Double Cross (17 page)

7:48 P.M. MONDAY

Abby listened to Earl’s steady breathing. The TV blared a rerun of
Perry Mason
, but she refused to snatch the remote and turn it off. Lack of sound would wake Earl, and she enjoyed the alone time.

She dropped a stitch in her knitting, reworked the piece, and continued to let the needles fly through her fingers. Arthritis still evaded her as well as mind glitches, but her heart failed to join forces with her mind to live to one hundred. She must outlive Earl so Daniel wouldn’t have to bear the burden of his grandfather’s care alone.

Please, Lord. Daniel’s been through enough.

He’d stopped over earlier. Seemed preoccupied. No doubt whatever he planned to do over his presumed vacation wound him up like a top.

Putting her knitting aside, she reached for today’s mail. Not much ever there but sales circulars and funeral-planning dinners. She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Earl had received a coupon good for forty-five dollars off his next Botox treatment. A greeting card–size envelope lay in the mix with her name and address stamped in black ink. Who’d mailed a feel-good message? She opened it gingerly. The green-leafed
Thinking of you
embossed lettering touched her. How kind. Marsha must miss her at Silver Hospitality. She opened the card, one of those in which the sender writes her own message. It too was stamped in black ink.

Hi Abby,

The big day’s coming. Are you looking over your shoulder?

How sad Daniel has you locked inside your own home. He must care for you very much to have police officers around the clock. Ah, he forgets you and Earl must die naturally.

Did you enjoy the flowers? Remember our deal.

Thinking of you.

Abby flipped the envelope to check for a return address and where and when the postage had been canceled. Only the downtown post office insignia gave any indication of the sender. Could Daniel trace this? Probably not. The scammer hadn’t been successful without being smart. She tucked the card back into the envelope.

Instead of letting the card frighten her, she felt anger swell. Much like the time in Africa when a lioness charged her and Earl. All she’d done then was pull the trigger. And the big cat didn’t die naturally.

Tomorrow, when Daniel stopped by, she’d share the card. Her gaze flew to the foyer. Best she let the officer on duty be aware of a potential problem.

Abby shook her head. The danger had arrived wearing a cloak of heart attacks and natural deaths.

7:55 P.M. MONDAY

Daniel slipped to Laurel’s apartment door, gun in hand. Heavy steps moved closer and stopped.

He motioned for her to speak.

She grabbed her Glock from the kitchen counter. “Identify yourself.”

Nothing.

Daniel pointed at Laurel to repeat her question to whoever stood outside her door.

“Identify yourself?” she said.

“Morton here.”

Daniel lowered his gun, and Laurel placed hers on the table. He looked through the peephole before opening the door. “You nearly got yourself full of holes.”

“Good to see you too. Guess I should have called to alert you.” He walked inside. “Glad both of you are here. We need to strategize.” He made his way to the kitchen table and eased down, his forehead a mass of lines.

“Since you were to call me, I take it tonight’s meeting took a nasty twist.” Laurel sat across from him, and Daniel seated himself beside her.

If the look on Wilmington’s face was an indication of a failed mission, they were starting at ground zero.

“Give me a moment to regroup.” He buried his face in his hands. Was he praying
 
—or just giving the impression to deceive him and Laurel? “I’m sure Cayden had someone follow me.” Daniel thought he heard Wilmington swear under his breath. “And I’m glad Daniel is dressed as my bodyguard.” He focused on Laurel. “Do you have a Starbucks pod?”

She nodded. “I’ll get you a cup, but first tell me if this is over.”

“Not yet. Depends on who Cayden believes.”

She pulled a mug from the cabinet and proceeded to brew the coffee. “Believes what? I killed an FBI agent.”

“Solidifies your position with Cayden but not Josie.”

Daniel leaned back in his chair. “What are we dealing with?”

“Two highly intelligent people. Cayden’s intelligence propelled him through Delta Force. His medical resignation has made him angry and greedy. Josie is brilliant but a psychopath. If she has any reason to dislike you, then she’ll send you on to the next life.”

“The hitch is her,” Daniel said.

He nodded. “You hurt her pride when you refused her as Liz Austin. She followed you enough times to see you take your grandparents to the FBI and then later visit Laurel. A cop who isn’t interested is one mark against you, strike two is your grandparents
purchased two life insurance policies and that’s money in her pocket, and strike three is you’ve been seen with my girlfriend.”

Laurel set the cup in front of Wilmington with a spoon and a carton of half-and-half. “So she doesn’t trust me.”

