Unmerited Favor: The Compassion and Peril of Mercy ( Un missable Series Book 2)

by Jerry Summers

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “OK. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us this morning. We know you must be busy, and we appreciate you fitting us in so promptly.”

  “You’re welcome. I wouldn’t do anything less.”

  “Your office manager gave us your card. If we have any additional questions, when is the best time to catch you?”

  “During the day you can just call the office, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Let me give you my private cell phone for after hours.” She takes the card from him and writes her number on the back.

  He accepts it with a nod. “Thank you, and again, thanks for your time.”

  “Not a problem. Have a good day, guys.”

  Wendy watches the detectives walk out of her office, amused by the indication that they don’t suspect any foul play in Harder Gould’s death. She smiles, while a song plays on repeat in her head. And another one gone, and another one gone, another one bites the dust.

  Bonnie returns home from San Diego later that afternoon, and one of her staff greets her and hands her a stack of phone messages. As she flips through them, she notices the urgent message from David Hill, special agent in charge of the San Francisco FBI field office. Bonnie heads to her bedroom and calls him, getting the receptionist, who patches her through.

  “Hello, Mrs. Stevens—” he begins.

  “Please, call me Bonnie, and I’ll call you David, if that’s OK?”

  David says, “That’s fine. I received a phone call today from Dominic Hughes at the Boise office. The agents from there have successfully recovered the weapon used to kill Mark from the Narrows of Payette Lake. It was over three hundred feet deep, and they had to use underwater cameras and technology to recover it, but they got it. Ballistics confirms it’s the murder weapon, but the bad news is that the serial number appears to have been filed down and then burned off with acid. All we got off it was the number seven, and we can’t get any ownership history from it. In short, what this means is that we’ve confirmed the murder weapon, but as far as it getting us any closer to Mark’s killer is concerned, it’s not much help. We’ll continue to investigate, but we’re a long way from solving Mark’s murder.” He pauses, allowing her to absorb what he’s just summarized.

  “All right, then. Is there anything good for you to tell me?” Bonnie asks, feeling Mark’s loss all over again.

  “Well, the silver lining is that while the rifle is going to be hard to trace, the scope attached to it has a valid serial number and appears to have been assigned to the US Army Special Forces. Military investigators are researching it now, and they will hopefully be able to point us in a more definitive direction within a day or two.”

  Bonnie’s mouth drops open. “Are you telling me that someone in the US Special Forces may have murdered Mark?”

  “No, I’m not saying that, and at this point there is no indication of it. What I am saying is that the Leupold ten-by-forty-two Mil-Dot scope attached to the rifle should be able to lead us in a more definitive direction. Bonnie, this is going to be a longer process than everyone hoped, but it’s important for you to understand that this rifle-scope combination is used widely by US military snipers, law enforcement SWAT teams, and international military and government agencies. Whoever murdered Mark knew what they were doing and had some very specific training. Do you know if Mark had any unusual dealings with any of these types of individuals? Maybe off the company’s books?”

  “I have no idea, but I sincerely doubt he would have had any need to. The company wasn’t experiencing any type of hardship or threat, and Mark never mentioned anyone threatening him in any way. Have you spoken to Sean Green? If Mark was doing anything off the books, the only one he might have confided in would have been Sean.”

  “No, we haven’t followed up with Mr. Green yet. Both Dominic and I felt you should be informed of this development before anyone else.”

  “Well, thank you for that. I’m sorry I can’t be of any more help, and I’m disturbed by all this. Should any of us close to Mark be worried for ourselves?”

  “We don’t think so, but we are having a difficult time figuring out a motive for Mark’s murder, so I couldn’t say for sure. However, since it is so specific with someone of such skill, we believe the motive is specifically tied to Mark.”

  “I guess that’s a relief,” she says quietly.

  “Don’t worry too much, OK? We won’t stop until this is solved.”

  “My comment wasn’t an accusation, and I’m sorry if it was interpreted as such, but the fact remains that while the FBI is making progress, we really have no idea why Mark was killed. It’s just disturbing.”

  “I understand, but we’re making progress. It’s not moving very quickly, but I’ll take slow progress over no progress at all.”

  “I know. It’s just frustrating to me. I’ve lost the love of my life, no one knows why, and I just don’t understand any of this. Thank you for everything you’re doing. Is there anything else I can do to help?”

  “You already have. I promise we will keep you informed of any new developments.”

  “Thank you. I’ll let Sean know someone from your office will be contacting him shortly.”

  “That would be nice. Good-bye, Bonnie. I’ll be in touch as things get sorted out.”

  Bonnie hangs up the phone and decides to call Wendy to let her know she made it home safely and fill her in on the conversation with David Hill. Wendy listens carefully, then says, “It’s not the smoking gun we were all hoping for, but at least the FBI is making progress, and they’re hoping they’ll get some helpful information from the military investigators. Although my experience with those douchebags is that they want you to give them all your information, and then they refuse to share any of theirs.”

  Bonnie rolls her eyes. “You just hate all forms of authority, don’t you? Speaking of which, tell me about your meeting with Oceanside PD. Is everything OK? Were they cute?”

