Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper Volume One: Books 1-5 by Elaine Viets

Author:Elaine Viets [Viets, Elaine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781625675590
Publisher: JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.
Published: 2021-09-29T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Was there an escape clause in the wedding vows? Did “in sickness and in health” also mean in jail and without a job? Jake Bohannon had dragged Alyce into a murder, and Josie was powerless to help her.

Alyce had shared Jake’s success, but she deserved to. She’d devoted her life to his career. She gave dinners for the firm’s partners and major clients, served on committees, ran his household, and cared for their son. Now she would share his shame.

What did Josie know about the man who could destroy her friend’s life?

Nothing. I didn’t even know his real name, she thought. Josie’d had no idea Jake had been baptized Milton. She wondered if that was a family name. She knew Jake came from old St. Louis money. He’d gone to the right schools. He lunched at the Missouri Athletic Club and golfed at the St. Louis Country Club. He was on the board of two or three charities.

But Josie could get that information from his résumé.

She knew nothing about Jake the man. What did he want? What would he do to get it? Would he sacrifice his wife and son? Josie had no idea.

When she’d talked to Jake on the phone, he was always polite. But people of his class wore good manners like good tailoring. Josie never knew what faults they hid. She’d met Jake a few times, but couldn’t picture him clearly. She remembered a long patrician face, dark hair, broad, slightly hunched shoulders, and white manicured hands.

In person Jake had been courteous but distant, as if he couldn’t quite place her. “Josie, right?” he’d said the second time he’d met her. When he went through the same routine the next time they met, Josie felt she was not important enough for Jake to remember.

About a year ago, Josie finally admitted to herself that she didn’t like Jake. She struggled to keep this secret from Alyce. Josie felt she had no business criticizing any woman’s mate. She’d made her own mistakes. At least Jake never sold drugs, like the men she loved.

Now she sat in Alyce’s kitchen, staring at Joanie Protzel’s artfully arranged deli platter and wondering what she was going to say. Josie picked up an onion bloom and absently twirled it, then pulled the leaves off a carrot rose.

If Amelia did that, I’d tell her to stop playing with her food, Josie thought. How can I help Alyce? What can I say that won’t sound like I’m criticizing her husband? Josie prayed for tact, something she had in short supply. She felt no sudden infusion of wisdom. She couldn’t sit there torturing innocent vegetables. Might as well start.

“If Jake’s innocent—,” Josie said.

“He is,” Alyce said. The two words cut off any doubt.

“Why are the police so eager to go after an innocent man?” Josie asked.

“They’re desperate,” Alyce said. “They falsely arrested a young African-American. It was an outrageous mistake. They’re facing major lawsuits, plus a boycott of the Dorchester Mall. So they turned around and arrested a rich white man.

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