She could waste the next hour trying to track down the retired detective’s cell phone number herself, or she could text Holliday and have the number in two minutes. Jessica picked up her cell phone and tapped out the message. Her finger hovered over the send button. She read the text again.

Need to speak to Geersen. Can you send me his cell no. please? JS.

She paused. Should she reference what almost happened last night?

“Oh, just send the damn text, will you,” she muttered.

Jessica hit send. Then spent the next seventy-three seconds staring at the tiny screen waiting for a reply. Even though she was expecting the text, she still jumped when the cell beeped and bounced across the desk. She snatched it up and read the message.

Hey there! Bill’s on a cruise and can’t be contacted by cell, he wants to get away from it all with the anniversary approaching xx

Two kisses. Jessica felt slightly embarrassed by the thrill of delight that coursed through her at the gesture.

She mentally crossed Bill Geersen off her list for the time being. She found Garrett Thomas’s business card in her wallet and punched in the number for the reporter’s direct line. Nobody answered, and she remembered it was Sunday. She tried his cell. He picked up after two rings.

“This is Garrett.”

“Hey, Garrett, it’s Jessica Shaw. I spoke to you the other—”

“The pretty PI. I remember. Please tell me you’re calling with a story or offering to take me to lunch later. Or both. That would work.”

Jessica laughed. “I’m afraid not on both counts. I’m actually trying to get hold of someone and thought you might be able to help. A reporter by the name of Jim Johnson. Does he still work for the paper?”

“Nah. Johnson left the Reformer way before my time. Worked for the Los Angeles Times for a while. A fantastic operator in his day, from what I’ve heard. Probably retired now, though.”

“No idea how I can contact him?”

“Nope, sorry. Never had any dealings with him myself. Is this about the case you’re working on? What was it about again?”

“Oh, just a woman who lived in Eagle Rock for a short spell with her kid years ago. A family member is trying to trace her. Some small inheritance involved. No big deal but I thought this Jim Johnson guy might have been able to help me track them down.”

“You sure there’s no story there? Because right now I’m writing about Eagle Rock’s annual music festival, and unless anything better comes up, it’s going to be next week’s splash.”

“Sounds pretty cool,” Jessica said, changing the subject. “When’s it happening?”

“Last night. And it was pretty cool. Lots of live bands and dancing and food trucks along Colorado Boulevard. But not exactly ‘hold the front page’ kind of stuff.”