Page 61 of Ride the Lightning

“I’ll make time.”

Time.There was that fucking word again.

“Oh, good. I can bring you up to speed on the investigation,” Jonah said.

As if someone lit a fire beneath her, Marla increased her stride, and the familiar spark returned to her eyes. “Tell me all about it, baby.”

“Do you want your coffee with or without booze?” Jonah asked.

“Without. I can’t have alcohol on my breath when Amos gets here, or it will give him the wrong impression.”

Jonah went inside and fixed two cups of coffee and joined her in the rocking chairs while Betty gnawed on a stick in the yard.

“Do you know a good place to get tea?” Jonah asked her.

Marla looked at him curiously before rattling off the name of a specialty store.

“Do you think they sell chai?” he asked.

“Are you converting?” Marla asked, sounding genuinely appalled by the idea.

“No, but Avery refuses to change his wicked ways. He loves chai, but I don’t have any here.”

“You are the sweetest thing,” Marla said. “You look so big and mean, but you have a marshmallow center.”

“I assure you that I don’t.”

Marla snickered. “Chai is very popular, so I’m sure she sells it. One of my friends is a tea connoisseur, and he said they have hundreds of options from around the world.” She reached over and patted his leg. “Tell me about Earl’s investigation.”

Jonah told her every detail as he remembered, including his observations to make the retelling entertaining.

“I’d forgotten Earl briefly worked for the same concrete company as his father and brother,” Marla said. “I think it was only for a few weeks.” She started giggling. “I loved Earl Ison with every fiber of my being, but I’d never met a clumsier man than him. He lacked any sort of graceuntilhe put on a pair of high heels. Then he became as captivating as Tina Turner.” She smiled at Jonah. “For a scrawny white dude, he did a fabulous job at impersonating her.” Marla giggled harder, making him laugh too.

Once they quieted again, Jonah asked, “Did Earl ever mention someone giving him a hard time at work? Coworkers, other subcontractors, or maybe a boss?”

Marla shook her head. “Never. It’s probably why I forgot he even worked there. You’re really convinced there’s a connection between Earl’s death and the subdivision, aren’t you?”

“Convinced? No. I just think it’s as likely as an angry lover. Yes, Earl pulling away from friends could mean the new guy in his life was possessive, but these past few nights with Avery reminded me what it’s like when a relationship is new and hormones are running rampant.”

“This is why I needed your help,” Marla said. “I was too close to the situation, and I let my emotions cloud my objectivity.”

“Does the name Mickey Reeder sound familiar to you?” Jonah asked.

Marla tilted her head to the side. “No, but so many of us went by our drag names back then. Who is Mickey?”

“He was Bo Cahill’s brother. According to Bo’s widow, Mickey was openly gay, and Bo loved him dearly. They were adamant he wouldn’t have killed Earl even if he hadn’t been incarcerated at the time.”

“That’s interesting.”

Jonah spotted a red Cadillac coming down the road. “Why does Amos dislike me so much?” It had always bothered Jonah, although he couldn’t say why. He wasn’t the kind of person who needed to make everyone his friend.

Marla cackled as she rose to her feet. “The old fool was jealous of you. Amos was convinced there was something more between us than friendship. He thought you were my boy toy.”

Jonah reached out and snagged her gloved hand. “I do love you.”

Marla beamed at him as tears filled her eyes. She patted his hand. “I know, baby. I love you too. Amos just didn’t understand the kind of love friends have for one another. I think that’s sad, don’t you?”

Jonah practically choked on the lump in his throat. “I do,” he agreed.