“That’s correct.” The doctor was doing a good job concealing his irritation, but it was starting to show through.
“And what kind of relationship did the two of you have?”
“Cordial. It was good. We had a child together so of course we played nice.”
“Was there any ill will at Andrea’s request to live with you, and not her mother?”
“No. Her mother knew this was the best option for her.”
“Why would that be?”
“Well, as you know, it’s a beautiful city to live, and a great place for children. Good schools. And, I was better able to provide for her.”
“What is it that her mother does?”
“She’s an interior designer in Colorado. She got into that field when we split up. She took some of the settlement money and started her own business. She’s done well for herself.”
“But not well enough to request additional custody of her daughter?”
“She started another family in Denver. Certainly she loved her daughter, and they spoke online quite often, but by the time she had moved, got her business going, and got settled in, a good deal of time had passed. Our daughter was doing well in school here. She had friends. We didn’t want to uproot her. It just didn’t make sense.”
Donna agreed. It didn’t make sense. It also didn’t make sense that there was no mention in the report of anyone speaking with her.
“Will her mother be in town for the proceedings?”
“She couldn’t make it, unfortunately.”
“I see. I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you.”
Donna paused. She was sincere in her condolences, but surprised at the same time.
“I’m sorry, Doctor. We’re almost finished, but I just need a few more minutes.”
“By all means.”
“Were you involved in any outside businesses?”
“I’m a doctor. That keeps me busy enough.”
“Right, but maybe any philanthropy, investing, anything of that nature?”
“Well, I had a foundation. I often went to poorly funded countries to help underprivileged children.”
“Was that work entirely pro bono?”
“It’s charity. Of course it’s pro bono.”
“So it’s all handled by you and your staff. It’s not put together by any outside organizations that organize groups of doctors.”
“You mean like Doctors Without Borders?”
“Yes.”
“No, it’s not like that. I handle it all myself.”
“Any particular reason?”
“I feel I can help more people that way. It’s more direct. And of course it gives me more pleasure to see first-hand just how much impact the work has on the patients’ lives.”
“And you’re still able to get all the supplies you need in these areas?”
“It’s not easy, but with the proper planning, it’s doable.”
“And during these trips you never met anyone whom you may have rubbed the wrong way?”
“Absolutely not. I’m down there out of pocket. The days are very long. I help a lot of people. A lot. I’m not asking for a pat on the back or anything, but those people really appreciate my visits. Often times it’s almost embarrassing.”
“What do you mean?”
“They bring gifts. I know they don’t have a lot, and the gifts they bring likely cost a large portion of their monthly earnings. I can’t refuse. It would be rude. But it’s very difficult to accept.”
“And each visit lasts how long?”
“About ten days in-country.”
“And with so many gifts, what becomes of them all?”
“Some I consume. The foods they prepare really are wonderful, but there is always too much. I share it with local aid workers, who also take some home. Anything that’s left I donate to homeless shelters.”
“And no one ever felt left out?”
“Never. There’s always more than enough.”
“Do people ever offer cash?”
“Some try, but I don’t accept it. It wouldn’t be right.”
“That’s very nice of you.”
“Thank you.”
It wasn’t adding up. How was all this money moving though foundations that refused to accept cash? She wasn’t exactly surprised, but couldn’t tie any of it to a motive. She wasn’t here to solve a tax crime. She was here to get justice for a girl. In a big money town such as this the two could be totally unrelated. Trying to tie one to the other would make her look beyond incompetent, if she was wrong.
“I’m sorry, detective. Did you have any more questions? I’m making arrangements for the procession.”
“No, I don’t. I’m sorry to drop by like this and to have disturbed you.”
“Not a problem. I thank you for the work you’re doing, to bring this person, or these persons, to justice.”
“We will do that.”
He nodded in approval.
“I’ll show myself out.”
Donna made her way back toward the front of the property. She barely remembered unlatching and then closing the gate on her way out. She was in a mental fog trying to quickly process what was said.
She couldn’t see any links from the foundation to the murder. She felt as if she had no more information than when she arrived. Her frustration was turning to anger.
CHAPTER 21
Donna headed back to the station determined to figure out just what this foundation money was all about.
On the way back she received a text message from Cain asking if she’d like to meet tonight at Main Beach for a picnic. He must have grown tired of hotel and guesthouse in-room call rates and bought a cell phone, or maybe he bought one so it would be easier to keep in touch with her. She smiled thinking his first message may have been this one, to her.
