Bad News Travels
- Автор: Суэйн Джеймс
- Серия: Lancaster & Daniels #3
- Год: 2020
- Язык: английский
- Год: Thomas & Mercer
- ISBN: 978-1-5420-1644-5
- Жанр: Триллеры
Электронная книга - «Bad News Travels». Краткое содержание книги:
No sooner do they arrive than suspicions are aroused. There’s the pair of Russians who seem to be watching every move the family makes. A final, cryptic phone call Martin Daniels made to his granddaughter. Strange blood evidence on his estate. More than $1 million missing from Martin’s account. And his cell phone, wiped clean, along with clues to a double life. To Beth, it’s disturbingly clear: the man she loved was a stranger.
As she and Jon delve into Martin’s past, they have no idea where the secrets will take them. Or how dangerous it will be to expose the conspiracies, the cover-ups, and the terrible truths of Martin’s life — and death.
“A pity,” Vinson said. “Clive vanished like a puff of smoke. Which means he was probably guilty. I hope they catch him.”
“Eventually, they will. It’s a lot harder to hide than it used to be. Now, let me tell you why I’m here. My father was Martin Daniels.”
Vinson’s mouth opened, but no words came out. She took a moment to compose herself. Then she said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t make the connection. You bear a resemblance to your father. You have his eyes.”
“No need to apologize. It’s a common last name. I’m conducting an investigation into my father’s death, and was hoping you could help me.”
“An investigation? Is there something wrong?”
“It appears that my father was being extorted. Were you aware of this?”
“Martin never mentioned anything like that to me.”
“Did you speak with him often?”
“When he was on the board, we often lunched together.”
“How often was this?”
“About once a week.”
“Is it true that my father was fired because an intern caught him looking at pornographic videos on his cell phone during a board of directors meeting?”
Vinson’s face reddened. “Who told you that?”
“Dr. Sircy. She told my partner that my father was a porn addict, and that he got caught many times watching it. Did you ever catch him?”
“I’m afraid so. It was in the elevator. I caught a fleeting image of a couple rolling around in the sheets. The sound was the tip-off.”
“You heard something?”
“The female was having a loud orgasm. I cleared my throat, and your father put his cell phone away and said that he needed to stop opening junk email.”
“Did you believe him?”
“No. I’d already heard the rumors. This just confirmed them.”
“Did this occur before or after the intern complained?”
“It happened before.”
“Why didn’t you take action?”
Vinson shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She was a person of authority, and not used to being put in the hot seat. “Your father was such a valuable addition to our staff that I was willing to overlook his transgressions. In hindsight, that was a mistake, but I can’t promise you that I wouldn’t make it again.”
Daniels smiled. Her father was a charmer, and had many fans. Yet for reasons she still did not completely comprehend, he’d destroyed everything by letting an obsession get the better of him. It made his demise that much more tragic.
“Dr. Sircy said that your board meetings were videotaped, and that a video exists of the incident between my father and the intern. Do you still have it?”
“I do,” Vinson said. “It’s on my laptop.”
“I’d like to see it.”
“I would have to speak with the hospital’s legal counsel first.”
“Why would you have to do that?”
“The video was shown during a hearing as evidence. I’m bound by privacy rules not to release it. I would need to get our attorney’s permission.”
“Which he probably won’t give you.”
“Probably not.”
“Let me explain what will happen then,” Daniels said. “I will go to a judge, and tell him that you didn’t hand over a piece of evidence to me, which you are legally required to do, since I’m with the FBI. The judge will issue an order requiring you to turn over your laptop. I will review everything on it, and find the video myself. I’ll also keep the laptop until my investigation is completed, which might be a while. I suggest you save yourself the embarrassment, and show me the video right now.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“I most certainly am.”
Chapter 24
Lancaster drank coffee in the cafeteria while cleaning out emails on his cell phone. There were hundreds, and most of them were junk or scammers posing as young women with alluring first names wishing to establish a relationship. They were obviously fake, and he wondered how anyone ever fell for them.
He got a text from Nicki.
Hi, Jon! Can you talk?
He considered not responding. Nicki needed to go back to her classes, and stay out of their investigation. But there was always the chance that she’d found something valuable that would move things forward. If that was the case, then not responding would be a huge mistake.
Sure,
he texted back.
Is Aunt Beth nearby?
No, I’m by myself.
His phone’s screen lit up. “Hey, what’s up?”
“My mom threatened to pull me out of my CSI class if I didn’t stop sticking my nose into your case,” the teenager said. “Was that Aunt Beth’s idea?”
“No, it wasn’t. But it was a good one. We’re dealing with dangerous people. You could put yourself in harm’s way if you’re not more careful.”
“But I am being careful.”
“It’s your mom’s decision, Nicki, and you need to honor it.”
“Okay. Last night, I dug up some more information about the four men in Saint Augustine who got the hands on their doorsteps. There’s some interesting stuff there. Can I send it to you? I don’t want it to go to waste.”
A bell rang. He realized that Nicki was calling him from school. He wanted to say no, just to get her to stop, but also wanted to see what she’d unearthed.
“Interesting in what way?” he asked.
“Their backgrounds,” she said. “There are a lot of parallels. They were older, like Grandpa, but they all worked, and were very successful. It made me wonder if they were being extorted, like Grandpa.”
“Who told you your grandfather was being extorted?”
“I heard my mom tell my dad about all the missing money from his bank accounts. I put two and two together, and figured that was going on.”
He found himself nodding. Because Sircy had said that her mummified hand was intended to keep her quiet, he’d assumed this was why the others had received hands as well. But that might not have been the case. Perhaps Martin’s boating buddies were also being shaken down by the Russians.
“Send it to me,” he said.
“You’re not going to tell Aunt Beth, are you? CSI is my favorite class.”
“I’ll tell her I made the link myself, and steal your glory.”
“Thanks, Jon.”
He said goodbye and disconnected. He had company. The three uniformed police officers who’d been eating now stood beside his table, wearing menacing looks. The one in the middle wore a greasy butter stain on his shirt.
“Morning, Officers,” he said.
“You need to come with us,” the cop with the stain said.
He was taken to the parking lot and frisked. His Glock 43 drew sneers. It was the smallest handgun that Glock made, just over an inch wide and six inches long, and the cops tossed it between them like it was a beach toy.
“I wouldn’t be caught dead carrying this,” one of them said.
“Hell, my wife wouldn’t carry something this small,” the second said.
“Frisk him again, just to be safe,” Butter Stain told them.
They searched him again. One of the cops stuck his hand into Lancaster’s open shirt, feeling under his armpits for a hidden weapon, and busted a button.
“He’s clean,” one of them said.
“Good. Hands behind your back,” Butter Stain said.
“Is this really necessary?” Lancaster asked.
“Shut your mouth, and do as you’re told.”
“Are you arresting me?”
“I said, shut up.”
He put his hands behind his back and was cuffed. They walked him over to a parked cruiser and shoved him into the back seat. The interior was hot as an oven, and the cops stood outside shooting the breeze while he baked inside the vehicle. Soon his clothes were drenched in sweat and his hair was matted on his forehead.