Page 21 of Shadows Redeemed
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.
