by Jami Gray
“Stephen and I have been friends for years,” she explained. “But Stephen never really got along with Keith, and vice versa. Add in the intense business competition between Origin and LanTech, and Keith managed to piece together some warped version of reality that made me the villain and him the victim.”
“Everyone knew it was all bullshit and that Keith was the one stealing from LanTech,” Theo cut in. “I never understood why the company didn’t charge him.”
Probably because LanTech didn’t have a dime to spare on taking Keith to court once the Cordovas were done with them.
Theo wasn’t done. “If you ask me, he just wanted out of paying you alimony.”
She inclined her head. “Maybe, or maybe between the divorce and losing his job, he just finally broke. Whatever the case may be, when the situation with LanTech came to light, Keith did not handle the whispers well. In fact, he burned quite a few bridges with his rather vehement denials of wrongdoing and erratic accusations. Many of our friends and acquaintances found it best to cut ties until the dust settled.”
The image of rats and a sinking ship came to mind.
“It would be the smart thing,” Zev said. “Were there any specific someones that he burned more than others?”
“You mean besides me?” She shook her head. “Not that comes to mind.”
Theo turned to Zev, and whatever he saw on Zev’s face had the younger man’s eyes narrowing as he rose to his feet. “You don’t actually think Maddie had anything to do with Keith’s death, do you?” When Zev didn’t answer, an angry flush swept through Theo’s face. “Maddie didn’t have anything to do with that bastard’s death.”
Something about the vehemence of Theo’s reaction struck me as being off, but I didn’t know him enough to pinpoint why. I couldn’t look to Zev for clues, either, as he stood behind my chair, but there was no missing the tension emanating from him as it crouched at my back. The last place I wanted to be was between the two men, but I was stuck.
“Calm down, Theo,” Madeline intervened, rising from her chair. She rushed around her desk and got a hand on Theo’s arm, as if to hold him in check. “Zev is simply asking questions for the Cordova Family.”
If she thought that would be enough to rein in Theo, she was wrong. If anything, it made him edgier. “What’s the Cordovas’ interest in Keith’s death?”
Zev’s presence behind me shifted, and his knuckles brushed against the back of my shoulders as he gripped the top of my chair. Would he tell them the truth? And if he did, would it help or harm us in finding Lena? I wasn’t sure which way I wanted him to go at this point.
“As I explained to Madeline before your arrival, Cazador Innovations is in the midst of completing contracts that were initiated with LanTech.” In contrast to Theo’s edgy temper, Zev was cool and collected, simply sharing the facts. “Unfortunately, we’ve recently realized there were some financial discrepancies, and we were hoping to discuss those with Keith. While I was trying to corner Keith, I crossed paths with the Guild’s investigation into his curse. As Keith was dodging both of us, we thought we’d join forces, hence the call to Madeline yesterday for a meeting on the off chance she could help us hunt him down. His unexpected death raises even more questions, and now we’re simply following the trail in hopes of finding answers.”
Theo’s agitation bled away, taking the heavy pressure in the air with it. He wrapped an arm around Madeline’s waist and brought her into his side. “I wish you luck, then.” He pressed his lips against Madeline’s temple. “I know you have a meeting coming up, but will you call me after?”
She gave him a wan smile. “Of course.”
He turned to Zev, his hand extended. “Despite the circumstances, it was nice to meet you.”
Zev shook his hand. “Same.”
Theo gave me a nod then headed out, taking the remaining tension with him.
In my pocket, my phone vibrated. I must have jerked or something because Zev shot me a look. I gave a small shake of my head, indicating it was nothing.
He turned back to Madeline, his polite mask firmly in place. “Madeline, I know you’re busy, so we won’t keep you. Thank you for making the time to talk to us.”
She folded her arms over her chest, a small frown marring her brow. “I’m not sure I was all that helpful. Keith is… was,” she corrected, rubbing her forehead, “a difficult man to understand.” She looked up, and for the first time, I caught the hint of buried grief in her face. “I truly hope you find out who killed him.”
Zev gave her a careful hug, and I almost missed his low “I’ll do my best.”
I rose and waited until they had stepped apart before I offered my condolences. “I’m truly sorry for your loss, Ms. Thatcher.”
“Thank you,” she returned in such a way that I knew I was being dismissed.
Unoffended, I moved toward the door, leaving Zev to follow after finishing his low-voiced goodbyes. Something about this whole discussion bothered me, but I couldn’t pin it down. My head was stuffed with half-formed impressions and questions that required Zev’s insight to piece together. It left me frustrated and worried that this whole meeting had been a waste of time. Time Lena doesn’t have.
