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“Yes, I went through his computer earlier today, but I didn’t see anything that would raise a red flag. I’m not a hacker, though. I needed a bit of help, and police work is a team effort.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And what have you and your squad discovered?”
Protocol meant he shouldn’t answer her—but if he wanted her to open up to him, he’d have to give a little. “Nothing yet. Everything so far seems rather routine. Nothing worth killing over, at any rate. He hadn’t even updated any of his computer files for over two weeks. Whatever he discovered the night he was killed isn’t noted on the hard drive. We’ll keep going over it, though, as the case progresses. Once we have a few leads, we might see something that ties everything together.”
“That’s why you need me. I might see something that you and your team don’t. I can save you valuable time.”
Frank shook his head. There was no way he was working with a convicted felon on a murder investigation, especially when the victim was the felon’s father. It was a recipe for disaster. Still, he hadn’t interviewed her yet regarding the murder, so now was as good a time as any. He’d planned on looking her up tomorrow anyway. “Look, you were working with your dad, right? How well did you know the cases he was working on?”
She paused for a moment, displeased that he had changed the subject, before apparently deciding to let him get away with it. “We’ve only been working together for the last six months or so. I don’t know all of his cases. I only worked with him on those that required computer expertise. That’s why I came here today—to learn more about the other ones that I wasn’t working on, but now that the files are missing, I’ll need to see his computer to get the names and details of the other clients.”
Frank ignored her subtle push to access her father’s computer and sat on the corner of her father’s desk. “So, how many cases were you working?”
“Bits and pieces of four of them.”
“Do you see any connections between those cases and his death?”
“No. Like you said before, nothing worth killing over. Three of the cases are common divorces with the parties trying to hide assets, but none of them are worth more than about 150K. The other is a young lady that was adopted as an infant who is looking for her birth parents. I’ve already made a lot of progress on that case—I’ve found the birth mother and have leads on the biological father. Everyone involved seems pretty ordinary, so I doubt that has anything to do with my father’s death, either.”
“Did your dad have a backup hard drive?”
Bailey shook her head. “No. I was trying to get him to back up his laptop, but he kept telling me that’s what the paper files were for.” She pulled herself to her feet, swayed a bit and grabbed the wall for support.
Frank stood and quickly led her to her father’s office chair and had her sit again. Rather than appreciating his help, however, she pulled her arm roughly away from him.
“I’m okay.”
He put up his hands in mock surrender. “Maybe you should take it easy for a while. I can call an ambulance if you need one.”
“Don’t you dare,” she said in a low voice. “I’m perfectly fine.”
“Sure you are.” He returned to sitting on the side of the desk. He wasn’t going to argue with her, but he was going to make sure she was okay and could safely get home before he left her this evening.
“So when can I get my father’s computer back?”
“It’s going to be a while.”
“Look, let’s just cut through the dancing. Since the files were stolen, I need that computer to find out what case is related to his murder. Even if it hasn’t been updated, I might be able to make a connection.”
“That’s not going to happen.” He could see the anger erupting within her, but to her credit, she didn’t lash out this time. He tried to mollify her. “Look. We’re both making a very big assumption here—that his death is related to one of his cases.”
“He led a pretty simple life. I can’t imagine he was into anything dangerous outside of his work.” She paused.
He drew his lips into a thin line.
Bailey visibly fumed but still managed to hold her temper. He ran his hand through his hair and decided to change the subject again. “Let’s take a step back. Did your dad have any enemies?”
Bailey exhaled. “Not that I know of, but to be fair, I’ve only been working with him for the last six months or so, and he didn’t share everything with me. Before we started working together, I didn’t even know him that well, but I still can’t imagine that he was into anything dangerous.”
Franklin thought about that for a minute. From what he remembered, Bailey’s parents had divorced when she was a baby, and while her mother had used drugs and neglected her, leaving her on her own to raise herself, the story went that her father had basically abandoned her. “I thought you didn’t get along with your father.”
“I didn’t even know him, but after I got out of prison, I looked him up and found out the truth. My parents got married right after my father joined the military. He was sent overseas, and my mom got lonely and started self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. She never even told him she was pregnant before they divorced. My father left the military and took a post in Germany where he worked for years. He never remarried.” She took a breath. “He didn’t even know I existed until I walked through his door.”
Frank absorbed this information. He could tell it had taken a lot out of her to share such a painful story. He had also felt the sting of abandonment during his life and was glad that she had at least been able to reconcile with her father before his death. He paused for a few moments, lost in thought, then moved on. “What about his past cases? Any unhappy customers?”
