Free Crimes of Memory (A Detective Jackson Mystery) by L.J. Sellers

too? Had he contacted him?”
    “I don’t know. Patrick always denied any part in the robbery, but nobody believed him.”
    “Did Craig ever implicate him?”
    “No.”
    Jackson thought it was a good possibility that either Patrick had come looking for Craig after he got out of prison, or that Craig had gone looking for Patrick. One of them had the money, and they both wanted their share. Jackson would have to dig up the old files and talk to the detectives who’d handled the case. It would be nice to solve this murder and pin it on a man who’d skirted the justice system for too long. They might even recover some of the money. Time to wrap up this interview. “Do you know anyone else who might have wanted to kill your brother?”
    “His ex-wife hates him, but that was long ago.”
    “What’s her name?”
    “Dora Cooper. Or it was. I don’t know anything about her life now.”
    “Do you know how to contact her?” Jackson clicked off his recorder.
    Jane stood. “I have an old phone number, but I doubt it’s good anymore. Everyone has a cell phone now, and I haven’t been in touch with Dora in ages.”
    Jackson followed her to a small back office, where Jane dug through a desk drawer. She produced an old address book with a phone number, then dug around some more. She turned and handed him a red envelope. “Here’s a Christmas card Dora sent me a few years ago. It has a return address.”
    Jackson thanked her, expressed his condolences for her loss, and headed out. In his car, he called the juvenile justice court clerk. “This is Wade Jackson. I’m calling about my daughter, Katie Jackson. Does she have a hearing today?” Words he never thought he’d have to say.
    “Just a moment.” The clerk took her time. “It’s at one thirty.”
    “Thank you.” He clicked off and sat for a moment, willing the anxiety to leave his body. Katie would get through this. She just needed a treatment program and some intensive counseling. He’d taken her to a grief counselor, but after one session she’d refused to go back, calling it “pointless.” Then Katie had started drinking and staying out late with people he didn’t know. He’d tried to keep her busy with movies, shopping, and board games at home, but it had driven them both crazy. They weren’t used to that much time together, and the more time Jackson had spent with her, the angrier she’d become. Katie blamed him for her mother’s death, and he couldn’t argue the point. He’d mistakenly shot his ex-wife while trying to rescue her from a kidnapper.
    Jackson pushed all of it from his mind. Thinking and worrying and planning hadn’t done any good. He would ask for the court’s help today. For now, he had to check in with his boss before meeting Evans back at the crime scene for a daylight view.

CHAPTER 7

    Wednesday, March 13, 6:30 a.m.
    River turned off the radio and forced herself to sit up. Three hours of sleep was not enough and never would be, no matter how many times she’d gotten by on it. She skipped her morning yoga and headed straight for the shower. The family room where she normally did her yoga routine was being remodeled and currently didn’t have flooring. The thought reminded her that she’d seen her contractor’s van in a pullout just down the road from her house—at three in the morning when she’d finally made it home. What was that about? Had Jared been too tired to drive home?
    She dressed in dark slacks and a peachskin jacket that hid her somewhat androgynous body, made a strong cup of tea, and warmed up leftover chicken marsala for breakfast. While eating, she checked her work phone for messages. Jamie Dallas, her undercover agent on the Downdraft case, had texted her at 2:27a.m., and she’d missed it. The text said simply:
I have Cricket’s address!
    River texted back:
Meet at Glenwood Cafe on Will. at 10.
    The young woman was making fast progress. Dallas had only been in town six weeks, but she’d already earned