Free Face to Face by CJ Lyons Page B

took them inside air conditioned comfort. 
    "That was quick," he said, wondering how Jimmy could have a lead when all Drake had was dead ends.
    "This actor knows you. Too well. He knew you'd keep it quiet, knew how you'd investigate it. Looking into the evidence logs, checking with the coroner's office. So I did exactly the opposite of what you would have done."
    "What did you find?"
    Instead of answering Drake's question, Jimmy asked, "How's Spanos fit?"
    "Spanos?" Drake felt his shoulders hunch with an urge to pound the ex-cop's face. Spanos. Yeah, something like this would be just his style. Vicious, sneaky, downright dirty pool. "I can see that."
    "Don't get hot and bothered. I don't have any solid evidence."
    "What do you have?" Drake wondered if he'd made a mistake sending Monica Burns to Spanos. But the ex-cop had it in for Drake, not some innocent ditzy victim.
    "Asked the whiz-kids in tech support for help. The photos from Pamela's crime scene and PM are part of an electronic database the coroner put together for teaching purposes. Anyone can go online and access it."
    "You're not serious?"
    Jimmy shrugged one shoulder. "It's all public information. The faces are blanked out, but the whiz-kids say anyone with photosoftware can fix that. Anyway, they traced the recent downloads and one of the email addresses was an ASpanoscop."
    Drake jumped to his feet, already headed to the door. Jimmy stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Hold up, it's not proof. Anyone could have set up that account in Spanos' name."
    "I don't need proof. It's him." Spanos thought Drake stole Pamela from him, blamed Drake for her death. And he was infatuated with Hart. Now he was driving a wedge between Hart and Drake, using Pamela's death to unbalance Drake while Spanos moved in, played the hero for Hart. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Pamela didn't have any family other than a sister in California. It has to be Spanos."
    "Give me the weekend," Jimmy asked. "Let me see what more I can find. On Monday, if I have enough probable cause, we'll go after a warrant for his Internet accounts, his computer."
    Drake shook his head. That would mean making it an open case. Last thing he needed was guys at the House getting into his business, thinking he couldn't handle things on his own. 
    No way. Especially since a good number of them still blamed him about Pamela. He could understand why. He'd been with her that night, should have seen the mood she was in, how unstable she'd become. Ten feet away when she pulled the trigger, and all he could do was watch? 
    Who was he kidding? He was at fault and everyone knew it. This past year, he'd tried to atone for her death and what good had it done? 
    Pamela was still dead.
    "At least you won't have to worry about Hart," Jimmy continued, interrupting Drake's self-indulgent pity party. "Spanos would never hurt her. He's smitten."
    "I need to call her, tell her about him."
    "Not until we have solid proof. Unless you want to look like a fool and send her running into his arms. Give me the weekend. I'm catching anyway, so I'll have time to dig deeper."
    "I can't just leave all this to you."
    Jimmy scoffed. "Sure you can. Look at yourself. You're driving us all crazy. Go. Take Hart. Go to your aunt's. Have fun, get some rest, relax. Spanos isn't going anywhere."
    "But tomorrow, the deadline—"
    "Forget about tomorrow. So Spanos is throwing a party. No one says you have to show up for it. Better that way, might slow him down a bit."
    "So would breaking his legs." 
    "Don't do it, DJ. You go after Spanos and it gets bloody, what do you think Hart will think? Not to mention the powers that be."
    Drake blew his breath out. Jimmy was right. Hart didn't even let him wear his gun inside her house. She wouldn't tolerate senseless violence—however deserved it might be. And their boss, Miller, she'd fry his ass for sure. 
    "The joke's on Spanos. While he scurries around trying to ruin my life, I'll be with Hart