Chapter Ten
Eneko eagerly chomped on the pastrami sandwich that Clifford Boone had given him. The portion sizes in this jail were so small that he was constantly hungry, but his requests for more food were just met with sneers about how he wanted better treatment than anybody else. Never mind that shifters needed at least twice the calories as non-shifters to keep them going.
“I finally got the name of the witness against you,” Clifford said as he ate. “A non-shifter by the name of Jerimiah Wilder.”
Eneko looked up, eyes widening. “Jerimiah Wilder? That’s the witness? And they’re believing him? He was stalking Jana. She had a restraining order out on him, he legally shouldn’t have been close enough to her to see anything. And it’s his word that they’re using to throw me into jail?”
He couldn’t believe it. Yeah, he had known that a lot of this case was based on anti-shifter sentiments. But for some reason he’d expected they’d be subtler about it. Maybe because he’d never had a problem with the police before. That they would take the word of someone that Jana was clearly afraid of… it made him grind his teeth so hard that for a moment he was afraid that his molars would crack.
“I know. It’s disgusting.” Clifford shook his head, a growl on his lips. “On the other hand, having such an unreliable witness can be used to our advantage. No jury is going to trust the word of a man who was stalking the murder victim over a doctor who donates his time and talents to the people who need it.”
Eneko sat back, appetite was gone. If that was true, then the cops and prosecutor wouldn’t be proceeding with the case. He wouldn’t be in jail. They had something up their sleeves.
“In the meantime, I’ve convinced the DA that you’re not a flight risk,” Clifford said. A rakish grin appeared on his face and he leaned back, looking immensely satisfied with himself. “Combined with this Jerimiah Wilder nonsense, you’re being released.”
“Released?” Eneko’s eyes widened.
Clifford nodded. “Well, into house arrest, at least. You’ll have to wear an ankle monitor and check in with an officer every couple hours, but at least you’ll be out of jail and you’ll be allowed visitors.”
Eneko nodded seriously. “Thank you.”
Clifford smiled at him. “I’m doing what I can. I know that the situation is less than ideal. Keep faith, though. Things will work out. You’ll see. I’m very good at what I do.”
***
Getting home was exhausting.
More than exhausting, in fact. Cameras swarmed him the moment he stepped outside of the jailhouse. Police held back a line of people shouting and waving signs in the air. Jeremiah Wilder, a thin, mousy-looking man with big glasses, stood giving interviews with the press with Andy standing near him, as though he was giving support. Eneko could have laughed at that. There were many times in the past when they’d come to blows over Jana, and now looking at them you’d think they were best friends.
The ankle monitor was heavy, clunky, and would alert the authorities if he stepped out of his house, but being in his own home again took a weight off Eneko’s mind. If the best the cops had was Wilder stating that he saw Eneko beating a woman that he, Wilder, was forbidden from getting within a hundred yards of, then perhaps this mess would be over soon. Clifford did seem like a good attorney. After all, he’d gotten Eneko out of jail.
He hadn’t been home long before Jasmine came to him. When she came in, she threw her arms around him and started kissing him soundly.
Eneko couldn’t help himself, too hyped up on the thought of freedom. He tugged her into his room, took off her clothes, and spent hours making love to her. His bear roared in approval, not content until it was almost dark and they both laid spread out on his bed, spent. Jasmine ran her hands over his chest as though assuring herself that he was still there.
“This will make things easier,” she murmured. “Lori and I have decided we’re going to do our own investigation, and now that you’re released you can help us.”
Eneko blinked, uncertain he had heard her correctly. As what she said sunk in, he pushed himself to his elbow, staring down at her in horror. “What are you talking about?”
Jasmine’s gaze was steady. “We’re going to prove you’re not the killer.”
“No.”
“No…?” She arched a brow. “What are you saying no to?”
“You know exactly what I’m saying no to.” Eneko pulled away. “I don’t want you to get caught up in all of this.”
“You don’t want me caught up in it?” Jasmine rolled out of bed and reached for her clothes. “Too late.”
Eneko’s bear huffed, angry at him for upsetting her. Tough! I’m not going to let her put herself in danger.
She shook her head as she pulled her panties on. “I’m already caught up in it. I’ve been caught up in it from the first time we kissed. I am more drawn to you that I have been drawn to anybody else my entire life. I’ve spent my life not knowing what it means to have a mate. And maybe you’re not him. But I can’t think of anybody else I’d rather spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Eneko Alava, and I am not going to see you go to jail for something you didn’t do.”
Eneko stared, slack jawed, as she finished dressing. She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him, but he still could only stare. He wasn’t sure why… he knew he should be saying something. He should be telling her that she needed to step back and see things clearly.
