A Murderer Among Us, page 8
“Think Larry chose you!” Trey said.
“Sky?” Chase asked.
“I—uh—I think Larry is great. I just worry—as Chase knows—because I travel on business—”
“Larry is welcome back here whenever you need to go. As you can see, I have ample room. So can I get you kids some coffee or anything? Have you had lunch?”
“Enough lunch to last forever,” Chase said. “Thanks, Trey. We have to get to the tech rehearsal, too, so—”
“And you did get me tickets?” Trey said.
“Oh, you bet,” Chase affirmed.
“His collar is on him. I’ll get his papers,” Trey said. “Happy dog, happy owner!”
Sky blinked, looking at Chase. She realized her hand was still on Larry’s soft head. She had always loved dogs—it had just seemed too cruel to own one and board it every other minute.
But this...
He was an amazing dog, and one that came with boarding when necessary?
“What are you, a magician, or friends with half the city?” Sky asked Chase.
He shrugged. “I’ve met a few people along the way. We’ll get Larry to my place and—”
“Hey! My dog, my place,” Sky said.
“Okay, but—”
“Right. You’re not leaving me. You’ll spend another night crinkled up on the couch.”
“You got it,” he told her.
She let out a frustrated sigh. “Knock yourself out, then.”
“It’s getting late. Onward to your house. And you don’t have to worry about him being housebroken—all of Trey’s pups are.”
“Naturally. What other magic tricks do you have up your sleeve?”
Trey returned, bringing her Larry’s vet papers and license information...and a bag of dog food.
“Thought I’d get you started out right,” he told Sky. “And I’m glad you like him. Looks like Larry has truly chosen you.”
Sky thanked him, still a little amazed she’d been the one to remind Chase he’d suggested she get a dog.
And he’d found her Larry—housebroken, trained, loving—so quickly.
Chase thanked Trey who told him he was thrilled Larry was going to such a good home. In a few minutes, they were on their way.
He shrugged, ushering Larry into the back seat of his car. She slid into the passenger’s seat. Larry took a seat without protest. Naturally, he was well behaved in the car as well.
They drove in silence to Sky’s house. “Give him some water and a bowl of food, and he’ll be fine until we’re back,” Chase said.
“Okay.”
“I’ll wait in the car. We want to be on time.”
He stayed in the car on the street. Sky keyed in the gate and the front door and led Larry in. “Larry,” she told the dog, “I didn’t know I needed a dog, but you’re pretty darned cool, and I hope you like this place and... I don’t really care if you get on the couch.” She laughed suddenly, rubbing the dog’s head. “Get lots of hair on it for that guy out in the car. I want to see the two of you sleep on that thing!”
Larry barked and wagged his tail.
She quickly found bowls for water and food and assured the dog she’d be back. He curled up on the kitchen floor, and she could almost swear that he nodded.
Then she left the house, reassuring herself that the door and the gate were securely locked.
“Ready?” he asked as she slid back into her seat.
“Well, I’m here. And Larry is sleeping on the kitchen floor. Hey, who names a dog Larry?” she mused.
“You don’t like it? I guess you could rename him.”
“Larry is fine,” she said, looking out the window as they drove through the city she’d known all her life, a city she loved.
The city her dad had loved so much.
“You okay?” he asked her.
“Yep. Except...”
“You’re frustrated. And it’s okay. We’re here. Just...act normal.”
“Right. Normal.”
Parking by the doors had been arranged for the band, and it was easy to reach the backstage doors. As they stepped around in the wings, Sky saw the crew was already rehearsing with the lights. Hundreds of lights were spread about the stage and the massive audience. They turned to various shades of blue, pink, orange, yellow and purple.
“It’s fantastic, and wait until you see the spotlights going and everything up on the Jumbotrons!” said Justin, who was adjusting the levels on the giant soundboard.
“Can’t finish that setup until I have the band all here,” he said. “And if there’s a problem, I’ll be right there in the wings, ready to run on out. I’m going to be switching out the mics and the instruments when needed, too.”
“Thanks, Justin. We’re the first?” Chase asked.
“No!” Mark Reynolds said, hurrying in from the opposite wing. “I was just talking to Kenneth Malcolm, assuring him we’ll be perfect with two techs, more than we’ve had a dozen times in the last decades. But...this is his place, so...”
