Frustrated, he pushed back from the desk and ran his fingers through his hair. His eyes drifted over to one of Drew’s family photos sitting up on the desk. Maybe his old pal could help him. Jake knew from monitoring his former football team from a distance that Drew had allowed Judd’s son, Quinn, to come back and play this year. They were winning again. It had kind of pissed him off after all the grief Jake had put himself through last year—which was why he and Drew hadn’t talked in several months.
That, and it was just too damn hard. Coaching had been his life. And he’d lost it.
Jake took out his cell phone and typed a text to Drew.
Hey, bud. What’re you doing?
He waited to see if he’d get a quick response. He did.
Drew: Just got through watching the Horns hammer Auburn at DKR. Down on Sixth Street right now with some friends watching other games. You?
DKR was short for Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium, where the University of Texas football team played their home games. Jake knew the Longhorns had a big game against the Auburn Tigers today. He’d watched a little of it while in his hotel room this afternoon. Sixth Street, Austin’s famous party district, would likely be packed to the rim in the aftermath of a home game. It wasn’t too far away from the high school, and the massive crowds might make it a safe place to meet. Should he risk it? On one hand, it seemed foolish to expose himself anywhere right now. However, he hoped to be able to get more than just info about Judd McGee from Drew. Jake needed cash. The police had taken his wallet. He wasn’t going to get very far with no money at all. Still, he didn’t want to walk straight into a crowded bar without some sort of disguise. And he also needed a vehicle. He couldn’t travel everywhere on foot.
Thankfully, Jake had ideas to solve both issues.
He quickly followed up with another text.
Can we meet up ASAP?
Drew: You in town?
Yes, it’s important.
Drew: Of course, man! Been way too long. Just tell me when and where.
Meet me at BBG’s on Sixth in 20 minutes.
NINE
Dani called in a small crew of other FBI agents to work the crime scene with her. While she couldn’t wrap her mind around the possibility that Jake Slater had shot and killed his own niece tonight, she still had a job to do. Dani couldn’t allow her personal connection to this situation to cloud her professional judgment. Admittedly, she probably should have immediately told Simon, her boss, and recused herself from the investigation, but something kept stopping her from doing that—or even telling anyone. She’d heard police orders go out to find and secure the suspect by whatever means necessary. Dani knew exactly what that meant, and she didn’t like the thought of Jake being shot out there before she even had a chance to get the full truth from him.
Dani started with the victim’s family. After interviewing different members, she felt it was clear that at least a couple of them believed Jake could’ve done such a thing. Especially Jake’s former father-in-law, Lars Kingston, the powerful patriarch of the family whom Simon had warned her about. According to Lars, Jake had been reckless, out of control, and vindictive for most of the past year. Jake wanted to hurt their family. Lars demanded she find him as soon as possible and bring him to justice. Lars seemed more angry than upset, but it was probably just his way of dealing with the grief of losing his granddaughter, Caitlin. Powerful men did not like to feel powerless.
One of the victim’s uncles claimed that Caitlin Kingston had told him how angry Jake had been during a phone call a few months ago. The uncle said Jake didn’t feel like Caitlin had supported him enough during a tough custody battle over Piper. While the uncle never suspected it would go this far, he also felt like Jake was a bit of a loose cannon. None of the family knew where Jake’s daughter, Piper, was at the moment. They had been repeatedly trying to call her, but with no response. Interviewing this family tonight felt surreal, considering it was one of their own who had swooped in fifteen years ago and stolen the man she’d loved. Dani and Jake had their whole future mapped out. He was an up-and-coming young coach, and she was finishing up her graduate degree in criminal justice. She had been expecting a proposal at any moment. They had talked about it for a few months. And then Sarah Kingston had shown up out of nowhere with all her glitz and glamour and wrecked everything. At least, that’s what Dani always believed. Jake had tried to insist it was only about his career, but Dani never bought it—especially when she found out they’d become engaged only nine months after his and Dani’s breakup.