Secrets Never Die

by Leigh, Melinda

  “Colgate quit.”

  “What?” Morgan shouldn’t have been surprised. He’d been ill suited to the job from the moment he stepped into it. But he’d shown no indication of leaving office when she’d last spoken with him.

  “Well, not exactly quit.” Esposito turned to face her. “He’s retiring and taking accrued vacation time until the paperwork is complete. He also might have been encouraged to step down by the powers that be. Not everyone is OK with looking like a chump.”

  Esposito would never say it, but Morgan interpreted powers that be as his boss, the district attorney. Technically, only the voters or the governor could remove a duly elected sheriff from office, but Colgate had inherited the job. Supervision over him was murky. Not that it mattered. The current DA was a very persuasive man, and lack of support from his office could make the job of sheriff all but impossible. The DA had backed up Colgate on the last two important cases—his reputation had suffered when the sheriff’s investigations had gone sour. The prosecutor would not make that mistake a third time.

  “Who will handle the investigation?” Morgan asked.

  “Deputy Todd Harvey has just been promoted to chief deputy. He’ll be cleaning up the case, with some help from the SFPD and the state police. Harvey will be in touch.”

  Morgan studied him. “Why are you really here? You could have told me that Colgate quit in a phone call.”

  “To relay a message.”

  “Also from the powers that be?”

  “Maybe.” Esposito lifted a shoulder. “Randolph County needs a sheriff. Someone smart. Someone who can whip that department into shape.”

  Shock dropped Morgan’s jaw. “You can’t be serious. I have no policing experience.”

  “You don’t need any. Sheriff is an elected office. You would be required to take a training course prior to taking the oath of office.” Esposito’s dark eyes glittered. “The DA’s office would back you in the election. You’d win.”

  Morgan considered the offer. Every decision made by the DA was a chess move. There was a reason he wanted her to run for sheriff. Since she’d opened her defense firm, she’d gone head-to-head with the prosecutor’s office several times and come out on top. Did the DA want to eliminate her as his opponent? It didn’t matter. Morgan had no desire to be a politician.

  “Well, thank you for your support,” she said. “But I’m not interested. I like what I’m doing, and I very much enjoy being my own boss.”

  Esposito acknowledged her answer with a slight incline of his head.

  The sliding door opened, and Lance stepped out. He wore a pair of faded jeans and a gray T-shirt. A bruise had darkened on his jaw, and his arms were covered in small cuts and abrasions. He shifted his coffee to his left hand and shook Esposito’s hand.

  “Colgate quit.” Morgan brought Lance up to speed on the case. They’d talk about Esposito’s weird proposal later.

  “I heard Morgan told him off at the scene last night.” Esposito chuckled.

  Warmth flushed into her cheeks. But she didn’t offer apologies for her behavior. She’d meant what she’d said.

  Esposito set his cup on the railing. “Don’t feel bad. He wasn’t a very good sheriff. You were just the only one with the balls to tell him.”

  “Have you pulled the arrest warrant for Evan?” Morgan asked.

  Esposito exhaled hard through his nose. “Yes. The homeowner he stole from is not pressing charges, and we’ve decided not to pursue a charge of fleeing the scene at this time.”

  Morgan’s temper spiked. She was too drained, physically and emotionally, to play games with Esposito. “If you pursue any charges against Evan, I will eviscerate you.”

  His nostrils flared, but he didn’t respond.

  She stepped closer. “I expect a press conference to be held today clearing Evan of all charges. Or I will hold one of my own, and I assure you, my words will not be flattering to the sheriff’s office or yours.”

  “That’ll be up to Chief Deputy Harvey.”

  Morgan rubbed the bridge of her nose. What was it with Esposito? It felt like he wanted to be decent, but he couldn’t do it unless she made him. Is that what he wanted? For her to force him to do the right thing? Or maybe he needed to use her as an excuse so that he didn’t ruin his tough-guy reputation.

  She needed more coffee.

  Esposito walked toward the sliding glass door. “One last thing. The urgent care center is not pressing charges against Tina.” Esposito sighed with disappointment. “Her boss said he understands the highly unusual and desperate nature of her situation. She isn’t even going to lose her job.”

