Faceless (Sinister Secrets Book 2), page 14
Maybe, just maybe, he could convince Tio that he could be trusted…
The office door flew open, crashing back against the wall behind it with enough force to lodge the doorknob into the sheetrock.
Tio charged up to the desk like a rushing bull, nostrils flaring. Veins stood out on his forearms and his clenched fists looked ready for action.
“The FBI? The FBI!” Tio’s voice rose in tone to a near roar. “How could you?”
Cotton filled Mitch’s mouth.
There was only one way Tio could know about the FBI. He’d found Kevyn.
Still, he couldn’t admit it. “What about the FBI?”
“You’re talking to them!” Tio slashed his hand through the air. “Don’t deny it! I followed the blonde! Right to the FBI office downtown.”
Mitch swallowed, trying desperately to get moisture back into his mouth. “I–I don’t know anything–”
“Enough!” Tio jabbed a finger into Mitch’s chest as he towered over him. “I’m sick of your lies! That woman isn’t your girlfriend! She’s family!”
Sweat trickled down Mitch’s spine like mountain run-off in spring, leaving a cold trail in its wake.
Tio knew. He knew it all.
Could he bluff him?
One look at the murderous rage in Tio’s eyes killed any desire to lie. Tio would strangle him with his bare hands.
“Who is she? Sister? Daughter?” The words contained a biting tone that matched the sharpness of Tio’s eyes.
Mitch deflated against the chair. He’d really blown it. Now Tio knew about Kevyn and could use her against him. “I met her mother in college. When she told me she was pregnant, I thought I could do it. Be a dad. But when the baby came…”
All the memories of those days rushed back in.
The tiny hands, soft skin, tuft of white-blonde hair.
“We were both still in school. She left me in charge one day while she went to take a test. I thought I could handle it, but I couldn’t even change her diaper or get her to stop crying.” Funny how he could still remember the feelings of helplessness and inadequacy. Almost thirty-six years had passed since that day, but the memory hadn’t faded. “I was in over my head and I lost it. I left the next day.”
Tio crossed his arms over his chest, a scowl making his square jawline look sharper than usual. “So you ran. No surprise there.”
He wanted to deny it, but Tio was right. He’d never been one to stick it out when things got tough. His ex-wife would attest to that.
“That’s why you relocated to Seattle, isn’t it?” Tio’s eyebrows lowered. “It had nothing to do with centralizing our operations.”
“Centralizing made sense.” The argument sounded weak, even to his own ears. “Keeping offices in multiple ports all around the country? That wasn’t efficient.”
Tio’s glare deepened, as did the crimson splotching his cheeks.
“But yes, she was part of the decision.” He sighed. Might as well get it all out there now. “I’d hired several PIs over the years to help me keep tabs on her. Always thought maybe I’d reestablish contact, but I was too chicken. When she relocated to Seattle, I decided it was fate telling me to reach out.”
Tio swore. “You had to know she was a Fed!”
“Yeah, I knew.” He swallowed hard. “I thought I could keep her out of our business, though. Still do.”
A snort answered his statement. “Right. So why now? After stalking her for years, why reach out to her now?”
“I guess I felt like I was running out of time.” Mitch ran his fingers through his hair and forced himself to hold Tio’s gaze. It was the only way to convince Tio he was telling the truth.
Sort of.
A big part of the why now question had to do with Tio and whatever he was doing that involved kidnapping.
“You don’t get it, man.” Mitch’s words scraped through his suddenly raw throat. “My own kids don’t want to see me. Last time I called, they hung up on me. She’s all I’ve got left. And she doesn’t want anything to do with me, either.”
Tio’s glare softened marginally, offering a glimpse of the friend Mitch had once known. “You blame ‘em? You can’t drop people like you do and expect ‘em to let you back in. You gotta stick it out, good or bad. Ain’t easy, but that’s what I’ve done with my kids.”
He didn’t need the reminder that he was a failure as a father. Or that Tio had succeeded where he’d failed.
