No One Left to Tell (52 page)

‘Which must have irked Reba. Scandal’s bad for business. Reba’s and Claire’s,’ she said as he placed his hand on her back, partially moving behind her. He was shielding her again. She frowned up at him. ‘You’re not wearing Kevlar today.’

‘Yes, I am,’ he answered. ‘I have an old vest. It’s a little tight across the shoulders, but I’ll live. Joseph’s located one for you too, a spare from one of the female agents he works with. He’s picking it up from her now. We’ll meet him back at my place when we’re done here to get it. Until then, I’m your bodyguard.’

The slightly naughty way he said it made her smile. ‘You’re bad. I like it.’

‘Thought you might,’ he murmured.

‘What’s our game plan when we get to Reba’s office?’

‘Find out why she really called me in. I doubt she’d waste her time bringing me for just a scolding. The McClouds are in scandal-control mode.’

‘You think she’ll try to bribe you?’

‘Or threaten me. Or maybe try to find out how much I know. Mostly I want to get her talking about the family, see what I can glean. Somebody switched those videos. It might have been Rex acting alone, but if he had help from the family I need to know. Someone supplied the fifty thousand dollars that was paid to Sandoval. The more I can narrow it down, the easier it’ll be to get a warrant to trace that money.’ He followed her into the lobby. ‘Daphne says Reba’s office is on the tenth floor.’

Thursday, April 7, 10.25
A.M
.

Dr Charlotte Burke stepped back from the table wearily. ‘Malone, Betsy. Time of death, ten twenty-five.’ Gently she closed the woman’s eyes. ‘Can you clean her up? Her parents are waiting outside.’

‘Sure,’ the nurse said. ‘You okay, Burke?’

‘No. Woman makes it through rehab, gets clean, only to OD and choke on her own vomit. What a waste.’
Win some, lose some
, she told herself. It was part of working in the ER. But she hated to lose.

‘You saved one earlier, the Jane Doe with the stab wounds.’

‘We’ll have to see. We got her stable enough for surgery at least.’

‘She was dead when she came in, but you brought her back. You did good.’

‘She fought hard to stay alive. I hope she makes it through surgery and wakes up enough to tell us who she is. But I have to tell this one’s parents now. I hate this part.’

Bracing herself, she pushed through the doors. The Malones immediately wheeled around to stare at her, anguished.
Parents always know
, she thought.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she said quietly. ‘We weren’t able to save her.’

Mrs Malone’s knees buckled, a sob ripping through her body. Mr Malone caught her, holding her close. ‘Thank you,’ he managed. ‘We saw how you tried. We just . . . we’d hoped this time she’d make it. We had our daughter back for a while.’

‘The nurse will take you to see her. Take all the time you need.’ Her heart heavy, Burke made her way to her desk to get the next patient’s folder. ‘You hear anything on Jane Doe up in surgery?’ she asked the triage nurse.

‘Not yet. But I’ll call up again in a while to check.’

‘I’d appreciate it. She wanted to live. I hope she does.’ Shoving the next folder under her arm, Burke squared her shoulders. Win some, lose some.
I hate to lose
.

Thursday, April 7, 10.45
A.M
.

They walked into Reba’s office ahead of schedule. Grayson approached the receptionist, hoping Reba had information to impart whether she intended to or not.

‘I’m Grayson Smith and this is my associate, Paige Holden. We have an appointment with Ms McCloud. We’re early, but we hoped she might see us now.’

‘If you’d like to wait, I’ll let Ms McCloud know you’re here.’

Grayson took a seat on the sofa in the waiting area while Paige wandered, checking out the artwork and photographs on the wall. He took a moment to breathe, to simply watch her. She moved fluidly, no sign that he’d tumbled her down an embankment twelve hours ago. Or tumbled her in his bed after that. When this was over, he intended to tumble her again and again.

He enjoyed watching her, knowing that under her clothes were deadly weapons and wicked curves. She’d stopped at a group of photographs, studying each one as if she was a student in an art museum. And because he was watching, he saw the minute tensing of her body before she relaxed and moved on to the next wall. Eventually she made her way through all the art and sat down beside him.

He bent to her ear, pretending to kiss her neck. ‘What did you see?’