  “She took some supplies to save her son,” Morgan argued. “Her boss sounds like a reasonable person who doesn’t want to lose a valuable employee.”

  “He’s a chump. She stole from the company.” Esposito didn’t roll his eyes, but she could tell he wanted to. He shook his head in disgust as they walked back through the house. Lance wasted no time showing him to the door.

  After he’d left, Lance said, “I told you he was still an asshole.”

  Morgan snorted. “I know Esposito is mostly difficult, but he’s done us a few good turns.”

  She wondered what Esposito would do if he knew that Tina was probably hiding a large chunk of stolen drug money. It would be best if he never found out.

  “He wanted the urgent care to press theft charges against Tina,” Lance said.

  “OK. Esposito is still an ass, but he’s no longer the devil incarnate. Agreed?”

  “I guess,” Lance huffed.

  Sophie ran out of the family room. “What’s an asshole?”

  Of course, she pronounced that L perfectly.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  That afternoon, Lance walked into the ICU, afraid of what he might find. His hand reached for Morgan’s. Walking next to him, she squeezed his fingers.

  Tina started to rise from the bedside chair.

  “Don’t get up. How is he?” Lance asked, stopping by the bed.

  The teen was breathing on his own, and his color looked better than it had the night before.

  “Better.” Tina smiled. “The doctors were afraid of sepsis, but the infection seems to be localized.” Tina scanned the blinking and beeping monitors. “His vital signs improved a little during the night. The antibiotics seem to be working.”

  “That’s good.” Lance’s throat tightened.

  “Thank goodness.” Morgan breathed and gripped his hand tighter.

  “Yes.” Tina touched her son’s hand, then looked up. Her eyes went from Morgan to Lance. “Thank you both for saving my son and for making me see the truth. If you hadn’t, Evan might not be here. He did need much more medical support than I could have given him.”

  “You would have made the right choice in the end.” Lance tried to sound more certain than he was.

  Tina brushed her son’s face with her knuckle. “I don’t know about that. Fear is a terrible thing. It blinds you.” She smoothed the blanket over Evan’s chest. “But it won’t happen again.”

  Tension eased inside of Lance’s chest. “You can call us anytime. Don’t think you’re all alone.”

  “Thank you.” Tina nodded, but she didn’t make any promises.

  There was nothing Lance could do to change her. “Would you let me know when he’s awake? The team will want to see him.” Lance would too, but nothing would cheer Evan up like his buddies.

  “I will,” Tina said.

  Lance and Morgan left the ICU through the double doors. They went to Rylee Nelson’s room in the surgical wing. Her brother stood next to her bed. Tension lines on his face made him look much older than the last time they’d seen him. Rylee was awake. Her leg was wrapped, elevated, and supported on pillows. Her face was as pale as the pillowcase.

  A woman in a dark suit turned as Morgan and Lance entered the room.

  Trevor’s face brightened with relief. “This is Mrs. White, the social worker I told you about.”

 
Morgan’s face split into a Cheshire-cat smile. “My name is Morgan Dane. I’m the Nelsons’ attorney. Why are you here?”

  Mrs. White frowned, the skin around her mouth puckering as if she were smelling something foul. “I’m talking to Rylee. I will be filing a report about this incident.” She gestured toward Rylee. “Ms. Nelson was gravely injured. She could have been killed.”

  “Indeed.” Lance was not going to let this miserable woman use Rylee’s courage against her. “Rylee was extremely brave. She saved her friend’s life. She was quite the hero. It wouldn’t surprise me if the mayor recognized her courage with some sort of civic award.”

  Mrs. White’s mouth opened, but no words came out.

  Morgan pulled a business card from her bag. “From now on, all correspondence should be conducted through my office.”

  Mrs. White took the card, shoved it into her pocket, and hurried from the room.

  “Wow.” Trevor stared at the doorway. “Thank you. She’s never retreated like that before.”

  “She’s never had to deal with Morgan before,” Lance said with pride.

  “As I told you before, this isn’t over,” Morgan said. “Your CPS file will likely remain open until Rylee turns eighteen, but it will be easier on you if I handle Mrs. White.” Morgan smiled at Rylee. “How is your leg?”

