Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“Josephine.”
Sheriff Jack came in with two cups of coffee. He peeled her fingers off mine and wrapped them around the warmth.
“I’m sorry to do this now, but every second spent toward finding these guys is a second sooner that they’re caught,” he began. “My son says Roan got a text from you and then left. You say you didn’t send it?”
“No,” she rasped. “My phone is missing. I got home and it wasn’t in my purse. I assumed I left it at the office and planned to go back for it in the morning.”
Jack Sharpe turned to me. “You were at the Roadhouse during that time, correct?”
I glared at him.
“Miss de Souza, please,” he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “This is not about you or me at the moment. It’s about Roan.”
My eyes narrowed to slits.
“Yes, we were at the Roadhouse,” Arsenio spoke up. “Roan left and we stayed about another half an hour. In the parking lot, Jeremy Ellis gave Legend that note.”
Legend passed it over. It was snatched by Josephine.
“Something you can’t live without... Sobbing and licking my boots,” she read. “This is horrible. All because I expelled him?”
“No,” I said quickly. “Mrs. Banks, please, don’t blame yourself. Jeremy and the Crows were stewing in their hatred for a long time, promising they’d make Roan pay for outing their secrets. They weren’t waiting for a reason, they were waiting for an opening.”
“It’s true, Jo,” Cairo said. “The Crows went down the line coming after us. We thought they would hit Legend next to hurt Roan. Instead, they went straight to hurting Roan.”
Josephine swung to the sheriff. “Arrest them, Jack. Now. They’ll see morning through bars!”
“This note is certainly enough for me to bring in and hold them for questioning. I suspect they’ll use the timeline issues as a defense, but it won’t be enough. The town has been singing one name since these attacks started. They will be held to task.”
“Timeline issues?” Legend repeated.
“Roan was grabbed while we were in the Roadhouse, serving as the Crows’ alibi,” Cairo explained. “That’s why they called us in for that bogus sit-down. Everyone at the Roadhouse saw Roan leave alone, and the Crows stay put on their ass. On top of the masks, covering their tattoos, and that Roan’s name isn’t in the note, they’re setting up to bleat innocence again.”
“Jack,” Josephine cried. “Tell me that’s not going to work. Just because they didn’t do the snatching doesn’t mean they weren’t responsible. Even I recognize the voice. Jeremy Ellis did this.”
I sat up straight, a thought crossing my mind.
“No, he didn’t,” I said slowly.
“Rainey, how can you say that?”
“No, Jeremy did, but he didn’t take Roan. Josephine, have any students or former students visited your office since you expelled the Crows?”
“Yes, one. Why?”
“Did you leave them alone at any point?”
She nodded. “It was this morning. Miss Cunningham interrupted the meeting. She said there was a discrepancy in the athletic fund. I told her to take the matter to Coach Higgins right away. I stuck my head out of the door for a minute. Maybe less.”
“That was all they needed. Jeremy saw where you keep your purse, remember? He told his buddy to snatch your phone out of the desk, and grab his seat before you turned around.”
Josephine clapped her hand over her mouth. I could see her mind working to deny she was so easily fooled, and then accepting it was the only explanation.
“When the truth came out about Jonah, Jeremy sent him away and had Asher and Zeke up here two seconds later,” I said. “I never got around to asking him just how many Crows there are, but at this point, it’s clear they’re more gang than they are friends. Jeremy Ellis is the leader ordering them to beat on innocent women, or disguise as a server and drizzle something on a certain dessert.”
Jacques’s jaw clenched.
“My point is we have been underestimating Foundry and the Ellises this whole time. We thought we were dealing with spoiled rich boys and oily businessmen. Not a gang leader who strikes brutally and without remorse, claiming territory and stomping out disrespect.” I rubbed my now healed eye. “Explains why even though he can protect himself further by farming out the beatings, Jeremy likes to do those himself. He enjoys hurting people.”
“Chilling observations,” Jack said, tucking away his notepad. “If they’re correct, it changes the tenor of this investigation. I’ll have to contact HCPD and find out what they know about the Crows, their gang affiliation, and their size.
“You can leave this in my hands, Josephine. Roan will have justice.”
The sheriff walked out as Doc Nash came in. We were out of our seats and across the room in the time it took him to peel off his mask.
“Josephine, would you like to speak in private?”