She swatted him playfully. ‘Not here.’ She took her phone from her pocket and typed a text message. He settled back, pretending to rest his eyes, waiting for her to finish.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. She’d hit send, but she was still typing. His phone buzzed three more times before she finally stopped texting, opening a game of Scrabble on her phone. ‘Is “xylophone” “l-o” or “l-a”?’ she asked, bored.

‘L-o.’ Idly he checked his phone. And fought to keep his expression bland.

2 fotos far wall. Group of kids. 12 yr old. Wearing medallions
.

I’m a Mac. Loud and proud. MAC = McCloud Alliance for Children
.

It’s a charity for kids. Run by McCloud family
.

1 foto taken 1984. CJ not born then. Other 1999. CJ 13 then
.

His heart pounded. Crystal’s determination to get close to Rex McCloud had just taken on a substantially different meaning.
Why had she gone to the party that night?

‘Mr Smith,’ the receptionist said stiffly. ‘Ms McCloud will see you now.’

Thursday, April 7, 10.55
A.M
.

The newspaper photographs didn’t do justice to Reba McCloud, Paige thought as she took the chair next to Grayson’s. Her hair, coiffed in a sleek French twist, shone like gold silk. She had a Grace Kelly look to her, ethereally beautiful. The dress she wore was Chanel, if Paige wasn’t mistaken. And about clothes, Paige rarely was.

Reba smoothed the hair behind her ear, sending the dozens of diamonds circling her watch winking in the sunlight. ‘Thank you for coming to see me, Mr Smith.’

Grayson inclined his head, every bit the dignified state’s attorney. ‘I felt it my duty.’

Reba’s lips curved cynically. ‘Your duty to whom?’

‘To the truth,’ he said bluntly. ‘A young woman was killed on your family’s property six years ago. She was your nephew’s guest.’

Her mouth flattened. ‘My nephew was allowed entirely too much freedom in those days, Mr Smith. It damaged him. Rex is a drug addict and a thief. But he’s no killer. He had an alibi for that night, a security video of the party going on, which he never left. Distasteful as his activities were, he was quite occupied at the time of that girl’s death.’

‘The video was switched,’ Grayson said. ‘I’m sure Rex told you we know this.’

Paige caught the merest of flickers in Reba’s eyes, acknowledging Grayson’s words as fact. ‘My parents told me you’d said so,’ Reba said. ‘I don’t believe it.’

‘We have a witness,’ Grayson continued, ‘who says Rex left the pool that night to go looking for the victim, Crystal Jones. The witness says he was angry. Very angry.’

‘I’m familiar with the witness that you’re speaking of,’ Reba said coolly. ‘Betsy Malone is an addict as well, and not credible in the least. Let me speak candidly, Mr Smith. You are attacking the wrong family.’

‘I’m attacking no one,’ Grayson said. ‘I’m searching for justice for a dead woman. If the facts point to your nephew, then that’s where I go. If someone switched a security video and the security company was paid by your family, then I go there, too.’

‘My parents are exemplary citizens,’ she said, her voice coldly furious, ‘who have done more for this community than ten philanthropists combined. For you to accuse us is outrageous. And wrong.’

Paige had the feeling Reba believed every word she’d said.
I’m a Mac
. She wanted to ask, but held herself back. ‘Can you provide an alternate theory for the switched video? Because it was switched. There is no question about that.’

‘Because Betsy Malone said so?’ Reba asked, a shrill note in her tone.

‘No, ma’am,’ Paige said calmly. ‘Because the moon in the video was in the wrong phase for the date of Crystal’s death. The video provided for Rex’s alibi was not made the night of the murder. I’d be happy to show you if you’re still unconvinced.’

Reba’s cheeks heated. ‘That doesn’t mean Rex killed her or that my parents are involved in a cover-up.’

‘Being very blunt, that’s exactly what I do think it means, Ms McCloud,’ Grayson said. ‘And by bringing these facts to light, I’ve made someone angry. Very angry.’

Reba’s eyes flashed. ‘I read about your near miss last night. How terrifying for you.’ Any sincerity in her voice was stamped out by her fury. ‘But to even intimate that my family was responsible for such a crime . . . Mr Smith, if you don’t cease and desist, you’ll find yourself at the center of a libel suit.’