Bailey shook her head. “Again, not that I know of.” She met his eye when she spoke, but then he noticed her studying the items on her father’s desk. The cup of coffee her father had been drinking before his death was still sitting on the coaster, now with a slight film on the top. There was some mail in a pile, including a few bills. They’d already checked out his accounts and discovered that Cox was up-to-date with his payments and his business was financially sound. His death wasn’t tied to money troubles.
Franklin grimaced, remembering his disappointment at finding that Cox didn’t have any unusually large amounts of cash in any of his accounts. He’d secretly hoped that Bailey had given him some of the money she’d stolen, which would give him an excuse to hunt for the stolen cash once again. Unfortunately, all he’d found were the normal debts and purchases of a man making the salary he’d claimed on his tax returns.
He watched Bailey carefully. Yes, she had already done her time, but it burned him that she had gotten off for stealing the money and only gotten a light two-year sentence for the other thefts. No one should benefit from breaking the law. But she’d had her day in court and she had won. They couldn’t even prove she had the cash, and jeopardy had attached. She couldn’t be tried twice for the same crime, even if they discovered new evidence. Deep down, he knew she had taken the money and he couldn’t let her get away with it.
Before this case was over, he wanted more than just to find Cox’s killer. He wanted Bailey Cox to lead him to the stolen money so he could close that case once and for all.
FOUR (#u63a0b0ec-751f-56b5-b57d-c2504b7bfdc9)
Bailey crossed her legs right over left and a few seconds later moved them back to left over right. Her left hand nervously drummed a tune. Her dress slacks and shirt were the only formal clothes she owned, and she wore them so infrequently that they made her incredibly uncomfortable. She was a jeans-and-T-shirt kind of girl. But she would dress the part if needed to find out who murdered her father. She anxiously glanced around the room. How much longer would she have to wait? That was another thing she wasn’t good at—waiting.
Thankfulness, she told herself. She needed to remember and focus on the good, not the bad. She was thankful that she had the appropriate clothing for this meeting and thankful that she had gotten a meeting with the VP of Gates Industries in the first place. There were always blessings all around her. All she had to do was take the time to look and notice them.
She looked around the posh waiting room and noticed a dark-haired man in black clothes sitting across from her, thumbing through a magazine. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something about him made her uncomfortable. He glanced at her and she gave him a smile, but he frowned and returned to his magazine, and the dislike she’d seen in his eyes made her skin start to crawl. She stood and paced a bit, avoiding the man and trying to release some of her nervous energy.
The police department still hadn’t returned her father’s computer, and since the paper files were missing, she was now following the only lead she had. Her father’s coffee cup on his desk had been a fancy new mug emblazoned with the Gates Industries design. She had never seen that cup before, so she was hoping her father had gotten it when he’d taken on Gates as a new client. The lead was really weak, but it was all she had.
Bailey knew a bit about Gates—they were a large pharmaceutical company in both the American and the international markets. What her father could have been doing for them was anybody’s guess, but she was hoping that there was a connection, however thin, that would give her some insight into that terrible night of her father’s death. Gates’s vice president had agreed to see her, but his last meeting was running late. She gave up the pacing and sat back down again and checked her watch.
“Sure is a surprise meeting you here.”
She jumped at the voice and dread filled her. Franklin Kennedy sat down in the seat beside her, and she warily glanced his way.
“What are you doing here?”
He pursed his lips and then spoke. “I think the real question is, what are you doing here?”
She bristled. “I’m here investigating my father’s death, just like I told you I would.”
Kennedy’s eyes narrowed. “And I told you to stay away from this. Do I have to arrest you to keep you out of the way?”
“Yeah, I guess you’d better because there’s no way I’m sitting at home while you track down whoever caused his death. I need answers.”
She saw his eyes grow cold at her defiance, but she meant what she’d said. She wasn’t going to sit by and let others chase down his murderer when she was perfectly capable of investigating the crime.
She watched Kennedy carefully, ready to jump and run if she needed to. His eyes showed that he was considering his options and she watched his hands as well, waiting to see if he started to reach for his handcuffs. When he shifted, she jumped to her feet, and the tension in the room seemed palpable. She swallowed hard.
“Well?” she challenged.
“You haven’t told me what you’re doing here yet.” He gave her a smile, but his demeanor was anything but friendly. Still, he stayed seated and didn’t look like he was about to arrest her for obstruction. “Care to share?”
She considered this. She knew Franklin Kennedy was a good cop. It still irked her, however, that he expected her to share when he wasn’t willing to let her help with the investigation. Hiding clues from him was foolhardy, though, especially when they were after the same thing—justice. “I saw a new mug from Gates on my father’s desk. I’m guessing they hired him, and I’m here to find out why. It’s not much of a lead, but it’s all I’ve got since the files are missing and I can’t access my father’s computer.”
