“We’ll be out in a moment. I know Mr. Haraby wants none of my advice, but this attack was not a coincidence. Keep him safe.”
Ben nodded once. “I have called a cabbie I know. He should already be at the gates. He’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
Jay turned back with Dave at his side. “Thank you.”
Ben waved away the words of gratitude. “Even if Mr. Haraby would fire me for admitting it, we owe you both.”
Jay chuckled, clapped Ben on the shoulder, and left.
***
“You still haven’t said where we are going,” Dave realized as they pulled their bags into the airport. “After collecting your car from New Orleans, I mean.”
Jay smiled. “We’re meeting up with Gary Peters.”
Dave caught the sly edge to Jay’s smile and tilted his head to the side. “Did Mr. Haraby actually let you join with him.? Or was it Gary himself?”
Jay laughed loudly, earning a few startled looks from members of the public. “Gary’s hate for me outweighs even Mr. Haraby’s, do you think that likely?”
Dave chuckled. “You don’t seem bothered by their disregard.”
“I’m not,” Jay shrugged. “Besides, I like a challenge. While I have no desire to mess around in this case, Gary’s arrival means I can get what I want.”
Dave shook his head. “Should’ve guessed that you’d done something underhanded, but what was it exactly?”
“I slipped a tracker onto Gary before he left.”
An announcement sounded over the speakers, causing Dave to look around.
“Where is he?” Dave asked, looking back again.
“Carthage.”
Dave’s eyebrows fell together in thought, and he looked down, drumming his fingers on the handle of his wheelie case.
“It is you.”
Jay turned in surprise at the voice and was greeted by a dazzling smile and mischievous sapphire eyes. “Dr. Young.”
She rolled her eyes. “Still so formal. As you’re no longer an inmate, Mr. Roe, how about we drop the formalities?”
Jay half smiled. “Sure. Oh, let me introduce you. Dave, this is Dr. Amara Young. Amara, this is Dave Tiller, my partner.”
She shook Dave’s hand then turned her eyes back to Jay. “Since when do you have a partner?”
Jay raised an eyebrow. “And since when is that any of your business?”
She chuckled, “Same old Jay, I see. You know I stitched this guy up more times than I can count, but I’m still a stranger?”
Jay gave a small smile as Dave cast a curious glance between them. “Alright, alright. What are you doing here anyway?”
Amara shrugged. “The powers that be always think doctors could use refresher courses for emergency situations. So I’ve been bored out of my mind attending a seminar to learn things I already know. Heading back out today thankfully, but if I had known you were here too, we could have met up.”
“That was our flight,” Dave interrupted, saving Jay from answering.
“Sure. Well, have a good flight then,” she smiled at Jay, and then more politely at Dave.
“Are all the women you know so good looking?” Dave asked in a hushed voice as they left.
“I guess I never really thought about it.”
“Seriously?”
Jay half smiled. “If you’d like Amara’s number, I can probably convince her to let you have it.”
Dave seemed to smother another laugh then shook his head.
***
The bustling streets of New Orleans flashed by as Jay took a cab to the spot where he knew he could meet up with one of the guides Elliot and Joseph had dotted around the city. Dave had been left at the hotel, to recover and to write a detailed report of every fact he could think of regarding his few seconds of contact with the shooter. Jay also had him keeping tabs on the latest news coming out of Salisbury. He felt his stomach clench. Four bodies had already been recovered from the fires, including those of Stan and Sue from The Bronze Rose. Whoever was behind all this clearly had no issues with murder. That didn’t bode well for Stella, but neither was it good for his investigation. If every lead he followed put the person it came from in danger of death, then how could he talk to anyone? Jay felt his fists clench. He still wasn’t even sure how his movements were being monitored. There’s no chance to defend against them.
That’s why I’m here, asking for more favors. And why I have to work with Gary. He is already involved.
“We’re here,” announced the cabbie, interrupting Jay’s thoughts.
“Thanks,” Jay said, handing over the fare and stepping out into the skate park.
It took him a good few minutes to be sure of his mark, but eventually he stepped up to the young man fixing his skateboard off to the side of the half pipe.
“Hey, I’m new here. You think you could help me find The Boa Club?”
The guy eyed him up and down and pulled out his phone. “Sure. You got a name?”
Jay smiled. The app the man had opened appeared to be a digital map waiting for him to type in the location. “Jayden Roe.”
Jay didn’t move, knowing that the man was actually sending his name through Joe’s program. If it came up with ‘No address found’, Jay would be shown that and then tailed and captured, because while his pass phrase had been correct, his name would not have registered as a friend.
In this case, with his name coming in positive, the man turned back with a smile. “That’s actually on my way home. I can show you the way if you want? Maybe for a small fee?”
Jay nodded, his rueful smile making it clear that he had noticed the reminder that there would be a payment required. “I’d appreciate that, thanks.”
He followed the