Chapter Sixteen
Zev and I didn’t say anything as we left Madeline’s office, each of us lost in our thoughts. I had no idea what Zev was thinking, but I was stuck stumbling over Theo’s reactions. They struck me as insincere, as if he were playing to expectations. It wasn’t his deep anger at Keith, because that rang true. Not a surprise since dealing with a jealous, bitter ex could reduce anyone to a red-faced, fire-breathing maniac. But there were a few times Theo’s frustration and anger at Keith oozed over to Madeline, adding a hint of mean. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was just looking for things that weren’t there. But I couldn’t shake my suspicions that something else was at play in that relationship.
I was getting into Zev’s SUV when my phone vibrated again, reminding me I had a text waiting. While Zev started the car, I pulled out the phone, fastened my seat belt, then read Evan’s text. My spine snapped straight, jerking me against the seat belt. “Holy…” I re-read the words as excitement coursed through me.
“What?”
At Zev’s sharp question, I shared, “Evan narrowed down a possible address of where we lost Lena on Monday.” I sent Evan a response even as the three dots popped up, indicating he was already typing on his end.
“Where?” Zev hit a button on his steering wheel, activating the GPS system.
Reading through Evan’s incoming texts, I missed the car’s voice prompt.
“Rory?” Zev said with a hint of impatience.
“Sorry. What?”
“Address?” he repeated.
“Right.” I rattled off the address as I continued my text conversation with Evan.
As the GPS shared route specifics, Zev demanded, “How’d he find it?”
My answer was short and distracted as I continued texting Evan. “Dori Aimsworth.”
“Dori?” Zev pulled out of the parking lot and followed the GPS prompts. “How in the hell is Dori tied to Lena?”
I finished my latest text and hit Send. “I don’t think she is. I mean, not directly.” I looked up as he calmly wove his way through morning traffic.
He shot me a look. “Then what makes this address so special?”
My phone vibrated with another incoming text, and I went back to reading my screen. “I don’t know, but we can find out,” I muttered, fingers flying over my screen. Question sent, I squirmed in my seat as we waited for Evan’s response. I couldn’t quash the rising hope that this lead would be the one to finally pan out. The seconds stretched by, turning terminal. The bubble indicating Evan was typing stared back. I was about to send my own nudge when the first text popped up. “Okay…” I read it out loud. “According to Evan, they added Dori’s name to the search parameters.”
“What search?”
Zev’s question reminded me that we hadn’t sha
red specifics on the Guild’s search for Lena. It was time to change that. “Evan’s team of electrogeeks have been combing through all the electronic records attached to anything located near where Lena’s phone signal disappeared. They’ve been working their way through a maze of names and businesses, using Keith and any known connections for possible ties.”
“Seriously?” There was something I couldn’t interpret in Zev’s one-word question.
“Seriously,” I shot back, unable to tell if I’d heard suspicion or skepticism. Another text snagged my attention.
He gave a low whistle. “Damn, I’m impressed.”
My head jerked up. “Why?”
Unmoved by my sharp question, he said, “Because that’s like searching for a needle in a haystack. The fact they have an address a whole, what? Twenty minutes after you sent Dori’s name? That’s either luck or skill.”
“I’m thinking it’s both.” I didn’t understand his surprise. The Families weren’t the only ones with access to skilled mages. “Not that it matters.”
“How so?” He made a rolling right at the stop sign. A horn sounded from the irate driver he cut off.
Since I was anxious to get to the address, I refrained from commenting on his rude driving. “Lena belongs to the Guild, and the Guild takes care of its own.”
“Seems a little above and beyond to me,” he muttered under his breath as he checked his mirrors.
Since I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to have caught that or not, I decided to ignore it and get us back on track. “With Dori’s name, the search got a hit. It seems she has a penchant for Chinese takeout.” Zev gave a disbelieving snort, but I kept summarizing. “They managed to link Dori’s delivery app to an address in the target area.”
Keeping his attention on the road, Zev shook his head. “So what are we looking at with the address? Business? Residential?”
I pulled up the satellite image Evan had sent me. “Looks residential.”
“Good, less hassle trying to explain why we’re there.” He paused. “Is it Dori’s or just somewhere she’s visiting?”
“Hang on.” Instead of continuing the flurry of back-and-forth texts, I hit Evan’s number and activated my phone’s speaker. As soon as he picked up, I started talking. “Who does the house belong to?”
“Not Dori, but we’re still unraveling those knots,” Evan answered, unaffected by my lack of greeting. “Two years ago, the house was bought by an LLC in a foreclosure auction. We’re trying to trace the LLC to an owner, but so far, we’ve only managed to find a possible connection to a defunct subsidiary of LanTech.”
My pulse sped up, and excitement seared under my skin. “Are Keith’s fingerprints on any of it?”
I could hear him typing and knew he was probably hunched over his computer in the cave that was his office. “Not to the LLC, but I do have Keith’s signature on the closing documents as a witness.”
