The Mendoza Memo, page 24
A server placed a bowl of chips and salsa on the table before Daniel could answer.
“Thanks,” Daniel said and dipped a chip in the salsa. After taking a bite and waiting for the server to leave, Daniel continued, “The royalty case settled today.”
His beaming smile brightened the mood.
“What!! How?” Pamela confusingly asked. “I can’t believe it.”
“I know. It was hard work, but I convinced the board to approve a settlement. It made sense and was in the company’s best interest.”
“I thought they wanted their day in court which is why you went to the trial setting conference today.”
“They did. But the trial wouldn’t be until later this year. The board didn’t want to drag it out any further given the financial hit the company has taken since the lawsuit began. There were other factors I’m sure you’re aware of,” Daniel explained.
Because Pamela was intimately involved in a lot of his cases, Daniel was willing to share with her things he likely wouldn’t have shared with others who might be interested in knowing. Daniel trusted Pamela. He knew she would keep whatever he said to her in confidence.
“You may’ve heard about the missing financial documents,” Daniel nonchalantly mentioned. “They were a thorn in my client’s side. It’s clear those documents would’ve shown the chemotherapy drug earned way more money than the company claimed.”
“That’s not surprising,” Pamela said while nodding. She figured as much given the way the company dragged its feet in providing documents. “How did the mining companies find out?”
“They finally got a hold of the settlement agreement with the university and convinced the appeals court to unseal all of the financial documents in the university lawsuit. It showed what royalties were truly due.”
“Were those the missing documents in this case?” Pamela asked as if she really didn’t want to know the answer. “You don’t think…”
“Apparently so,” Daniel interrupted before she finished asking the question. He could only reveal so much without compromising a delicate situation that made him feel so uncomfortable. Daniel was just glad the case was over, and he no longer had to deal with a less than stellar client.
The waitress came to take their order and then left after dropping off their drinks. Pamela took a sip of her margarita.
“What are you drinking?” she asked. “It smells delicious.”
“Oh, it’s an agua fresca. I always order one whenever I eat at a Mexican restaurant. This one’s a horchata drink, which is made with rice.” Daniel took a big sip as he spoke. “You should try it someday.”
“I’m good with my margarita,” Pamela said while lifting the drink to take another sip.
“I guess that’s somewhat of a toast to this royalty case,” Daniel joked. “As I’m sure you figured out, now that the case is settled, you no longer need to continue with the investigation.”
“I understand. I’m sure the Tucson police and possibly the FBI will continue investigating things. After all, the intentional death of a federal judge may have happened. Who knows?”
“That’s right,” Daniel agreed.
Daniel almost forgot about the death of Judge Gutierrez. Like the death of Roderick Bailey, Daniel didn’t receive a Manilla envelope when the judge passed away. He assumed the death was from natural causes given the age of the judge and that it wasn’t related to the royalty case. Daniel was still open to the possibility but would let the authorities handle it. He’d had enough already and was eager to put it all in the past.
“You never know. Maybe the murderer will let their guard down now that the royalty case is settled. Hopefully, someday they’ll be caught,” Pamela expressed somewhat still invested in knowing the truth.
However, both Daniel and Pamela knew sometimes the wheels of justice took longer than expected.
49 OBSERVATION
Tucson, Arizona
Two Weeks Later
When Daniel entered the luxury home at The Residence located on the grounds of the Regal La Paloma Resort and Spa on a Saturday night, he was surprised Pamela invited him there. He’d never been to the home before and never knew she also owned a home in Tucson. Originally, he thought they would meet for dinner at a fancy restaurant after his meeting with a client to discuss a new case. Apparently, Pamela had different plans.
“This is a nice place. When did you buy it?” Daniel asked as Pamela led him from the foyer upstairs to an office in the rear of the home.
“Oh, I don’t own it. A client lets me borrow it from time to time,” she explained. “George, take a break.”
The stocky private investigator smiled and replied, “Sure.” He then left the desk with an array of computer screens to walk downstairs to the kitchen and get a bite to eat. He’d been there all day and his shift was nearly over. Another investigator would shortly replace him for the overnight shift.
“What a fancy setup,” Daniel declared upon seeing the various technological gadgets in her office. “But why did you want me to stop by?”
“I know you’re busy, but this is important,” Pamela explained. “Sit down.”
Daniel pulled up a chair next to Pamela as she scanned the matrix of video feeds for any sign of movement. So far nothing was out of the ordinary.
“Are you working on an assignment?” Daniel asked. “If you’re still busy, we can meet at another time? I don’t want to interfere with your work.”
“No. It’s okay. It’s why I brought you here.”
Pamela looked at the video feed streamed from the living room. Seated on the sofa was Mateo Bailey with a phone in his hand. Pamela was familiar with his routine. He appeared relaxed as if he was waiting for a text letting him know when it was the right time to leave and enjoy the evening with friends. Luisa Bailey kissed her son goodbye as she exited the residence for some social event related to her charity. All the while, Daniel watched the video until he finally realized what and who he was looking at.
