Lost Souls by J. Bishop (the giving tree read aloud txt) 📗

a big cliff to fall over, even for Trick.”

“People take flying leaps all the time. In your line of work, I’m sure you know that. I suspect there’s a few dead people you’ve spoken with who’ve done worse? And if he wasn’t your partner, I think you’d buy that ticket without thinking twice.”

Mason thought back on his history with Trick. Had he missed the signs? “What do you want, Valerie?”

“I want your help. You know him best. If anyone can get him to talk, it’s you. At least get his side of the story before he takes you down with him.” She pulled a card out of her pocket and tucked it into Mason’s shirt pocket. “Then call me, and we’ll decide where to go from there. I haven’t said anything to Bevins and Winkler. Not yet, anyway. But with a little digging, it wouldn’t take them long to learn what I did, and if Cissy talks, well then, it’ll be out of my hands.”

Mason tried to think. “And if she doesn’t talk?”

Valerie shrugged. “I just want the truth, like you, Mason. I just thought you should know. You don’t strike me as a man who likes surprises.” She picked up the small purse she’d laid on the bar, and walked to the door. “Call me when you know.” And with a sideways glance, she left.

Chapter Seventeen

Trick added the ground meat to the hot pan, and it began to sizzle. “Red should be here, soon. He yelled at me not to be late, so he better not be.” He stirred the meat with a spatula. “There’s beer in the fridge. Help yourself.”

“Thanks.” Daniels opened the refrigerator and took out two beers and handed one to Remalla. “Can I get you one?”

“Please,” said Trick. “I had one at the bar, but I’m ready for another.”

“Bar?” asked Remalla, opening his beer.

Trick put the spatula down. “Yeah. I met a pretty lady today and had a drink with her before coming here.” He took a beer from Daniels and opened it.

“We could have rescheduled,” said Daniels.

“No way. Red would have shot me.” Trick filled them in on meeting Monica Renfro and her connection to Kyle Morrow.

“Did she know anything?” asked Daniels. He sat against the edge of the kitchen table.

“Not really,” said Trick. “I get the impression they’re friends with benefits, but she didn’t act like he was mean to her, or violent, and if he was possessive, it certainly didn’t stop her from seeing me.”

“Interesting,” said Rem. “Maybe she’s trying to make him jealous.”

“It’s possible. Red and I will talk to him tomorrow. Maybe I’ll let it drop that I had a couple drinks with Monica, and we’ll see how he reacts.”

“This case of yours seems to be going in a lot of different directions. You find anything that points to a different killer?” asked Remalla. He drank from his bottle.

“Lydia Stanford and her family are a treasure trove of possibilities, but have we found a smoking gun? No.” The meat began to brown and Trick turned down the heat.

“Well, for Cissy’s sake, I hope you figure it out,” said Daniels. “Even if she did do it. At least you’d know.”

“She didn’t do it,” said Trick, his voice low. He caught the glance between the two detectives and decided to change the subject. “How long you two been partners?”

Daniels snorted. “Long enough to consider my own mental soundness.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Remalla. “Never mind your mental soundness. Your physical soundness would have suffered far worse.”

Daniels smiled. “I can’t argue with that.”

“Not that it doesn’t go both ways,” said Remalla.

“Can’t argue with that either,” said Daniels.

“I bet you two have seen it all, and been through it, too.” Trick reached for a bag of tortilla chips on the counter and opened it.

The two eyed each other. “We have,” said Daniels.

“You could say that,” said Remalla, rubbing his chest. His eyes widened. “You got chips and salsa?”

Trick dumped the chips in a bowl and put out the bowl of salsa. “Sure do. Normally I’d make my own salsa, but didn’t have the time. This brand’s a good one though. Help yourself.” He put the salsa and chips on the table with some napkins.

“You now know the key to Rem’s secrets,” said Daniels. “Give him a taco, chips and a beer, and he’ll spill his life story, and tell you who killed Kennedy, if he knew.” Daniels grabbed a chip and ate it.

“Oswald acted alone,” said Remalla, dunking a chip into the salsa.

“What’d I tell you?” Daniels, grabbing a chip.

Trick smiled wistfully. “You two remind me of me and Red when we were partners. We had fun, too.”

“How long did you two work together, before he came out here?” asked Remalla, dunking another chip.

“A little over two years. We were good team, too, and making a name for ourselves, but I could tell it was taking its toll on Red. His weird abilities were getting in the way. I tried to sway him to stay and push through, and so did his family. They didn’t want him to leave either.”

“You were close to his family?” asked Daniels.

“Yeah. I remember meeting Mikey. She was a spitfire, and still is. She used to call me Trickster. She used that nickname yesterday, and it brought me back.” He chuckled. “She was the one I knew best. Margaret was weird and Max had moved by then, but I’d met him a few times. Mason had a best friend, too, named Victor. I never liked that guy though. He gave me the creeps.”

Remalla stopped in mid-chew.

“Red wouldn’t listen to me, though,” said Trick, “and Victor and Max, and Red’s cousin, Eddie, all convinced Red to move out here. Mikey followed soon after.” He stirred the meat again, thinking back. “I’ll admit. It didn’t sit well with me. I sort of considered Red’s family to be mine, too.” He added some spices to the meat. “I heard Victor got caught up in some crazy cult and that