“Look, all I need is for you to meet the kid. Show him that drugs are bad for his health.”
Granger rubbed a hand over his smoothly shaved head. “An intervention, Granger style?”
Jonas nodded. “Keep him from being Valdez’s bitch and I’ll owe you big-time.”
Granger picked up his fork and tapped it against the counter. Jonas noticed his friend performed the ritual whenever he needed to think through a problem. Jonas found it irritating as hell.
After a few seconds, Granger said, “I sort of like the idea of you owing me.”
“Figured you would.” Jonas thought of the skinny Cade meeting the big badass Granger Manet. “Uh, we are on the same page here, right? You’re just going to scare him a little.”
“Let me worry about that,” he said as he glared at the waitress. “You just arrange the meeting.”
What had he just gotten the kid into? Jonas recalled the look of defeat on Ray’s face when he’d come into his office. As if reading his thoughts, Granger said, “I’m not going to hurt him. Relax.”
“Never doubted you for a second, buddy,” Jonas lied.
“Whatever.” Granger glared harder at the waitress. As if sensing him, the woman turned and started in their direction. Jonas noticed the softening in Granger’s eyes. To anyone else it would’ve been imperceptible. But Jonas had been friends with the guy too long. “You come here for the food, huh?” Jonas said, grinning.
“Jonas?”
“Yeah?”
“Scram,” he growled.
Jonas barely suppressed a laugh as he stood and took out his wallet. He tossed a few bills onto the counter. “Breakfast is on me,” Jonas said; then he left Granger to his bizarre courtship. His next stop was Ray’s house. It was time they had a little chat.
When he pulled into the drive, he saw Ray’s pickup truck, covered in what appeared to be months of dirt and grime. He got out of his car and grabbed his computer case and the hardware he’d brought along, then headed to the door. He knocked a
nd waited. Sometime in the middle of the night, while Jonas lay awake thinking of Deanna’s confession, he’d managed to come up with a way to keep Cade from going to the meeting on Friday and possibly get him back on the right track at the same time, but he needed to get into Ray’s home network for his plan to work.
He rang the bell and waited. After a minute, Ray appeared, looking as if someone had shoved him in the dryer and hit tumble. “You look like shit.”
Ray ran a hand over his face and moved back to let him enter. “Yeah, I haven’t showered today. Cade and I had a fight last night.”
Jonas had a feeling Ray hadn’t showered in a few days, but he kept that little thought to himself and stepped over the threshold. The first thing he noticed was the mess. Clothes and dirty dishes were scattered all over the entry hall and living room. A far cry from the neatly kept house Jonas had visited on more than one Sunday when he’d come over to watch their favorite team.
“An argument or a fight?” Jonas asked, needing clarification. “I take it you told him he needed to go to rehab.”
Ray grimaced. “A fight.” He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his black slacks. “Went over about as well as I expected too.”
Jonas slapped him on the back. “He’s pushing you right now, but he’ll come around.” Jonas squinted as his gaze connected with a bowl of something on the coffee table. “Damn, is that mold?” He shuddered. “Dude, you need a maid.”
Ray had the good grace to flinch. Jonas saw it as a good sign because at least the poor guy knew things were a wreck. Jonas supposed that was step one.
“I know. The place is a pigsty. Sorry.”
Jonas shrugged. “Get a maid, problem solved. As to Cade, I have an idea.”
Ray’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s what you said on the phone. What is it?”
Jonas held up a hand, unwilling to let Ray get his hopes up so soon. “Listen, it won’t be easy or fun, not for either of you. Can you handle it?”
“If it turns Cade around, I’m all for it.”
Jonas was glad to hear it. A dad willing to go the distance for his son was better than one turning a blind eye. Jonas pointed to the stairs. “He at school now?”
“Yeah, why?”