‘It wouldn’t be the first time. But I am willing to entertain, as Ms Holden said, alternate theories. Do you have one? Perhaps another guest was responsible for the death of Crystal Jones and the subsequent switch of the videos?’

‘I don’t know any of their names other than Betsy, and I only know her because she and Rex got arrested together several times after that night. I wasn’t even at the estate during that party. I was in my condo here, in this building.’

‘Your sister wasn’t there that night either, as I recall,’ Grayson said.

‘Claire was probably out of the country. She usually was back then. Now her office is in New York. She comes to Baltimore once a month to give my father an update.’

‘What about Rex’s father?’ Paige asked.

‘His father OD’d when Rex was ten,’ Reba said flatly. ‘His stepfather hasn’t been very involved in his upbringing. He couldn’t help you with details about that night either.’

Paige softened her request with a smile. ‘We need someone who was there that night. Anyone who can offer us a lead in another direction. An innocent man has lost six years of freedom. We don’t want the same to happen to anyone else, Rex included. So any help you can give us will be appreciated. And followed up.’

‘Why should I believe you?’

‘Because we want to do the right thing,’ Paige said patiently. ‘But if that’s too hard to swallow, somebody tried to blow us up. The sooner we find out who killed Crystal Jones, the sooner we ID whoever is trying to make us into hamburger.’

Reba’s suspicion appeared unappeased, but she answered. ‘I remember my father calling the guard at the gate Les. I don’t know if it was short for Leslie or Lester. Les doesn’t work the gate anymore. He retired the year after the murder. That’s all I know.’

That’s all she’s willing to divulge
. And they already knew that Lester Neil had died shortly after retiring. Paige suspected Reba knew it too. It was time to shift gears.

‘Thank you,’ Paige said. ‘I read about your father. He’s been responsible for a lot of good work. I don’t want to drag him through the mud, not at all.’

‘My father is responsible for more good than anyone knows,’ Reba said passionately. ‘These days, politicians use every small thing they do as a platform to tout themselves. My parents ran many charitable programs no one even knew about. They did it because it was the right thing. They didn’t want all the adulation and publicity.’

Yes
. The opening she’d been waiting for. ‘I hadn’t read about the program for the kids, but I saw the picture outside. MAC, I think it was called?’

Reba’s chin lifted. ‘My favorite. My parents sponsored a dozen schools every year, from districts all over the state. They provided money for supplies and books and field trips. One child represented each school and my parents gave them an ice-cream social at the estate every year. These were pretty poor kids, from sad circumstances. Most of them never got a square meal. My parents made donations to their families, too.’

‘I imagine choosing the schools was hard,’ Paige said, ‘with so many being needy.’

‘It was a lottery system. The school benefited, the kids and the families did too.’

‘I wish I’d been in one of those programs,’ Paige said ruefully. ‘My grandparents raised me and our budget was always tight. How long did the MAC program run?’

‘Sixteen years. I have photos of the first and last classes out there. MAC made a difference in the lives of a lot of kids.’

‘I like the concept. I admire the work your family’s done for children. I’m actually trying to pull together a non-profit of my own. A school.’

Reba’s eyes widened, incredulous. ‘You have a lot of nerve, accusing us, then asking for my help.’

‘If you’d known Rex’s alibi video had been switched, what would you have thought?’ Paige asked. Reba said nothing, pursing her lips. ‘You do good here, Ms McCloud, like your parents did. I’d like to think I’ve done good too. You can look me up.’

‘I did,’ Reba said coolly. ‘I know what you’ve done. And what’s been done to you.’

Paige fought the urge to flinch. Reba’s arrow had squarely hit her mark, but Paige wouldn’t let it show. She wanted more information on the McCloud Alliance for Children, but hesitated to ask any more questions lest the suspicious Reba become more so.

Paige had an idea about how she could get to more MAC info. Grayson had become very quiet, letting her take the lead – and for that she would kiss him later.

‘I may be nervy, Ms McCloud, but I see an opportunity and I may not have your ear again. I’ve been planning a martial arts school for kids and adults with disabilities. I have a sponsor who’s prepared to provide all the funding I need, but I’ll also need publicity and help structuring the project from someone with experience.’ Paige noted how Reba’s eyes positively gleamed at the mention of funding. ‘A joint effort between us could go a long way in signaling your family’s cooperation with the investigation and washing away any shadows.’