Tanner desperately wanted to reach for his coffee, but he kept still and thought things through. “Well, if we do figure out what happened, and you want the people who did this to pay, you might need to go on the record to have them arrested. Testify in court. I’m not an expert, but a good lawyer could ask for immunity or a reduced charge.”
Ray covered his face with his hands. “That would ruin my chance at law school. Fucking A.”
Maybe he was feeling the wings of being a teacher, but he put a hand on Ray’s arm. “It’s good that you feel bad, son. What’s happened is fucking awful. Yes, this may ruin your chances at law school, but taking a stand and accepting responsibility for your actions may prevent you from hurting anyone else or ruining the rest of your life. Jemma doesn’t have that chance.”
Ray’s lip trembled, but after a moment he nodded. “I never thought anyone would get hurt,” he whispered. “I just wanted to make some extra money for school.”
Tanner took his arm away. “Well, it sucks you have to learn this way, but coming forward is a good start.”
“So you think you can get them?”
“I’ll look into it. I owe it to Jemma—and to you.” He tilted his head to the side. “Now, tell me everything else you know.”
***
Tanner sipped his scotch and studied his notepad. He had a good outline going of the first time Ray had noticed some additional “symptoms” from the marijuana. He had the name of the kid’s supplier, Kenny Hopkins, a mechanic at Dare Auto Care. The guy sounded like a serious bruiser. The kid didn’t know much more beyond that. Nor did he have a clue which official might be working with Kenny.
After fishing the article on Jemma’s death in The Independent out of the recycling bin, Tanner had confirmed that it only mentioned her heart murmur and alcohol. The source? The autopsy report. He scribbled the word marijuana on the paper, circling it. Hadn’t Meredith told him that Jemma had smoked pot that night? Ray had his gut twisting in the wind. The facts didn’t add up. That’s where his job started.
His cell rang. Great. Sommerville. “Yes?”
“About time you picked up. Ducking my calls wasn’t part of our deal.”
“It’s been a little busy. A young woman died unexpectedly. She was a friend of the Hales,” he added to get the guy off his back.
“I heard. Tragic. She was a pretty girl in the flower of her youth.”
Flower of her youth? Is that the kind of hyperbolic bullshit that appealed to Meredith?
“Still, I’ve wanted greater progress with Meredith. Your time is almost up.”
“I told you we had a date the other night.” He wasn’t about to admit they’d reached another impasse.
“One date after two months? That’s not going to do it, McBride. I told you to move fast.”
He slapped the couch. “Dammit, I moved on her like a john on a hooker. She had a panic attack. What the fuck did you expect me to do? I had to back off.”
“You’re supposed to get results. I don’t fucking care how you do it! You’re delaying, and I don’t like it. You aren’t going to find a way out of this, McBride. I have you locked up tight. And just to prove I won’t hesitate, I’m going to show you what I can do.”
Tanner unzipped his fleece, raging hot. Did blood actually boil? “What do you mean?”
A menacing chuckle echoed on the line. “You’ll see. Don’t fuck with me, McBride. You’d better get Meredith to stop dating other men and start dating you. I want that article stopped!”
Tanner surged off the couch and paced like a panther. “How the fuck do you know what she’s up to? I told you not to watch her.”
“I’m not watching her directly. Jill keeps me well informed. She can’t say enough about her big sister’s search for true love.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Jill’s Facebook page. She’s written dozens of amusing snippets about Meredith’s hunt for Mr. Right. As far as I can tell, she’s dubbed you the Lost Chippendale.”
“Jesus!” A Facebook FUBAR.
“She says Meredith is resisting you pretty hard and going out with everyone else in town but you. She thinks Mere’s making a mistake, but a fact’s a fact.”
The window was cold when Tanner pressed his forehead to it. What a goddamn mess.
“Meredith’s only resisting me so hard because she’s afraid of where it will go. She’s into me.” His breath fogged the window. “This groundwork is critical. And I’ve been very supportive of her and Jill through Jemma’s death. It’ll pay off soon.”