Random Acts of Iniquity

by Christy Barritt

  Wilson sagged against the desk, looking weary. This case was taking its toll on everyone. “Mr. Kendrick, do you have any idea what was on that jump drive?”

  He shrugged. “I have to admit that I did look at it.”

  My breath caught. Maybe all wasn’t lost. “And?”

  “And I can tell you what I think, based on what Barbara told me.” Mitch swung his gaze from Wilson back to me, a hopeful look in his eyes.

  Maybe this was finally it. The moment we would get some answers. I prayed that was the case.

  Mitch ran his hand across his face again and drew in a deep breath. “Barbara got a job with Axon when they first opened,” Mitch said. “The company specialized in internet marketing, with a lean toward email campaigns. Of course, the tech world has changed a lot since then, but they were cutting edge when they started.”

  “Go on,” Wilson said, seeming to perk up just slightly.

  “But, from what I gathered, Barbara began to sense that everything wasn’t as it seemed with the company. She became increasingly unhappy. Finally, she quit. She couldn’t do it anymore.”

  “What kind of illegal things were they doing?” Wilson downed some more Tic Tacs, looking like some Xanax might benefit him more.

  Mitch shrugged. “I’m not 100 percent sure about it. But my impression is that they were exploiting people. They were hacking into people’s private email accounts, finding information that could bring them down, and then threatening them with it.”

  More exploitation? This couldn’t be a coincidence. Kurt Casey had been exploited also. And what about Ralph’s friend?

  I wanted to be appalled, but I wasn’t really surprised. I glanced at Felix, trying to gauge his reaction. He didn’t seem to be paying attention. His full focus was on the computer screen as his eyes rapidly went from left to right, as if reading something.

  “Who were these people?” Wilson asked.

  “They were powerful people. People with means and wealth. People who would pay out generously in order to protect their good name and their companies. We’re talking politicians, business owners, sport stars.”

  The stakes were getting higher and more things were falling into place.

  “If she was uncomfortable with what was happening, did she ever talk about taking it to the authorities?” I asked.

  Mitch nodded and dabbed at the sweat-covered skin on his forehead. “She wanted to. But she was scared. Then she got some threats through email. The notes disappeared after she read them, leaving no evidence. Basically, these people were blackmailing her. They had set up all this evidence claiming that if she talked, they’d make her look just as guilty. It scared her.”

  “That’s understandable.” Wilson leaned against the wall, taking in every detail of the conversation.

  “So she stayed quiet. She didn’t know what else to do. She had a twelve-year-old son at home at the time. She had to think about him.”

  “So there was a lot on the line if Barbara went forward to the police with the information,” I muttered.

  “Exactly.”

  “Mr. Kendrick, why are you coming forward with this information now?” Wilson asked.

  Mitch glanced at me. “Barbara told me you’d contacted her. She felt like maybe she was far enough removed from the company now that she could talk. Plus, her son is away at college. It’s been eating her alive for years, and I think she was secretly hoping for a push, some encouragement to spill everything.”

  I held my breath as I waited for him to continue.

  “She was all set and scheduled a meeting with you.” Mitch’s voice caught. “But then . . . she was killed. I still can’t believe it. I knew I couldn’t let her death be for nothing. I had to do something, so that’s why I contacted you and came here. I want justice for Barbara.”

  * * *

  Guilt pounded at me as I leaned back in my seat and squeezed my eyes shut. If I hadn’t researched Axon and contacted Barbara, none of this would have happened. She would still be alive. Maybe other people would still be alive right now, and I wouldn’t have gone through the trauma of being abducted.

  All because I got curious and wanted to help give Chase closure—a fact that might lead to the demise of our relationship.

  Think on the bright side, Holly. You must be getting close to answers. Close enough that someone felt threatened.

  Was that what had set all of these events into motion?

  I mean, it seemed like the founder of this company liked playing games with people.

  Doll Man had definitely played games with me. Were these guys one and the same?

  I didn’t know, but my gut told me all of this was connected.

  “What was the name of Axon’s president?” Wilson asked.

  “His name’s Gerald Moven,” Mitch said.

  “Felix, see what you can find out on him.” Wilson seemed to spring to life with a new energy as he stood. “I want to know where this guy is now.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Wilson turned back to Mitch. “Is there anything else we need to know? Anything else you can remember?”

  He shook his head and shrugged. “I . . . I don’t know. Barbara didn’t like to talk about it, but she thought there was enough evidence on that jump drive to bring this company down. She’d been sitting on it for years. She was going to give it to Holly.”

  I frowned, hoping desperately that Felix would be able to recover it. I wanted evidence and answers and closure. It seemed like Mitch was handing me all of those things.

  “Can I ask you a question, Mitch?” I started, shifting my body toward him.

  “Of course.” He looked up at me, drops of sweat sprinkled across his face.

  “Does the name Hayden Dexter ring any bells with you?”

  He didn’t hesitate before nodding. “Yes, Barbara talked about Hayden.”

  My breath caught. “What did she say?”

  “From what I remembered, he acted as security for the company,” Mitch said. “He stood by the front door, making sure there was no trouble.”

