“Have you talked to them recently? Wait, what happened with the job and the threat?” Kara asked.
“The threat went away. I was digging into a case for your girl, Lacey Winters,” Stephanie said.
“The District Attorney?” I asked, shifting on the couch.
Stephanie nodded. “She wanted me to dig into Mayor Johnson financials. She was prosecuting him for campaign finance fraud, but he was killed before it could go to trial. So the threats on my life stopped.”
Dawning horror spread over me. “Who killed Mayor Johnson?”
“Lacey didn’t know.” Stephanie sighed.
I turned to wide-eyed to Kara. “Do you think?”
“I don’t doubt it.” Kara nodded solemnly.
“What’s going on?” Karma asked, looking between us, bewildered.
“Hillcrest,” I answered. “I saw him kill Mayor Timbolt ten years ago. Kara found out recently that Hillcrest has a friend in Senator Bradley.”
“Jack Adams found it while digging,” Kara clarified.
Stephanie closed her eyes looking stressed.
“What’s going on girl,” Slade asked.
“I’ve been helping Jack dig.” Stephanie opened her eyes and took a gulp from her drink. “Lacey called the other day. She left a message and said she had a case and was hoping she could hire me again. I haven’t called her back because I’m still trying to get over the last case I helped her with.”
“Shit,” I muttered.
“You think it’s related?” Karma asked.
“She said it was HUGE,” Stephanie stressed the word huge.
“Taking down a senator would be huge. Does she know what Jack found?” I asked Kara.
Kara sighed and nodded. “I had lunch with her last week. I brought her up to speed on everything. She asked to be kept in the loop on all things Dax Hillcrest.”
I nodded and gave Stephanie a reassuring smile that I’m sure came out as a grimace. “Sorry girl, sounds like you’re being roped into all of this again.”
“You gonna take the job?” Slade asked.
“And let that dipshit Clide Tanners get it if I sayno? Fuck that,” Stephanie shot back immediately.
The four of us burst into laughter as our competitive friend showed her true colors.
“Soo, have you still talked to them?” Karma asked, directing Stephanie back on topic.
Steph shook her head. “No. Not since the job ended.”
“Dude, why the fuck not?” Karma asked.
“Because the rejection hurt, OK? And he hasn’t reached out either…none of them have,” Stephanie murmured the last part and I immediately felt horrible.
“Their fucking loss. You dodged a bullet.” I sit up and grab her hand. “I’m sorry girl, but it sounds like you’re better off.”
“Yeah…and how are things with Marcos, Jason, and Nico?” Stephanie turned the conversation back around on me. “I couldn’t help but notice a whole lot of kissing going on when they dropped you off.”
I rolled my eyes, laughing. “We’re good. We’re figuring things out, but yes, we’re together. Luke knows and seems cool with it. We’re just taking things slow and talking through everything.”