  “It’s OK.” Rylee smiled. “The nurse said as soon as Evan wakes up, she’ll take me down to see him.”

  “That’s wonderful.” Morgan turned to Trevor. “Please let me know if you need anything.”

  “We will.” He gripped his sister’s hand. “But I think we’re going to be all right.”

  Morgan and Lance left Rylee’s room and took the elevator to Brian Springer’s floor.

  “Is everyone we know in this hospital?” Lance asked.

  “It certainly seems that way.” Morgan led the way out of the elevator. “We should be grateful. It could have ended much worse.”

  “You are so right.” Lance knocked on Brian’s doorframe.

  “Come in,” a voice said.

  They entered the room. Brian was alone. His hand was wrapped in thick gauze and propped on a pillow. Bruises mottled his face. “I can’t thank you enough for saving me.”

  Lance didn’t tell him it had been an accident. “How did you get involved?”

  “It all started when Paul unintentionally opened a letter addressed to Tina. I have a picture of the letter on my phone, but I read it enough to remember it word for word. ‘This is a blast from your past. You’ve done well for yourself, bitch. But I want the money. Give it to me, and I won’t have to destroy your new life.’ There was a time and place where Tina was supposed to go. Paul wanted to find out what the hell was going on. He was pissed about the letter. He called me. He wanted my opinion. The postmark was local, and he thought it was probably from Kirk, trying to scare her. The ex was bitter and had been looking for a handout from Tina. He was especially pissed that his application for alimony had been denied.”

  Tina had said that Paul liked to take care of her.

  Brian took a breath and sipped his water. “There was no way Paul was going to let Tina go to the meeting. He and I went instead.”

  “Where was it?” Morgan was taking notes.

  “In the parking lot of a vacant office complex. Tina was supposed to go there at nine o’clock the following night. Paul and I took separate cars. I parked in a shadow at one end where I could see him. He went to the meeting site.”

  “But no one came,” Lance said.

  “No.” Brian shook his head. “Paul still thought it was Kirk’s prank. But it wasn’t Kirk who grabbed me at my house.”

  “Did he break in?” Morgan asked.

  “No. He didn’t have to. I’d been out mowing the lawn. I wanted to get it done before I went fishing. When I went inside after I finished, he was waiting for me. He had a gun. I’d left the door unlocked while I was working in the yard, and I didn’t hear anything over the sound of the mower.”

  Morgan looked up from her notebook. “How did he get you out of the house without your neighbors seeing?”

  “He tied me up and put his car in the garage. Once he forced me into the trunk, he was clever enough to tie a wire noose around my neck and connect it to my hands and feet. I couldn’t move without garroting myself. This was clearly not his first kidnapping.”

  “How did he know you were involved?” None of this made any sense to Lance.

  Brian shrugged. “I guess he got my license plate number when I was in the parking lot. It’s the only thing I can think of. In hindsight, we should have taken more precautions. But Paul really was convinced that Kirk was behind the note.”

  “What did he want from you?” Morgan asked.

  “He wanted to know where Evan would hide. He also said Tina had money that was his. He thought I would know where it was. I didn’t know what he was talking about.” Brian’s voice faltered. “I didn’t even know who he was. He didn’t believe me. He kept punching me. Then he brought out the shears—” His voice faded as he stared at his bandaged hand, pain and horror crossing his face. “If I had known anything, I would have told him. I would have said anything to get him to stop. I even tried making some shit up, but I didn’t know enough to tell a plausible lie. I’m lucky he didn’t kill me. He kept me alive as emergency leverage. If he had found Evan, he would have put a bullet in my head.”

  “Why did Paul call you? I thought you two had a falling-out right before he retired?” Lance asked.

  Brian frowned. “We did. It was my fault. I lost my patience with a suspect. I listened to my lawyer and denied the whole thing. I said I didn’t know where he got the bruises on his ribs. He could have had them before we arrested him. It was the suspect’s word against mine. Paul backed me up, but he wasn’t happy about it. Paul had a clear sense of right and wrong. He felt compromised.”