“Sky!”
She heard her name called and turned to see Kenneth Malcolm was coming out. He was smiling broadly, ready to greet her.
She forced a smile to her lips.
He drew her into a hug instantly, and she tried not to stiffen, tried to return his touch. He drew back, a man like the roadies, somewhere between forty and fifty, lean and sharp with a full head of neatly combed dark hair and light gray eyes. And, always—always—the businessman, wearing a perfectly tailored suit.
“I can’t tell you how delighted we are that you’re here. I know you’ve avoided the spotlight, but people see it as extra special that you’re doing your dad’s numbers. He was such a showman, writer, guitarist, vocalist...talker! You’re going to talk to the audience, too, I hope.”
Sky glanced at Chase.
“Oh, she can talk!” Chase said.
“Oh, Chase, cool, welcome, and I can’t tell you how glad we are that you’re here, subbing for Hank. How’s he doing?”
“Great. He’ll be back to it all very soon,” Chase said.
“When you can’t have all of Skyhawk, it’s amazing to have a Skyhawk legacy!” Malcolm said. “Seriously—”
“Ah, there’s Joe!” Chase said. “We can get this started, and thanks, the venue looks terrific—”
“We have a great staff here, and they’ve worked great with Skyhawk’s guys,” Malcolm said. “I’m out of here—or out into the audience. I want to see all that’s going on tonight, make sure... Well, you know, tomorrow night, I’ll be dealing with all kinds of stuff, so...”
“Great to see you, and thank you,” Sky murmured, noting that Chris and Brandon had come in and Justin was talking to them.
“Ready to get some sound checks going!” Mark called.
Brandon walked up to her with a guitar. “One of your dad’s,” he told her.
She thanked him. He headed to the side, saying that everyone had everything.
Before he walked to the drums, Chase paused by her.
“You okay for this part?” he asked her.
She nodded. “I... Yeah. Probably not so much talking tonight—”
“Tonight is sound and light check. Channel Jake tomorrow night,” he said, lightly touching her hair.
“Ready to go. List is up on the screen right now!” Mark called.
Sky held her father’s guitar. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, and a sad smile came to her lips. Jake would be glad to see her there.
If only the cloud wasn’t there, gray and creating something over it all...
But minutes later, after the first numbers, she let her fears, her anger, her loss and her pain all go. She thought of the amazing artists she had seen just walking down the streets of New Orleans, artists who would have given just about anything for the chance Jake had given her, the chance to do what she loved on such a stage.
No matter what, music and family had been Jake Ferguson’s life.
And she would give his music everything that she had within her.
The spotlight fell on her, and there seemed to be a hush despite the music as she sang—and channeled Jake.
She did talk. She introduced the drum solo, spotlighted each member of the band, drew Brandon out from the sidelines and had him play and sing with her.
She heard the others come in on the harmonies, Chase pick up on the duets. And always, the lights glimmered around her.
She realized she could compartmentalize what they were doing...
They would get to the truth.
But she would do the show, too, with all of her heart, in memory of the man she had loved. And in doing so, she took a minute between the songs to just talk about her father, about the amazing man he had been...
And it was good.
There was a silence following her words as she prepared to say goodbye so they could walk off—and then, of course, return for the encore they believed the audience would demand.
Then there was applause, real and spontaneous, from the band members, the crew, everyone out adjusting lights and screens and everything else that would go with the show.
“Thank you!” she cried. “And Skyhawk thanks you! Good night!”
She and the others headed off.
Charlie, Justin and Nathan were there, nodding to her, beaming, each congratulating her and Chase and Brandon.
“Now, let it go a few beats and then...everyone back out!” Mark said.
They headed out and did the last two numbers.
“If only the real show goes so remarkably!” Joe Garcia said, grinning. “Sky, thanks, that was... Man, your dad is grinning from ear to ear up in heaven!”
Sky thanked him.
“Hey, you are joining us for a quick drink tonight, right?” Brandon asked. “You said you would!”
“Um, well, I was going to, but today I got a dog—”
“Cool. Dogs are cool,” Brandon said. “But come on, another thirty minutes. There’s a great quiet place in the Irish Channel, and we can slip away for just a few minutes!”
“Sure,” Chase said, sliding up behind her and slipping an arm around her. “Sky, come on, let’s hang for just a bit.”
