Grave Secrets (22 page)

“Good question.”

Charlene snapped her fingers. “Didn’t you tell me the company doctor signed the death certificates saying he’d been treating the men for heart problems?”

Morgan nodded.

She leaned closer. “Neither man had one, at least according to their primary cares. So why did the company doc lie?”

“Believe it or not, he said Sara pleaded with him to falsify the cause of death. Said she’d been frantic to save the company and didn’t know what else to do. He guessed they needed the insurance payout to cover some bad debts or something so he went along. Apparently he preferred to not ask questions and save his job.”

Charlene closed her mouth. “How stupid.”

“To top it off, he admitted lying to the police, saying he’d been treating them for heart problems when he hadn’t. He said he was trying to keep his stories straight since that was how he signed the death certificates.”

“He’ll lose his license for sure over that.”

The tox report lay open before him, but Morgan continued to stare into space. None of the puzzle pieces seemed to fit. Or was he just overlooking the obvious? Regardless, he didn’t like it. Not one little bit.

He swiveled his chair again toward the window and ran his hands through his hair. The clock on the wall ticked as an old truck backfired in the parking lot. The evidence was damning. Long ago, Morgan had learned to trust his gut and right now, his said to not trust his eyes. Or was he simply listening to his dick?

Last night had been a mistake, but given the chance to redo it, he wouldn’t change a thing. Logic seldom made a difference where emotion was concerned. He’d seen it numerous times in his clients. Now he knew how they felt.

He turned back to Charlene. “There has to be an explanation for this.”

“Boss.” She shook her head, her dark brown hair gently swaying with the movement. “You of all people should know—”

Holding up his hand, he cut her off. “You don’t need to say it. Even though she fired me this morning, I’m still going to look out for her. I’m not sure I buy the doctor’s explanation.” Even if she was implicated in Jason’s death, they hadn’t found a connection to Andy.

“And?”

He had to give her credit for being persistent. “And I’ll find her kid if it’s the last thing I do. I think she’s clean. I’ll find a reason for this.” He waved the tox report in the air.

To his surprise, she smiled. “That’s more like it. Now, I’m taking a late lunch. If you need me, just sit on it till I get back.” She pivoted, leaving him alone with his thoughts. A minute later, the front door clicked shut.

Realizing there was nothing else he could find in the report, he went back to the articles Charlene had given him earlier. There was nothing in the first three pieces, but when he flipped over to the fourth, his fingers froze. Coming out of a restaurant was a candid shot of a smiling Sara Adams, whose arms were linked with her dates in a cozy embrace.

Andy.

Morgan sat there for several minutes trying to absorb this latest bit of news. What was it she had said? She knew Andy from work because of his position and from the country club. Not once did she happen to mention they knew each other well enough to have dinner together. Maybe this was a fluke. He quickly scanned the rest of the articles. After her husband’s death, the person she’d been seen with the most happened to be Andrew Ford, The Adams’s Company’s newest executive.

And Andy had died exactly like Jason.

He pulled the toxicology report out from under the articles, looking from one to the other. “I’m an idiot.”

Snatching the phone off its cradle, he dialed her number. He should’ve faced her in person, but he couldn’t wait that long. He had to hear her excuse now.

“Hello?” She sounded breathless.

“You lied.” He had to work to keep the fury out of his voice, failing miserably. He didn’t care.

“Morgan?” An instant later, she said, “I have nothing to say to you.”

“What? Can’t stand to tell the truth for a change?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Did you think you could keep it from me—didn’t think I’d find out?”

“What are you talking about?”

Her confusion echoed over the phone. He’d learned his lesson. He wouldn’t fall for any more of her tricks. His fury, his self loathing, fueled his tirade. “Sleeping with me kept my mind occupied elsewhere. For a while. You had to know I’d catch on to you eventually, though. For what’s it’s worth, you’re a damn good lay.”

The line was silent for several seconds. “How dare you,” she hissed.

“Me? Lady, you’re the one who seduced me to throw me off the trail.”

“I sedu—? Not hardly.” She paused. “Do you think I misled you about finding my daughter?”

