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Yeah, yeah. He was the best attorney in town. That, too, was true.
“Did you give her any other advice?”
“I suggested she find a good private investigator. They can do things the police cannot. She said she’d been thinking about it. She had a good many sources and had, to that point, been relying on them. After nearly a month of finding basically nothing, she was desperate, as you can imagine.”
Finley waited a few seconds, then, “Tell me the part you haven’t shared so far.”
His cheeks puffed with a big breath. “We had a thing for a while back in the day. Before she married Scott Cagle. It was ...” He shook his head. “It was nothing more than two very busy, very ambitious people filling a need. Neither of us had time for a relationship, so we had sex. She met Scott, and that was the end of it.”
As much as she hated to admit it, Finley grasped the scenario all too well.
Though she got what he was saying and personally didn’t have a problem with it, that was not the biggest issue with what her boss had just shared. “You’re not concerned that your relationship with her all those years ago makes for a bit of a conflict of interest with your new client?”
He gave his head a quick shake. “I am not. Are you?”
Finley thought about it for a few seconds. “I can go either way.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “You don’t think I can separate my past feelings from a current situation?”
“Maybe.” Now for the other revelation. “Here’s another news flash. Ray’s ex, Shelia Stratton, knew Lucy. Had her over to the house—the Johnson house—to babysit the kid a few times.”
Jack’s face fell. “Are you freaking kidding me?”
“Nope. I interviewed her today to confirm his alibi, and she mentioned how sweet Lucy was. It went from there.”
“Why would—no offense—a rich kid like Lucy need to babysit anyone’s kid?”
“To get access to the home office of her project target.”
Jack swore. “This could be a problem.”
“Most definitely.” Finley stood. “Houser is getting me in to view the evidence. Hopefully by tomorrow. I’ll ask him about this alleged follower, and at some point, I’ll probably go back to the house and have a second look.”
“You planning to tell him what the ex-wife said?”
“Depends on where this all goes. But it feels significant.”
Jack exhaled a big breath. “Damned significant, but not something we have to disclose just yet.”
“True.”
Jack’s forehead creased into a deeper frown. “What’s this I’m hearing about you requesting a face-to-face with Dempsey?”
So Houser had outed her. Damn him. “I’ve noticed a guy.” She shrugged. Blinked at the remembered sound of a horn blaring as she had stalked toward the dark sedan just a couple of hours ago.
“Explain,” Jack ordered, using his “don’t even think about leaving anything out” voice.
Her gut tied into a dozen or so knots. “Like before. Following me. Watching me.”
“Have you seen him more than once?”
She looked straight at her boss, her godfather, a man she loved, and did what she had to do. She lied. “Once. Outside the Fifth Third Center after I met with Jerry Bauer.”
“You’re sure this was related to Dempsey.”
“I am. Reasonably so anyway.” Houser said Dempsey had reached out to a connection. It had to be him. Houser had probably already spilled this to Jack as well. Still, Finley searched Jack’s eyes for a long moment. “Is there someone else you’re concerned might have a hired thug following me?”
He made a face as if he was considering how to answer, which meant he didn’t want to tell her but had no choice. This was a dance they did often.
