I stared at the little “offline” icon blinking back at me. I’m not sure how long I sat there feeling inexplicably lonely, but I was roused from my thoughts by a sandwich falling onto my desk.

I looked up to find Cal, a Coke in hand.

“Salami on sourdough.” He handed me the soda. “And a Coke.”

“Thanks.”

Cal pulled a chair to my desk and straddled it backwards, digging into his own sandwich. Something with lots of veggies on whole wheat. Probably lots healthier than my salami with extra mayo. Probably a lot less tasty, too.

“You finish your column?” Cal asked around a bite.

I nodded. “Yep.”

“Good. Now what?”

“Now,” I said, popping a pickle into my mouth, “we go see Pines.”

Chapter Ten

The Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles is the largest correctional facility in the world, housing over five thousand inmates at any given time. Located near the courthouse, its main inhabitants are those awaiting or appealing trial. A big, concrete building with a double layer of chain-link fencing surrounding the grounds, it was nothing special to look at.

Cal parked his truck in the visitor’s lot and cut the engine.

I looked up at the gray building. “Look, I really think I should go in alone this time,” I said.

Cal froze, his hand on the door handle. “No way.”

“It’s a prison. Nothing’s going to happen to me in there. I’ll be perfectly safe. Besides, I just think Pines might talk more readily to me.”

“And why is that?”

“Besides the fact that you look like The Rock and Hulk Hogan’s love child?”

He shot me a look.

“Because you suck at this whole lying thing. And if I’m going to get an exclusive, let alone information about Jake Mullins from this guy, I’m gonna need to bend the truth. A lot.”

He narrowed his eyes at me, chewing the inside of his cheek as he contemplated this. His gaze went up to the gray building. Then back to me. Then narrowed even further.

“Fine.”

“Fine?”

“But be careful.”

I nodded. “Scout’s honor,” I promised, hopping out of the car and making my way inside. I felt Cal’s eyes on my back the entire way up to the door. To be honest, it was kind of reassuring.