Jamie nodded and stood.  “I’m going to get a soda.  Can I get something for you?”  He stopped at the door.  “You and Dad do this kind of thing every day?”

Tanner chuckled.  “Not every day, thank God.  I was a detective for over 20 years before I met Ben.  I didn’t have a perfect record like Ben’s, but I was good.  We’ll figure this out.”

Tanner followed Jamie into the kitchen.  Yeah, he’d been a cop for more than 20 years before he was arrested and accused of being a dirty cop.  Ben had defended him, exposed the real criminal, and gotten Roy acquitted; but the smear was on his record.  How could there not be?  Ben discovered that Tanner’s partner, Cole Rayburn, had been skimming drugs and money on every bust that they worked.  The drugs went up Cole’s nose or he sold them back to the dealers and then he used the cash to keep a mistress in a love shack he didn’t think his wife knew about.  That’s the thing with wives though; they always know when their husband is having an affair.  Some women just prefer to let the affair fizzle out on its own, but Cole’s wife spilled her guts to Roy and Ben.  The rest was easy.  They found the other woman and then just followed the money trail.  After Tanner’s acquittal, he took early retirement and left the force.  He’d been working for Luciano & Bellini ever since.  To his way of thinking, he owed Ben Bellini and not just for keeping him out of jail.  It isn’t unusual for disgraced cops to eat their guns.

Jamie brought his can of soda and a cup of coffee for his protection detail to the kitchen table.  “The game is Friday.  How much longer am I going to need protection detail?”

Jamie remembered Joey Bellini sticking by Jess 24x7 last month when she had the stalker.  He shook his head.  Sure, Mom thought Joey was protecting Jess but Jamie had overheard Joey saying that Jess could hold her own.  Jess was a little bit of a thing, five feet four inches tall, and about 105 pounds.  She had an advantage in that people, especially men, always under estimated her.  It made him smile.  Anyone who thought Jess was helpless because of her size soon found out just how wrong that was.  Jamie on the other hand, stood six feet four inches tall and weighed in at 220 pounds.  No one ever under estimated him based on size, but anyone who thought he was defenseless was every bit as delusional.

Ben had started taking Jamie and his siblings to the gun range three years ago, just after they moved to Kansas, and then Ben had gotten Lane to enroll Jess and Jamie in self-defense classes about the same time.  Ben also took Jamie and his siblings to play paint ball or laser tag at least once a month.  Even though Jess was in L.A. now, Ben, Jake and Jamie still went.  He was anything but helpless, yet here sat Roy Tanner at the table with him, doing “protection detail.”  It was annoying.  But, if it made his mother feel safe, it was an annoyance he could live with.  For now.

Tanner thanked Jamie for the coffee. “In a homicide investigation, the first 24 to 48 hours are considered crucial. Cops generally believe if they don’t have it figured out within that timeframe, that they won’t get it figured out.  That doesn’t mean they always make an arrest in the first two days, but they usually have a suspect.  It’s only been a few hours, but believe me; Detective Duncan is working the case.”  Tanner took a drink of coffee before continuing. “Today, there are cameras everywhere.  The police will be checking traffic cameras to see who came to the school today during the time that the medical examiner gave them as the window for the time of death.  Most schools have a policy that visitors have to sign in, and they’ll be checking those logs too.  They’ll check Coach Ferguson’s phone records.  By the time it hits the news…”  Tanner checked his watch, “…in a few minutes now, the whole city will be doing everything they can to help.  No one is going to tolerate someone going into a school and committing a murder.  I expect an arrest before the game on Friday.”

Jamie’s cell phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket to read the text message.  “Dad was right; I just got a text that school is cancelled tomorrow.”

The door from the garage opened and Ben and Lane walked in.  A look passed between Ben and Tanner saying that nothing had happened while they’d been gone.

“Roy, would you like to join us at Papa’s?”  Lane asked.  As she said it, she realized she didn’t really know anything about Roy.  Whether he was married or even if he had family in the city.  Maybe he needed a place to have Thanksgiving.

“Thanks for the invitation.  I’d like that.”

Ben nodded to Jamie, “Bambino, did you check with Jake?”

“I sent him a text and he texted back.  He said to let him know when we were leaving.”

Chapter 8

Ben was pensive, torn between suggesting he ride with Tanner so they could talk privately and wanting to gather his family close, when Jamie spoke up, saying he’d ride with Tanner.  Tanner waited for a signal from Ben before he agreed.  He knew Ben wanted to protect Jamie and that Ben’s first thought would be that no one could do it as well as he could.

They walked outside.  Ben opened Lane’s door and helped her into the Escalade as Jamie and Tanner walked out to Tanner’s SUV.

As Ben backed out of the garage and reached for Lane’s hand, he said, “All right, spill.  I can hear the wheels turning.”

Lane looked at him.  He knew her so well.  “I was just thinking about Roy.  Is he married?”

“No, Tanner’s a widower.  Why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering if he had plans for Thanksgiving.  Earlier today, I invited Meg and her family to join us Thursday.”  She smiled.  “I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re in-laws before too long, so I thought it might be nice to get to know her family.  Besides, at this point, what difference would a few more people make?”

Ben gave her hand a squeeze.  He knew that Jake was doing more than just thinking about proposing to Meg.  Jake had come to him a couple of weeks ago to get some advice about buying an engagement ring.  Ben had directed him to a salesman at Tiffany’s; and Ben had called the salesman himself to give the guy a heads-up that Jake Parker was a member of Ben’s family.  “He’s like a son to me.  Take good care of him.”  Ben had told the salesman.

Since Ben exercised his Black American Express card there frequently since he had begun dating Lane, he was sure the salesman understood what he was saying.  Then Ben had told Jake that he’d be doing some Christmas shopping there himself and suggested that Jake come along.  Jake had taken him up on the offer and the two of them had dropped in last weekend.

*****

Ben had done introductions and the salesman had discussed the four c’s (Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat weight) of diamond buying with Jake.  Ben had told Jake that the old standard of spending two month’s salary on an engagement ring was just that, old.  The important thing was to buy something Meg would love and to stay within the price range that Jake had in mind.

“You don’t need to go into debt to buy the ring.”  He’d told Jake.

Ben knew that Lane had paid for college so that Jake didn’t have any student loans he needed to pay off.  He also knew Lane had given Jake money from the trust she’d learned about a few months ago and that Jake had bought a house with it.  Chances were that Jake had a sizable nest egg he could use for the engagement ring.

Jake nodded, “I see a lot of couples shopping for rings together, but you bought Mom’s ring on your own.  How did you know what she’d like?  I don’t want to open the box and have Meg look at the ring like it’s the ugliest thing she’s ever seen.”

Ben shook his head.  “I’d known your Mom for a while, and I had been noticing her jewelry all along.  But, I also had an idea of what I wanted to say with an engagement ring.  I love your Mom, and I knew she loved me so, I was as confident as I could be that she’d be happy with what I designed.  What have you noticed about the jewelry Meg wears?”