She looked at him, a question in her eyes. He didn’t have to nod. She almost smiled. There had been times in the past when...
She was feeling that now. That sense of both security and sensuality when he touched her.
Compartmentalize! she reminded herself.
But that night, it seemed they were joining the crowd.
“Sure,” she said.
“Hey, guys! Barbie and Ken are coming with us!” Brandon called. “Drinks on us after that great lunch.”
“Snacks, too—no dinner tonight,” Chase said. He frowned suddenly, and she realized his phone was vibrating as he reached into a pocket to retrieve it.
“A sec, guys. I’m right with you.”
He stepped away for a minute. Sky smiled at Brandon as he called out to the others, finding out who was driving with who.
Chase stepped back up by her and put his arm around her shoulders again.
Something about him had changed. Others wouldn’t notice.
But she had once known him oh so well.
“We’re going to take my car—probably a quick drink and then out of there. New dog, remember? Anyway, see you there,” he said to the others.
There was a lot of tension in his touch. He led her out through the back. Quickly.
“What’s wrong?” she asked him as they reached the car.
He shook his head. He wasn’t speaking; maybe there were ears somewhere near them.
Skylar crawled into the car and waited.
Once he had gunned the engine and they were moving, she turned to him. “Chase! What the hell is going on?”
Chapter Five
Chase kept his eyes on the road and sighed inwardly. He hated lying, and yet he’d spent a whole two days with Skylar. Intense days that, when he touched her, seemed to wash away the years.
But she had turned away from him. And he wasn’t in a position now to bare his heart—and his life—to her.
“Call from a friend,” he said.
“And?”
“They had a death down by the river,” he said. “A kid...it was just marijuana. College kid, with friends, took a few puffs...seized and was dead. The only good thing is that watching him freaked out his friends and none of them touched the stuff after that... It’s headed to a lab. But sounds like the weed had been contaminated with fentanyl. Apparently, it’s a huge problem now, pills, uppers, downers, weed, cocaine...tons of drugs contaminated.”
“Wow. That’s horrible. And your friend called you?”
“It’s all over the news.”
“Right. But the friend called you,” she pressed.
He turned to look at her briefly and then quickly returned his attention to the road. He didn’t have to look at Sky to see her face in his mind’s eye. Eyes bluer than the bluest sky, hair like her dad’s, dark as ink, flowing around her shoulders. He’d fallen in love with her when he was young. And in all the years that had gone by...
He’d been practical. She was gone. He’d met people. But he hadn’t had a real relationship since they’d been together. Young Chase had believed they’d eventually marry, that some people were lucky in life and they met someone who was there for them for the rest of their lives.
“Chase?”
“Yeah?”
She let out a loud sigh of exasperation. “Chase! Friends call you to report the news? Why? What is going on?”
He shrugged. “Hey. We’re with a rock band. Everyone knows rock and roll may lead us all to some kind of excess,” he said sarcastically.
“Chase—”
“Oh, come on! You know what? I’m scared to death for you, and I need to trust you right now. And I’m not really sure how to deal with either.”
“Why wouldn’t you trust me?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Never returning a call, email or text. Pretending as if I’d fallen off the face of the earth—”
“Chase, I couldn’t deal! I just couldn’t deal, and I... Look, I’m sorry! But you’re the one scared to death for me, so please, let me in on whatever the hell it is that’s going on,” she pleaded.
“You know what’s going on,” he said quietly. “This whole thing has to do with drugs. And I think someone involved—close, at the very least—has been involved with some very bad drugs that have been going around. Yeah, I have friends. You do, too. The old couple next to you with the dog—Tim Hanson and his wife, Liz. I know you are friends with them. Oh, I also know you like to sing sometimes at Jazz Mass.”
“What? Wait! Have you been—”
“Did I try to follow you a bit and make sure you were moving on all right with your life? Yeah, I did. I cared. Sue me. But now...”
“Now, yeah, I got it. Bad drugs are out there. My father might have known something. And so he died, because he wouldn’t let innocent people be harmed by others. And despite being clean, he didn’t care if someone had a joint or a beer, but he would have been furious if—”
“If,” Chase finished, “someone was out there purposely trying to addict the youth of America or, worse, to kill innocents, your dad would have acted. Because the big players out there up the profits in drugs by cutting them big-time. As in with fentanyl.”
