“Yes. Jonah and Katie.”
He paused a moment. “I’m at a crime scene right now, but I can meet you in an hour. Does that work?”
“Yes, I’ll see you then. My house.”
“Are you safe?”
“I think so.”
“Good. Stay that way until I meet you.”
“See you then.”
As he said the words, a small part of me really hoped I didn’t regret this.
Whoever was behind this had quite the scheme going on. Stealing drugs. Selling them. Setting up other people to look guilty. Abusing power to the full extent. I put the car into drive and took off, feeling like I was on autopilot.
“Your mom and Truman,” Jamie said, probably reading my thoughts.
“I know.” I dreaded telling my mom the news. Even if it wasn’t true, she’d eventually learn about the allegations and would be crushed by them. “He just seems better than this.”
“Looks can be deceiving. We’ve seen that before.”
Silence stretched a moment as the roadside blurred past. My thoughts turned and raced and skittered.
Finally, I blurted, “Wesley seems nice.”
My words seemed so inconsequential, but I needed time to process everything.
“He is.”
I glanced at my best friend. “You really like him?”
“I do.”
“I don’t think you ruined your chances.”
She frowned. “Who knows what they’re saying about me now.”
“That you have integrity.”
“Or that I’ve got nerve.”
“Nerve isn’t a bad thing.” I’d developed a lot more nerve after my misdiagnosis. When you think you have only a year to live, your perspective changes.
Apparently Bo’s perspective had changed also, but not for the better. How did he tie into all of this? I wondered, my mind unable to escape the thought.
A theory took shape in my mind, but I wanted some confirmation. I needed more pieces of the puzzle to fit together. I could feel we were close to the truth—so close that I could nearly taste it—like you could taste the salty ocean air before you even saw the water on the horizon.
“Where are we going?” Jamie asked. “You just missed the turn going back to your house.”
“I think we have time for one more stop.”
The one-hour time frame gave me enough time to swing by the hotel in downtown Cincinnati where Violet worked. Hotel Plaid. How could I forget a name like that? I just wanted to confirm a few things with Violet about what she’d seen and ask her a few more questions before I threw anyone under the bus.
Hotel Plaid was a trendy hotel located downtown. It wasn’t large, but there were bright, vibrant colors on the wall; a busy restaurant located off the lobby; and it was mostly patronized by people in their twenties and thirties.
As soon as we walked in, I spotted Violet working the front desk. Her eyes widened when she saw me. She still looked as jittery as ever with her quick motions and high-pitched voice.
“How’d you find me?” She leaned in close and lowered her voice as we approached the desk.
I leaned toward her. “It’s a long story. Violet, I just have a couple of questions for you. It’s important.”
She glanced behind me nervously, as if the bad guys had followed me inside. They could have, for all I knew. I mean, I’d watched my back as we’d driven here and hadn’t seen anyone. But apparently I rarely saw the people who followed me.
“Not here,” Violet whispered, her gaze still shifting back and forth. “Let’s go to the lobby.”
She rounded the desk and led Jamie and me over into a corner. She walked briskly, but she didn’t look back once she started. Away from any listening ears, she leaned closer to us. “What’s going on? Is this about Bo?”
“Possibly,” I started. “Did your brother take prescription drugs?”
“For a while he did. After his cancer surgeries he was in a lot of pain. Demerol was his best friend. Why do you ask? What does that have to do with anything?”
I had to ask her more questions before I explained. “You said he came into some money?”
“That’s right. I’m not sure where it came from.”
“And that he was acting differently?” I continued.
Her eyebrows jammed together. “What’s this about?”
I touched her arm, trying to convince her to trust me now, just like she’d done a couple of days ago. “I just need to know. Then I’ll explain.”
She finally nodded. “Yes, he was.”
“Last question. I promise. Was he friends with any cops?”
Her gaze swept to the left then the right as she assessed different parts of her brain. Psychology 101. “Not really. I mean, not that I know of.”
I released my breath. “Violet, I’ve uncovered some new information that’s led me to believe Bo may have been involved in a prescription-drug ring.”
She gasped and then her shoulders slumped. “Maybe. I guess that would make sense. Prescription drugs . . . even though they’re not illegal, per se, they can still change people.”
“Especially opioids.” I’d worked with a few people who’d gotten caught up in prescription drugs after surgeries. It hadn’t been pretty, and, the even sadder part was, it generally started innocently and eventually turned into a monster that they couldn’t control.
Violet sniffled. “I don’t know how he got mixed up in it. I mean, I understand that he could have been taking those drugs and maybe even become addicted to them. But . . . you think that’s what got him killed?”
“That’s my best guess,” I told her. “I think someone staged it to look like a suicide.”
She pinched the skin between her eyes. It was a lot for anyone to take in.
Finally, she raised her head, drew in a breath to compose herself, and nodded. “Thank you for finding some answers. If you hear any more, will you let me know?”
“Of course.”
Now I had to get home in time to meet Chase.
