The conversation went as well as expected—Mr.Carlson apologised for assuming Justin’s voicemail was a crank call and promised to call the police right away to add extra weight to the initial report.He hoped to arrive in Virginia on Monday morning, and with little else to offer, Justin promised to find the family somewhere to stay.He still had a spare bedroom, and?—
“No,” Alexa said.
“No, what?”
“Amie’s family isn’t setting up camp here.Don’t even think about it.”
“Isn’t putting them in a hotel a little impersonal?”
“Isn’t inviting them into your home when you’re about to become a suspect in another murder investigation a little weird?”
Brax groaned, and Alexa spread her hands.
“What?”she said.“I’m only saying what everyone else is thinking.”
“I have an alibi,” Justin said.
“An alibi that still has too much wiggle room for comfort, and you were the last person to see Amie.”
“We don’t even know that she’s dead.This investigator could be holding her prisoner.”
Alexa just rolled her eyes.
“You don’t have to be such a pessimist.”
“I prefer the term ‘realist.’”
“Don’t private investigators have rules to follow?Licencing?”
“Alexa’s right,” Brax said.“I won’t comment on whether Amie’s still breathing, but having her parents stay here is a bad idea.Keep some distance.I’ll ask Meera to book them a hotel suite.”
Meera was his latest assistant, and since she was also a close friend of his wife, she might stick around for a while.
Ari unfolded her legs and stood.“And I’ll look into Liberty Line.The Justice Project too—how did Levi get onto their radar?”
“I know a couple of guys in private security,” Dawson put in.“One of them might be familiar with Liberty Line.”
“Which means I get Linus Sykes.”Alexa was already typing again.“Yay.”
“What am I supposed to do?”Justin asked.
“Bring coffee?”
He opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again.He was a builder.He knew nothing about murder cases.Ari at least had experience with investigations, and so did Dawson, seeing as he’d found Violet when she got abducted a while back.Brax was smart, and Alexa was a conniving little sneak who could find anything online.Justin was glad they were on his side.
“Espresso, latte, or cappuccino?”
“Double espresso, two sugars,” Alexa said.
Ari cleared her throat.
“Double espresso, no sugar,” Alexa amended.
Justin left to play waiter.
CHAPTER25
JESSALYN