  Brian’s head fell back on the pillow. “I shouldn’t have asked him to cover for me. It was wrong of me to put him in that situation. I should have owned up to my mistake like a man. A few weeks ago, I called Paul and apologized.” His eyes misted. “He accepted without missing a breath. Paul was a great guy.”

  Lance couldn’t think of any more questions for Brian. Two off-duty deputies arrived to see him, and Morgan and Lance left.

  Lance’s phone vibrated. “It’s the sheriff’s department.”

  He answered the call.

  “Hey, Lance. Todd Harvey here. I’d like to talk to you, Morgan, and Sharp. Can I drop by the office?”

  “We’re at the hospital now,” Lance said. “We can meet you in about twenty minutes.”

  When they arrived, Harvey was in Sharp’s office. A small voice recorder sat on the desk.

  Harvey stood and shook Lance’s hand. He was gentle with Morgan’s bandaged fingers. “I’ve taken Sharp’s statement. I’d like to get both of yours individually, and then I can fill you all in on what we’ve learned so far.”

  Lance and Morgan both kept their statements brief. They might have omitted a few details about Tina’s attempt to take Evan and run. When they had finished, the four of them gathered in Sharp’s office. Morgan took the chair next to Harvey. Lance leaned on the wall behind Sharp’s desk.

  Todd consulted his notepad. “We found Aaron Martin’s body at the dam above Scarlet Lake. The ME has already positively identified him from fingerprints. The dark-blue sedan that Brian was locked in was registered to Aaron. In the glove compartment was a Newark police badge stolen from a murdered cop twenty-five years ago. He also had a big map of Randolph County and Paul’s handgun. A 9mm handgun was recovered from the ground below the Scarlet Falls observation deck. Prints on the weapon matched Aaron’s. We are running ballistics tests to confirm that it was the weapon used to kill Paul. Also, Brian positively identified Aaron as the man who kidnapped him.”

  “So Aaron was pretending to be a cop,” Lance said as the last pieces of the puzzle fell into place. “I assumed the officer Brian’s neighbors me
ntioned was a county detective, but I was wrong.”

  “Yes,” Harvey agreed. “Brian’s neighbors picked Aaron’s picture out of a photo array. He was definitely impersonating a police officer. Sheriff Colgate never sent anyone to talk to Brian’s neighbors. He wasn’t convinced that Brian’s disappearance was related to Paul’s murder.”

  It had likely been Aaron who’d been watching Jake’s farm and who had attacked Lance, but Harvey didn’t need every single detail, especially not the ones that could get Lance’s PI license revoked.

  Harvey continued. “Aaron also had a list of locations in the car. Some were checked off. It appears he’d been looking all over the county for the boy. The vacant house where Evan was seen was circled. There was a line drawn to the lake.” He looked up from his notes. “I spoke with Rylee Nelson this morning. She told me that she saw Evan at the lake Wednesday night and that an unmarked police car showed up. The sheriff’s department didn’t have a vehicle in the area at that time. We checked with the SFPD. It wasn’t one of their cars either.”

  “Aaron was looking for Evan,” Morgan said.

  “That’s what we think.” Harvey clicked his pen closed. “The arrest warrant for Evan has been pulled, and I’ve scheduled a press conference for this evening to make a public announcement. Evan has been completely cleared.”

  “Thank you.” Morgan smiled. “Do you know if Joe Martin was involved or was the whole plan concocted by Aaron?”

  Harvey shrugged. “The Albany cops interviewed Joe. He denied knowing anything about Paul’s murder, and we haven’t run across any evidence that implicates him. For the moment, we believe Aaron acted alone.” Harvey nodded at Sharp. “Sharp suggested that Aaron might have been unhappy that his father was released and took back control of the company.”

  “I doubt you’ll find proof either way,” Morgan said. “Joe must have an army of lawyers to hide his businesses behind shell companies.”

  “I’m sure he does.” Harvey stood and stretched. “Thank you for your time.”

  Lance walked him to the door. “Are you going to run for sheriff?”

  “Hell no. The department is a mess. Colgate’s office and files are complete chaos.” Harvey jammed his hat on his head. “At this point, the county will be hard-pressed to find anyone willing to run for the office in November.” He pointed to Lance. “You could run.”