“So,” she said slowly, “someone out there knows you believe someone in or around Skyhawk is doing this? You have some interesting friends.”
“Well, of course I do!” he said. “You know I’ve worked in labs, and I’ve taken all kinds of classes in criminology.”
“Are you sure they are all friends?” she asked.
He groaned. “I got a call from a friend, yes. A trusted friend.”
“How do you know them?” she asked.
He was going to have to tell her at least something of the truth. But first, they had reached the bar where they were supposed to meet the others. He found street parking, turned off the car and sat for a minute.
“Because my friend is someone I met at a lecture. And he’s with the FBI.”
“Oh,” she said simply. “Well, that’s good, right? Is this friend going to be coming to the concert?”
“Yes,” he admitted.
“That’s cool,” she murmured, looking down at her hands. Then she turned to him. “Though, neither of us is going to be electrocuted. The guys made a point of saying anything to do with electric or sound or even lights, they’d be handling it.”
He nodded and turned and said fiercely, “And that’s for real. You don’t touch anything. Anything at all. Promise!”
“Of course. But you have to promise me the same.”
“I do, of course. But the drummer isn’t the front man—or woman. You are.”
“I promise. Should we go in?” Sky asked.
He nodded. “Yeah. But...”
“But?”
“You don’t drink anything that I don’t give you, okay?”
“Now you want me to worry about drinks? In a bar that’s been here forever?”
Chase didn’t get a chance to answer. He saw Joe Garcia was on the sidewalk, hurrying toward them and tapping at Sky’s window.
He indicated that they were getting out, and he and Sky exited from their respective sides of the car.
“Chase, Sky,” Joe said excitedly, “this is a cool happenstance. A reporter from the major music magazine is in the bar—recognized me and Mark—and is dying to interview Sky!”
“Oh, well, I’m not—”
“Honey, please. No, it’s not like we’re hurting, like we won’t survive, but anytime something like that goes around, songs are played and played on the radio and... Please, it will only take a few minutes, I promise!”
Sky glanced over at Chase and he nodded. “I’ll be right there,” he promised.
“Okay, um, sure, if it helps everyone, then...sure.”
“Sky?” Chase asked.
“I—uh—I think Larry is great. I just worry—as Chase knows—because I travel on business—”
“Larry is welcome back here whenever you need to go. As you can see, I have ample room. So can I get you kids some coffee or anything? Have you had lunch?”
“Enough lunch to last forever,” Chase said. “Thanks, Trey. We have to get to the tech rehearsal, too, so—”
“And you did get me tickets?” Trey said.
“Oh, you bet,” Chase affirmed.
“His collar is on him. I’ll get his papers,” Trey said. “Happy dog, happy owner!”
Sky blinked, looking at Chase. She realized her hand was still on Larry’s soft head. She had always loved dogs—it had just seemed too cruel to own one and board it every other minute.
But this...
He was an amazing dog, and one that came with boarding when necessary?
“What are you, a magician, or friends with half the city?” Sky asked Chase.
He shrugged. “I’ve met a few people along the way. We’ll get Larry to my place and—”
“Hey! My dog, my place,” Sky said.
“Okay, but—”
“Right. You’re not leaving me. You’ll spend another night crinkled up on the couch.”
“You got it,” he told her.
She let out a frustrated sigh. “Knock yourself out, then.”
“It’s getting late. Onward to your house. And you don’t have to worry about him being housebroken—all of Trey’s pups are.”
“Naturally. What other magic tricks do you have up your sleeve?”
Trey returned, bringing her Larry’s vet papers and license information...and a bag of dog food.
“Thought I’d get you started out right,” he told Sky. “And I’m glad you like him. Looks like Larry has truly chosen you.”
Sky thanked him, still a little amazed she’d been the one to remind Chase he’d suggested she get a dog.
And he’d found her Larry—housebroken, trained, loving—so quickly.
Chase thanked Trey who told him he was thrilled Larry was going to such a good home. In a few minutes, they were on their way.
He shrugged, ushering Larry into the back seat of his car. She slid into the passenger’s seat. Larry took a seat without protest. Naturally, he was well behaved in the car as well.
They drove in silence to Sky’s house. “Give him some water and a bowl of food, and he’ll be fine until we’re back,” Chase said.
