P. Alderman - Haunting Jordan

“I wasn’t acting.” Jase’s voice was calm. “I’m a pub owner now.”

“No one changes that much, that fast,” she said stubbornly.

“Dammit—”

Jordan’s cellphone rang, interrupting whatever he had intended to say. Without a word, he handed it to her.

She checked the caller ID—it was her mom. Obviously, her parents had seen the press conference. Jordan decided to let the call go to voice mail. If she answered now, her mom would instantly pick up on her distress.

“Yo?” Darcy waved a hand. “We’re on a tight timeline here. The reality—whether or not I’m fond of defense attorneys—is that Jordan needs a damn good one, and fast, and that means you, Jase.” When he started to protest, Darcy forestalled him. “You tell me where she can find someone as good as you, on short notice, who would be as motivated to help her.”

“I can make calls on her behalf to any number of old acquaintances. One can hop a plane—”

“—and be here by tonight and come up to speed on the case?” Darcy shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“I’m sitting right here,” Jordan said irritably, “and I can make my own decisions.”

“Jordan?” The call came from the front porch.

Jordan recognized Ted’s voice. Damn . She’d forgotten all about his visit. “In here ,” she called.

He walked through the library doors, dressed stylishly in chinos and an Egyptian cotton button-down shirt, finger-combing the damage the breeze had done to his hair. He halted just inside the doors, his smile of greeting fading when he saw the crowd in the room.

Jordan introduced him to Tom and Darcy, whom he hadn’t yet met.

“What’s going on?” Ted asked Jordan.

She managed a smile. “I may need a rain check on that tour I promised you.”

He frowned. “Are you in trouble? What can I do to help?”

“I’m fine. The police just want to talk to me again about Ryland’s murder. The detective in charge of the case is flying up tomorrow to interview me.”

“That’s ridiculous. Who is this asshole? He can’t harass you like this—I won’t have it.” Ted pulled out his cellphone. “Give me his number, and I’ll talk to him.”

“Bad idea,” Darcy said. “The guy’s just doing his job, and any interference from civilians will only make him more pugnacious.”

“Well, we can’t just sit here and let him run roughshod over her!” Ted snapped.

“We’re dealing with it,” Darcy told him.

Jordan intervened. “Jase used to be a criminal defense attorney, and Darcy is the chief of police. They’ll both be present to ensure Detective Drake doesn’t step out of line.” She rose to place a hand on Ted’s arm. “I’ll be all right. But I’m pretty slammed, so …”

“You’re betting your future on the legal expertise of a tavern owner?” Ted’s expression was incredulous.

Irritation crossed Jase’s face, but Jordan shook her head at him.

“There’s no way I’m trusting anyone else to handle this for you!” Ted stated categorically.

She tamped down her impatience. “Ted. We’ve discussed this—I can take care of myself.”

“But you shouldn’t have to, dammit!”

“It’s what I prefer.” She noted his increasing agitation and quickly added, “I really do want to have that coffee with you. How about I give you a call in a couple of days?”

“All right,” he said grudgingly, “but promise me you’ll call if you need my help. I’m not without influence, you know. I could bring some pressure to bear on that detective. He’ll think twice before treating you disrespectfully.”

“I appreciate the offer.” She guided him toward the door. “So how did you meet Didi Wyeth?” she asked, keeping her tone conversational. “Through your new agent?”

“Yeah, she was leaving Arnie’s office one day as I arrived. We got to talking, and one thing led to another. She mentioned she was taking a break this summer, so I offered to let her stay at my house up here.”

She drew him onto the front porch. “You know Didi dated Ryland for a while?”

“Sure, she cried on my shoulder about it. The bastard broke her heart. I think that’s why she’s taking some career downtime, though she hasn’t admitted as much.” Ted gave Jordan a stubborn look. “I’m sorry Ryland’s dead, Jordan, but you deserved better. You understand that now, don’t you?”

“Of course,” she said lightly. One of the movers came up the steps, obviously needing to talk to her. “I’d better go. See you in a few days, okay?”

After answering the mover’s question, she turned back to find Darcy leaning against the doorjamb, arms folded. “What’s his problem?” she asked, cocking her head at Ted as he climbed into his car.

Fragile ego, abandonment issues, lack of empathy for others, and maybe a tad too much transference during the therapy process . Not that Jordan could say that aloud.

“That screwed up, huh?” Darcy concluded from the look on her face. “Why don’t I just pull out a gun and shoot the son of a bitch. Put him out of his misery.”

“Difficult call to make, given that I’m in worse shape than he is.”

Darcy looked amused. “There is that.” She pushed away from the door frame. “The interview is set up for eleven o’clock tomorrow morning. You know where the station is?”

Jordan nodded, tensing again.

“There’s nothing you can do for now, so go back to your unpacking. I’ll be there, and so will Jase. I threatened to find financial backers for Kathleen’s restaurant if he doesn’t represent you.”

“If he’s uncomfortable with the idea, I don’t want him pushed into it.” Despite what Jordan had told Ted, she didn’t yet know how she felt about Jase representing her.

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Get a grip. He won’t let any other attorney within miles of you—he’s not taking any chances with your defense. And he’s damn good, so do what he says tomorrow. No heroics, no rebellious moves. Got it?”

Jordan nodded again.

“Just let Drake go through his routine, answering with only the barest minimum of information. He’s holding his cards close to his chest at the moment—I couldn’t get much out of him. We’ll have a better idea of what he’s got after the meeting, and then we can devise a strategy.”

Jordan swallowed and nodded a third time.

“You okay?” Darcy peered suspiciously at her.

“Sure.”

“You’re not going to hyperventilate or faint or anything silly like that, are you?”

“Of course not.”

* * *

JASE was waiting for her when she walked back inside. She could hear a chain saw whining upstairs—Bill must have come in through the kitchen door while she was talking to Ted on the porch. Amanda and Tom were arguing in the upper hallway. Jordan heard Amanda say that some one had to stand up for the plant’s rights, and she decided to steer clear of that debate. She headed for the kitchen.

Jase followed, standing in the doorway and watching her pull open a moving box to start unwrapping china.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She shrugged. She knew he’d picked up on her ambivalence, but she didn’t trust her instincts where he was concerned. She’d seen no reason not to trust him, but—

“I was young, and it’s the family business. I was expected to enter the firm,” he explained again. “As soon as I realized what I’d gotten myself into, I bailed.”

“But you were good at it.”

“Yeah, I was.” His voice turned cool. “Why do I feel like that’s a criticism?”

Why indeed? She had no answer for either of them—she didn’t yet understand why the knowledge of his past upset her so much.