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“I couldn’t believe how easy it was to find her and Calvin Worthington’s killer once we knew what Stahl had been doing with case files he no longer wanted to deal with.”
Jake was watching the other man so closely that he saw the second it registered with him why Jake was there. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?” Jake asked, keeping his gaze focused intently on Gibbons.
“I do,” he said softly.
“What I want to know iswhy? Why would you do anything to help that scumbag?”
“He had shit on me.”
“What kind of shit?”
“The sort that ends marriages and causes guys to never see their kids again.”
“Do better than that.”
“I was seeing one of my detectives outside of work,” he said as he looked down at the table. “Do you remember Trish Linney?”
Jake’s mouth fell open in shock. “Wasn’t she married with kids, too?”
“Yeah, hers were little when we were together. The husband was a dick, though. Didn’t help her with anything.”
“How long did this go on for?”
“About four years.”
“And Stahl found out.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I never did figure out how. We were super careful.”
“How’d it go from him knowing about the affair to you archiving case files for him?”
“He said he’d tell Elaine about the affair—and Trish’s husband—if I didn’t do what he wanted me to do.”
“And you were willing to commit a crime to keep the affair a secret?”
“My kids were still at home. Trish’s were babies. I was afraid we’d both lose custody if it got out, not to mention the rap I’d take on the job for dating a subordinate.”
“Jesus Christ, Bill. What the fuck were you thinking?”
Gibbons dropped his head into his hands. “My marriage was shit almost from the start. I was miserable with Elaine. Trish made me happy. She gave me hope that my whole life wasn’t going to suck. The thought of giving her up was unbearable. I made stupid decisions, and I admit that, but I never meant any harm.”
“Well, you fucking failed at not harming anyone. Calvin Worthington’s mother waitedfifteen yearsfor justice for her son. Carisma Deasly was trapped inhellall that time. If you could’ve seen her after she was rescued from that filthy prison she was held in… All because you didn’t want your affair found out?”
Gibbons broke down into sobs. “I’m so sorry, Jake. I hated myself for it at the time, and I’ve been sick over it ever since, especially since the news broke about those cases being solved.”
“I’m sorry to have to tell you that you have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney—”
Gibbons looked up at him, his expression one of complete shock. “Wait. You’rearrestingme?”
Jake put the cuffs he’d put in his pocket earlier on the table. “You’re goddamned right I am.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Keenan Coleman lived on the third floor of an apartment building in the Berkley neighborhood, which abutted Cathedral Heights. Freddie knocked on the door to 3C. A tall, handsome Black man came to the door, wearing AirPods and looking annoyed by the interruption.
When he and Gonzo showed their badges, Keenan said, “I’ll have to call you back,” and removed the AirPods from his ears.