“Okay.”
“I’ll wait in the car. We want to be on time.”
He stayed in the car on the street. Sky keyed in the gate and the front door and led Larry in. “Larry,” she told the dog, “I didn’t know I needed a dog, but you’re pretty darned cool, and I hope you like this place and... I don’t really care if you get on the couch.” She laughed suddenly, rubbing the dog’s head. “Get lots of hair on it for that guy out in the car. I want to see the two of you sleep on that thing!”
Larry barked and wagged his tail.
She quickly found bowls for water and food and assured the dog she’d be back. He curled up on the kitchen floor, and she could almost swear that he nodded.
Then she left the house, reassuring herself that the door and the gate were securely locked.
“Ready?” he asked as she slid back into her seat.
“Well, I’m here. And Larry is sleeping on the kitchen floor. Hey, who names a dog Larry?” she mused.
“You don’t like it? I guess you could rename him.”
“Larry is fine,” she said, looking out the window as they drove through the city she’d known all her life, a city she loved.
The city her dad had loved so much.
“You okay?” he asked her.
“Yep. Except...”
“You’re frustrated. And it’s okay. We’re here. Just...act normal.”
“Right. Normal.”
Parking by the doors had been arranged for the band, and it was easy to reach the backstage doors. As they stepped around in the wings, Sky saw the crew was already rehearsing with the lights. Hundreds of lights were spread about the stage and the massive audience. They turned to various shades of blue, pink, orange, yellow and purple.
“It’s fantastic, and wait until you see the spotlights going and everything up on the Jumbotrons!” said Justin, who was adjusting the levels on the giant soundboard.
“Can’t finish that setup until I have the band all here,” he said. “And if there’s a problem, I’ll be right there in the wings, ready to run on out. I’m going to be switching out the mics and the instruments when needed, too.”
“Thanks, Justin. We’re the first?” Chase asked.
“No!” Mark Reynolds said, hurrying in from the opposite wing. “I was just talking to Kenneth Malcolm, assuring him we’ll be perfect with two techs, more than we’ve had a dozen times in the last decades. But...this is his place, so...”
“Sky!”
She heard her name called and turned to see Kenneth Malcolm was coming out. He was smiling broadly, ready to greet her.
She forced a smile to her lips.
He drew her into a hug instantly, and she tried not to stiffen, tried to return his touch. He drew back, a man like the roadies, somewhere between forty and fifty, lean and sharp with a full head of neatly combed dark hair and light gray eyes. And, always—always—the businessman, wearing a perfectly tailored suit.
“I can’t tell you how delighted we are that you’re here. I know you’ve avoided the spotlight, but people see it as extra special that you’re doing your dad’s numbers. He was such a showman, writer, guitarist, vocalist...talker! You’re going to talk to the audience, too, I hope.”
Sky glanced at Chase.
“Oh, she can talk!” Chase said.
“Oh, Chase, cool, welcome, and I can’t tell you how glad we are that you’re here, subbing for Hank. How’s he doing?”
“Great. He’ll be back to it all very soon,” Chase said.
“When you can’t have all of Skyhawk, it’s amazing to have a Skyhawk legacy!” Malcolm said. “Seriously—”
“Ah, there’s Joe!” Chase said. “We can get this started, and thanks, the venue looks terrific—”
“We have a great staff here, and they’ve worked great with Skyhawk’s guys,” Malcolm said. “I’m out of here—or out into the audience. I want to see all that’s going on tonight, make sure... Well, you know, tomorrow night, I’ll be dealing with all kinds of stuff, so...”
“Great to see you, and thank you,” Sky murmured, noting that Chris and Brandon had come in and Justin was talking to them.
“Ready to get some sound checks going!” Mark called.
Brandon walked up to her with a guitar. “One of your dad’s,” he told her.
She thanked him. He headed to the side, saying that everyone had everything.
Before he walked to the drums, Chase paused by her.
“You okay for this part?” he asked her.
She nodded. “I... Yeah. Probably not so much talking tonight—”
“Tonight is sound and light check. Channel Jake tomorrow night,” he said, lightly touching her hair.
“Ready to go. List is up on the screen right now!” Mark called.
Sky held her father’s guitar. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, and a sad smile came to her lips. Jake would be glad to see her there.
