Page 99 of Keeping it Real
“Don’t you need a warrant?”Aunt Eileen interjected.
The agent stilled briefly before aiming a pleasant smile at her aunt.“We don’t need one.But I can get one.If I do, I have to seize the phone and take it into evidence.If Finn voluntarily opens the phone and scrolls through its content with me, all I’ll need is to take a screenshot of whatever we find, and Finn can email it to me.”He looked at Finn.“Your phone wouldn’t have to leave your hand.”
Finn looked up in question at Sheridan.She had no idea what to do.
Aunt Eileen wrung her hands.“What could Jamie possibly have on his phone?”
Perhaps the reason behind him selling the bar.
Sheridan turned to Alek.His face was drawn, and his eyes narrowed as if he’d been thinking the same thing.Had Jamie gotten mixed up in something he shouldn’t have?She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.Except she and Finn couldn’t live the rest of their lives looking over their shoulder wondering.
She nodded at Alek before giving Finn’s shoulders a gentle squeeze.“Go ahead, Finn.”
Her nephew didn’t hesitate, punching in the code—double O seven twice for Jamie’s jersey number, seven.The burly Russian would have likely figured it out with a few tries.
“Thank you,” Agent Kovaluk said softly.
Sergi growled.
“Let’s start with the photos,” the agent suggested.
“Which album?”Finn turned the phone so the agent could see it.
“Your dad was organized.I like that.”
Sheridan stared at the screen over Finn’s shoulder, shocked at how Jamie, the messiest person she knew, had meticulously organized his pictures.Every photo was sorted into folders by categories: the bar, hockey, Finn, Hattie.There was even a folder with her name on it.Then there were folders for places he’d visited, friends, even his collection of hockey skates.She smiled as she shook her head at that one.
“Do you see anything unusual?”The agent directed the question to her.
“Not really.It’s all typical Jamie.”
Finn scrolled down to the bottom of the page.
“Wait!”Sheridan leaned in closer.“Does that sayMonk?”
Beside her, Alek chuckled in surprise.“He loved that show.”
“We both did,” she said.“If he met the stars from that show and never told me, I’m going to—” She stopped herself before voicing the words that spontaneously came to mind.“Can I see that, Finn?”
Sheridan took the phone and swiped the folder open, hoping for a picture of Jamie and their favorite television private eye.What she saw instead had her knees buckling.It was a carousel of photos featuring Madison.In all of them, she was with other men.The brute currently in handcuffs behind her appeared in a few of the shots with another man and Madison.
Snippets of past conversations with Jamie began to filter through her mind.
I’m not sure what’s going on with Madison.She seems so withdrawn.
I don’t think I can make her happy.
Madison won’t even consider marriage counseling.
I need to do what’s best for Finn.
Judging by the photos on his phone, Jamie had been playing private eye.He’d been spying on his wife.Sheridan shuddered with dismay, nearly dropping the phone.
Her brother had been sending out clues for months that his marriage was in trouble.Except Sheridan hadn’t listened.A tidal wave of shame washed over her.She’d tuned him out because she needed Jamie and Madison’s marriage to work to absolve her of the guilt she carried.Guilt for destroying her brother’s relationship with Alek.And now Jamie was gone, and she could never ask his forgiveness.
“Sher?”Alek steadied her with a hand on her elbow.“What is it?”
She looked into his beautiful eyes and felt a jolt of pain so savage it stole her breath.Jamie wasn’t the only one she needed absolution from.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99 (reading here)
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110