  “Ugh, no. Neither one of them was Johnny Depp, and they were both wearing wedding rings. Everything is fine, and it appears it was an unfortunate overdose, as I suspected. I just feel really bad for my client.”

  “It’s horrible, I can’t imagine finding your husband dead on the living room floor,” Bonnie says, shuddering.

  “I know. There is too much hurt in this world, and it’s time for things to settle down. On a different subject, have you seen Sean and Jessica? How are they doing?”

  “I haven’t seen either of them yet. One never knows, but from what they’ve been through together and how they look at each other, I see things going very well between the two of them. It’s kinda cute to watch Sean cater to Jess, and she absolutely adores him. She told me the sex is fabulous, and I’m glad to hear that because prior to Sean, Jessica was celibate for, like, more than a year.”

  Wendy laughs. “Then how would she know if the sex is good? Breaking a dry spell that long, I suspect any sex would be incredible.”

  “Right? Speaking of sex, how long has it been since you wrestled in the sheets with anyone?”

  “Well, this conversation is over. Glad you made it home safely. Got to go. I have a client.” Wendy hangs up.

  Bonnie glares at her phone. “OK, then. Good talk,” Bonnie mutters to no one in particular.

  CHAPTER 18

  FIGHTING DEMONS

  The next morning, Wendy gets a frantic call at her office from Tina Gould.

  “Do you have time to see me today?” she asks.

  “Hold on, let me check, OK?” she says. She checks her schedule with Mona. “I can meet with you at one o’clock or four o’clock, if you can make either of those times work for you.”

  “I’ll take the one o’clock,” Tina says hurriedly, and Wendy gets concerned.

  “OK, what’s going on? We have a meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning, why can’t this wait
until then? Do you want to keep that appointment as well?”

  “Yes, I want to keep that appointment! I just…I had a visit from Detectives Johnson and Murphy from the Oceanside PD, and I just need to talk with someone about everything.”

  “Do you want me to shuffle things around and get you in right away?”

  “No, I need some time to get things arranged here at work, and then I’ll be in to see you. I have decided to take a week off to get my head on straight, and I need to do some rearranging to make that happen. I’ll see you at one.”

  Wendy sighs. “OK, but call me if you need to talk sooner.”

  “I will. Thanks again.”

  Wendy hangs up and is immediately paged by Mona.

  “Nancy Davis is here, Ms. Stevens.”

  “Thank you, please send her in,” Wendy replies, and Nancy steps into her office, quietly closing the door behind her.

  “Hello, Nancy. Good to see you,” she says, standing to give her a gentle hug. “You’re looking much better since the last time we talked. How are things going?”

  “Things were a little rough at first, but I’m adjusting. Attorneys, the will, existing development projects, et cetera. I guess I’m lucky Arnold had just finished construction on his latest project and sales are going well. I’ll have to decide if I want to sell all the pending projects or find a joint venture partner.”

  “Which way are you leaning?” Wendy asks, smiling a bit at the new confidence she already sees in Nancy.

  “I think I’ll probably take one of the new condos in Mission Bay and sell the house. I just don’t have very fond memories there. Then I’ll liquidate the business and sell off its real estate holdings one at a time for the next few years. Arnold bought wisely, and everything is free and clear except the construction projects. His life insurance and key person insurance policies have been effective for ten years, so there isn’t any issue with his suicide, and since I’m his only beneficiary, I’ll use the proceeds from the business key person insurance to run the business until all units are sold. Then whatever is left over will be used to fund the business liquidation. Arnold’s personal life insurance policy is tax-free, so I’ll be very well taken care of financially. It’s kind of like a dream.” She shakes her head, still partly disbelieving.

  “That’s wonderful to hear. Has Arnold’s death officially been ruled a suicide?”

  “Yes. Detectives Adams and Rogers came by yesterday to tell me all the forensic evidence, blood spatter, and toxicology confirm it. They asked me about his drug usage, because he had elevated Xanax levels in his blood, but after I explained again about his drinking and popping Xanax after his affairs, they seemed satisfied. They told me the bartender confirmed Arnold was having drinks and eating with some beautiful woman, and they would have liked to interview her, but they can’t seem to figure out who she is.

  “Apparently the bar got busy, and neither the bartender nor the servers saw them leave. They said the hotel elevator and lobby video shows them riding in the elevator together, but as they left the hotel lobby, they left in opposite directions, and there are no clear face shots of the woman. I kind of want to know who she is, because no woman typically said no to Arnold, but the detectives don’t feel there is any need to pursue finding her.” She stops and shrugs.

  “How do you feel about all this?”

  “It’s consistent with his pattern. The only real variance to all this is his committing suicide. I never expected that from him.”

  “You said you were going to be fine financially. Let’s talk a little about that. You’re still a young woman, and I don’t want you to run out of money and lose everything.”