She was impressed by his romantic gesture and although she was busy, she couldn’t say no. She confirmed, but told him she’d only have a couple hours, and wouldn’t be drinking anything. A quick break could refresh her mind, which she needed sharp to work through this maze of numbers.
Back at the station, a quick Google search didn’t turn up any proper website for the doctor or his foundation. Not totally surprising. He wouldn’t need a website if he was a well-known doctor. And if he was writing a lot of prescriptions that might have been questionable, he surely wouldn’t want to attract a lot of attention.
And if he were mostly making his money writing prescriptions, and not actually practicing medicine, why would he go off to third world countries to do pro bono work? The most obvious thought would be public image and money laundering of some sort. But how does that get his daughter brutally murdered? Someone was angry, either with her or with him.
She was able to locate his foundation through the public records. It was properly filed, and in full compliance. Its taxes were up to date, and all filings were current. Everything seemed above board.
She printed out the forms and looked over them at her desk. ‘He’s not going to make a mistake here, or show his cards.’ She kept looking. She went back to the page with the list of owners and directors.
It was his sure enough. He was listed as the director. Then it hit her. He’s the director, but who is the owner? The owner line contained another company name. That company was registered in Nevada, where privacy laws are tough, but have required slightly more documentation in recent years.
She pulled a report from the Nevada Secretary of State database. That company was owned by another company in Delaware. She repeated the procedure for Delaware and found it was owned by a law firm.
Nothing illegal, she reminded herself, but not exactly the behavior of someone with nothing to hide. The question, of course, being what?
Her phone’s alarm sounded reminding her of her meeting with Cain in one hour. It was a short walk to Main Beach, and she needed the air. More importantly she was looking forward to seeing him.
CHAPTER 22
Cain had arr
ived into town after nearly an hour’s walk along PCH. It was a nice day and he enjoyed being outside. What he didn’t enjoy was sitting in the traffic jam that would be Pacific Coast Highway at this hour.
He found a nice Northern California alcohol-free grape juice to go with the appetizers he found throughout the store. He was surprised to see such a high-end grape juice. It was the perfect choice since Donna didn’t want to drink, as she wanted to be sharp when she headed back to the station after their rendezvous. The amount of exotic, and interesting, foreign foods were stunning in this city. It seemed the city had more types of wines than residents. And the seafood options were beyond compare.
Cain paid and made his way down scenic Cliff Drive towards the steps by Las Brisas, which would take him down to Main Beach. It would be their second time together on Main Beach and he knew the area well. It helped that he would be close to the water, which always made him feel at ease.
When he reached the top of the steps he looked down over the beach. He was surprised to see so many people on Main Beach. The beach was packed. The basketball courts were full with at least thirty people waiting to get in a game. There were lifeguard trucks at the bottom of the stairs, right by the restrooms, which had long lines of people waiting to take their turn.
There were way too many people. Where most people would see a beautiful beach just down the stairs, he saw a sniper’s nest full of unsuspecting victims.
The sun was setting over the ocean, making the view difficult. Cain felt his head spin a bit and tried to bring himself back into the moment.
He had done so well these last few weeks, being careful to do everything right. He avoided anything that might cause a relapse. He avoided public transportation, crowded places, and stuck with places where he felt comfortable and not boxed-in. Comfortable places like the ocean. The conscious choices he had made were the beginning steps on a long journey ahead, but they had been working … until now.
Children were screaming and splashing. Couples were playing paddleball. All of the volleyball courts were full. The basketball game was a blur of movement. The lifeguard was blowing the whistle. It was too much.
Cain felt himself go to a knee. He placed his head in his hands and tried to slow his breathing. It wasn’t working. The flashback was coming and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
CHAPTER 23
Donna arrived at Main Beach right at the agreed upon time. She stood by the lifeguard tower, a popular meeting point, and looked around.
Neither one of them had been late before. Cain was usually beyond early. She chalked it up to his military training.
But today he was nowhere to be seen.
She removed her phone and double-checked the time and the message. She was in the right place. She decided to give him a few minutes to show up. Watching the sunset on such a beautiful day wasn’t exactly such a bad thing.
After ten minutes went by she sent him an SMS. Come out, come out, wherever you are. She was glad he had picked up a phone, but figured maybe he was having some troubles operating it. He’d be here any minute.
