Page 92 of It's a Wonderful Knife

“I’ve heard some rumors that he was hitting on you. Is that true?” I studied her closely.

Pink touched her cheeks, and she kept her dark eyes averted. “Santiago flirted with everyone.”

“Did it make you uncomfortable?”

“I didn’t want to take him up on anything, that’s for sure.” She swallowed. “I mean, he had a girlfriend. I was a little shocked at how brazen he was.”

“Jax is a pretty brazen guy too,” Max said.

She looked up quickly. “Jax is nothing like Santiago.”

“What about the fact he kissed Chloe?” I asked.

She winced. “That was a momentary lapse in judgment. H… he says she started it. I kind of believe that too. Chloe is a flirt, and… and she’s just now starting to understand her power over men.”

“So, you think she was testing her feminine wiles on Jax, and he was just an innocent bystander?” I tried really hard to keep the skepticism out of my voice, although I don’t think I fully succeeded.

Curling her hands into fists, Madison said, “I know Jax is a flirt. He has a wild streak. But he’s a good man.”

“Sounds like you’re very understanding.” I smiled, but inside I was wondering how she could put up with a man like Jax. Was she just lonely out here on the farm, and so he was good enough?

“Did Jax know Santiago hit on you?” Max asked.

She flinched. “Uh…”

“My guess is Jax wouldn’t like that one bit.” Max watched her closely. “Jax strikes me as a ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ kind of guy.”

“You say that like you know him, but you don’t.”

“It’s true we don’t know Jax,” I agreed. “That’s why we want you to tell us about Jax.”

“Why? So you can judge him?”

“I don’t want to judge anyone, Madison. I just want to figure out who killed Santiago.”

“I… I know, but it wasn’t Jax.”

“Would you say Jax is a possessive man?” I asked.

She sighed. “He can be. But he’s not violent.”

“He’s brawled with Leo recently.” I shrugged. “Are you saying Leo started that?”

She shook her head, looking muddled. “You’re confusing me. You’re asking me so many questions.”

“I’m sorry.” I wasn’t actually sorry. I wasn’t asking her particularly difficult things.

“Leo seems like an easygoing guy,” Max said. “He doesn’t strike me as someone who would just fight for no reason.”

She grimaced. “Leo is like a loyal pit bull. If Mona has a problem with Jax, then Leo has a problem with Jax.”

“You don’t think maybe Leo has a legitimate complaint of his own about Jax?” I asked.

“You’d have to ask Leo about that. All I know is Jax is a loving, wonderful, faithful boyfriend.”

Sure. When he’s not hitting on eighteen-year-olds.

“Do you know why Jax and Leo fought?” I asked.