Shadows Redeemed (Garrison Security Innovations #4)

Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

PARKER SETTLED INTO THE passenger seat of Sage’s battered Chevrolet, his heart racing with anticipation. The leather upholstery was cracked and worn, but to him, it felt like the most luxurious place in the world, simply because he was with her. He breathed in deeply, catching the faint scent of Sage’s perfume mingled with the musty odor of old case files she had stashed in the backseat. She had never been that organized from what he remembered, but that had always been a part of her charm.

As Sage started the engine, he allowed himself a moment of hope. Once they cleared his brother’s name, maybe—just maybe—they could explore the connection that crackled between them like live wires. He’d felt it from the moment they’d met, at least on his end, even though she was dating his brother at the time. And now, it seemed she felt it, too. Perhaps not as long as he had, but there was something there now, though she tried to hide it behind her professional facade. That was all right. He could wait.

“So, how do you want to handle things at the bar?” He rubbed his hands along his thighs as he stared out the front window. “The Broussard kid had some extra muscle watching his back when I was there, so we’ll need to be careful.”

Sage’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Change of plans. I want to talk to someone first. Then, depending on what he tells me, we’ll see if we go day drinking or not.”

He felt his brows furrow as he turned to look at her. “We’re not going to the bar? But Dane said?—”

“I know what Dane said,” she snapped, cutting him off. “But I’m the one with contacts in this town. I know someone who might just have some information for us if he’s still got his nose in too many places like always.”

He frowned, a knot of unease forming in his stomach, worried about who she might mean. “Who?”

She took in a deep breath, and he could see her bracing herself. “I want to talk to Bryce.” She cast him a quick glance. “He might have some insights that could help us.” She sighed as she turned her attention back to the road. “He always had a way of hearing things others wanted kept secret.”

The name hit Parker like a punch to the gut. He knew the man. Had spent time with him even, learning what he could for a while. Bryce Anderson. A man his brother had bitched about countless times, calling him a “washed-up hack” and worse. His brother got really pissed when Parker spent a bit of time following Bryce around, trying to learn some investigative tricks of his own just in case. Jacob thought the man had too much of a stronghold on Sage’s thinking, and the fact she headed to him now didn’t sit well with Parker. Having spent time with the man, he had grown to agree with Jacob’s assessment of the investigator. Parker’s unease grew as she drove on, threatening to eclipse his earlier optimism.

“Sage,” he began carefully, already sensing this would be a touchy subject just by her actions, “I’m not sure that’s the best idea. You know Bryce and Jacob?—”

“Stop right there. I don’t give a damn what Jacob thinks. Bryce knows this city better than anyone, including your brother, and he’s always had my back when everyone else kept pushing me to the side. If there’s a lead we’re missing, he’ll find it.”

He opened his mouth to argue, then thought better of it. He’d never seen Sage this on edge before. Instead, he watched the familiar streets of New Orleans give way to less savory neighborhoods, the perfect setting for someone like Bryce. The vibrant colors and tourist-friendly facades faded, replaced by boarded-up windows and graffiti-covered walls.

As they drove deeper into the city’s underbelly, Parker’s misgivings multiplied. This was a side of New Orleans he’d only heard about from his brother’s stories, never experienced firsthand, even when he spent time with the old man. He glanced at Sage, noting the tightness around her eyes, the way her jaw clenched and unclenched rhythmically.

“What’s wrong?”

Her eyes flickered to him for a moment before returning to the road. “I’m fine.” Her tone lacked conviction. “It’s just… It’s been a while since I’ve been back here, since I’ve seen Bryce.” She glanced over at him, a sheepish look on her face. “He warned me about Jacob about as much as Jacob warned me about him. And I still have no clue how the two even knew each other.”

Parker shrugged. “They both worked in similar circles. I’m sure they had run-ins with each other.”

She nodded, but still didn’t look convinced. It was almost like something festered just below her surface.