“Wait a minute. Is this the Bailey residence?” he inquired having never known where the family lived. Roderick Bailey never invited him to the residence. The two didn’t socialize with each other. It wasn’t expected given the lack of closeness. The relationship was strictly professional.
“Uhuh,” Pamela answered as she continued observing the son.
After clicking a button, the video feed for the living room zoomed in. She was apparently waiting for something herself but had yet to explain it to Daniel. Checking the upper right corner of the computer screen revealed the time was nearly nine o’clock. The rest of the video feeds showed an empty house except for Mateo.
Her phone rang disturbing the eerie silence.
“Virginia, what’s the ETA?” Pamela anxiously asked as if she anticipated the call.
“He should be there in two minutes,” the other private investigator relayed.
“Good. Meet me and George at the house. Make sure he doesn’t see you,” Pamela directed.
Daniel watched Pamela and was pleased. He’d never seen her do her job. A part of him always wanted to see her in action. After all, he hired her plenty of times in the past for his clients. She seemed to perform miracles. But he never knew how. Having recently told her the assignment for the royalty lawsuit was over, he was surprised she was still working it on her own.
“Keep watching,” Pamela told Daniel.
A vehicle appeared in one of the video feeds as it drove up the street to the Bailey residence and into the driveway. A tall man exited the vehicle with dogged determination. His face was difficult to see given the camera angle and the lack of illumination. Approaching the door, he used a key to open it and walked to the living room startling Mateo.
“What are you doing here? I didn’t invite you. I’m on my way out,” Mateo declared while standing up to meet the gentlemen.
“Going out again. It’s perfect,” Bear said.
Daniel recognized his voice and was confused as to the meaning of the interaction. Pamela, however, expected the visitor. Her team had been following him for months now.
A struggle occurred between the two men after Bear rushed Mateo and quickly subdued him.
“Get off me,” Mateo demanded as he squirmed facing the floor.
Bear took out a zip tie from his pocket and handcuffed Mateo and tied his feet together. He then gagged Mateo’s mouth and placed him on the sofa.
Daniel watched in dismay.
“Oh, no. We need to help Mateo,” Daniel declared as he was about to rush out the office.
“No, let it play out,” Pamela expressed as she touched the palm of his hand to reassure him she knew what she was doing.
Bear pulled out a carrying case with a syringe and placed it on the coffee table. He paced from the rush of adrenaline mixed with anger. Mateo watched in horror after seeing Bear pull out the syringe. Mateo’s voice was muffled as he tried to tell Bear to stop. His body continued squirming to no avail.
“Relax. You’re not getting away,” Bear barked.
He checked the zip ties to ensure his prediction was accurate. They were tightened just in case. Bear then sat down on a wing chair near the sofa and faced Mateo. He was pleased with himself.
“You thought you got away with it once the board voted you the new CEO,” Bear deviously said with a wicked smile. “But you aren’t. I deserve the position. I don’t know why your father ever thought you could run the company. You can’t. I can. Look at you. Weak and pathetic. You didn’t really defend yourself. How could you even defend such a glorious company?”
Mateo listened as Bear spoke, distressed by his subduer’s monologue and the darker tone he began using. Daniel and Pamela eagerly watched the video wondering what Bear meant by his threats.
“After tonight, things will be rectified. You’ll conveniently die from an overdose. It’s to be expected given your party animal lifestyle. No one will question it. Not even the board.”
Mateo squirmed at the thought. Tears streamed from his eyes but he still couldn’t verbally express his fears. His reaction only pleased Bear even more.
“You think I didn’t know about it. I did,” Bear admitted. “Your father instructed me to have those people killed but never told me why. Roderick learned about the deaths from the clinical trials in that memo. He didn’t want anyone learning about them. He was afraid the company would go bankrupt if it came out. But you figured that part out. Or it seemed you did. Maybe you didn’t know about the trials. But you knew if Analysis had to pay the royalties owed to the mining companies, the company could go under. Your father couldn’t have that. I couldn’t have that.
“But then he got sloppy and arrogant. He confronted Dr. Lubarski about the memo and told her he would ruin her. She and Dr. Huether signed the settlement agreement but never disclosed the deaths from the first clinical trial. The settlement agreement I drafted had a poison pill that forced the doctors to return a large portion of the settlement and reduced any future royalties if they misrepresented anything to Analysis in entering the agreement.
“Dr. Lubarski told me about the memo and her fears that your father would use it against them. She wanted my help. But it only served to let me know what was really going on and why. When I learned Roderick was sending packages to our lawyer, I was outraged. He was careless, taunting the police. I told him he needed to put me in charge of the company since he brought it to the brink of destruction. But he refused. He wanted his pathetic son to become the CEO. After all the hard work, I’ve done. All the long hours and trips around the world to shore up business. He was going to screw me over. That wasn’t happening. He had to go.”
Mateo was horrified when he realized what Bear meant. Bear seemed calm and collected as he recounted the dire events of the past year. He grabbed the syringe from the coffee table. Putting the needle up, Bear flicked the syringe and then squirted some of the liquid to get any air bubbles out. He smirked, contemplating leaving the bubbles in the syringe to worsen Mateo’s fate.