Donna took the moment to reflect on the beginnings of her new relationship. She was proud of herself for giving it a shot. She wasn’t sure what had gotten into her, but she was glad she was trying to trust someone. It was a long journey to this point, and she was glad this time had finally come.
And she did trust Cain. Not just that he wasn’t involved in the ongoing investigation, but in everything he said and did. And she knew he would be here soon.
Before she knew it ten minutes turned into twenty. She checked to make sure the message went through. Her phone confirmed delivery. She knew he was too mature to play games, so she started to wonder, and then worry.
First she worried for his safety, but those thoughts were quickly forgotten when she thought of a big, strong man who was trained with the ultimate in survival skills running into something he couldn’t handle in a quiet beach town.
Then her worry turned inward. She had put herself out there. She had trusted him. What if he took advantage of that trust? What if he let her down? She pictured herself buried in her work all over again, her cases reaffirming her negative thoughts about the evils of humanity.
She didn’t want that. She wanted to see the good, and right now she wanted to see him.
“Please come,” she said softly. “Please be here.”
He was now thirty minutes late. She didn’t want to leave. Leaving meant he hadn’t come, that she had been let down, again. Staying meant maybe he was just late. Caught in traffic or something.
She sent another text message. You here? Have to get back to work soon.
No reply. At one hour late she noticed people heading for their cars. The sun had set and her hope with it.
She walked back to the station, defeated. The walk back took over three times as long as the walk there. The difference between the joyful feeling of anticipation, and the feeling of being let down by the one person you were starting to think never would.
CHAPTER 24
“Sir, you’re not allowed to sleep here.”
Cain felt the bright light in his face and thought he was dead.
“Sir, please move along.”
He felt someone grab his shoulder and roll him over.
“Well, look what we have here.”
Cain felt the dirt underneath him and the bushes that surrounded him. “Where am I?”
“And drunk to boot,” the man laughed. “Okay, I can give you a drunk in public ticket and the fine that comes with it, or you can be on your way, buddy.”
The man lowered the light and Cain looked up. He saw it was a uniformed police officer.
Cain sat up and tried to get his wits about him. “I’m leaving. Just give me a second.”
“I’ll give you thirty seconds to be on your feet and be moving in an opposite direction from here. Thirty … twenty-nine …”
Cain leaned forward on all fours and then pushed himself back and up. He was a bit wobbly as he gained his footing.
“Seven … six.”
Cain stumbled off down the sidewalk back from the way he had entered.
The policeman watched him. “He may not be a suspect, but he’s definitely a drunk bum. Chief’s gonna love this.”
Cain made his way to a convenience store and bought a bottle of water. He walked around to the back of the building and downed the entire bottle.
“I have to get to Donna’s.” He stood up and squinted at the streetlight. He recognized the street signs and knew which way to begin walking.
As he approached her apartment he saw her lights were already out. ‘I let her down,’ he thought to himself. I hope she didn’t cry herself to sleep. It’s my fault, and I’m going to make this right.
He knocked on the door. “Donna, it’s Cain. Please, let me explain.”
No answer.
“I had a problem. I’m sorry. I’m okay now. Please let me in. Let’s talk.”
No answer.
He saw two neighbor’s lights come on and didn’t want to cause a scene where she lived. He didn’t want to leave without explaining what had happened, but he knew this wasn’t going to be the time or place. He was furious at himself. He should have told her earlier about his condition, but it was too late now. Hindsight was twenty-twenty. Now he would have to explain after the fact, if she would let him.
He still had a headache and just needed to get home. He couldn’t risk a relapse, knowing the cop that found him would lock him up if he found him a second time tonight. That left only one solution. He put one foot in front of the other and began the long walk back down Pacific Coast Highway.
CHAPTER 25
Donna woke up just after seven o’clock when the first shift started to arrive.
She was face down at her desk, having worked through the night. She slipped out of her office and into the ladies’ room for a quick splash of water on her face and to brush her teeth. It was amazing what those two things cou
ld do to get her back on track.
“Boyfriend looked about as good last night as you do this morning,” Dudley said as Donna exited the ladies’ room making her way back to her office. Just the person she didn’t want to see.
“Don’t compare yourself to a real man. You’ll lose that battle every time. And by the way, he’s not my boyfriend.”
SEAL's Secret: A Navy SEAL Romantic Suspense Novel (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 24) Page 7