But he couldn’t argue with the logic, either.
As much as he hated to admit it, Tio was right.
“I am who I am. Can’t change it now.” Mitch gestured to the papers spread across the table in front of him, the open laptop displaying the shipping manifest for their incoming cargo. “This is all I got. And now you don’t even trust me with that.”
“You given me a reason to trust you?” Tio cut a sharp glance at him. “With all the sneaking around and lying?”
“I was only trying to get to know my daughter while keeping her out of all this.” And he’d failed at both tasks. Kevyn wanted nothing to do with him, she’d made that abundantly clear. Now he’d focused Tio’s attention on her.
“Oh yeah? And how did you think that would work out? She’s a federal agent, man! She’s trained to sniff out liars and track down guys like us. You really thought you could keep this from her?”
Fire rose in his chest, the heat flaring through his head. Before he knew it, he was standing, his gaze narrowing on Tio. “I look legit on paper. We both do. We worked hard to set up those identities.”
“And when she asks why you’re not using your own name? What then?” Tio’s lips quirked in an arrogant smirk.
“I tell her I changed it legally after unknowingly keeping the books for a shady company. It’s true enough.” Of course, he’d actually taken over that company when the cops had swooped in and picked the original owners up, but that part of the story didn’t need to see the light of day.
“You don’t think she’d look into that story?”
“On paper, it’ll look like the truth.” At least, he was pretty sure it would. He’d given every appearance of fully cooperating with the investigation, had turned over all the records he had, had claimed complete ignorance, and had managed to get away with it. That he’d made copies of the contact information for all the foreign contacts and that he’d managed to continue the work had never come to light.
Tio studied him for several seconds past uncomfortable.
Mitch held the stare. It all came down to this. He had to convince Tio that he meant it, every word.
If he failed, he didn’t only fail himself. He failed Kevyn.
Pulling back with a growl, Tio laced his fingers behind his neck and tilted his face to the ceiling.
This was good. Tio was at least thinking about what he’d said. It was a far better option than the open dismissal Mitch had expected.
The air conditioner rattled the vent over his head. Zane’s goon cracked his knuckles. The fan on the laptop whirred.
Finally, Tio dropped his head. “I hate this wall between us, man. Just level with me. Why were you snoopin’ through my stuff?”
If he could go back and undo anything, that would be it. He wished he’d never let his curiosity and suspicion get the better of him. He wished he’d never learned anything about whatever it was Tio was up to. “I knew you were keeping something from me. You talk about me lying, but you started it.”
The jab hit. Tio’s eyes briefly widened before he clenched his jaw. “It doesn’t concern you.”
“We’re partners. It does concern me. Whatever it is.” Hopefully that last part would drive home how little he knew. “But fine. Keep your secret. Let me get back to handling my part of our business. And for crying out loud, let me live my life.”
Tio crossed his arms over his chest. “You wanna know what I’m into? I’ll tell you. Frankly, I could use your help. All those numbers are driving me crazy. But once you’re in, there’s no goin’ back. You’ll get your hands dirty so you’re in just as deep as me. You hear me?”
This was what he’d been waiting for!
Mitch swallowed, the lack of saliva making his throat feel gravel-lined. After all the snooping, after pushing Tio to let him in, the option stood in front of him.
Was it a door he really wanted to walk through?
“Whatsa matter, man?” Tio’s jaw twitched. “Thought you wanted in?”
Mitch gestured to the room around him. “After all you’ve put me through the last few days? Now I’m not so sure.”
A hint of respect lit Tio’s eyes.
Phew! He’d given the right answer.
“Think on it, man. This stuff,” Tio pointed to Mitch’s laptop. “Small potatoes. I’m in the big leagues now.”
Big leagues.
With the amount they were pulling down now, he could only imagine how much Tio’s side racket was bringing in.
Bigger haul also meant bigger risk. Both from Tio and the law.
