Officer Jones

Chapter 61

Outer Banks, North Carolina

October 3-present

For the fifteen-gazillionth time since I left Charleston, I called Christina. This time she picked up.

“This better be good,” she answered.

“Where the hell have you been?”

“Is this a booty call?”

“If you don’t tell me where you were I’m gonna kick your booty out on the street.”

She sighed. “I was at the library studying, and had my cell off. I have a big test tomorrow … can you get to the point?”

“I need you to find out every bit of information you can on a Grady Benson. All I know about him is he worked for the Arizona Cardinals in the mid-nineties, and he had a relationship with a player named Leonard Harris. I also need anything you can find that connects him with Jones-so far, I know they were in the Air Force together.”

“Who is this guy?” Christina asked, suddenly interested-the future reporter in her shining through.

“He killed my brother.”

“I thought that Jones dude killed your brother?”

“I was wrong.”

A long silence came from her end of the line. “Christina?”

Silence

“Christina?”

“Sorry, I had to pick myself off the floor. It must be early because I thought I heard JP Warner say he was wrong.”

“Just get me the information and call me on the cell ASAP!”

“And where exactly would I be calling?” she asked

“I’m heading to North Carolina to pick up Carter.”

“Oh yeah. I forgot you two Neanderthals are still on your JP is a Jealous Idiot tour. You should print up some T-shirts.”

“I don’t have time for this. Just get me the information,” I thought I got in the last word.

But Christina was smart enough to realize being a pushover in this situation might lead to more early morning calls. She was going to make me work for it. “I always thought you were just a typical pissed off old guy, JP. But now I understand.”

“Understand what?”

“How much stuff you have bottled up inside you. Just tell Gwen you love her and get it over with. The whole overprotective, stalking, passive-aggressive thing you’re trying to pull off is not big with the ladies.”

This time she got the last word by hanging up on me. She was getting better at this.