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“She talked to Mrs.Beckham, too, but didn’t ask the right questions. Colton never mentioned any in session, but one of his exes might have noticed a man with graying hair and glasses who drove a Mercedes.”
Joel pinched the bridge of his nose. “All right. And then what?”
“The neighbor who Colton assaulted had called him out on his lie. Colton claimed to be a Navy SEAL. The case file I received from the court said that David Epstein confronted him after checking to make sure that Colton hadn’t served anywhere. He might have learned something else of value when he was checking into Colton’s background.”
“Okay. Tomorrow morning I’m going into the office to talk to my boss. I’ll be home as soon as I can. You will stay here, okay?”
“Okay.” Because Joel was right. He had made himself vulnerable today. But he wasn’t sorry about any of it.
“Then tomorrow we pull on our PI hats and go fishing for information.”
“You can change your mind,” Sam offered quietly. “I won’t blame you. There’s no reason for both of us to put our careers in danger.”
Joel frowned and Sam could see that this worried him. “We’ll see what my boss has to say.”
“What if I got another chaperone?”
Joel’s brows rose. “Who?”
Sam shrugged. “Laura.”
Joel made a face. “Shit, Sam.”
“Her involvement as my defense attorney wouldn’t be unheard of.”
Joel looked disgusted. “Why would she do that for you?”
“Because she owes me. She owes both of us. Let her try to make amends.”
Joel sighed. “Ask her. I’ll also ask my boss. We’ll see what happens. Try to get some sleep tonight, okay?”
Sam hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before. He didn’t expect that to change anytime soon.
Shelter Island Marina, San Diego, California
Tuesday, April 19, 12:05 a.m.
The light was on in Kit’s cabin window when she got to her boat. Akiko was here and Kit was more grateful than she could say, especially since she’d left Snick with Rita.
Akiko was curled up on the small sofa, a glass of wine near her elbow and her tablet in her lap. The laugh track from whatever TV show she was watching grated on Kit’s ears as she locked her gun in her safe and dropped her keys and wallet on the kitchen counter. The small wooden figurine of the cat and bird followed. Then Kit leaned against the counter, bracing herself on her palms and letting her head drop low.
“Oh boy,” Akiko said after turning off the television. “That bad?”
Are you stupid or just unfeeling? The words had cut far deeper than she’d let on.
Kit didn’t turn around. I am not stupid. Of that she was certain. “Am I unfeeling?”
Akiko gasped and was at Kit’s side in a heartbeat. “No. Never. Who told you that? I’ll smack them into next week.”
And Akiko could do it, too. She was a tiny thing, but scrappy. She’d had to be to survive until she’d finally made it to the McKittricks’. Back then, her self-defense moves had been self-taught, more desperately instinctive. Like a wildcat. Now her skills were properly developed at a dojo and she was elegant. And fierce. Back when she was still a teenager, she’d fought off predatory foster fathers and sometimes their sons. Now, she used her skills to subdue frat boys who got wasted and made drunken advances when they were supposed to be fishing on her boat.
The thought of Akiko smacking Kit’s detractors usually made her smile. But not tonight. Not when it was Sam Reeves.
Kit sagged when Akiko’s hand tentatively touched her back. “Okay?” Akiko murmured as she began to rub soothing circles between Kit’s shoulder blades.
“Yes,” Kit rasped.
“Who said you were unfeeling?” Akiko asked quietly.