  “It’s starting to make sense why they hired someone for that now,” I said. “I used to think it sounded crazy, but if the guy running the company was dabbling in extortion, he’d probably need some protection.”

  “My understanding is that Hayden discovered what was really going on. At first, he took a cut of the money, but then he started to be bothered by it. He also tried to quit, but Gerald wouldn’t let him.”

  “And you think that’s ultimately why he died?” I asked.

  Mitch nodded. “That’s my theory.”

  “Wilson, I found what I could on this Gerald Moven guy.” Felix turned his computer around to face us. “This is the picture that was online, but I can’t find much more on him.”

  I blanched when I saw the picture.

  “What is it?” Wilson asked. “You know this man?”

  “That’s the man who came into my office last week—the one who asked me out and who’s supposedly visiting his mother on the West Coast. Perry Gutherson.”

  Wilson turned back to Mitch. “Is that what the man looked like who ran Axon?”

  Mitch stared at the picture and shrugged. “I’m . . . I’m not sure. I never saw him myself, I only heard his name.”

  Wilson began pacing the corner of his office. “So Perry Gutherson is really Gerald Moven.”

  “In theory, yes. But in reality, both of those names could be aliases,” Felix said. “This guy seems to like setting up false identities. Who knows what name he’s using now? It wouldn’t surprise me if this wasn’t his real picture either.”

  I nibbled on my bottom lip a moment. We’d come so far and had found out so much new information. But the truth was, we were still so far from finding answers.

  Was Perry Gutherson really Gerald Moven? Was he behind all of this? And what would it take for us to find answers?

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Two hours later, Mitch had been sent to a hotel with police pr
otection. Chase had been filled in on what was going on. Then we’d been sent home.

  It was just as well. Nighttime had fallen. The air had turned chillier. And I couldn’t deny that I was exhausted. My brain felt like it might explode, and rest could be just what I needed.

  As Chase and I sat in his car together, driving to his place, tension wrangled the air. I knew he wasn’t happy with me, but I didn’t know what to say to fix it. So I let him have his space.

  And I tried to accept the fact that just as we’d gotten back together, we might have ended again. The thought caused a sharp ache in my heart. I knew I couldn’t undo what I’d done. I just had to wait for Chase to make up his mind as to whether or not he could accept me with all my flaws.

  We pulled to a stop in front of his house, but Chase made no move to get out. Instead, he turned toward me, that same disappointed look in his eyes.

  “I hardly know what to say, Holly.”

  I held back my tears. I hardly knew either. “Look, if you don’t want me to stay here at your place, that’s fine. I know you’re mad.”

  He rubbed his lips together before saying, “It’s not that I’m mad . . . it’s just that I asked you not to get involved, and you did.”

  I wanted to make up excuses or deny it or defend myself, but sometimes, you just had to own your actions. “I did. We’d broken up, so I didn’t think it mattered anymore. And I wasn’t pursuing my unofficial ‘investigation’ on a regular basis. On occasion, I’d pop online and see what I could find out. I didn’t really expect it to lead anywhere.”

  “But it did.”

  I frowned. “It did. I should have stayed out of it. But I didn’t. And I can’t change that now. I’m sorry, Chase.”

  “I love it that you’re curious and passionate. I do. But I also need to know I can trust you.”

  I rubbed my fingers together, knowing his words had truth. When we’d broken up, he wasn’t the only one with issues. I had my own. “You’re right. I messed up.”

  His haggard gaze met mine, the depth of emotion there nearly haunting. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

  “I don’t want to lose you either, Chase.” My voice cracked, revealing all the feelings I’d stuffed down inside.

  He reached for me and planted a hard kiss on my lips. “I love you, Holly Anna Paladin.”

  A half smile, half cry captured my lips. “I love you too, Chase Dexter.”

  He let out a sigh and looked away, every movement looking like it took too much effort. “I’d love to enjoy this moment. To pretend like everything is great. To live a normal life. But you and I both know we have to figure out what’s going on here first.”

  His words made sense. “Agreed. We should wait until this investigation is cleared up. Right now, we’re not doing ourselves any favors by adding our emotions into the thick of things. We won’t do this investigation justice if you and I keep getting in the way of it.”

  “Agreed,” Chase said. “But . . . when this is all over, Holly? I want to talk. To really talk. To talk about moving forward, about our future.”

  My cheeks heated at the intensity of his words. “I’d like that.”

  He leaned back and let out a breath. “Okay, I’m going to change the topic now before I get sucked into talking about us. Don’t get me wrong—I’d love to talk more, but—”

  “I understand.”

  “So, back to the case.” He paused, swallowed, and then continued, as if he needed to take a moment to compose himself and gather his thoughts. “There are a few things I don’t understand. Hayden was killed because of what he knew. Barbara was also killed for what she knew. This guy—possibly Gerald Moven aka Perry Gutherson—discovered your connection, discovered that you were digging into this, and acted as though you could be a threat. But he didn’t kill you.”