“Josie and Cayden got into it tonight, and I’m not sure who will win out. Cayden calls the shots and yet he has this love/hate relationship with her.”

“Then I killed her half brother.”

He poured the creamer. “Another point of contention between her and Cayden. Josie ordered the hit on you without Cayden’s knowledge.” He paused. “She also sent Mrs. Hilton the flowers and note. Not sure who shot you with Phantom, but I’ll find out.”

“Thanks.”

“Cayden says he’s the boss. It’s his account in Switzerland, and he holds the money over her head. I learned about the financials when Cayden visited me in prison.” He paused. “Had to be Cayden who took the four mil. It was a means to get my attention.”

“How can you be sure?” Laurel said. “Why not Josie? Or any of the other enemies you’ve made?”

“Calm down, Laurel. It’s all money with him
 
—how I used to be. Green does the talking. It’s power and he used it.”

She closed her eyes. “You’re right. I knew that. What about Messner?”

“His death was no loss to Cayden. From what I gathered, Josie and Messner might have been trying to double-cross him.”

Daniel analyzed the information. “Is there proof she and Messner were working against him?”

“No. Cayden accused her of it. He understands taking me on as a partner includes Laurel. He might agree just to make Josie mad.”

“And I’d have to sleep with an assault rifle,” Laurel said.

Wilmington sighed. “I made it clear that after my release from prison I lost a few bodyguards, but I’d recently enlisted one
 
—C. W. Krestle. Your ID is intact, so we’re good there.”

Daniel regretted the danger for Laurel. “I keep thinking you should
have shot me instead of Thatcher. Might be easier for Fields to digest Laurel’s role.” He forced a smile at her. “Want to get rid of a cop?”

“Too coincidental,” she said. “Don’t cross me, though.”

He chuckled. “Wondering how I could keep low as Officer Hilton on vacation and Krestle the bodyguard.”

“Why not stay at my condo in the Woodlands?” Wilmington said. “I can put a couple of men on your grandparents. Daylight hours you can check on them and in between be Krestle. Like the silver, by the way.”

Could he be walking into a death trap by living with him? “SSA Preston has men watching them, but I appreciate the offer. The sooner we’re working with Cayden, the better. So if staying at your place helps cement my role, I’m game. When will he make a decision?”

“We have a meeting tomorrow at one o’clock. I’d like for you to go with me. Something big has to be in the works for him to move this fast.”

“You could ask him,” she said.

Wilmington drummed his fingers on the table. “I need to find out if October 15 means anything.”

“Why?” she said.

“Heard it mentioned tonight on a call Cayden received. He indicated invitations had been sent for the fifteenth.” He shrugged. “Something’s in the works. That’s in a little over three weeks.” He sighed. “I tried to get my hands on something for his DNA, but it didn’t happen.”

“I’ll see what I can do tomorrow,” Daniel said. “It takes a while for the lab to process it, and time is something we’re lacking.”

“Even if we get a DNA sample, that doesn’t mean the FBI has what it needs to arrest him.” Wilmington said.

Daniel looked at Laurel for a response. “If Cayden isn’t calling all the shots, then we need the partner.”

Wilmington blew out obvious exasperation. “It’s not Josie Fields. She can’t be trusted, and Cayden has no use for a hothead.”

8:30 A.M. TUESDAY

Daniel reached for a slice of Gran’s banana nut bread, doing his best to appear normal. Rain beat steadily on the roof, the sky a mass of angry clouds.

“Why are you spending your vacation days with a couple of old people?” Gran said. “Why not go hunting or catch a plane to Hawaii?”

He wished it were all that simple. “Soon, Gran.” He pulled up a pic of Trey Messner taken from the bakery’s security camera footage and showed it to her. “Not exactly a pretty sight, but do you recognize this man?”

She shook her head.

He scrolled to a second picture of him taken in Miami. This one had been computer treated with gray woven in dark-brown hair to resemble the description of the salesman who’d swindled Silver Hospitality guests.

“I know the jerk. He’s the salesman from Silver Hospitality.”

Bingo.

“Let me take a look.” Gramps was in a good place this morning. He pointed to the man. “Sure, it’s Russell Jergon, the dirty, no-good scoundrel who took our money.”

“Are you taking this to Silver Hospitality to confirm?” Gran said.

“Someone will. I’m on vacation.”

“Right. An arrest would make us all feel better,” she said.

“Not exactly. The man’s dead.”