Kennedy studied her for a few moments and his scrutiny made her even more nervous. Finally, he seemed to come to a decision and leaned back in the chair.
“Smart deduction. Gates is one of his newest accounts, and it was the last file that was open on his computer before his death. We think he was about to update his notes when he was interrupted, so we wanted to check it out, as well. In this case, your instincts are pretty good.”
She breathed a sigh of relief at his words. “So I can stay?”
Kennedy’s pause made her nervousness return, but he finally nodded at her. “For now.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to join you for your appointment. But let me ask the questions, okay? Do you think you can do that?”
Could she? Keeping her mouth shut was not her forte, but if the choices were staying silent during the interview or occupying a jail cell, she’d definitely choose the former. She nodded and took her seat again, just as a secretary came to announce that the VP was ready to see her. Kennedy stood, introduced himself and explained that they needed to see the VP together. After seeing his badge, the secretary accepted his request and led them both past reception into the hallway. Bailey turned and looked over her shoulder one last time at the dark-haired man. Now he was watching her, and his eyes seemed to bore right through her as she walked. She didn’t know the man, but his expression was so intense that she was glad to get away from him. If looks could kill, she’d be lying dead on the floor right now.
* * *
The secretary led them to Mr. Johnson’s office, where a tall, graying man was seated behind a desk, working on a laptop. He closed the computer as they entered and rose before motioning toward the chairs in front of his desk.
They all shook hands before Frank spoke up. “Thank you for seeing us. I’m Detective Kennedy, and this is Bailey Cox. I had an appointment with you later today, but Ms. Cox and I thought we’d save you some time and talk to you together. We have a few questions we’d like to ask you.”
“I’m happy to help in any way I can,” Johnson said smoothly. They all sat and Kennedy opened up his iPad and started taking notes. “You’ve probably heard that Matt Cox was killed a couple of nights ago. We were hoping you could tell us about the work he was doing for you.”
“Sure,” Johnson said as he leaned back in his chair. “Gates Industries is headed for change. Our current CEO and president is stepping down at the end of the year, and we’re in the process of vetting the applicants for the position. Mr. Cox was investigating the backgrounds of the five finalists. He was due to give us his full report at the end of the month.”
Frank’s fingers flew over his iPad screen, documenting Mr. Johnson’s answer. “Had he told you anything he’d discovered yet?”
Johnson nodded. “He sent us a preliminary report about two weeks ago. I scanned it but unfortunately didn’t have time to read through the whole thing. As far as I know, though, nothing odd stood out on any of the applicants. Mr. Cox had completed the basic checks and was beginning to dig deeper. You know, interviewing references, that sort of thing.” He shifted. “Do you really think that his murder is related to the work he was doing for Gates?”
Frank shrugged. “We’re exploring every avenue at this point. Do you think we could get a copy of his initial report? We found one on his computer, but we want to make sure they match up.”
“Of course,” Johnson answered. “If you give my assistant your email address, I’ll have her send it to you.”
“That would be great. Did Mr. Cox have contact with anyone else here at Gates?”
Again, Johnson shook his head. “Not that I know of. I’m the one who hired him, and I had an appointment set to meet with him once he’d finished the job. Then I was going to present his report and findings to the board.”
Frank glanced at Bailey, who looked like she was about to burst. He had to give her credit. She was doing a good job of keeping quiet and fulfilling her promise. He looked back at his notes. “Is it standard procedure to hire a private investigator to do background checks on your prospective employees?” he asked.
“I can’t speak to other companies and their procedures, but it’s standard for upper management positions here at Gates. You’d be surprised by how many people lie on their applications. I guess they figure that companies don’t check, which is exactly why we do.”
Frank wrote down a few more things and then looked up. “Sounds like a good policy. Would you mind giving me the names of the five candidates?”
“Not at all. In fact, I’d appreciate any information you gain from your investigation that might have a bearing on our hiring decision. With Mr. Cox gone, we’ll have to hire a new investigator. That will really mess up our timeline.”
“Will you have to forgo some of the background checks?”
Johnson looked uncomfortable. “The board hasn’t decided. We might just go with Cox’s preliminary findings.”
“Does Gates have any enemies? Anybody who would like to see the leadership struggle?”
“Sure,” Johnson answered. “Atlantic Medical Supply is probably our staunchest competitor. We’re both bidding on a large contract with Nextco, a company that makes three of our biggest sellers.”
“And what happens if Gates doesn’t get the contract?”
