Page 71 of Recovering Ivy

It had taken damn near a week to piece together the connection between Forester and Barbara. Declan’s conversation with Amy gave us no further insight into Forester’s operation. It seemed he had been smart and compartmentalized. Amy only knew her part in his business. He gave her drugs to supply to the Johns she worked, that was all.

“Afraid not,” Garrett answered.

Leo and Declan were inspecting the tube of tennis balls Jaxon was able to get from a country club member that had carelessly left the container on the table after a lunch date with Barbara. It seemed she was more than the madam and took clients as well.

Jaxon picked up the third ball from the table and pinched the sides, exposing a cut in the green fuzzy exterior. He tipped the ball and out fell a small bag containing a white powder.

“Fuck me running. That is pretty fucking genius. He’s dealing right out in the open, a three-pack of tennis balls at a time.”

“He sure the hell is,” Linc added. “I have the security footage from the club. Apparently, they had an issue with the cleaning crew stealing out of the locker room and installed a camera in there as well. Pretty fucking intrusive if you ask me, and illegal. I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth, it saved us the trouble, but fuck if I’ll ever change in a locker room again.”

“What’s wrong, Linc? Camera shy or afraid you won’t measure up?” Leo chuckled.

“I measure up. Trust and believe that, brother. But I don’t need that shit making its way on the web. The line of women waiting to bang down the door will piss my wife off.”

“What will piss your wife off?” Jasmin asked as she joined us in the conference room. The correct term would’ve been waddled in, but I smartly kept that comment to myself. She looked tired, and for the first time I agreed with Linc, it was time for her to go on leave.

“Nothing, Jassy, come sit down.” Leo stood and pulled out the seat next to him. When she cut her eyes at the nickname, he chuckled.

“Stop calling me that,” she complained, but took the chair Leo had offered.

“What about Barbara’s client list?” Garrett asked.

The list.

I’d yet to decide what I was doing with the list. Morally and ethically, I should turn the list over to the police along with the other evidence. But it wasn’t that simple. Judges, lawyers, politicians, and police would be swept into a scandal of epic proportions.

“Christ.” I rubbed my temples trying to ward off the headache that was fast approaching. “There are two names on the list I want to talk to first. Michael Miller and Janet Goodall.”

“Michael Miller?” Garrett inquired. “He’s a beat cop. A no one. And Janet is a lawyer again, no one special.”

“Both of them have small children. I want them warned and ready to obtain counsel and the opportunity for them to hire Maya Vaugh in case the list goes public. If anyone can turn a scandal into a PR gold mine, it’s her.”

“Just those two?” Declan looked up from the paper he was writing notes on.

“Everyone else should’ve fucking known better and has the means to paint lipstick on the goddamn pig without my help. Miller is a beat cop, he makes shit for money and only used Barbara’s services twice. He probably couldn’t afford more than that. His wife left him and he’s a single dad. His service record is stellar, the Captain raves about him, his kids’ school had nothing but good things to say, including he’s involved in the PTA. I found nothing on him other than a man looking to get laid, discreetly, without taking time away from his kids.

“Janet Goodall married her high school sweetheart. Both lawyers. Nice family, nice house, nice kids. Only issue, she’s gay. I don’t know why she’s staying in her marriage; I would assume for the sake of her children. She is wealthy without the use of her husband’s income. Moderate debt, no priors, no past drug use. She is a fair and mostly honest for an attorney. If her husband doesn’t already know, I think it is her right to tell him before he hears it from the media.”

“And the rest?” Linc asked.

“Fuck ‘em. They all knew the risk and should’ve known nothing stays a secret.”

“Judge Leone is on the list,” Jaxon reminded me. “He’s had your back. You sure you don’t want to repay him the favor.”

“He’s never had my back. He’s signed off on warrants that he knew would result in takedowns, making his son-in-law, the Police Chief, look good and his good friend, the District Attorney, would have an open and close case. It was not to have my six. The man doesn’t do favors; he collects them. Besides, he is no fucking friend of mine with a wife of thirty years sitting at home while he fucks hookers twice a week. He’s no man, he’s a goddamned scumbag cheating on his wife. Turn the list over, let the chips fall where they may. I’ll call the POTUS later and give him a heads-up. He can decide who he wants to warn after that. Not our circus.”

The landline rang, and the front desk indicator flashed. I hit the speaker button and answered.

“Yeah.”

“Detective Goldsborough is here to see you.” Ivy’s sweet voice came over the line, making me smile, then I remembered.

“Why are you out front?” I growled.

“Should I bring him up, sir, or will someone be down to escort him?”

Fuck me, she was completely ignoring me.