Free Heinous by Debra Webb

Spears never wasted time or effort on insignificant details.
    “I showed the photo you sent me to a picker friend of mine. He knows his junk. Travels all over the country buying antiques like those two guys on TV. He says it’s a key to a music box, possibly a jewelry box. Did you or Lily have a music box as kids? Maybe your mom?”
    A tune whispered through her. Jess reached for the sofa to steady herself. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to remember more. Nothing but a few notes from a tune that may or may not have been from a music box would come to her. The idea of a music box felt right.
    “I think my mother had one. I’m not certain.”
    “Did Henshaw visit your home often? Would he have had access to your mother’s things?”
    Jess stared at the photo of the man. “I’m not sure.” Her memories of those years were few and vague but always happy. Had she blocked the bad ones? Repressing bad memories as a child was a common defense mechanism. This was another reason she needed to speak with Lily soon. She couldn’t keep protecting her sister from all this. Lil would accuse Jess of doing exactly what she hated other people doing to her—protecting her. And her sister would be right.
    “Don’t worry about McPherson, Jess. I’ll handle him. Stay on the preacher and the key.”
    “What about your source in the department? Anything new there?” Something helpful, hopefully.
    “He’s avoiding me like the plague. I have a feeling he’s being watched and can’t risk contact. Black’s got Dan’s case locked up tight as a drum.”
    He
. “Are you ready to give me a name yet?”
    “How about that Crimson Tide? They stomped all over Mississippi State on Saturday.”
    Jess rolled her eyes. “I didn’t catch the game, Corlew. I was neck deep in dead bodies.”
    “I can’t give you anything else on Danny boy, but know that I’m on it. I’ll track down McPherson tomorrow and get back to you.”
    “You better. Don’t make me have to hunt you down, Buddy Corlew.”
    “Don’t tease me, Jess. My heart can’t take it.”
    The call ended and Jess tossed her phone aside. The man might be her oldest friend but he drove her crazy most of the time. Since he was the best PI in Birmingham and one of the few people she trusted, she just had to deal with his eccentric ways.
    She needed air. Where was Dan? He should be home by now. She dragged off her glasses and left them on the dining table. The
empty dining
table. Jess winced. She’d been so focused on the homework board she’d forgotten about dinner. At some point, she absolutely had to learn to make food a priority and chocolate didn’t count. She was pregnant for heaven’s sake!
    This morning was a textbook example. She’d expected to have breakfast with Wendell Jones before heading to Scottsboro, but murder had knocked the promised meeting off her calendar. At least when she’d called to cancel their scheduled monthly breakfast meeting, Jones had given her an update on DeShawn Simmons, a young man she’d rescued from kidnappers last month. DeShawn was off to college, fulfilling the hopes and dreams of his grandparents. After that, the day had gone downhill and Jess had grabbed fast food on the run. Good thing she always carried a stash of M&Ms as back up.
    “Way to achieve a healthy diet, Jess,” she grumbled. She pressed her palm to her belly. “I promise to do better.” She should ask Sylvia and Gina about cooking classes. Lil would scold her and say there was only one way to learn: trial and error.
    Jamming her feet into her flip-flops, she scrolled through her contacts until she found the number for the neighborhood pizza place that delivered. By the time she reached the landing outside her door, two large pizzas with the works were ordered and charged to her credit card. She shoved her cell into the back pocket of her jeans and descended the stairs, waving to the uniforms watching her place. The least she could do was order pizza for them,