The Truth of Yesterday (76 page)

     “You came for me,” he said after a moment.

     I bit my lip, not sure what to say.

     “You risked your life for me...again. After everything I said to you the other night.”

     “Actually, it was because of everything you said to me the other night. It made me realize what a terrible friend I've been. I wanted...to make it up to you somehow. I wanted to help you.” I looked down at him. “What
happened
Jake?”

     “I...I don't know.”

     “I don't even mean just tonight. I mean...what happened to you? How did you end up with Fenton Black?”

     He looked away and a tear rolled down his cheek. “When I first came back,” he said in a voice so soft I had to lean in to hear him, “I told you how messed up I was in
California
. That's part of the reason Mom wanted to move back here. I was having sex with anyone who would supply me.”

     “Supply you?”

     
“Drugs.
I got into drugs. Mom moved me back here and I guess she thought that would stop it. It did for awhile; even I thought things might be different. But then, it wasn't. I started using again. Small stuff at first, weed, maybe some pills now and then. That stuff is easy to get. You can get it at school. It kept progressing. There was this one guy who supplied me for sex. His name was Julio or something like that, I don't even remember. Isn't that disgusting? He told me he knew someone who would like to meet me. It was Fenton.”

     “And he offered you drugs for sex?”

     
“More than just drugs.
It was clothes and presents and cash. I felt like a prince. I felt like someone actually cared about me for a change. He didn't of course. All he cared about was the sex, but I could fool myself, lie to myself enough that I didn't think about that.”

     I squeezed his hand. “Did you kill him?” I asked softly.

     His eyes welled up. “I don't know.”

     “What happened after I left the Ball?”

     “He was furious. He screamed at me for talking to you. He said that I had ruined everything, that I was a stupid drug addicted slut, and that I had single-handedly brought down his empire. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about, that I hadn't told you anything. He didn't believe me. He took me home and then knocked me around a bit.”

     “He hit you?”

     Jake nodded. “Then he gave me some drugs, I don't even know what. I didn't really care. I think he was hoping that I'd OD and take care of his dirty work for him.”

     “You almost did.”

     He looked up at me. “I wish I had.”

     I bent over him and gathered him up in a hug. “Don't say that, Jake,” I said fiercely.

     
“Why not?
It's true.”

     “Because...do you know what that would have done to me?
To your mom?
We love you Jake. I know I haven't done a very good job of showing it, but I do. I want to be a better friend for you.”

     We cried for a few minutes, him clinging to me as if I was a life preserver and he was drowning.

     “Jake,” I said at last, “I don't think you killed Fenton.”

     “You don't?”

     “No, but I don't know who did. You have to try and remember.”

     “I can't, Killian. I've been trying. Really I have.”

     “Ok, what about the case I was working? Did you ever hear Fenton mention someone named Paul Flynn?”

     He thought for a minute, “No, not that I can remember.”

     “He was an escort in
Washington
DC
. He was murdered about a month ago. Paul knew that Fenton was involved in some illegal things and he'd been collecting evidence. I'm not sure what he intended to do with it, turn him in I guess, but he was a nice guy-if a little dumb-so he gave Fenton the chance to turn himself in first. I think Fenton killed him instead.”

     “I...maybe there was something...”

     “What?”

     “It was a little over a month ago maybe. Something had been bothering Fenton. He'd been really edgy for a couple weeks. We were in his bedroom one night when someone came to see him. I got the impression Fenton has asked him to come. Fenton always sent me out of the room when he talked business. I went to the sitting room and sat down by the fireplace. There was no fire going so the exhaust fan that pulls the smoke up the chimney wasn't on. I could hear most of what they said. It sounded like Fenton was asking this guy to kill somebody. He didn't come out and say it, but he kept saying things like, `This problem has to be eliminated' and `I want you to take care of this for me'.”

     “You think he was hiring this guy to kill Paul?”

     “He never mentioned any names. It was like the guy knew who he was talking about. And he wasn't hiring him. They never discussed money or payment. It sounded to me more like Fenton had something he was holding over him, like blackmail or something.”

     “Did you see the guy?”

     
“Yeah.”

     “Can you remember what he looked like?”

     “No problem. He was
kinda
small and dark skinned, like he was from the
Middle East
or something. He had dark eyes, long black hair, and kind of sharp features. He reminded me of a hawk.”

     I knew someone who fit that description perfectly. My heart began to pound as his name formed on my lips.
“
Razi
!”

Chapter 31

     “You know him?” Jake asked in surprise.

     “We've met,” I said sharply, my heart hammering in my chest and my mind racing. I sat down heavily in the single chair next to the bed.

     “You think this guy may have had something to do with...what happened?”

     “If Fenton coerced
Razi
into killing Paul, or even hired him, and
Razi
found out that I was getting close to finding that out, he might have had reason to want Fenton dead.”

     “I don't understand.”

     “As far as he knows, with Fenton dead, there's nothing to tie him to the crime. He doesn't know that you overheard his conversation with Fenton, which is probably the only thing that saved your life.”

     “What do you mean?”

     “I think when
Razi
found you passed-out he decided to try and pin the murders on you. That's why he left the gun in your hand and left you alive. If you'd died of an overdose, it would be all the better. It would look like you killed yourself after you killed everyone else.”

     “But you don't have any proof of any of that.”

     “No, but I intend to get it,” I said as I stood up.

     Jake eyes widened.
“How?”

     “I'm going to see
Razi
.”

     
“Killian, no!
If he's the killer you could be in danger.”

     “It's the only way to clear you of the murders.”

     “Let the police handle it. I'll tell them everything I've told you.”

     I sighed. I knew he was right, even though part of me wanted to confront
Razi
, danger or no. “Ok. We'll try the police first, but if that doesn't work, then I'll have to take matters into my own hands.”

     I left to go find
Ilana
and a police officer.
Ilana
went in first for a brief conference with Jake,
then
she was joined by a police officer who took Jake's statement. I waited tensely in the waiting room with Novak, Micah, and Judy. I seemed to have gotten my second wind-or was on my third or fourth by now?-and my body was aching for action. I was itching to be in on whatever the police decided to do about
Razi
.

     Finally,
Ilana
came back out. I was on my feet in a flash. “What's going on?” I demanded.

     She shrugged. “You know about as much as I do. Jake gave them a statement regarding this
Razi
character, but I don't think they gave too much credence to it. They seem to be under the impression that he's making it up to throw suspicion from himself. They want to see you now to find out what you know about
Razi
.”

     As she finished speaking, Detective Rosen came into the waiting room and spotted me. He signaled me over with a sour expression.

     “I didn't think I'd be having another conversation with you this soon,” he said as I approached. “We've got Jake Davis' statement and now we need some information from you. He doesn't know what this
Razi's
last name is but he thought you might.”

     I pulled out my notebook, which had been returned to me along with my other personal belongings when I was released, and flipped through it until I found
Razi's
information. “
Akiba
,” I told him. “
Razi
Akiba
.”

     “What do you know about him?”

     “Not much. I interviewed him in my investigation but he wasn't exactly cooperative. I know he used to work for Fenton Black's escort agency and was supposedly a friend of Paul Flynn, the guy who was murdered.”

     
“That it?”

     “I have an address for him.”

     He copied down the address from my notebook.

     “Are you going to look into this?” I asked.

     Rosen gave me a probing stare. “Not that it's any of your business, but I'll be getting in touch with the DC detective handling the case and we'll compare notes and see where it goes from there.”