“I don’t have any clean glasses.” He offered her a cold bottle of beer.
“This is fine.” Since he’d already removed the top, she took a long swallow. It felt good. The heat had dampened her skin and the humidity made a deep breath an effort. But it was easier to be on the balcony with Braddock than inside.
He’d said they needed to talk. A crystal ball wasn’t required to know the subject matter. He was a cop; it was his job to protect and serve. He wanted her to cease and desist with this little private investigation.
He braced his arms on the balcony railing, his own bottle of beer dangling from one hand. “I’ve been working on pulling together a case against Nash for almost three years. Every time I take one step forward, I get pushed back two.”
That was as good a starting place as any.
“You’ve been investigating Tyrone that long?” He’d mentioned something to that effect before, but the other distractions had sort of blurred it.
Braddock took a long swallow of his beer, then set those dark eyes on hers. “Unofficially for most of that time.”
Confusion drew her brows together. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m about to tell you something no one else knows. Except my partner and my chief.”
Stunneddidn’t begin to describe the impact of that statement.
“Why would you do that?” Even the few times they had dated, he’d kept his professional life a closed book. Truth was, she hadn’t really learned very much about him at all, professional or personal. Except that, like her, he’d been lonely. Had just wanted someone to talk to about nothing in particular.
“Because I’m scared to death you’re going to get yourself killed if I don’t tell you.” He shrugged. “Maybe when you understand what I’m doing and why I’m doing it, you’ll back off and let me get the job done without having to worry about your safety.”
“Okay.” She took a sip of beer. “I’m listening.”
“I know you’re trying to help, but what you’re doing is too risky. You didn’t see what I saw in Banks’s house this morning. Trust me, it’s not worth the risk.”
That was his guilt talking. “Because you feel guilty about Shelley. You think working with you may have gotten her killed, and so you have to protect me. Don’t you get it that I feel that way too? You do what you do and I have to do what I have to do. We’re both after the same goal.”
“I was desperate.” He downed another gulp of beer. “Otherwise I might have done things differently when Shelley came to me.” He gave her one of those looks. “I’m a cop. Doing this is my job. It wasn’t hers and it’s not yours.”
If he thought that changed how CJ felt, he was wrong. “My sister is dead because of Tyrone Nash.” The reality hit like a tidal wave, washingover and over her. Maybe Ricky hadn’t killed Shelley. Maybe he was a victim of Tyrone too. “What makes you more desperate than me?”
He turned his face to hers, held her gaze for a long moment. “Her name was Kimberly. She was seventeen years old. Nash murdered her. Cut her throat. Left me a message written in her blood.” He looked away. “She was my niece. She had nothing to do with any of this. Her only mistake was having me for an uncle.”
CJ’s heart went out to him. “I’m sorry.” Jesus Christ. She’d had no idea.
“When Shelley made the offer ... how could I say no?”
CJ ached for his loss. “Shelley trusted you.” And maybe CJ should cut him some slack. “She thought you were going to save the village.”
“I’m doing a bang-up job so far,” he muttered.
“At least you’re not giving up.” She had to let go of some of this emotion, starting with all her pent-up frustration with Braddock. She just couldn’t contain all of it any longer. Not and deal with this insanity. “That’s more than I can say for most who try to make a difference.”
The silence lagged on.
Finally she couldn’t take it anymore. “Where does this leave us? I mean, we have no evidence against Tyrone. Banks is dead. I can’t begin to figure out who the father of Shelley’s baby was.” She heaved a disgusted breath. “It’s like a dead end with absolutely nowhere to go.”
“I suspected she was seeing someone.” Braddock stared out at the city’s twinkling lights as he spoke. “When I asked, she played it off. At first I thought it was Banks, but the last couple weeks I was pretty sure it wasn’t him.”
She hadn’t even told CJ. That hurt a lot. There were times when Shelley didn’t tell her anything. But on those rare occasions when she wanted to talk, she spilled her guts. Maybe one of those rare occasions would have come along soon if she’d lived. The voicemail she’d left the final night of her life replayed in CJ’s mind. She shouldn’t have ignored that call.
“Banks swore they hadn’t been intimate in more than three months.” She turned to Braddock. “He really thought it was you.”
“I respected Shelley too much to even go there.” Braddock shook his head. “That one crazy moment was the only time ...” He shrugged. “Our relationship wasn’t like that. It was all about getting Nash.”
Had he not said the words with such sincerity, CJ might have thought he was telling her what she wanted to hear. But the genuineness in his voice was real. “Thank you.”