He wanted to press for details, but something in her expression warned him off. Instead, he turned his attention back to the passing scenery, trying to quell the growing sense of foreboding in his chest.

Finally, Sage pulled the car to a stop in front of a dilapidated office building that looked as if the roof would collapse if anyone slammed the door too hard. The faded sign above the door read “Anderson Investigations” in peeling white letters, along with a couple of other businesses—bail bondsmen, payday loans, those type of establishments. Parker’s heart sank. This is where she hoped to get answers that would clear his brother? The place was one stiff wind from destruction.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” He turned to her, his brow furrowed. “Maybe he moved to a better, um, location.”

Sage snapped a hardened expression toward him. “Not everyone prefers fancy real estate. Sheesh. Bryce keeps it simple, so people trust him.”

He turned back to the building, thinking it wasn’t simple. It was condemnable. However, he bit back the retort, reminding himself that he was there for Jacob—and for Sage. If this was what it took to clear his brother’s name and have a shot with the woman he was rapidly falling for, he’d endure it.

They climbed out of the car, and Parker instinctively moved closer to her as they approached the building. The sidewalk was littered with cigarette butts and discarded fast-food wrappers, and a group of men loitered near the entrance, eyeing them suspiciously.

Unfazed by the men cluttering the front of the building, Sage strode purposefully toward the door. Parker hurried to keep up, hyper-aware of the hostile stares boring into his back, even if Safe ignored them.

The interior of the building was no more inspiring than its exterior. The hallway smelled of mold and stale smoke, and flickering fluorescent lights cast an unhealthy pallor over everything. Parker wrinkled his nose, fighting the urge to suggest they leave.

Instead, he followed Sage as she led him up a creaking staircase to the second floor, where a battered door bore the same “Anderson Investigations” logo as the sign outside. She hesitated for a moment, her hand poised to open the door, and Parker saw a flicker of uncertainty cross her face.

“We don’t have to do this,” he whispered as he laid a hand on her arm. “If you’re not comfortable?—”

She shrugged off his touch, her features settling into a mask of determination. “I’m fine.” She reached out and jerked the door open, almost slamming it in his face.

He sighed as he snatched at the door, keeping it from closing on him. Yeah, last night changed things. Blowing out a breath, he followed her inside, letting the door slide closed behind him.

The interior of the office was somehow even more depressing than the hallway. Stacks of files and old newspapers covered every surface, and the air was thick with cigarette smoke. Sitting on the cluttered desk next to an overflowing ashtray perched a half-empty bottle of bourbon with the lid off, not exactly giving Parker the warm fuzzies about this meeting.

When he finally did get a good look at the man they were there to see, it was as if Bryce had stepped right out of a hard-boiled detective novel. He was tall and portly, with a shock of unkempt gray hair and a beard that looked like it hadn’t seen a razor in weeks but refused to keep growing. His clothes were rumpled, and the smell of whiskey clung to him like a second skin. But his eyes—pale blue and unnervingly sharp—fixed on Sage with laser-like intensity as she strode toward him.

A slow smile split the man’s face. “Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.” His voice was a gravelly rasp, as if age or too many cigarettes had wrecked havoc on his vocal chords. “Little Sage Silver, all grown up and playing detective on her own. I had heard you were back in town and wondered if you’d pop in to see the old man.”

She turned to Parker, cocking a brow as a smirk twisted her lips. “Hey, Bryce. It’s been a while.”

Bryce’s gaze shifted to Parker, his eyes narrowing, and Parker felt as if he were being dissected, every flaw and weakness laid bare under the man’s penetrating stare. “And look who you got with you. Parker Franklin. Been a while. Your latest client or your latest conquest?”

Parker bristled at the insinuation, but Sage laid a warning hand on his arm. “Don’t worry about what he is. I could use your ear to the ground on something.”

