Page 13 of Cold Hard Cash

But he was also the same cop who had arrested his father, testified against him at the trial, and kept Jimmy from seeing him. Their relationship had been rocky and finally broke when Jimmy turned eighteen. He had demanded to see his father, and Augustus had again refused to let him. Jimmy ran away that night and never looked back.

“Figured I would find you here,” Augustus said, offering a strained smile. “Maury keepin’ you out of trouble, Jimmy?”

“I’m keepin’ him wherever the fuck he wants to be,” Maury snapped back. “Preferably as far away from you as fuckin’ possible.”

“I’m here to talk to Jimmy, not you,” Augustus said sternly before turning a pleading gaze toward Jimmy. “You look good, son.”

Jimmy was stiff, unsure of the warring emotions tearing away inside him. He hadn’t seen Augustus in several years. He had tried to visit Jimmy a few times to make amends, but they always fell back into the same argument that tore them apart in the first place.

Jimmy knew his father was innocent.

Augustus refused to believe him.

It was how Jimmy first fell into debt, trying to pay a lawyer to look at his father’s case and get it reopened. Lawyers were expensive, and it didn’t take long to rack up a huge bill. When he’d run out of money, he had started borrowing from Maury and ended up with the huge mess he was in now.

Of all the feelings Jimmy had racing through him, he settled on anger. He scowled, saying bitterly, “I’m not your son, Augustus.”

“Jimmy—”

“Why are you here?” Jimmy demanded. “What do you want?”

“I just wanna talk to you.” Augustus held out his hands as he approached.

“Oh yeah?” Jimmy scoffed defiantly. “About what? About how you left my father to rot in prison after you arrested him? How you kept me from seeing him for all those years, even when I cried? Even when I begged you?”

Augustus flinched, but he didn’t deny a word.

Jimmy was feeling pretty confident. He’d slept with the most notorious crime boss in all of Strassen Springs, and he had over a thousand dollars in his pocket. He planted his hands on his hips, chin held high. “How about when it was his birthday, and you wouldn’t even let me send him a card? Or when he had to have surgery because his appendix almost burst, do you remember that? He almost died in prison, and you still wouldn’t let me go see him!”

“Fuckin’ scumbag,” Maury said in support, giving Jimmy an approving nod.

Augustus took every jab with a regretful expression and appeared ready to let Jimmy vent as much as he wanted.

“Well?” Jimmy sneered, spurred on by Maury’s encouragement. “What is it? What could we possibly have to freakin’ talk about?”

“About why you were in Roderick Legrand’s hotel room last night,” Augustus replied with a heavy sigh.

Oh crap.

“I wasn’t… Th-that…” Jimmy’s face turned bright red. He had always been a terrible liar, but especially to Augustus. The man’s stern glare made Jimmy’s insides turn to jelly, and he stumbled to find the right words. “Th-th-that’s none of your business.”

“As one of the investigators on a homicide case where Roderick Legrand is the lead suspect, yeah, it is,” Augustus replied gravely.

Homicide?

Jimmy gulped.

“How did you know I was there?” he accused, a new spark of anger giving him strength to bite back. “Are you having people follow me?”

Augustus grimaced. “No, Jimmy. But I got plenty of people watching Legrand.”

With a huff, Jimmy retreated until his back hit the counter. He felt Maury’s hand clap on his shoulder and give a reassuring squeeze.

“Unless he’s under arrest, he ain’t got nothin’ to say to you,” Maury snarled. “I think it’s mighty strange you only came lookin’ for Jimmy when you think he might be useful t’yous. How about you step off, Augustus?”

“I don’t know what kind of trouble this crook has gotten you into with Roderick Legrand,” Augustus said, his eyes tearful as he jerked a finger at Maury, “but I can help you, Jimmy. Whatever it is, just be honest with me, please.”

“Help me?” Jimmy scoffed in disbelief. “I asked you to help me get my dad out. I asked you for access to the case files so I could look into it myself. I asked you… I asked you for money when I was hungry, and you…” He was angry and overwhelmed, his voice cracking as he snapped, “I don’t need any help from you!”