“I hope it was done by a senior citizen,” Gramps said.

“Earl! Shame on you.”

Gramps waved her away. “Saved taxpayer money to have him housed and executed.”

“Is this from the man who opposes the death penalty?” Gran said.

“Abby girl, some no-goods can’t be rehabilitated.”

Daniel had heard this discussion before, and he’d better stop it now. “The man chased Laurel, fired at her, and she shot him. Drove the same truck that fired at us. Both times stolen license plates were used.”

Gramps held up a finger. “You ought to hold on to her. Never know when you might need an extra gun.”

“You have a point.” Daniel had no desire to discuss Laurel when everything was on hold until the scammers were arrested.

“I received a card in the mail yesterday,” Gran said.

“You didn’t tell me.” Gramps swallowed half a piece of banana bread.

“What’s the occasion?”

Gran disappeared and returned a few moments later. She placed the card before him, her fingers shaking. “Maybe your friends at the FBI can analyze this.”

Daniel opened the thinking-of-you card and read the message. He masked the fear swirling through him with a calm demeanor. “Those guys don’t give up.”

“Apparently not,” she said.

Gramps took the card. “Sniveling coward! Just let him come near my Abby.”

Daniel touched his arm. “Good men are guarding the house. You’re safe. We both know Gran is a better shot than we are.” He focused on her. “Can I take this to the FBI?”

“Sure. I wanted to burn it but thought better of it.” She lifted
her stubborn chin. “Don’t think I won’t unload on whoever’s doing this.”

“Promise me you won’t go anywhere. Not even with a bodyguard.”

“Staying here is boring,” Gran said. “I can’t experience the world.”

“Please. You asked my help in this.”

“All right. You have my word.”

11:00 A.M. TUESDAY

Daniel dropped off the greeting card to SSA Preston before driving to meet with Laurel at a park near her apartment. Being dressed as C. W. Krestle allowed him time alone with her. He had questions from his online searching, ones he preferred to have answered without Wilmington present.

The scammers were becoming more aggressive. SSA Preston reported two more cases in which the elderly claimed to have purchased life insurance policies and their bank accounts were minus several thousand dollars. Fortunately no more deaths. And with that information, Daniel renewed his commitment to find who was behind what the FBI referred to as the Leopard case. Wilmington? Cayden? Fields? Or all three?

Wilmington played into the unanswered questions. But how? Trusting him seemed like offering shelter to a psychopath.

Although the woman with Trey Messner at the bakery attempted to hide from the security camera, she’d been identified as Fields. Looked like she was more influenced by her half brother than the man holding on to the money. Or maybe that was the problem.

Daniel requested a complete psychological profile of Fields’s and Cayden’s personalities. Previous behavior would help predict how they interacted in the present. Laurel had access to all the information at her fingertips, but he’d rather request it from SSA Preston.

At the park, he found a bench where he could watch those
who entered the wooded area. Using the burner, he texted Laurel where to find him and that he had Sonic burgers and fries for lunch. Drawn into the world of treachery through a massive puzzle, he pushed aside everything else in his life to concentrate. With every moment that passed, another victim was exposed to a killer.

Five minutes later, Laurel walked his way in jeans, boots, and a blue sweater that made her golden hair sparkle. She waved and he stood. A hug would have been nice, but he’d spotted a man near a clump of trees reading. Highly unlikely. Instead he handed her the bag of food and pointed to her drink beneath the bench.

She sat and reached for a fry. “What’s up, Krestle?”

“Lots of questions and no one to answer them but you.”

“Are you going to drive me nuts? Be irritating?” She smiled. Perfectly white teeth.

“Marsha Leonard said the same thing numerous times. She prefers Gramps.”

“She might be right.” She glanced around.

“To the right. Reading.”

“Thanks,” she whispered. “What’s first?”

“Almet Pharmaceuticals. Among other drugs, they manufacture medications for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Gramps has tried them all.”

“Which are?”

“I’ll text them, but the list is Aricept, Namenda, Exelon, Razadyne, and Cognex. I’m sure you’ve been briefed with this, but I need to voice my thoughts.”

She popped a fry into her mouth. “Yes, I’ll humor you.”

“We know Cayden works for Almet, and we’ve heard about his medical leave of absence. But why hasn’t the FBI here brought him in for questioning?”

“Daniel, there’s no evidence. The Miami office is interviewing everyone there. He was one of the first ones they talked to before he left Miami.”