Frankly, he wasn’t sure which concerned him more.
Twelve
“Back again? I’m trying to rest up so I can get back to work soon.” Noelle Orson rolled her eyes, the action making her look like a spoiled teenager rather than a grown woman. “I already told you everything I know.”
Kevyn took the sofa opposite Orson and Sid sat on the cushion beside her.
Now to play this right. If she messed up, Orson would no doubt request a lawyer and the conversation would be over.
Kevyn offered a sympathetic smile. “I know this has all been very traumatic and I’m sorry to have to keep bringing this up. We’re making headway and have a few follow-up questions so we know we’ve caught the right guy.”
Color slid from Orson’s face as she straightened in her chair. “You-you caught him?”
Ah. Worry, not hope.
Just as she thought. Orson was in on this.
Now to figure out why.
“We don’t have them in custody, but we’re making progress.” Sid rested his elbows on his knees with his fingers laced together. “In the meantime, we’re very glad you’re safe here.”
Orson’s tongue flicked across her lips. “Yes. Of course. Safe.”
“And we’re grateful for your help in catching these guys.” Kevyn kept her gaze focused on Orson, who straightened at her words. She set a manilla envelope on the coffee table between them. “We have a few images we’d like to run by you.”
“I’ll do whatever I can to help you catch them.” A theatrical shudder rocked Orson’s bony frame. “I want this nightmare to be over.”
“I’m sure you do.” Kevyn met Sid’s gaze.
A barely perceptible nod indicated that Sid was ready to go. They’d rehearsed their strategy on the way over. Now to see if it worked.
Kevyn slid out the images, all printouts from the security video.
“We’re curious.” She pushed the first one across to Orson. “This one, you’re looking in the direction of the van. Almost like you expected trouble.”
Sid snagged the next printout, the one where Orson looked at the attacker. “And in this one, you’re looking right at him. But you told us you didn’t get a good look.”
A gray hue colored Orson’s cheeks. Her frame shook from the force of her heavy breathing.
And Sid wasn’t even done.
“And in these,” Sid spread out three more images, each showing the moment the supposed abduction occurred. “It looks like you’re climbing into the van on your own. Not being forced. Why is that?”
“I-I… that’s not what’s happening.” Orson’s voice rose to a squeak. “I mean, of course I fought back. I wouldn’t let some creep take me without trying to get away.”
“You don’t hit him or scratch him. You don’t even scream. Why is that?”
Kevyn barely waited for Sid to finish his question before pulling out the remaining paper, a printout of Orson’s financials. “Does it have anything to do with this?”
Color exploded into Orson’s cheeks. “How dare you dig into my personal affairs! You have no right–”
“Actually, we do. When you were abducted, we were granted access to your financial records. Finances often help us locate people who have gone missing.” Sid’s tone contained an uncharacteristically hard edge. Precisely as they’d discussed. “We know you weren’t abducted by the same crew that took Jason Boggess. We also know that you were going deeper in the red, in spite of running a successful business. So what is it? Drugs?”
She shot to her feet. “I would never!”
“Gambling?”
A sheen glistened on Orson’s face in the filtered light and her pulse jumped in her neck.
Sid had hit it with that one.
Kevyn softened her tone. “How much do you owe?”
Orson’s eyes darted toward the door, which was on the other side of the room, past the sofa on which both Kevyn and Sid sat. “I don’t…”
“And why not ask your father for the money? Why the ruse?”
Orson collapsed to her knees in front of the table as a sob ripped from her. “You don’t understand! I couldn’t ask my dad.”
Kneeling on the other side of the table, Kevyn reached across and placed her hand on top of Orson’s. “He loves you so much. Surely he would have helped you.”
Orson gulped in air. “It wasn’t the first time. Last time he threatened to cut me off. Sell my condo. I told him I’d stop, but I couldn’t help it. I-I couldn’t go to him. Not again.”