As Jamie and I headed upstairs toward the parking garage entry, the skin on my neck rose. I paused and looked over my shoulder.
There were crowds of people behind us. It looked like a session had ended at the convention center, which was connected with this hotel.
I didn’t see anyone who stood out.
So why did I feel like someone was watching me?
“What’s going on?” Jamie asked.
I glanced over my shoulder again. “I’ve got a bad feeling.”
“About what?”
“I’m not sure. I think we’re getting too close to the truth, though.”
“Now you’re freaking me out.”
The crowd continued to thicken. I thought I’d heard something about a homeschool convention that was taking place here and had brought in thousands of people.
I looked behind me one more time. This time, a face caught my eye.
It was the man with the crazy hands. The one who’d stood near Jamie and me in the coffee house that day.
And he was following us.
I didn’t have to stare long to know that the look in his eyes was full of vengeance. This encounter wasn’t meant to scare or warn us.
He was going to hurt us.
I took her arm and quickened my steps. “We’ve got to move.”
“What do you mean?”
I pulled her along, not daring to slow for even a minute. “No time to explain. But there’s a man following us. He’ll kill us if he has the chance.”
She started to look over her shoulder, but I stopped her.
“Don’t,” I urged her. “Just move. Please.”
I scanned in front of us. All I saw were thick crowds, moving leisurely. Eventually Jamie and I could head down an escalator, and there would be various points of exit onto the streets of downtown.
Could we make it that far?
I’d guess the man had a gun. If he got close enough, he’d shove it into ou
r backs. Force us to do what he wanted. Take us somewhere quiet and finish us off. My instincts had never felt as sharp as now.
Right now, the throng of people could be our friend. The masses could conceal us and protect us. But all of that could change in an instant. I didn’t want to put other people’s lives in danger.
“Do you have a plan?” Jamie whispered as the multitudes jostled us.
“Stay away from the bad man.”
She snorted. “Glad you’ve thought this through.”
“I try.”
Up ahead, the swarms of homeschoolers began thinning. That wasn’t good. We’d stand out, be less concealed. But we were going to have to use that to our advantage somehow.
I glanced behind me again.
The man was getting closer. He was pushing his way past people now, upping his pace so he could reach us.
I had to think fast. Desperate times called for desperate measures, right?
Drawing in a breath, I shouted, “Fire!”
Panic erupted around us as people scrambled for safety. Families clung together. Businessmen began to jog. A few people stopped to look around.
Please, forgive me.
However, a man with a gun in a crowd was a danger to all of us. I just prayed no one got trampled in the process.
Jamie and I reached the escalator. I looked over my shoulder one more time.
I’d lost sight of the man, but I knew he was still on our tail.
“Holly, there’s a cop out there. Maybe we can get to him.”
I looked straight ahead and saw a uniformed officer standing near the exit. With a touch of confusion on his face, he watched everyone fleeing the building. He picked up his radio and talked to someone.
“We can’t, Jamie. We don’t know whom we can trust.”
“What are you saying?
“Cops are in on this. We don’t know which ones. But we can’t risk it. What if he’s one of the ones involved in this?”
Her face paled. “Then what are we going to do?”
I glanced around again. “I have an idea.”
I only hoped it didn’t get us killed.
Chapter 29
I grabbed Jamie’s hand and pulled her to another hallway on the first floor. We ran against the crowds as they exited.
On this side of the convention center, word hadn’t spread about the fire, so people were calmer. The crowd was still thick, though, which worked in our favor.
“What are you doing?” Jamie whispered.
“Trying to keep us alive.”
I darted into the exhibit area where what appeared to be hundreds of booths were set up by vendors—everything from curriculum to toys to bookstores.
I found the first unmanned one I saw—it appeared to have some kind of science theme, based on the beakers and test tubes at the back—and I pulled Jamie behind it. We ducked under the table there, beneath the tablecloth.
And then we waited.
“This was your plan?” Jamie whispered.
“Did you have a better idea?”
Underneath the table it was dark. A black piece of fabric covered it, but slits at the corners allowed me to watch people as they walked past. Occasionally, fast walkers caused the edges to breeze open. I prayed that we’d stay concealed.
I didn’t think anyone had seen us duck under here, but I couldn’t be sure.
I could see the shoes on the other side—only shadows of them, really. Some people had probably taken their lunch hour to peruse the area in search of free items, new ideas, or gifts to take home.
Footsteps paused on the other side of the table. I drew in a deep breath. Was it the man? Had he seen us? Would he finish us right here?
I glanced at Jamie. Even though it was dark, I could see the fear in her eyes.
I prayed this decision didn’t get us both killed.
I dared not move. I hardly wanted to breathe.
Finally, the feet moved. One step. Then two. Then back again.
It was the man who was chasing us. I felt certain of it.
Drawing in a deep breath, I moved the tablecloth ever so slightly and peered out.