“Oh? I thought you left the Big Easy about a year ago. What’s got you back in the thick of things again?” He scoffed as he moved around to a battered office chair, gesturing for them to sit on a sagging couch against the wall. “As if I didn’t know.” As he leaned back in his chair, he glanced over at Parker. “And I already know which one he is. Client. Like I said, I heard you were in town, which also means I know what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with.” He shook his head. “I told you that man would drag you down into the gutter.”

Parker’s temper flared. “Listen, old man…”

Sage stepped in front of him as she crossed the room to stand in front of Bryce’s desk, ignoring the offer of the couch.

Parker’s skin crawled. This was the man Sage admired? The one who had mentored her? He couldn’t reconcile the image of the sharp, professional woman he knew with this dingy, chaotic environment.

“So,” Bryce said, reaching for a stained coffee mug on his desk, which Parker was sure didn’t hold coffee, “what brings you to me? I know you’re not just checking on my well-being. Not with a Franklin in tow.”

She popped a brow at the old man. “I thought you said you already knew?”

“Fine. I already know. Now, what exactly are you hoping I’ll tell you?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Did he do it?”

“The NOPD thinks he did.” Bryce tapped his index finger along the arm of his chair as he stared at Sage, the only sign that he more than likely was nervous about her being there. Otherwise, his face was a mask of neutrality. “They think he killed one of their own, an Eric Fontaine. From what I understand, he was Jacob’s handler.”

“My brother killed no one.” Parker clenched his fists as he glared at the other man. “He’s innocent, and we’re going to prove it.”

Bryce shrugged. “They’re all innocent until they’re not. I’m just telling you what I heard. Take it as you will.” He turned to Sage again, sighing. “Look, kid. You and I both know he got away with it last time. That’s why you left, remember? So why are you back here again, wasting your time? That boy’ll never change. He’s just one line away from crossing too many.”

Parker watched as Sage leaned forward, pressing her palms on the desk, her eyes blazing. “You know better than to take things at face value. There are inconsistencies here, just like last time. The Broussards are involved, and we both know the type of people they are. I want the truth. That’s all.”

At the mention of the Broussards, something shifted in Bryce’s expression. It was subtle—a tightening around the eyes, a slight straightening of his posture—but Parker caught it. Suddenly, the older man’s disinterest seemed a little too forced. Something was going on here, but what?

Bryce gave a slow bob of his head after sipping from his coffee cup. “I’d heard some of that, but Sage, they wouldn’t kill Jacob’s handler, and you know it. They’d kill Jacob. The only reason someone would kill Eric is if the man knew something he shouldn’t, such as Jacob being on the take.”

Parker growled at the accusation, but a quick glance from Sage shut him down. She turned back to Bryce, cocking her head slightly. “Come on, Bryce. You taught me to follow my instincts. Something about this case doesn’t add up, and I know you can help us do the math proper.”

For a long moment, Bryce said nothing. He stared at Sage, his rheumy eyes unreadable. Then he sighed, suddenly looking every one of his years, and by the look of him, there hadn’t been many good ones. “You always were too stubborn for your own good, girl. All right, I’ll take a listen around, see if I can dig anything else up for you.” He then pointed at her. “But I’m not promising anything.”

Relief washed over Parker. Maybe this trip hadn’t been a waste after all, even with the man’s prejudgment of Jacob.

Bryce ran a hand through his hair as he blew out a breath of resignation. “Come back tomorrow morning. I should have something for you by them.”

Sage nodded, pushing herself away from the desk. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” Bryce leaned forward in his chair, wrapping his hands around his mug. “What I find might not be to your liking.”

“All I want is the truth,” she assured him.

They turned to leave, but Bryce called out once more, bringing them to a halt. “Look, kid, be careful. You’re poking a hornet’s nest with the Broussards. Make sure you’re prepared for whatever comes flying out.”

The cryptic warning sent a chill down Parker’s spine, and he placed a protective hand on Sage’s lower back as they exited the rundown office, guiding her down the dim hallway. There was already a man dead. Things were already flying out.