If only the cloud wasn’t there, gray and creating something over it all...
But minutes later, after the first numbers, she let her fears, her anger, her loss and her pain all go. She thought of the amazing artists she had seen just walking down the streets of New Orleans, artists who would have given just about anything for the chance Jake had given her, the chance to do what she loved on such a stage.
No matter what, music and family had been Jake Ferguson’s life.
And she would give his music everything that she had within her.
The spotlight fell on her, and there seemed to be a hush despite the music as she sang—and channeled Jake.
She did talk. She introduced the drum solo, spotlighted each member of the band, drew Brandon out from the sidelines and had him play and sing with her.
She heard the others come in on the harmonies, Chase pick up on the duets. And always, the lights glimmered around her.
She realized she could compartmentalize what they were doing...
They would get to the truth.
But she would do the show, too, with all of her heart, in memory of the man she had loved. And in doing so, she took a minute between the songs to just talk about her father, about the amazing man he had been...
And it was good.
There was a silence following her words as she prepared to say goodbye so they could walk off—and then, of course, return for the encore they believed the audience would demand.
Then there was applause, real and spontaneous, from the band members, the crew, everyone out adjusting lights and screens and everything else that would go with the show.
“Thank you!” she cried. “And Skyhawk thanks you! Good night!”
She and the others headed off.
Charlie, Justin and Nathan were there, nodding to her, beaming, each congratulating her and Chase and Brandon.
“Now, let it go a few beats and then...everyone back out!” Mark said.
They headed out and did the last two numbers.
“If only the real show goes so remarkably!” Joe Garcia said, grinning. “Sky, thanks, that was... Man, your dad is grinning from ear to ear up in heaven!”
Sky thanked him.
“Hey, you are joining us for a quick drink tonight, right?” Brandon asked. “You said you would!”
“Um, well, I was going to, but today I got a dog—”
“Cool. Dogs are cool,” Brandon said. “But come on, another thirty minutes. There’s a great quiet place in the Irish Channel, and we can slip away for just a few minutes!”
“Sure,” Chase said, sliding up behind her and slipping an arm around her. “Sky, come on, let’s hang for just a bit.”
She looked at him, a question in her eyes. He didn’t have to nod. She almost smiled. There had been times in the past when...
She was feeling that now. That sense of both security and sensuality when he touched her.
Compartmentalize! she reminded herself.
But that night, it seemed they were joining the crowd.
“Sure,” she said.
“Hey, guys! Barbie and Ken are coming with us!” Brandon called. “Drinks on us after that great lunch.”
“Snacks, too—no dinner tonight,” Chase said. He frowned suddenly, and she realized his phone was vibrating as he reached into a pocket to retrieve it.
“A sec, guys. I’m right with you.”
He stepped away for a minute. Sky smiled at Brandon as he called out to the others, finding out who was driving with who.
Chase stepped back up by her and put his arm around her shoulders again.
Something about him had changed. Others wouldn’t notice.
But she had once known him oh so well.
“We’re going to take my car—probably a quick drink and then out of there. New dog, remember? Anyway, see you there,” he said to the others.
There was a lot of tension in his touch. He led her out through the back. Quickly.
“What’s wrong?” she asked him as they reached the car.
He shook his head. He wasn’t speaking; maybe there were ears somewhere near them.
Skylar crawled into the car and waited.
Once he had gunned the engine and they were moving, she turned to him. “Chase! What the hell is going on?”
Chapter Five
Chase kept his eyes on the road and sighed inwardly. He hated lying, and yet he’d spent a whole two days with Skylar. Intense days that, when he touched her, seemed to wash away the years.
But she had turned away from him. And he wasn’t in a position now to bare his heart—and his life—to her.
“Call from a friend,” he said.
“And?”
“They had a death down by the river,” he said. “A kid...it was just marijuana. College kid, with friends, took a few puffs...seized and was dead. The only good thing is that watching him freaked out his friends and none of them touched the stuff after that... It’s headed to a lab. But sounds like the weed had been contaminated with fentanyl. Apparently, it’s a huge problem now, pills, uppers, downers, weed, cocaine...tons of drugs contaminated.”
“Wow. That’s horrible. And your friend called you?”
“It’s all over the news.”
“Right. But the friend called you,” she pressed.