“Well, we’ll have to lay off about one hundred workers.” He held up his hands. “I’m trusting you not to share that information. It’s one of the reasons the board is in a hurry to fill the position. We need a strong leader to secure the contract.”
“Do you have a frontrunner in this search?” Frank asked.
“We’ve been leaning toward Gabriel Jeffries, an entrepreneur who has done amazing things in the market. If the decision had to be made today, he would probably be the one selected, unless we discover some horrible skeleton in his closet. He has the most experience and would take our company in the right direction.” Johnson stood and motioned toward the door. “I’ll walk you out and get my assistant to send you that list of applicants and Mr. Cox’s preliminary report.”
They all walked back out to the secretary’s desk and she quickly emailed both of the promised items to Frank’s work email address. He noticed Bailey looking around the reception area as if expecting to see someone, but the room was empty. To his surprise, she stayed quiet until they had left the Gates building and were standing on the sidewalk.
“Okay,” she said, her eyebrows raised. “I held up my end and didn’t ask a single question. Can you share the list of applicants and report with me?”
Frank shook his head. “Our deal was that I let you in on the interview instead of arresting you. I didn’t say anything about sharing the list. We still don’t even know if this case has anything to do with your father’s murder, but, either way, that’s for me to investigate. You need to go home now and let me do my job.”
Her face flushed with anger. “Hold on now. I thought we were working together on this.”
Frank laughed. “I don’t know what gave you that idea. I certainly never said that.”
His response only seemed to make her angrier. “You implied it. I have a lot to offer.”
“I’ll give you a million reasons why that will never work.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So we’re singing that old song again, are we?”
“And we’ll keep singing it until you return the money.” Frank leaned forward. She was so close that he could feel her breath on his skin. When he spoke, his voice was low but forceful, and his words were for her ears alone. “You never served a day in prison for stealing all of that money. Do you honestly think that’s right?”
Bailey narrowed her eyes. “I was acquitted, remember? The DA tried to pin it on me and failed. The medical equipment was all anyone could prove I had stolen, and I served my time for that.”
“That stolen equipment was just the tip of the iceberg,” Frank said, his voice still deceptively soft. “You know it and I know it. You might have beaten the court system, but I still want the money you stole returned, and I’m not going to stop pushing until we get it all back. Every last cent. When you’re ready to turn it over, come see me. Otherwise, stay out of my way.”
She grimaced. “I need that list and my father’s report. I’ll trade you for them—do some computer work for you or...”
Frank leaned back. “We’re done here. Go home, Bailey.”
She put her hands on her hips. “I won’t,” she said stubbornly.
He moved closer again and she took a step back. “Tell me where the money is, Bailey. It’s the right thing to do.” She met his eyes but said nothing.
Frank stepped away. “Good-bye, Bailey.”
FIVE (#u63a0b0ec-751f-56b5-b57d-c2504b7bfdc9)
Frank turned on his heel and walked away, leaving her standing in front of Gates. He definitely needed to get as far away from Bailey Cox as possible before he was forced to admit that he found her attractive when she showed her strength and determination. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, angry with himself and the jumble of emotions that were flying through him. Why couldn’t he control his feelings? She was a criminal and an unrepentant one at that. Yet, without seeming to even realize it, she was drawing him closer like a moth to a flame, and his skin was already feeling the singe.
He widened his steps and sped up, suddenly in a hurry to get to his car and be off. It was ridiculous for him to feel anything for her besides contempt when she was still hiding the money she’d stolen. Sure, the case had gone cold years ago, and since the insurance company had paid the tab, nobody was really even looking for the money—except him. He just couldn’t let it go, even though it was probably a fool’s hope that he’d ever track it down.
He pushed his feelings aside and focused on the murder investigation. There was no reason to ever see her again, and that thought gave him some degree of satisfaction. For a moment, he’d thought he’d seen something in Bailey’s eyes that made him believe she was willing to make a bargain, but he had been wrong. She wouldn’t even talk about the money, and without that dialogue, he was done. It was time for them to go their separate ways.
He reached his car but couldn’t shake a strange feeling that he was being watched. He scanned the area but didn’t see Bailey or anybody else paying any attention to him. Still, hot electricity ran down his back. He checked again and this time noticed a man in black eyeing him from across the street. Frank pocketed his keys and headed across the street to confront the man, but several cars drove by and blocked him from crossing. By the time Frank reached the doorway where the man had been standing, there was no sign of him. Why had the man been watching him?
His stomach rumbled and he decided to stick around and grab a quick bite in case the man reappeared. He glanced up and down the street and then headed toward a nearby coffee shop and turned his thoughts back to Gates.