“You’re right. It would be Cayden’s word against Wilmington’s, and the testimony of a convicted criminal isn’t worth much in court. When will the FBI have the results from the others?”

“Soon. I could check again with SSA Preston.”

He shook his head. “I’ll ask him. If I’m a player, I don’t want to use you as a source for all my information. I need to look smart.”

“You’re challenging an FBI agent?” Her tone was teasing, and he’d already learned she covered emotion by skirting around what she really meant.

“Yes, ma’am. Whoever figures this out owes the other a steak dinner and two dozen Snickers bars.”

“A bet? You’re on. But I prefer sea bass. Hope you’re not a bad loser.”

He was, but she didn’t need to gloat over it. He winced, his emotions kicking into gear.
Push aside your feelings for her until later.
“Ready for topic number two?”

“There’s more than two?”

She was flirting, and he enjoyed every second. “What’s Morton Wilmington’s background?”

“Other than the man’s a genius?” She took a bite of her burger, and he did the same. “He was in and out of trouble as a teen, then supposedly got on the right track in college. Received his master’s in business management. Sometime after that he went to work for a well-off family in Chicago. Taught him how to launder money
 
—basically lie, cheat, and steal. Sort of a
Godfather
scenario. Wilmington slipped away before facing arrest and joined the Army.”

“What about his growing-up years?”

“His parents were hardworking, blue-collar people. According to him, they were good and moral. He simply wanted what others had and didn’t care how he got it. In fact, he didn’t believe he had a conscience. Go figure with his new supposed stand on God.”

Daniel mentally stored the man’s background. No conscience meant anything goes. If he was behind the scam, Daniel would
tear him apart. There wouldn’t be anything left for law enforcement to cuff.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

Her voice broke into his vendetta. “I just want justice.”

“And I want revenge. We’re a strange pair.”

“For the agent killed in Wilmington’s takedown?”

“The agent was my partner, a good man with a family.”

Daniel wanted to take her hand, enclose her fingers in his. Cayden’s man would report it for sure. “How many people have told you his death wasn’t your fault?”

“Too many.”

“God works in ways we’ll never understand.”

She glanced away. “I’m not on His dance card.”

“Yes, you are. All He wants is an opportunity to lead.”

“That’s why God and I don’t dance. I have to be in control to survive.”

“I figured out your method of doing life during our first meeting. You’re a strong woman, Laurel, but I see the pain in your eyes.”

“Don’t even try to get near me. Might get you killed.”

“I’ve never done well taking orders from the FBI.”

“Daniel,” she whispered, pushing back. “I don’t need more blood on my hands.”

“I’ll take my chances. We can’t do a thing about our relationship until this is over, and don’t try to deny it.”

“I’m not looking for or wanting a relationship. I’m not exactly dating material. Baggage, remember?”

“I have a railcar full myself.”

“We’re both stubborn, independent. Probably kill each other,” she said.

Hadn’t he said the same to Gramps? “We could try to leave our firearms in our holsters.”

She laughed, a real one. “To see who could inflict the most damage? You have this Christian thing going. Doesn’t your Bible warn you about being unequally yoked?”

She was right. “You must have read a lot of the Bible.”

“Daniel, I like you. I really do. Your Christian beliefs are principles I’m familiar with but have never been able to accept. We can be friends, and that’s exactly what I need. All I need or want.”

“I know better, but I’ll not press you.” He could have corrected her principled beliefs regarding a relationship with the God of the universe. Except he didn’t feel his convictions were what she should hear right now. Kindness, yes. Miscommunication as in condemnation, no. He’d show her what his faith meant to him.

“Thanks.” Her wistful tone told him the truth. If he wanted this to work, then he had a job to do before approaching her again about his faith or a relationship.

She glanced away. “You have plans for us?” Not a trace of emotion touched her face. He was sure she carried some heavy baggage. Beginning with her deceased parents, a foster home, and a killed partner. But that would be another time.

“It takes two.”

She peered at two children on swings. “Is the man still reading?”

“Yes. Should I kiss you and give him something to report to Cayden and Wilmington?”

“It would make Fields ecstatic. But we could wind up dead.” She stood. “Talk to you later. You have a date with Wilmington and Cayden?”

“Right. Then moving into Wilmington’s condo.”

She laughed. “Better you than me. I’ve been there. Views are great but the company’s deplorable.”

He figured before the afternoon was over, she’d contact SSA Preston herself for the Miami information. Loved how she operated.

Oops. The
L
word had slipped into his thoughts without warning. Crazy.