Page 55 of Knife in the Back (New Orleans #4)

Carrollton, New Orleans, Louisiana

“Are you sure you want to do this, Burke?” Val asked as she pulled their SUV into Jimmy Haywood’s driveway.

“Yes.” He hadn’t told Naomi about this part of his errand. She’d accepted that her husband was abusive, that he’d lied about her on the witness stand, that he’d cheated on her, but the possibility that he might have fully participated in the frame job that sent her to prison had hurt her.

She’d had enough hurt for a lifetime.

“And if Jimmy confesses?” Val pressed. “What will you do?”

“I’ll call André and tell him to come get the bastard. Why, what did you think I’d do?”

“I thought you’d punch him in the face. It’s what I want to do.”

Burke chuckled. “Well, I won’t hit him. If I have to restrain him, I won’t be gentle, but I won’t full-out hit him.”

“Okay, boss. Don’t open your own door. For now, I’m your bodyguard.”

“But—”

Val held up her forefinger. “If you’re about to say ‘But Naomi isn’t here and won’t know that I’m being stupid and not letting Val do her job,’ you should stop. If you get yourself shot because you won’t let me do my damn job , then I will hit you, Burke.”

“But I’ll be shot,” he whined. “You can’t hit me if I’m shot.”

She laughed because dark humor was their way to blow off steam. “Stay put.”

Burke obeyed, taking the few seconds to check his phone one more time.

Val opened his door, her hand on the gun in its holster. “Did they answer?”

“No.” Neither Kaleb or Juliette had responded to his calls or texts.

“Maybe they’re just busy.”

Wishing he believed that, Burke allowed Val to shepherd him to Jimmy Haywood’s front door.

He rapped on the door, but no one answered. So he rapped again.

“I’m not leaving, Mr.Haywood,” he called. “This is important. It’s about Everett.”

The door opened, revealing an annoyed Jimmy Haywood. “What’s wrong with Everett? Did you let him get hurt?”

“No, sir. But he continues to be in danger.” Which was true. Until they took down Gaffney and his team, Everett would be a target. “May we come in?”

Jimmy gave Val an appraising look. “Who’s she?”

“My associate, Miss Sorensen.”

“Are you doing her, too?” Jimmy demanded, his eyes narrowed.

It took Burke a second. Oh. Jimmy had likely seen the photo online of Burke kissing Naomi. Burke thought he saw jealousy in the man’s eyes.

If you hadn’t been such a prick, you wouldn’t have lost her.

“May we come in, Mr.Haywood?” Burke asked. “I don’t think you’d appreciate your neighbors hearing your business.”

“Fine. Come in.”

The living room was ostentatious. Burke’s home was filled with antiques, but it was warm and comfortable thanks to his mother. He wondered who had decorated this room. It was white and gold and looked like something from a magazine.

A pregnant woman entered. “The kids are down for their nap,” she said before catching sight of Burke and Val. “Oh. Who have we here?”

This would be McKenzie, the new wife. She appeared to be about six months pregnant.

“Burke Broussard and my associate, Miss Sorensen.”

“So nice to meet you. Please, come sit down.” McKenzie gestured to the living room.

Wondering if the woman knew who he was, Burke complied, choosing a chair that was even more uncomfortable than it appeared. Val took her place behind him, earning her a curious stare from McKenzie.

“Are you clients of Jimmy’s?”

“He’s the PI,” Jimmy said curtly. “The one who took Everett.”

“Oh.” McKenzie’s tone went frosty. “Then I’ll leave you all to your conversation.”

“Don’t go,” Burke said. “We have questions for you, too, Mrs.Haywood.”

The woman’s pregnancy did give him pause. He didn’t want to upset her, but then he remembered the scant inch between Naomi’s head and the bullet hole in that pickup truck.

He’d get the information he’d come for.

“Winnifred Timms,” he said.

McKenzie flinched and Jimmy inhaled sharply. Then he lied. “Never heard of her.”

Luckily Val had asked Everett if he had any photos of McKenzie and Winnifred together. He didn’t, but he did have the password to Haywood’s home security system. It kept video for thirty days, during which Winnifred had visited three times.

Burke pulled up a still on his phone and showed it to the couple. “Does this jog your memory?”

“Oh. Winnie,” McKenzie said with a little laugh. “I met her in school.”

“Before or after you started your affair with Mr.Haywood?”

McKenzie’s mouth pursed as if she’d sucked a lemon. “You’re very rude.”

“Miss Timms is trafficking teenagers for sex,” Burke said flatly.

The shock on Jimmy’s and McKenzie’s faces appeared to be genuine.

“What?” McKenzie finally demanded. “No. You’re wrong.”

“We’re not wrong. And we know that you two have been friends for quite some time.”

McKenzie’s hand splayed over her belly. “Are you insinuating I was involved in this…this sex trafficking thing?”

“I don’t know yet. I do know that Jimmy took payment from the same company that paid Winnifred’s university tuition. Paid off your house with it.”

Jimmy went still. “What are you accusing us of?”

“Right now? That you took money for false testimony in Naomi’s trial. You claimed, under oath, that you’d witnessed her taking illegal drugs, including cocaine.”

“I did,” Jimmy snapped.

“You know that there were no drugs,” Burke said mildly. “You know that what the NOPD claimed she stole turned out to be ground-up Sheetrock.”

Jimmy’s jaw tightened. “Doesn’t change that I saw her snorting cocaine.”

“Well, I suppose the IRS will be interested in the money that you used to pay off your mortgage, the money you said came from the track. Do you have receipts from the track?”

“No,” Jimmy said. “I lost them.”

“Did you know that the people who gave you that money are snipping off loose ends, Mr.Haywood? They’ve silenced several people who knew about their operation.”

“I know nothing about that,” Jimmy insisted.

“Detective John Gaffney has had three of his people killed in the past week. As I said, he’s snipping loose ends.”

The mention of Gaffney had both McKenzie and Jimmy going a few shades paler.

“You’re lying,” Jimmy said unsteadily.

“I witnessed one of the murders myself.” Burke hadn’t mentioned that Winnifred was dead because he wasn’t sure if the couple knew.

If they didn’t know, he’d save the revelation in case he needed more leverage.

“The victim was shot right between the eyes. Dead before they hit the floor. Do you think Gaffney won’t come after you?

His operation is unraveling and he’s getting desperate. You represent a paper trail.”

He waited to see if the couple would speak, but they did not, so he kept going.

“You could be next.” Both were beginning to fidget.

“Mrs.Haywood, your friend’s false testimony helped send Naomi Cranston to prison.

She’s shown that she’s willing to frame someone with a lie.

Do you think she won’t throw you under the bus with the truth?

” McKenzie was swallowing convulsively, so Burke went in for the kill.

“If Gaffney doesn’t silence you, the cops will be coming for you.

Do you want your children, the baby you carry, to be raised by strangers, Mrs.Haywood?

Because that’s what will happen when the police show that you were involved in Winnifred’s business from the very beginning. ”

“I wasn’t!” McKenzie cried. “I just wanted Naomi gone.”

Jimmy closed his eyes. “McKenzie, shut up.”

“No. I won’t go to prison, Jimmy. I won’t.”

“He’s lying,” Jimmy insisted. “And he’s not a cop. You don’t have to tell him anything.” He rose, his movements shaky. “Mr.Broussard, it’s time you left. You’ve overstayed your welcome.”

Burke didn’t move from the chair. “Call a cop. I’ll be happy to tell them what I know.

You might not be arrested today, but it will happen.

They’ll find the trail from Winnifred—a known sex trafficker—to the company that paid her expenses, up to the parent company and back down to another subsidiary that paid off your mortgage.

Did you think Gaffney was just being generous?

He wanted the paper trail. It was his way of keeping you quiet should anyone come asking questions about your ex-wife’s conviction.

Now that we know about the trafficking—and Winnifred—the jig is up, and the only way for Gaffney to ensure your silence is to kill you. ”

“What do you want?” Jimmy asked, teeth clenched.

“First, I want you to sit down.” Burke waited until Jimmy had done so. “Now I want to know what happened between you two and Winnifred Timms.”

“I met her at college,” McKenzie said, voice trembling.

“Who initiated contact?” Burke asked. “And when?”

“She did,” McKenzie said. “It was in November, six years ago. She asked if we could study together.”

“When did she suggest that Jimmy lie during the trial?” Because that was the way he figured it had gone.

“The week before Jimmy was supposed to testify. At first, we said no, because we aren’t criminals.”

“And then?”

“And then—” McKenzie started.

“Shut up,” Jimmy hissed.

“No,” she snapped back. “I’m not going to prison because of your fucking ex-wife.”

“And then ?” Burke repeated, ignoring Jimmy.

“She explained to both of us that her boss wanted Naomi to go away. That he didn’t want her dead, just disgraced.

That the fact that no one had uncovered actual drug use on her part would make the defense’s job easier, but if Jimmy testified that he’d seen her do the drugs, that would ensure that she went to prison for years .

Decades, even. Winnie told Jimmy that he wouldn’t have to pay alimony if Naomi went to prison. And he wouldn’t have to share custody.”

Everett’s custody didn’t seem to matter as much to McKenzie as not having to pay alimony.

“So you lied,” Burke said, proud that he kept the contempt from his voice.

“ I didn’t,” McKenzie denied. “Jimmy did.”