  “Strange, huh?” I’d thought about that also. “Maybe he wants to teach me a lesson? Use me as an example? Prove something? I have no idea.”

  “I don’t either. And how does Kari tie into all of this?”

  “Another good question. I have a hard time believing she’s connected with the mess at Axon. But I do feel like she’s connected in some way. It’s all confusing, like a ball of yarn that’s been jumbled together.”

  “We’ve got to start finding some answers soon.” He took my hand. “Let’s get inside. I asked Ralph to stop by. I have some questions about his friend. He said he was going to bring some food.”

  “That sounds like a plan.”

  But as we stepped into Chase’s house a moment later, he froze and put a finger over his lips.

  What was he doing?

  As he began looking around, I realized the truth. Chase thought someone had been here. Were they still here?

  * * *

  Chase swept the house but didn’t find any hidden devices. It was only after every inch had been gone over that he finally spoke.

  “Someone has been inside,” he said.

  I’d figured that, but just hearing the words out loud gave me chills. “How do you know?”

  “I can sense it.” He looked stiff as he continued to glance around the room. “There’s something different, I just can’t figure out what. Not yet.”

  I rubbed my arms, suddenly chilled. The hits just didn’t stop coming. “I don’t like this.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “Are we safe to stay here?”

  “Like I said, I haven’t found anything. But I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes open.”

  “I just want this to be over, Chase,” I muttered.

  He pulled me toward him. “I know. Me too.”

  A knock sounded at the door. Chase grabbed his gun before stomping that way. But when he pulled it open, Ralph and Olivia stood there.

  Their eyes widened when they saw Chase’s gun. He quickly lowered it and muttered an apology.

  “I guess everyone is on edge,” Olivia said with a frown.

  “You could say that,” Chase said.

  “We brought sandwiches.” Ralph held up a bag from our favorite sandwich place. “Actually, it was Olivia’s idea. She’s the more thoughtful one.”

  “That’s nice of you,” Chase said.

  “Why don’t we sit down? Both of you look like you could use some food.” Ralph walked toward the kitchen.

  I lingered behind and gave Olivia a hug. “Thanks for coming.”

  “How are you doing?” Olivia’s concerned eyes studied mine.

  I shrugged. “It’s been rough.”

  “I hope they can find whoever’s behind this soon.”

  “Me too.”

  We sat at the table and pulled out turkey and roast beef sandwiches. I longed for regular conversation, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. There was too much at stake here.

  “So, strangest thing,” Ralph started. “I tried to get in touch with my friend who was being extorted.”

  I took a bite of my sandwich, unsure that I wanted to know where this was going.

  “I haven’t been able to get hold of him for several days, so I started thinking the worst,” Ralph continued. “But I stopped by his condo today.”

  “And?” I wiped my mouth, sensing he was going to say something important.

  “It turns out he was in a car accident.”

  Chase’s gaze met mine as we both connected the puzzle piece at the same time.

  “Wait, was your friend Tyler Billings?” I asked.

  Ralph pushed his eyebrows together, not bothering to hide his confusion. “It was. How did you know that? I was careful not to mention his name.”

  “Because Tyler Billings is connected with the case I’m working on now,” Chase said. “I’m going to need you to tell me more.”

  * * *

  Through talking to Ralph, we discovered that Tyler Billings had cheated on his now-estranged wife. He was in the middle of divorce proceedings, and someone had threatened to send compromising, date-stamped photos to his wife’s lawyer if Tyler didn’t pay up.

/>   Ralph didn’t condone Tyler’s actions, but he’d turned to Chase for advice since he was being blackmailed.

  Tyler had decided not to pay.

  Four days later, he was in the hospital after his car’s brakes mysteriously stopped working. Police had originally assumed it had been a mechanical issue. In the meantime, Tyler was still sedated and unable to speak.

  The same pattern was emerging, one that involved blackmail.

  All the cases seemed connected.

  The question was why? And had I really been pulled into this because I’d been investigating Hayden’s death? Had someone wanted to silence me that badly—and to play his twisted game in the process?

  It was the only thing that made sense.

  But now the bigger question was, who was this Gerald Moven guy? Who was he really?

  Felix had done a background check on him, as well as on Perry Gutherson. Neither of them appeared to be real. The identities were fabricated.

  The real person behind this was using multiple identities in order to send the police on a wild goose chase.

  Chase leaned back into the couch after Ralph and Olivia left. He was processing. I’d seen it before. He needed time to let his thoughts cycle.

  “There’s something that’s bugging me,” he finally said. “So this guy discovers you’re investigating Axon and getting too close to answers. He gets nervous and starts to plan how he can take you down. But how did he discover that you liked all things retro?”

  “I have no idea.” I’d thought about it myself. There was so much I still didn’t know. “This guy knows when I’m at the police station. Knows when I’m at home. Knows when I’m here. Normally, I’d say he must be tracking my phone. But I don’t even have my phone. So how?”

  “What if it’s someone who knows you?” Chase asked.

  “I guess that’s a possibility, though it’s not one I want to think about. I mean, who would it be? Not my family. Jamie is really my closest friend, and I know she’s not behind this.”