Total pages in book: 179
Estimated words: 173733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 869(@200wpm)___ 695(@250wpm)___ 579(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 173733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 869(@200wpm)___ 695(@250wpm)___ 579(@300wpm)
“Agreed again. Let’s divide and conquer. I’ll take Wilson. You take Debbie.”
“Works for me,” Reid says.
“I’ll go first,” Gabe says, pulling out his phone and calling someone without identifying them. “I need a number for a bookie named Dimps McCoy. Text it to me.”
I don’t ask what he’s going to do. I know. A minute later his text beeps. Gabe motions me right and we walk about four blocks to one of the few payphones around this area. He grabs the phone, punches in the number and makes the call. “Dimps McCoy?” he says. “You don’t know me but I have a tip for you. Wilson Moore is hiding in a Motel Six in Queens. I got nothing more.” He hangs up and looks at me. “You’re up. Deal with Debbie.”
Chapter seventy-seven
Reid
Iarrive back to my office and dial Debbie’s number and end up leaving her a message. “It’s your lucky payday. Come to my office at six o’clock or the deal is off.” I disconnect and review the file I’d been given by Royce that includes Debbie’s parent’s information. Mary and Marcus own a restaurant in Long Island. I do a tax search and find a lien on their property.
I dial the restaurant. “Mary?”
“Yes. Who’s speaking?”
“I’d like to talk to you about your daughter. Are you aware she’s pregnant?”
“Who is this?”
“Reid Maxwell. The lawyer for the man she’s blackmailing, who is married to my sister. Here’s how this plays out, be in my office by five o’clock and there will be a six-figure check now and a six-figure check later. The condition is this: You get your daughter out of the country and yank that damn thorn from my side. You send me the DNA test when the baby is born, you get another check.”
“She’s blackmailing someone?”
“Yes. A happily married man who she stalked years ago to the point that he got a restraining order, but he’s very wealthy and she wants a payday.”
“I know who the father is. He’s not wealthy.”
Obviously, the mother is honorable. “You get a payday and out of financial distress. What’s it going to be?”
“I feel bad taking the money.”
“Don’t. I want this over. Make it end and I’m a happy man.”
“What’s the address?”
I read her the address and disconnect. This is going to cost me some money, but I owe my sister this and I damn sure am going to pay up and protect her.
Cat
I stand at a glass window while Reese talks to Martha but not without company. Royce and Milton are both there as well and Milton is not happy. “I know who did it, and it wasn’t Dana, but I was afraid to come forward. Nelson, Mr. Warren, and I were having an affair and I was afraid that I’d look guilty. I’m not in the will. He wasn’t generous like that. I knew that. I just fucked him. It was kind of my job. He paid me more because I was a fuck buddy. That was all. I had nothing to gain by him dying.”
“Then why were you afraid?”
“Because the person who did this came to me. He said that he heard how Nelson talked to me. I deserved better. He offered me money to help get rid of Nelson. He said he’d get a payday and so would I.”
Dana’s boyfriend, I think. Reginald.
“Who offered you money?” Reese asks.
“Reginald.”
Reese doesn’t so much as blink. God, how I love how cool and confident he is. “And what did you tell him?”
“What do you say to someone who wants to murder someone? Because you know, they could, then decide to murder you. I just said I’d think about it. Then I told Mr. Warren.”
“Did you?”
“Yes. The night before he died. I fear I caused a confrontation.”
“Do you have proof?”
“No. And I’m terrified to tell my story. What if he comes after me?”
“I understand the fear. Give me just a minute, okay?”
“Yes. Of course.”
Reese stands up and exits the room, joining all of us, but he and Milton square off. “What are you going to do Milton?”
“Not a damn thing. She’s got no proof. For all I know she’s in this with Dana or you paid her off to speak up.”
I gape at the response that shouldn’t surprise me. This DA’s taught his team to win at all costs including the safety of innocent people. This is, after all, the DA who refused to hunt a serial killer after he charged the wrong man and another victim died. “And if she ends up hurt, then what?” I demand, stepping next to Reese.
“Then I guess you can write about it,” he snaps snidely. “I’m done here.” He walks away.
Royce joins us. “I’ll offer her protection,” he says. “We’re already watching the boyfriend who has to be nervous right now. It’ll be interesting to see what he does next.”