“Hell, any things possible. But that isn’t what I’m talking about. You deliberately lied to me.”

“
You
are accusing
me
of lying? After this morning’s revelation of you being nothing more than a money grubber? Isn’t this the pot calling the kettle black?”

“Listen—”

“Just what is it I’m supposed to have lied about,
Mr
. Daniels?”

Morgan gripped the phone so tightly his knuckles turned white. “I specifically asked you how well you knew Andy and you said only from the office. You failed to mention you’d dated him.”

Silence. Finally, her frosty voice responded. “I had every intention of telling you last night, but then you so
expertly
distracted me. Besides, we were just friends so I don’t see how it’s relevant to anything.”

Likely story.
Morgan had trusted her. Like he was sure Andy had. He hated the fact he had been more than willing to give her the benefit of the doubt earlier. “Why’d you have to kill him, too? Do you get some sick pleasure out of seeing men suffer and die?” He’d let Sara’s pretty face and supposed vulnerability cloud his judgment. The sight of her standing naked in front of him flashed across his mind. Despite his anger, his groin hardened.

Traitor.

She gasped. “You think I...that I...? My God, Morgan. What kind of person do you think I am? I loved Jason! I’d never do anything to hurt him.”

“Yeah? What about the mistress? Maybe you didn’t want any other woman to have him or all your money. Getting rid of him ensured you’d get the insurance money, the house, everything.” He wanted to hurt her as badly as he’d been hurt.

“I didn’t know about her until today. And I don’t care about the stupid money.” She sounded sincere, but he’d already been down that thorny path.

“So you say. Seems kinda convenient to me. You just happen to come crying about her when I’m getting close to uncovering the truth.”

“How would I know where you are on your investigation? I can’t even get you to tell me about any progress in finding Kaycee. Or was that merely a smoke screen?”

That hurt. Not that he’d admit it.

“How did I supposedly kill Jason and Andrew? They died of heart attacks from stress. A doctor verified it, for heaven’s sake!”

Oh, no you don’t, lady.
“You gave both men small doses of your grandmother’s Digoxin. It was just a matter of time before they had a heart attack. I can see why you did in your husband, but why Andy? What’d he ever do to you?”

Now he wished he had confronted her in person so he could see her expression. He wanted to see if she was able to keep a straight face as she weaved her web of lies. Maybe she could talk her way out of one of the deaths, but both of them? No way. Morgan could give the missing pieces of the puzzle to Reece, and Sara Adams would be locked up before she could blink those pretty baby blues of hers.

There was another long silence. Yep. She was trying to concoct a plausible story.

“I don’t care whether you believe me or not. Your mind is made up. Fine.”

“Damn straight.” He ground his jaw so hard it hurt.

“Regardless of what you do, I’ll be proven innocent because I am. You can go back to your pathetic life of spying on people who don’t trust each other, telling yourself you’re helping them. As soon as I wrap up some loose ends and get my daughter back, I’ll be out of this town forever.”

A knife twisted in his gut while hair stood up on his neck. “What loose ends?”

She barked out a short laugh. “How have you managed to stay in business so long? The mistress, of course.”

“I told you to stay away from her.” He didn’t know why it was so important Sara keep her distance from the other woman, only that it didn’t feel right. Something was “off.”

“You do
not
tell me what to do, Morgan Daniels! Not now, not ever.” She paused, then blew out a heavy sigh. “You do what you have to, and I’ll do the same thing. Oh. And for the record, I didn’t have any of Nana’s medications.”

He was about to contradict her with the evidence when she hung up.

Morgan stared at the phone a long while, listening to the dial tone. When it began the beeping disconnect sound, he slowly lowered it back into the cradle. The woman had guilt written all over her. The evidence said so. Her last comment was just another example of her persistent and continual denials.

Wasn’t it?

****

The house was a stucco and brick two-story Tudor. A manicured yard and flower bed presented a warm welcome to visitors. Not formal as Sara’s. Resentment boiled to the surface. If Sara had been able to choose what type of house and where they lived, this would have been her choice over the hulk of a monstrosity Jason had insisted on.

