For Him, I Would

Chapter Thirty-One - People from the past.

Jamie looked out of place in the bar with his suit on. Oakley was pretty sure Kayce had picked this place just so Jamie wouldn't have the upper hand, but then again, Kayce wasn't usually that tactical like his sister.

Once Jamie had sat across the booth from them, and they had ordered drinks and something to snack on, he seemed to relax slightly. Oakley studied the older man, it looked like he had aged five years since the last time she saw him. She wondered what he did during his days off, did he have friends? A girlfriend? Boyfriend? Jamie was always a mystery to Oakley, but there was something about him that made her care for him.

"How is Beth doing?" Jamie asked.

"She's home," Oakley answered. "Getting better every day."

"Still nothing about who did it?" Jamie looked at Kayce. 

"Was hoping that would be what you found out?" Kayce sighed. Oakley noticed him run his hands up and down his thighs a few times. She knew it wasn't because it was warm, seeing as there was fresh snow coming down as they had walked inside this place.

"I didn't find out much," Jamie reached into his briefcase and pulled out a file. "Seems like John Adams was a ghost before he showed up here as John Adams."

"What do you mean?" Oakley asked.

"There's nothing on him prior to showing up when you met him," Jamie looked at Oakley as he handed the file to Kayce. Oakley leaned against Kayce as he opened the file.

There was a picture of John Adams stapled to the left side and then a copy of his last W-2 form stating he worked for Epix Holdings Unlimited.

"What's Epix Holdings?" Oakley asked, looking at Jamie.

"A subsidiary of Swartz & Meyer," Jamie said. "Same one Beth Dutton was employed with."

Oakley was confused and turned her head to look at Kayce who was staring at Jamie. The way the two men looked at each other Oakley could tell there was a big meaning behind this. She leaned back in the booth and pulled her beer glass towards her.

"Think it could be them?" Jamie asked Kayce.

"Ain't nothing left of them," Kayce answered lowly.

"Partners? Accomplices?" Jamie pushed.

Kayce shook his head no. Oakley wanted to ask what they were talking about, but she also didn't want Kayce to shut down remembering Oakley was there. Obviously, something happened in the past when Oakley wasn't around.

"That's all I could find," Jamie sighed. "I could look into Epix, but I need to be cautious using my credentials."

"I can ask Beth," Kayce said.

"She can't attack them, Kace," Jamie frowned. "She needs to stay clear of them."

"She ain't gonna listen to me," Kayce shrugged.

"Make her," Jamie snapped. "She gets involved and everything is blown. Everything comes back into the spotlight."

"I can try," Kayce said.

"Don't try, do it," Jamie glanced around. "I almost lost my license with that shit."

"You chose to help," Kayce argued. "Don't remember a gun to your head."

"There's always a gun to our heads," Jamie frowned.

The three of them were quiet for a moment. Oakley felt herself take a deep breath from next to Kayce.

"I'll look into Epix," Jamie sighed, finishing his whiskey. "Let me know if Daddy's princess knows anything but don't tell her I'm helping."

"Not gonna lie to Beth," Kayce shook his head. "If she asks, I'm telling."