. "Sure, we all have. We beat up on each other growing up all the time."
Chris laughed and shook his head. "No, I mean someone else. I get that siblings are shits to one another, although I never could have gotten away with hitting my sister. My dad would have grounded me for life for something like that. I was asking if he's ever hit a stranger. Bar fights? Domestic violence? That sort of thing."
"There have been a few tussles," Knox admitted. "Mostly drunken bullshit, especially when we were younger. I don't know if there's been anything recent because I try not to spend any time with my family if I can help it. As for anything domestic, I don't know that either. I do know that he's a terrible boyfriend. He cheats and lies and those are his good qualities."
"He sounds like a real charmer," Chris said sarcastically. "How does he attract women?"
"The same way my dad does. In the beginning they're all suave and debonair. They're the greatest boyfriend in the history of romance. They bring flowers, shower them with gifts and compliments. They only show who they really are when they think they have the female totally in love with them. Then the women keep thinking that