Instead, only three words kept rattling around in his brain. I love you.
“I… I love you, too.”
Jasmine blinked. Her mouth became an ‘o’ and the two of them just stared at each other for a long time. She pressed her hands together and eventually gave him a small smile. “Then there you have it. I’m going to—”
“No.” Eneko climbed out of bed. He began dressing and shook his head as his pants caught on the monitor around his ankle. “I love you, so I can’t let you do this. I know it’s hard. It’s hard for me, too. But the cops will do their job and if they don’t, then the lawyers will do theirs.”
Jasmine didn’t look convinced, but didn’t continue the argument. He rubbed his hands over his face as she left the bedroom. It wasn’t much longer after that before he heard the front door open and a loud woman’s voice came down the hall.
“I’ve set it all up on Prezi,” the new woman said. “Put together everything I could pick out from the news. It’s the coolest-looking murder board you’ve ever seen.”
Eneko hurried down the hall to find Jasmine and a woman who was slightly shorter, slightly less curvy, but with the same bright eyes and facial features leaning over a computer. He cleared his throat, not at all happy about what he could infer from their conversation.
“I said that this investigation was over.”
Jasmine didn’t even look up. “Yes, you did. I never agreed, though. There has been enough damage done already, I’m not about to let it continue on like this without doing anything.”
“And who is this?” he gestured to the woman.
“Lori Rowlands. I’m Jasmine’s sister,” the woman said with a grin and a wink. “Gosh, I know now why Jazz is so determined to keep you out of jail. You’re the hottest boss she’s ever had. And I might not have a shifter’s super-sensitive smell but—”
Jasmine pushed Lori, glaring at her. “Shut your mouth.”
Lori grinned at her sister. “Here’s the Prezi. Although, I have to say, Mr. doctor man…” She narrowed her eyes at him. “If it turns out you are a murderer, you don’t have to worry about jail because I will kill you myself. Nobody hurts my sister and gets away with it.”
“Lor!”
“Jazz!” Lori mimicked Jasmine’s shocked tone.
“Can we concentrate on what we need to accomplish here?” Jasmine’s fair skin was beat red. “Obviously our best suspect is Jana’s boyfriend.”
Eneko reached for the laptop and both women glared at him. “Look, I don’t want either of you putting yourselves in danger over me.”
“We’re doing this,” Lori said bluntly. “And Jazz might be doing this because she likes your butt, but I’m doing this because I’ve never seen her like this before. I don’t know much about all that mate stuff, but I know my sister. She wouldn’t fall for someone who goes around killing people… but if you did—”
“Lori, stop it.” Jasmine narrowed her eyes. “So, we first have to get details about Andy’s whereabouts the night that Jana was killed. And you, Eneko. You can either help us or send us out there to go after a killer all by ourselves…”
Eneko sighed. What was the likelihood that they’d actually do something to put themselves in danger? This wasn’t an ideal situation, not by a long shot, but if it kept them all busy… and maybe if they knew more about what was going on, perhaps they wouldn’t be so eager to go chasing off on their own interrogations and put themselves in danger.
“I had to chase Andy off a few times when he was ignoring Jana’s requests for time alone, but I don’t think he’d hurt her. This was done by someone with a lot more rage.”
“I heard him threatening you the night Jana was killed.” Jasmine shivered. “That sounded like a lot of rage.”
Eneko nodded, then his shoulders relaxed as he remembered something. “It wasn’t him. There were no bruises on his hands.”
Lori sucked on her teeth. “I agree with Hottie.”
Jasmine sighed.
“I found the nerd at a café earlier. Pulled out all the flirting stops and didn’t get a single response. He seemed really cut up. We still need to make sure it wasn’t him, but I think it’s safe to rule him out for now. So, who else had a beef with the victim? Any old boyfriends she cheated on or something?”
“Yeah.” Eneko sat down. “The so-called ‘witness’ that spoke up against me? He was Jana’s old boyfriend and she had a restraining order out on him.”
Both women’s heads jerked up. They stared at him with wide eyes and eventually Jasmine threw her hands into the air. “Of course! Here’s a man that the woman was clearly afraid of enough to get a restraining order out on, he must be telling the truth about who killed her. This makes me so sick. I am so tired of being told that I should be ashamed of what makes me me.”
Eneko squeezed her hand. He knew how she felt. Lori glanced between them and typed something into her computer. The clicking of the letters brought him back to the craziness they were attempting and he withdrew.
“So, what is this guy’s name?” Lori gazed at him, waiting.
“Jerimiah Wilder,” Eneko sighed. “And I don’t think it’ll be as easy to get information about him as it was with Andy.”
“Don’t worry.” Jasmine’s face was grim. “My sister isn’t going anywhere near that man.”