“So you arranged the kidnapping so you’d have the ransom to pay off your debts.” It took effort to keep the anger and condemnation boiling within her from coming out in her words. This woman, with her selfish actions, had wasted their time. Valuable time that could cost three people their lives.
“Kind of.” Orson raised her blotchy, tear-streaked face to meet Kevyn’s eyes. “I was being pressured to pay. Threatened. I-I sorta suggested that we stage a kidnapping and they could have the ransom.”
“How much did you owe?” Sid kept his tone casual, as if they were discussing where they should go for dinner.
“Forty thousand. I knew daddy kept that much at the house.”
“You know they took eighty thousand from him, right?”
Orson’s eyes dropped to the table at Sid’s question. “I had nothing to do with that.”
No? Given that the abduction had been her idea, it sounded like she had everything to do with it.
“Anyway, I’m done now. I’m clear and I’m out. I won’t do it again. Honest.” Her bloodshot eyes implored Kevyn. “Please. We don’t have to tell daddy, right?”
Pulling her hand away, Kevyn pushed to her feet. “He’s going to find out. You committed a crime, wasted federal investigative resources, and may have cost three other people their lives.”
Sid walked around and pulled Orson to her feet. “You’re going to have to come with us.”
“I want a lawyer!” Orson jerked her arm away.
“You’re going to need one.” Kevyn caught Orson’s arm and snapped a handcuff around the bony wrist. “You can ring him from our office.”
₪ ₪ ₪
The late afternoon sun beat down on Dak’s shoulders as he stepped out of his Jeep.
Phew! It was a warm one today. The sun was surprisingly intense for the Seattle area, even during July.
At least he’d opted for a polo shirt today rather than button down.
He slipped on his ever-fashionable FBI cap before locking his Jeep and jogging across the narrow two-lane road. Sea grass brushed his knees as he crossed a small field, heading for the rocky beach about forty yards in front of him.
The call about a body being found off the coast of Bainbridge Island had come in shortly after Sid and Kevyn left to interrogate Noelle Orson.
An ID on the body was still pending, but the responding officers thought they might have found Jason Boggess.
Half a dozen police officers worked in and around the yellow crime scene tape. About a dozen yards away, sitting on a weathered log, a middle-aged couple with a golden retriever spoke with a plainclothes detective.
No doubt the people who found the body.
Details had been rather sketchy, but he’d been told that a couple walking their dog had phoned it in.
He’d get to them in a minute. For now, he wanted to see if he could figure out if the body really did belong to Jason Boggess.
After showing his badge to the officer guarding the perimeter, he stepped over the yellow tape and approached the body. Sprawled face down in the sand, the body was clearly male, with short brown hair. Although it was hard to tell, the height looked to be consistent with Boggess.
Mottled and pruney skin distorted the man’s coloring and the bloated state made it impossible to guess the man’s build.
It might be Jason Boggess or it might be someone else. Short of finding a driver’s license strapped to the man’s body, it was impossible to say at this point.
Waterlogged jeans hung in shreds around his legs and a short-sleeved shirt draped the body. One of the man’s shoes was missing, but the other, a brightly colored athletic sneaker, clung to the man’s left foot.
Didn’t need to ask about cause of death. The concaved area on the back of the skull gave a pretty good indicator.
Although it was possible that occurred post-mortem.
The coroner glanced up at him.
The unsmiling eyes weren’t an invitation, but Dak crouched a few feet away nonetheless. “What’ve you found so far?”
The coroner shook his head slowly. “Too early to say. With the temperature of the Sound, he might’ve been in there for weeks.”
Yeah, if he’d had to guess the response, that would have been exactly what he would have expected to hear.
“But,” the coroner held up a finger. “I can tell you that I suspect the body was dumped in the water post-mortem.”
Okay, that was something. “What do you see?”
The coroner pointed to some plum colored markings on the left sides of the corpse’s arms. “See the way the blood pooled here? It seems probable that this man died and was left on his side, which is unlikely to have happened in the water.”