  Nancy giggles. “I’ll be just fine. The real estate developments selling currently should yield me about six point eight million dollars, even after I take one of the nicer Mission Bay condos. The sale of our home should give me another million. Arnold has four million dollars in life insurance policies. I’ll sell one project or tract of land a year for the next five years. I’ll carry the paper, and my income should be set for the next ten years at least. Plus our personal investments and holdings were all held as joint tenants. Even with very moderate investments, there is plenty of income without ever touching any of the principal.”

  “Well, OK, then. Have you had any time to process this emotionally?”

  “I’m sad Arnold is gone, because I really did love him. He wasn’t always the man you saw. Also, it’s scary being alone for the first time in over twenty years. The thought of being with anyone other than Arnold terrifies me, especially at this age. The only lover I’ve ever had was Arnold. He was my first. But aside from that, I’m relieved I don’t have to walk on eggshells, wondering what will set him off this time. Frankly, Wendy, I’m scared to face the world alone. I’m excited knowing I can just be myself, but I don’t know if I will ever be intimate with another man.”

  “Let’s look at things one piece at a time, shall we? You are a very beautiful woman who has suffered a tremendous loss, so only time will reveal when and if you are ready to enter into another committed relationship. That’s OK. Take time to heal, both emotionally and physically. You’re a strong woman, and I’m convinced you will face the world on your own very well, but I want to remind you that you don’t have to. You have friends and family—and me, of course. Finally, I am sure there are countless men out there who would be honored to have you in their life and bed, so don’t sell yourself short. You’ll be fine, and if you find yourself attracted to someone, explore all the options you feel comfortable exploring.”

  “Thank you for the pep talk, but I’m not ready to face another man in any type of intimate relationship at this point.”

  “I wouldn’t expect you to be. All I’m saying is remain open to all options. Time has a way of healing all wounds, even if it doesn’t remove the scars. You don’t have to believe me now, but I do ask you to trust me, and you’ll know when and if you are ready to move on.”

  Nancy takes a deep breath. “Thank you for your encouragement and advice.”

  “Anytime. I’ll see you next week.”

  Wendy walks Nancy to the front door, telling her office manager she is going to grab a quick lunch and will be back in about an hour. Wendy and Nancy give each other a hug and go their separate ways.

  Wendy arrives back at her office a few minutes before her next appointment and uses her time to make a few quick notes for follow-up from her session with Nancy.

  As she is finishing her notes, she is notified that Tina is here for her one o’clock appointment.

  Wendy gets up from her desk and greets Tina with a hug. “You sounded frantic when you called. What’s up?”

  “Detectives Johnson and Murphy came by today and wanted to know who Harder’s heroin dealer was, and I told them I have absolutely no idea. They asked me if I would go through Harder’s phone with them and identify everyone I knew. I told them I would, and when I asked why, they told me the toxicology on Harder came back and his heroin was cut with fentanyl, which is why he overdosed. They said there have been a few heroin-fentanyl overdoses in Oceanside, and they would like to find the dealer responsible before it becomes an epidemic.”

  “Oh, my. Were you able to figure out who his dealer was?”

  “We were able to isolate a few numbers, but I really don’t know where he was getting his drugs from.”

  “Well, hopefully the police can figure out who is doing this soon before others die. How has Harder’s death affected you financially? I know you had many concerns when we spoke last.”

  “Oddly enough, Harder’s death is resulting in a financial windfall for me,” Tina says, casting her eyes down.

  “It’s OK, Tina. You don’t need to feel bad. What do you mean?”

  “Well, I’ll continue to receive his disability benefits, and his life insurance policy for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars was still i
n effect, so I’ll receive that all tax-free. I’ll be able to pay off the house and reestablish my savings, all because Harder got some bad drugs. It just doesn’t seem right to me.”

  “Well, wait a minute. It’s not your fault Harder was using, and it certainly isn’t your fault he got some bad heroin and overdosed.”

  “No, I know it isn’t, but it also doesn’t seem right that I’m prospering from it, either,” Tina says, fiddling with a charm on her purse.

  “I understand your point, but it’s very important that you understand none of this is your fault. You even tried to intervene and, frankly, after speaking with him, I thought we might have had a chance, but we didn’t. He made that choice, though. You’ve suffered a tremendous loss, and I’ll give you the advice I give some of my clients: Don’t make any major, life-altering decisions for at least a year. Then carefully consider every decision you make based on facts and not raw emotions, at least for a while.”

  “I know all that logically, but emotionally it just doesn’t seem right.”

  “I understand, but Harder wouldn’t want you to suffer because of his death. He would want you to go on with life, understanding he is in a better place and pain-free. Actually, he’s probably pleased that his death has solved all the problems his addiction created. Think of this as his legacy, and enjoy all he has done for you throughout his life and now in his death. He knows you loved him, and he would want you to move on and keep living.”

  Tina nods, wiping a tear off her cheek. “Thank you for helping me see this from a different perspective.”

  Wendy nods. “That’s my job, and it’s what Harder would have wanted for you. I’m sure he loved you and didn’t want to leave you so soon, but he was fighting demons most of us know nothing about, and they got the better of him.”

  “I know. I’m going to miss him so much. He was a good man, with good qualities, and I just wish I could have done more for him.”