She began to shake, suddenly feeling unprepared. “I can’t do this,” she said to the empty car. She reached for the ignition, ready to turn the car around and go home. Where she belonged.

Her hand paused a fraction of an inch from the key. “Wait. That’s Jason talking, not me. My place isn’t in his precious house. It’s wherever I want it to be.” She narrowed her eyes. If she didn’t do this now, she’d hate herself for the rest of her life for being a coward.

A car that looked a lot like Leo’s sat in the driveway. He didn’t have any reason to be here so it couldn’t be his. As she walked past, she noted the Adams Company sticker in the window. It
was
Leo’s! Why would he be here? Like an explosion, it hit her. He’d come on her behalf. She shook her head, pressed her lips together.

“No. I’ll fight my own battles from now on. No more men taking care of me.” Sara turned to storm the house. She appreciated his concern. After all, what was family for? Nerves or not, she could—and would—face her husband’s mistress.

Raised voices filtered around the partially open front door. Ready to shove the door the rest of the way open, she stopped. The woman sounded afraid, not mad that she’d been found. Leo sounded... Sara froze, unable to fully absorb what he was saying.

“—knew I’d find you, slut. It was only a matter of time. Tell me, Bonnie, why’d you double-cross me?”

A pause, then, “Leo, baby—”

Double-cross? Baby? What was going on? And who was Bonnie?

“—you know I’d never do that. I’ve been waiting for the right time.”

Slap! Thud.

Sara gasped, quickly pressing her fist to her lips to keep from being overheard.

“Don’t give me that crap. You can’t lie worth a damn. You were so glad to get out of the strip club you said you’d do anything.”

“I’m grateful, Leo. Really I am.” Desperation clung to her voice.

“Gratitude don’t mean shit.”

“I did everything you told me to. I swear.”

“Like hell. I paid you enough to get out of that rat hole you lived in, set you up, and what’d I get in return?”

“Hey! That place wasn’t much better than the old one, just in a little better part of town and smaller roaches.” She sounded indignant.

“Watch it, woman.”

With his tone, Sara could imagine the little bit of bravado evaporating on the woman’s tongue. It certainly would hers.

“Get up.” After a moment, “You always gave me the best lap dance both in the club and out. You were good, Bonnie. And desperate. You gladly took the job, only you didn’t use your talents like you were supposed to.”

“Uh, what do you mean?”

“I paid you to keep that stupid cousin of mine out of my hair. I went to a lot of trouble to get you into his office when no one was around.”

A cold, sick sensation settled in the pit of Sara’s stomach. Leo was behind Jason’s affair? This wasn’t the warm and caring friend she’d always known, the man who had been her confidant, crutch, and supporter in the days and weeks after Jason’s death. Suddenly she wished she hadn’t come, hadn’t been so impulsive.

“It worked, too. He acted like a starved man when I walked in. Didn’t take long for him to lock the door and take me right there on the couch. After our initial ‘session’ he couldn’t keep away from me. I never had to wonder what I’d be doing for lunch every day.” She laughed, deep and throaty.

Sara thought she’d come to terms with Jason’s betrayal. Except hearing the other woman bragging openly about how he’d so quickly cheated on his wife made her mad all over again. Had he cheated before and she’d never known? She couldn’t take any more, couldn’t listen to any more details about her husband’s infidelity.

She’d turned to go when a baby’s cry rent the air.

“What the hell?” Leo roared.

“I couldn’t help it. I fell in love with him. I didn’t plan it, it just happened. An—and he loved me. He—he bought me this house and everything. I know I promised you, and I did my job. I kept him busy, didn’t I?”

“Not enough. He was getting ready to go to the cops.”

Bonnie whispered, “Oh, God. You killed him, didn’t you?” Then she screeched, “You bastard! You killed Jason.”

Sara didn’t think, she simply reacted and shoved the door open with a bang. Both people in the room stopped and stared at her.

Instantly realizing her mistake, she turned to run.

The folder with the damning evidence lay on the seat next to Morgan. He knew the few pieces of paper were circumstantial at best, but might be enough for Reece to bring Sara in for questioning. It was a beginning. The light turned green, and the car behind him honked. Once past the intersection, he pulled into a parking lot.