I was right. It was the man. His hands still clenched and unclenched. But he wasn’t looking down at us. No, he was surveying the rest of the convention hall, trying to figure out where we’d gone.
If we could remain low-key, maybe we had a chance.
Just then, Jamie fanned her face. Her eyes narrowed. She sucked in a breath.
Oh no! She had to sneeze.
I shook my head and mouthed, “Not now!”
It was too late. Her high-pitched sneeze cut through the air. From where I sat, it sounded loud enough to startle someone from the dead. I held my breath and watched to see what the man would do.
He turned.
I braced myself for a struggle.
But before he could look our way, something hit the table. Voices sounded overhead.
The people who managed this booth were back, I realized.
The man seemed satisfied that the sneeze had come from one of them. He walked away.
That had been close. Too close.
Chase was waiting for me when we got back to the house. He sat in his truck, looking at something on his computer. I sent Jamie inside to distract my mom, and I hoisted myself into the passenger seat.
I told Chase everything I’d learned. He grunted with each new fact that I presented but said very little until I finished.
“I don’t even want to know how you put all of this together. You never cease to amaze me. Truth is, I’ve suspected something has been going on for a while.”
My breath caught. “You have?”
He nodded, his jaw flexing. “One of my neighbors approached me about some missing prescriptions. He mentioned a burglary at his house a couple of weeks ago. Someone else had reported to another detective that the same thing had happened. That got my attention, and I started looking into it. I’ve been trying to review police reports and pinpoint who was involved and how deeply this went.”
“Is that why you met with Morgan Bayfield?” I slipped the question in, unable to resist any longer.
He shot me a quick look, his forehead lined with surprise. “Morgan Bayfield? How do you know about her?”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to launch into Evan’s sudden interest in me. “Long story.”
He studied my face a moment—quietly, discerning. “Were you following me?”
“No, I wasn’t. I’ve learned my lesson on that. I found out accidentally, I suppose.”
“You weren’t supposed to see me with her. No one was.”
My spine stiffened. I didn’t like the sound of that. “Why?”
He sighed. “While doing my off-the-books investigation, I came across her name. I’m working with another detective in narcotics, and a doctor at the jail came to him with some concerns about his nurse.”
“Morgan was his nurse?”
Chase nodded. “I was able to connect this ring with Morgan. She was writing prescriptions for fake patients under the doctor’s name and sending them electronically to the pharmacy. She went as far as to sell to certain inmates after they were released from jail.”
“Why’d you meet with her?”
“I was trying to run her—and I was close. We were supposed to meet again at 15th and Vine on Thursday. She was going to hand over the names of everyone involved. But she was already dead when I arrived.”
That explained why he’d said he worked the homicide that night. He had been there—unofficially. “You think someone else involved in this ring killed her?”
“I do, probably to keep her quiet. I could tell she had some qualms about doing what she was doing. My guess was that she saw this as an easy way to make some money. Her mom’s treatments were expensive, and Morgan was desperate.”
“Does that mean other cops know about this investigation?”
“Just one. We can’t come forward with information until we have all the evidence.”<
br />
“Did you know Jonah was connected with this?”
“Not at first. I had no idea Gage or Katie might be involved with this. I didn’t suspect anything until you told me about Bo and that he’d met with Gage concerning an article.”
“How did that clue you in?”
“His death shook up Morgan, and she mentioned that she thought someone she knew had been killed, but his murder had been covered up.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Hurt stretched throughout my voice.
He glanced at me, and his eyes softened. “It was too risky, Holly. You know there are certain things I can’t tell you. This was one of them. No one could know. It would have put you in danger.”
This was no time for hurt feelings. I licked my lips, bracing myself for what I had to say next. “Chase, my source hinted that Officer Truman is involved.”
Chase’s face tightened. “I don’t want to believe that’s true. I don’t know Truman very well, but he seems like a good cop. I can confirm that he was at many of the crime scenes where prescription drugs were stolen.”
“He’s fallen on some hard times. I know his son died and his wife left him. Maybe selling these prescription drugs seemed like an easy way to get more money.”
He nodded, still looking somber. “It’s a possibility.”
“How does Ingrid from the gym tie in with this?” I asked.
He grimaced. “I’m not 100 percent sure, but I think we can safely assume she was set up. I think a lot of false clues have been planted to throw off us of the scent of what was really going on. One of the cops involved must have heard us talking about questioning her—it was in the briefing we had to do about Jonah, and there was no way I could keep it quiet. I didn’t think anyone would take it this far. She must have seemed like a good scapegoat, and these guys utilized that fact to their full advantage.”
“But she was seen with a baby.”
“Her sister recently had a baby. She denied putting the photos of Katie in her house. She said someone put them there after she left.”
Silence—thick and unpleasant—stretched.
“What are you going to do?” I finally asked.
“I’m going to go check out Truman’s house.”
“You’re not going to report it first? You still don’t have enough evidence?”
Random Acts of Greed: Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries, Book 4 Page 19
