Read Online Dial Emmy for Murder by Eileen Davidson - Free Book Online

with?”
    “Some of them,” he said. “One or two are still denying it—due to husbands, boyfriends—but whatever the reasons, I’m sure they’ll come around.”
    Our waitress came over and Jakes asked me, “Coffee?”
    “Please.”
    “Any dessert?” she asked Jakes, pointedly ignoring me.
    We ordered our desserts and she went off.
    “Are you surprised?” he said.
    “About what?”
    “Jackson being bi or gay?”
    “Believe me,” I said, “those photos in your pocket are a shock to me.”
    “Because it was a man, or because it was Henri?”
    “Either way.”
    “Well,” he said, “I’ll have someone go through Jackson’s address book with a new eye.”
    “How’s your partner, by the way?” I asked. “Still . . . mad at me?”
    “I think he’s more hurt than mad,” he said. “He thinks you’ve . . . Tiffany’s abandoned him.”
    Len Davis had been a big soap fan when I met him—and an even bigger Tiffany fan, the character I had played on The Yearning Tide .
    “You know, I was never sure if that was an act or not with him.”
    “Oh, it’s no act. He’s a real soap junkie—particularly The Yearning Tide —and especially when it comes to you—or Tiffany.”
    My coffee arrived, and the rest of the meal went by too quickly. “I have a question,” I said, when we were in the car, driving back to Henri’s place.
    “What is it?”
    “If Jackson’s been sleeping with men as well as women, he’s been keeping it quiet,” I said. “Why would he allow those pictures to be taken?”
    “You know,” he said, “that’s a very good question—and with both of them dead, we’ll probably never get an answer.”
     
    He pulled up in front of the building. All but one of the official cars were gone. The one left might have been the original car that responded to my call.
    Before I got out and switched to my car, I asked, “What about the man I saw running out of the building? Was he a tenant?”
    “Could be,” Jakes said. “We got a description of tenants from the building manager, and the guy could be a match. I’ll have to check it out.” He put his hand on my arm as I reached for the door. “Before you get out of the car, Alex, I have a question for you.”
    “Okay.”
    “Why the hell did you go into that apartment?” he asked. “Didn’t you think about the danger?”
    “Only at the very end,” I said, “when I found the door open. But when I was ringing the bell and getting no answer, it never occurred to me that anything was wrong. I just thought he wasn’t hearing me.”
    “Even when that other man came running out of the building?”
    “Like I said,” I answered, “I thought he was a tenant.”
    “And like I said, he might be,” Jakes said. “I’ll find out, but I still wish you hadn’t gone into the apartment when you did. You could have gotten hurt. Where’s your damn boyfriend, anyway? Isn’t he supposed to be watching out for you?”
    “First of all, he’s out of town,” I said, bristling, “and second, no, he’s not supposed to be looking out for me. I generally look out for myself.”
    “Okay,” he said, backing off. “I didn’t mean—Hell, after what happened last year—and the other night—I just wish you’d be a little more cautious.”
    I stared at him for a moment and then relented and said, “I guess that’s good advice.” I felt my eyes welling up again. Oh, shit! I didn’t want to go all girlie on him again. So I looked down at my hands and played with my ring finger. I looked up and Jakes was staring at me.
    “What?” I said defensively.
    “Isn’t there something else you want to tell me?”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just . . . tired. And I miss Sarah. That’s all.” I tried to look blasé.
    “Really?” he asked, looking surprised. “That’s it? I kinda thought you’d fight me a bit more.”
    “I don’t want to fight anybody, Jakes,” I said. I was so close to telling him about my ex. I