“But Mandy —”
“Listen to her, Jane,” Gabriel commented from the back.
I glanced back at him to tell him to mind his own business but then saw the seriousness in his face. “Did you have a vision?”
“No,” Gabriel said, meeting my eyes. “I just know someone like O’Connor, and you won’t win any points apologizing. He’ll just take it the wrong way.”
Huffing, I collapsed against my chair sinking down with my arms over my chest. “People are so sensitive nowadays. Can’t take a joke.”
“No,” Mandy said softly after a moment. “They just can’t handle your kind of jokes.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I arched a brow, my lips pressed into a thin line.
“I love you, Jane. You know that.” Mandy glanced my way before looking back at the road. “But you tend to find people’s weaknesses and poke at them. Relentlessly.”
“No, I don’t,” I argued.
“Yes, you do,” Mandy countered, and there was an echo.
I twisted around to see Lucifer in the back seat with Gabriel. The two of them filled the whole back seat of Mandy’s car. Lucifer had an amused gleam in his eyes, and the one side of his lips tipped up in the corner, making him look particularly wicked.
“When did you get here?” I asked, letting my eyes trail up and down his lounging form.
“About the time your friend here tried to kill you all.” Lucifer gestured toward Mandy with a curious look. “And I must agree, pet. You would give me a run for my money in the torture department. Funny thing is you don’t even realize you’re doing it.” Lucifer chuckled. “That’s what makes it so damn sexy.”
I gave Lucifer an exasperated look. “It’s not sexy to be mean to people. Only the Devil would think so.”
Lucifer arched a brow.
Shaking my head, I sighed. “Never mind.”
“Who’s back there now?” Mandy asked. She had slowed down a bit so that I didn’t have to worry about wetting my pants anytime soon. Lucky me, since I was running out of pants as it was.
“Lucifer,” I said.
“Is Gabriel still here too?” she asked as she pulled into the parking lot of The Other Side Apartment Complex.
I nodded.
“Good, we could use both of them then.” She parked in front of a building, I wasn’t sure how she knew which one. Probably had the address from before. O’Connor came in behind us a few minutes later as we were getting out of the car.
“Got the warrant?” Mandy asked O’Connor, she avoided eye contact with him, staring at his chest instead. Man, I’d really stepped over the line.
“Right here,” O’Connor answered, holding up a piece of paper. “We should get moving in case he decides to bolt.”
“You didn’t tell him?” I glanced at Mandy who didn’t look at me. Letting out a huff, I looked at O’Connor. He had a kind of guarded expression. I think it was safe to say he was still mad.
“Tell me what?” O’Connor asked, but before I could open my mouth, he held his hand up. “The next thing out of your mouth better be something useful.”
I pressed my lips together tightly and raised my brows. After a moment, I said, “Can I talk now?” O’Connor inclined his head slightly. “I’ve been telling Mandy here, I mean, Detective Stevenson,” - I shook my head - “so weird to call you that. Anyway, this Jack guy isn’t going to be taking off or putting up a fight.”
Detective O’Connor crossed his arms over his chest his eyes narrowing. “And why is that?”
“Cause he’s dead,” I said matter-a-fact.
Dropping his arms, Detective O’Connor spun around without commenting and started toward the building. I followed him and Mandy, the guys close on my tail. The fact that they hadn’t added their own commentary yet was a miracle.
“You really got to this guy, didn’t you?” Lucifer chuckled, brushing his shoulder against mine. The tingles trailed down my arm, and I had the urge to scratch at it.
I grimaced but didn’t elaborate, though I’m sure he was dying to hear all about it. Who said I couldn’t learn new tricks? See? Progress.
Thankfully, the apartment we were looking for was on the bottom floor. I had enough stairs going up to my own apartment, my butt didn’t need any more of a workout. Really, it wouldn’t be fair to womankind.
Detective O’Connor knocked on the door. There was no answer. Knocking again, he said, “Jack Adams, it’s the Blessed Falls Police Department. We have a few questions to ask you.” Still no answer.
“Maybe he’s not home,” I commented, my hands behind my back, stifling a grin.
Mandy glared at me. “I checked with Jack’s mother. She said he should be here. He’s living on disability. Something about getting out of the military because of PTSD.”
Detective O’Connor knocked once more and still no answer. “I’m going to get a key from the super.”
“You’re not just going to kick down the door?” I gestured toward the door with a frown.
Shooting me an exasperated look, Detective O’Connor told Mandy, “I’ll be right back. Make sure she doesn’t touch anything.”
I gasped. “How rude. Like I would mess with an investigation.”
Mandy pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. We waited a few minutes for Detective O’Connor to come back. Lucifer and Gabriel leaned against the wall next to me, making the grungy hallway look just a little brighter and a whole lot sexier.
I shifted in place, my hands tucked in my pockets, and I glanced between the two of them. Lucifer caught my gaze and held it, making my toes curl. What happened with Michael was on the tip of my tongue, and I wanted so badly to tell him. The prospect of having both of them really had me anxious and horny.
“Stop that,” Mandy said as Detective O’Connor approached with the apartment manager.
“What?” I asked innocently.
“You know what you’re doing,” Mandy whispered before looking at Detective O’Connor. “All good?”
“Yeah, this is Phil.” Detective O’Connor pointed a thumb back at a short rail-thin guy, who looked so happy to be there on a Sunday. I feel ya, buddy. I feel ya.
We waited for Phil to unlock the door and then followed him in. O’Connor and Mandy went in first, but before I could enter, Mandy called out, “Jane, get in here.”
I rushed into the room and stopped right behind them, where, in the middle of the living room, Jack Adams had hung himself.
16
Not to speak badly of the dead, but Jack Adams was a slob. A pizza box stacking. Can collecting. Slob.
Really, would it have hurt this guy to clean up occasionally? I could hardly move in his dingy apartment without stepping on a piece of trash.
I shook my foot free of a fast food wrapper and turned to Mandy.
“Don’t say it,” Mandy warned, cutting me off before I could even say anything.
I held my hands up, my eyes going wide. “I wasn’t going to.” Though inside, I was going nah nana nah nah. I did tell her. And tell her. And tell her. But did anyone listen to me? No, I’m just the crazy girl who sees angels.
“How did you know about this?” Detective O’Connor glared at me as if I had strung Jack Adams up with his belt and made him jump off the chair.
I was trying not to look at the guy hanging there. His eyes were bulging from his head, his skin gray. The smell alone made me want to gag. I had only ever seen a dead body at a funeral. This was so not the same.
“This man has been dead for a few days already.” Lucifer circled around Jack like a vulture taking in his meal. “His soul has long passed.”
I raised a brow at him but didn’t comment. I didn’t need to ask him how he knew. He was the Devil. Souls were what he dealt with every day.
Turning my attention to the suspicious detective, I said, “I heard it from the beyond.”
“From the beyond?” Detective O’Connor scoffed and rubbed his jaw. “As in beyond the grave? Did this Jack Adams speak to you, or did someone else tell you we’d find him dead?”
I shrugged. “I don’t always know who is talking to me.”