He turned to look at her briefly and then quickly returned his attention to the road. He didn’t have to look at Sky to see her face in his mind’s eye. Eyes bluer than the bluest sky, hair like her dad’s, dark as ink, flowing around her shoulders. He’d fallen in love with her when he was young. And in all the years that had gone by...
He’d been practical. She was gone. He’d met people. But he hadn’t had a real relationship since they’d been together. Young Chase had believed they’d eventually marry, that some people were lucky in life and they met someone who was there for them for the rest of their lives.
“Chase?”
“Yeah?”
She let out a loud sigh of exasperation. “Chase! Friends call you to report the news? Why? What is going on?”
He shrugged. “Hey. We’re with a rock band. Everyone knows rock and roll may lead us all to some kind of excess,” he said sarcastically.
“Chase—”
“Oh, come on! You know what? I’m scared to death for you, and I need to trust you right now. And I’m not really sure how to deal with either.”
“Why wouldn’t you trust me?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Never returning a call, email or text. Pretending as if I’d fallen off the face of the earth—”
“Chase, I couldn’t deal! I just couldn’t deal, and I... Look, I’m sorry! But you’re the one scared to death for me, so please, let me in on whatever the hell it is that’s going on,” she pleaded.
“You know what’s going on,” he said quietly. “This whole thing has to do with drugs. And I think someone involved—close, at the very least—has been involved with some very bad drugs that have been going around. Yeah, I have friends. You do, too. The old couple next to you with the dog—Tim Hanson and his wife, Liz. I know you are friends with them. Oh, I also know you like to sing sometimes at Jazz Mass.”
“What? Wait! Have you been—”
“Did I try to follow you a bit and make sure you were moving on all right with your life? Yeah, I did. I cared. Sue me. But now...”
“Now, yeah, I got it. Bad drugs are out there. My father might have known something. And so he died, because he wouldn’t let innocent people be harmed by others. And despite being clean, he didn’t care if someone had a joint or a beer, but he would have been furious if—”
“If,” Chase finished, “someone was out there purposely trying to addict the youth of America or, worse, to kill innocents, your dad would have acted. Because the big players out there up the profits in drugs by cutting them big-time. As in with fentanyl.”
“So,” she said slowly, “someone out there knows you believe someone in or around Skyhawk is doing this? You have some interesting friends.”
“Well, of course I do!” he said. “You know I’ve worked in labs, and I’ve taken all kinds of classes in criminology.”
“Are you sure they are all friends?” she asked.
He groaned. “I got a call from a friend, yes. A trusted friend.”
“How do you know them?” she asked.
He was going to have to tell her at least something of the truth. But first, they had reached the bar where they were supposed to meet the others. He found street parking, turned off the car and sat for a minute.
“Because my friend is someone I met at a lecture. And he’s with the FBI.”
“Oh,” she said simply. “Well, that’s good, right? Is this friend going to be coming to the concert?”
“Yes,” he admitted.
“That’s cool,” she murmured, looking down at her hands. Then she turned to him. “Though, neither of us is going to be electrocuted. The guys made a point of saying anything to do with electric or sound or even lights, they’d be handling it.”
He nodded and turned and said fiercely, “And that’s for real. You don’t touch anything. Anything at all. Promise!”
“Of course. But you have to promise me the same.”
“I do, of course. But the drummer isn’t the front man—or woman. You are.”
“I promise. Should we go in?” Sky asked.
He nodded. “Yeah. But...”
“But?”
“You don’t drink anything that I don’t give you, okay?”
“Now you want me to worry about drinks? In a bar that’s been here forever?”
Chase didn’t get a chance to answer. He saw Joe Garcia was on the sidewalk, hurrying toward them and tapping at Sky’s window.
He indicated that they were getting out, and he and Sky exited from their respective sides of the car.
“Chase, Sky,” Joe said excitedly, “this is a cool happenstance. A reporter from the major music magazine is in the bar—recognized me and Mark—and is dying to interview Sky!”
“Oh, well, I’m not—”
“Honey, please. No, it’s not like we’re hurting, like we won’t survive, but anytime something like that goes around, songs are played and played on the radio and... Please, it will only take a few minutes, I promise!”
Sky glanced over at Chase and he nodded. “I’ll be right there,” he promised.
“Okay, um, sure, if it helps everyone, then...sure.”