“What are you doing, Bear? Put that down,” Daniel demanded as he rushed into the Bailey living room.
Pamela was in shock as she saw Daniel on the video confronting Bear and realized he’d snuck out without her knowledge.
Police sirens bellowed outside the Bailey residence. George and Virginia had called the Tucson police as instructed by Pamela after learning of Bear’s threats.
50 TUCSON PD
Tucson, Arizona
The Same Night
The Tucson detective approached Daniel and informed him of the status of the investigation.
“Bear Hudson confessed to everything. It didn’t take much persuading,” the detective revealed. “He admitted to giving Mr. Bailey a cutting-edge drug that caused a heart attack. He also identified his co-conspirators here in the States and London who helped with the other murders including Judge Gutierrez’s unfortunate death.”
Daniel was surprised to learn of Bear’s extensive involvement. But after what he observed and heard on the video, he had to believe it.
“How’s Mateo?” Daniel asked.
“He’s doing fine other than some bruises and a bruised ego. He’s being checked out at the University Medical Center to ensure everything is okay.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Daniel was relieved. He felt guilty not interfering sooner but if he had, then Bear wouldn’t have confessed on video.
“I also wanted to let you know I spoke with Detective Inspector Mosley about Bear’s involvement. He’s arresting any co-conspirators in London. Bear claims it was Roderick Bailey who slipped the arsenic in Dr. Shirvani’s glass of water during his deposition. DI Mosley wants to make sure Bear is being honest about those facts. He’s going to verify them as best as he could. Even if Mr. Bailey did kill Dr. Shirvani, someone had to give the arsenic to him in London. There’s no way he could have transported it on the flight.
“DI Mosley is also immediately starting the extradition process. Because a federal judge was murdered, Bear will likely stay in the U.S. and be tried here first. Then he can be extradited to England for the murders there. DI Mosley was disappointed about that, but he understood,” the detective explained.
Worried about something Bear said on the video, Daniel asked the detective if Dr. Lubarski or Dr. Huether were co-conspirators. The detective confirmed both doctors had not participated but the police found pictures of them in Bear’s house. The pictures revealed the doctors were being stalked and were possibly the next victims. Bear was going to be interrogated about it, the detective explained.
“Is there anything else you need from me?” Daniel asked. He was mentally exhausted, and it showed on his facial expression.
“No. We have your statement. I anticipate the FBI will be in touch with you tomorrow. You can go home and get some rest.”
The detective walked back into the interrogation room with the other detective.
Daniel was relieved it was finally over. However, he dreaded the long two-hour drive back to Phoenix so late at night. He contemplated getting a hotel room in Tucson. Perhaps, he’d stay at the Regal La Paloma Resort and Spa. He was too anxious to sleep and felt like wanting company.
Looking around for Pamela at the police station, she was no longer there. Daniel realized she must be with the other detectives at the luxury home at the resort. The Tucson police would certainly be interested in the video she recorded of the incident. How she could explain why she was videotaping the Bailey residence, Daniel had no idea. He assumed she would eventually tell him. Knowing Pamela, it wasn’t a given. She was secretive in many ways.
Walking outside to his car, Daniel decided to let John and Marissa know what happened. They could then tell the other attorneys. He determined to call them once in the hotel room. They would be relieved Daniel was no longer in danger although he never really believed it himself. Daniel wondered if it was Bear who followed him at the Oasis restaurant. He shook it off. He didn’t want to think about it and make things worse. If it was Bear, the detectives would figure it out.
All he wanted to think about was the casita overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Puerto Rico. He smiled as he drove to the resort.
THE END
Next in the Series:
Where Darkness Resides
(Daniel Mendoza Thrillers Book 4)
While vacationing at the Regal Isabela resort in Puerto Rico, attorney Daniel Mendoza witnesses what he suspects is an abduction of a hotel guest. He and his private investigator, Pamela Williams, investigate the suspicious activity to determine what really happened.
After the trail goes cold, they both head back to Arizona where his team of attorneys are trying a wrongful death case filed against their client. Daniel, however, never arrives in court.
Is he still on the case of the kidnapped guest? Or did something tragic happen?
A riveting legal thriller, 'Where Darkness Resides' is the fourth book in the Daniel Mendoza Thrillers series.
Where Darkness Resides
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mr. Maldonado is an attorney in the Phoenix area that has practiced insurance coverage and employment discrimination law. He is a co-author/editor of Couch on Insurance, a multi-volume treatise on insurance law. Mr. Maldonado is also a contributing author on CAT Claims: Insurance Coverage for Natural and Man-Made Disasters. Mr. Maldonado also wrote the employment chapter for the Arizona Tort Law Handbook. He has contributed to various law reviews and other articles. Now, Mr. Maldonado takes his hand to an area of personal satisfaction: relationships and emotional experiences.
To learn more about Daniel Maldonado, visit his author page on Next Chapter's website.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
This is a list of books and short stories written and published by Daniel Maldonado:
