Page 55 of Ride the Lightning
“Earl’s boyfriend had given him a silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant. His friend said Earl never removed it, but he wasn’t wearing the necklace in the crime scene photos, and it wasn’t collected for evidence either.”
“You think the killer took it?” Felix asked.
“I think it’s possible. Or maybe Earl and his boyfriend had a big fight, and Earl returned it. The necklace feels significant to me.”
“Every new clue we uncover is important. We’re going to solve this case,” Felix said excitedly.
Jonah hoped liked hell his friend was right.
Agnes Cahill sat regally, if not a little stiffly, in her son and daughter-in-law’s dining room. Jonah understood the wariness in her eyes when they introduced themselves. He was asking Agnes to turn her life inside out all over again and expose her wounds and heartache to complete strangers. It wasn’t easy for him, so it sure as hell wasn’t a walk in the park for her. She’d survived a brutal assault only to have her husband taken away from her. Thirteen years later, their name would make the papers again when her husband confessed to a crime he couldn’t have committed. Jonah had lost people he’d loved dearly, so he understood exactly what he was asking her to do. He didn’t take it lightly.
Darnell had come home for lunch, and Millie took the day off, knowing how hard the interview would be for her mother. Darnell’s wife, Trista, a thoracic surgeon, wasn’t home, and his children were at school, so the five of them sat in the dining room. They made small talk at first, learning Millie was an elementary school teacher and Darnell was an architect. When Darnell and Trista decided to start a family, Agnes moved in with them to help look after the kids.
“What about James?” Felix asked. He’d obviously done some homework before the interview.
“Jamie,” Agnes corrected with a smile. “He’s the baby and has a touch of wanderlust. He’s a jazz musician and travels around the world. He makes a home in New Orleans when he sets his trumpet down for more than five minutes.”
“We’d like to speak to Jamie also, if he’s willing,” Jonah said.
“He’s currently on a European tour,” Agnes said. “I will ask if he’s inclined to talk to you over the phone or on one of those video calls.”
“Thank you. We greatly appreciate it,” Felix said. “You already have my contact information, but Jonah will leave a business card for you also.” Jonah removed one from his wallet so he wouldn’t forget later.
Agnes accepted it with a gentle smile. “Jamie knows we’re speaking with you today, and I won’t say he disapproves, but he’s hesitant to dig up the past again.”
“I completely understand,” Jonah said. “Before we begin, I do want to apologize. This can’t be pleasant for you, and we wouldn’t be here if we could clear Bo’s name without talking to his family. We want to aggressively investigate Earl’s death, but in a way that causes the least amount of trauma for your family.”
“Furthermore, I think your husband is a hero,” Felix said.
Agnes searched Felix’s face before making eye contact with Jonah, who nodded. His ties to guns and violence were too complicated to express in a few words. He’d pulled the trigger more times than he wanted to remember, but he’d faltered the one time it mattered most.
Bo Cahill had not failed; the system had failed him.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“Jonah and I are just trying to figure out why Bo would’ve falsely confessed to killing a man,” Felix said.
Agnes shifted in her chair. It was subtle but still there. “We, unfortunately, don’t have those answers for you. You can rest assured I demanded to know why Bo would confess to killing a man he’d probably never even met. He just told me he knew what he was doing, and I had to trust him. We didn’t have much time left, and I wasn’t going to spend it arguing with him.”
“You might have the answers we need and just aren’t aware,” Felix corrected. “It’s our job to parse the truth from perception.”
“Fair enough,” Darnell said, joining hands with his mother and sister. Tragedy either destroyed a family or bound them closer. The Cahill family seemed to fall into the latter category.
“To the best of your knowledge, did Bo even know Earl Ison?” Jonah asked.
“I don’t think so,” Agnes said, shaking her head. “Bo had never mentioned the man’s name to me.”
“Did Bo have friends in Savannah?” Felix asked.
“No,” Agnes said emphatically.
“He sure as hell wasn’t a homophobic asshole either,” Millie said. “Our uncle Mickey, his brother, was gay. Daddy loved him.”
“I cannot even believe my father’s mouth formed those hateful words,” Darnell said.
Jonah stroked a finger over his chin while he thought through the possibilities. “Could your uncle have been friends with Earl?”
“Mickey did have friends in Savannah, but he had already died in a car accident before someone murdered Earl Ison,” Agnes said. “Bo was devastated when Mickey died.”