WEB OF DECEIT (Clean Mystery Suspense) (Detective Jason Strong Mysteries Book 19) by John C. Dalglish

Author:John C. Dalglish [Dalglish, John C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-05-22T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Jason and Vanessa headed back to the precinct just before dinnertime. Vanessa was getting that “I’m feeling weak due to lack of food” look, which Jason had learned to recognize a long time ago.

“Get a bite to eat on the way back?”

“Great idea. Where?”

“Well, we’ll be going past Stum—”

Her head bobbed. “Exactly what I was thinking!”

Jason smiled. “Okay, then, Stumpy’s it is.”

Twenty minutes later, he parked, and they got in line. Stumpy’s BBQ used to be a secret—frequented by officers and city workers in the know—but those days were long gone. The saucy ribs and onion ring loaves had become part of San Antonio’s fabric, which meant lines. Still, the service was fast and the food worth the wait.

Jason had a half-rack of ribs, Vanessa a pulled pork sandwich, and they shared a loaf of onion rings. The loaves were made by stuffing hand-breaded onions into a fry basket, then dumping them in hot oil before turning them upside down on a plate. About as far from healthy as dancing is from dead, but oh so good.

Jason rarely passed up an opportunity to enjoy them. “These are amazing.”

“So you’ve mentioned before, while trying to eat my half of the loaf!”

“What’s that you say?”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t try your innocent tone on me. I’m having none of it. In fact”—she reached across with a knife and sliced the loaf in half—“there. You have yours, and I have mine.”

“Your half is larger than mine!”

“Oh, quit your whining.” She spun the plate to reverse the halves. “There! Happy?”

“Yes.”

“You two sound like a married couple!”

Jason and Vanessa looked up. Libby Turner stood next to their table.

“Fortunately, that’s not the case.” Vanessa grimaced. “Hi, Libby.”

Jason had his mouth full but raised a hand to say hi.

The city crime reporter from the San Antonio News smiled down at them. “I’d ask to join you, but I was just leaving.”

Vanessa smirked. “I’d ask you to join us, but you were just leaving.”

Libby’s long red hair was pulled into a ponytail, and her green eyes sparkled. She made an exaggerated pout. “Oh, come on, Vanessa. Don’t be like that.”

Vanessa, her mouth now full, mumbled something that resembled, “Like what?”

“Okay, I’ll leave you be. I just wondered if you had any comment on the JLM killings.”

Jason swallowed hard. “JLM killings?”

“Yeah. Don’t you two read the paper?”

“Is that the name you’ve chosen this time around?”

Libby grinned. “Gotta have a hook.”

“If you say so. No, we don’t have a comment right now.”

“Why? Not getting anywhere with the investigation?”

Jason refused to take the bait. “It’s not that at all. The fact is, we have a policy.”

“Policy?”

“Yeah.” Jason stared up at her. “We never comment on cases while eating.”

Libby inclined her head to one side. “That’s a policy?”

He deadpanned. “It is now.”

She grunted. “Fine. I can tell when I’m being put off. You two enjoy your meal, and we’ll catch up sometime when you’re not eating.”

Jason smiled. “Sounds good. Thanks for understanding.”

Her tone turned petulant. “Of course.”

He watched her leave then looked at Vanessa.

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