“Zev, is that typical?” I directed my question to the man who was more familiar with how things worked in Keith’s world. When he shot me a puzzled look, I clarified, “For a financial manager to witness the corporate purchase of a property?” I paused then added, “Actually, why would a corporation buy a residential property in the first place?”
“Cheaper than reimbursing for long-term stays at hotels or depending on local rentals. Not to mention the tax write-off,” he answered my last question first. Then his brow furrowed. “Having Keith involved wouldn’t send up any red flags. LanTech could easily have sent him in as a financial rep for that transaction.”
“If it helps any,” Evan interrupted, “the property deed was transferred a year ago from the purchasing LLC to a Signature Enterprises.”
Zev’s frown deepened. “I’ve heard that name somewhere recently.”
“Give me a second,” Evan muttered. “Okay, they’re a property investment firm that was funded by a bunch of angel investors.”
My hand tightened on the phone as I shuffled the bits and pieces around. They were disjointed enough to hurt my brain, and my shallow knowledge of corporate financial shenanigans didn’t help. “How likely is it that Madeline and or Keith were one of those angels?” I threw out.
Zev shot me a look. “I think it’s a safe bet.”
“It’ll take me time to find out,” Evan said.
I was shaking my head, even though Evan couldn’t see me. “Wait!” I felt like we were slipping down a rabbit hole and farther away from what was relevant. “Evan, can you track down who was making the mortgage payments on that house?”
A tension-filled minute passed before he spoke, frustration clear in his voice. “It was paid in full.”
Of course it was, because that would be too easy. I tried another route. “Okay, what about the utilities?”
I could hear him typing, and this time, his voice was triumphant. “Looks like those were being paid by a corporate card tied to LanTech.”
“Gotcha.” I shared a fierce smile with Zev. “Thanks, Evan!”
“I’ll keep digging, see what other connections I can unearth,” the electro mage offered. “In the meantime, Rory, be careful and let me know what you find.”
“Will do.” With that, I hung up and turned to Zev. “How much you want to bet that Keith was using company funds and resources to create his love nest?”
“Not worth the odds.” Zev’s lips curled, disgust sweeping over his face. “What a sneaky shit.”
Elated by finally catching a damn break, I didn’t check my filter. “Yeah, well, fucking his employer and his girlfriend at the same time sounds exactly like something Keith would get a kick out of doing.”
Unoffended by my blunt observation, Zev said, “Got to agree with you on that.”
Our best bet was to get to the house and hope we found Lena somewhere inside. I wanted to urge Zev to drive faster, but a glance at the dash confirmed he was already exceeding the posted limits. Needing something other than the myriad of possible scenarios awaiting us to think about, I turned my phone facedown against my thigh and drummed my fingers against the case. Staring blankly through the windshield, I mulled over what we had so far, including our interview with Madeline and Theo. “Madeline doesn’t strike me as a woman who’s easily fooled.”
“She’s not.” Zev didn’t elaborate, clearly waiting to see where I was going.
Happy to take the lead, I wondered, “Then how did Keith manage to keep her at his side for so long?”
“Money, influence, power—pick one.” Zev’s voice was dry. “Their marriage was more a business arrangement than a love affair.”
That sounded downright horrific to me. I shuddered. “That’s just… yuck.”
His mouth curled up in mocking amusement, and a rusty chuckle followed. “Are you a romantic, Ms. Costas?”
Refusing to dignify that with a response, I resolutely stayed on track. “If that’s true, then Madeline had to have known about all of Keith’s…” I searched for a polite word for “screw-ups” and came up with “Indiscretions, both personal and professional.”
“More than likely,” he agreed. “I can attest that professionally, she prefers to keep the upper hand in negotiations. She doesn’t react well to being blindsided.”
His statement made me curious. “What do you mean? She doesn’t react well?”
Instead of answering right away, he choose his words with care. “She approached Emilio with a business venture, which appeared solid on paper. His team went to work and thoroughly researched the opportunity. When they turned up disturbing discrepancies, Emilio politely turned Madeline down. When she pressed for an explanation, he shared what the investigation uncovered. She was obviously shocked by the findings, and embarrassed. Two days later, her entire investigation team was fired with no references. Then she went out of her way to ensure that particular business venture never got a chance to get off the ground. It disappeared within weeks.”
I winced. “Yikes.”
“Yep.” Zev slowed and turned off the main roa
d into a neighborhood.
“Okay, so Madeline is definitely someone you don’t want to cross,” I said, thinking aloud. “I hope Theo knows that.”
At that, Zev shot me a look. “Why?”
I shrugged, trying to find a way to put my vague feelings into words. “It’s nothing I can put my finger on, but there’s something about him that seems… off. Then there’s his reaction to Keith. It just feels as if there’s something more to it than a pissing match between an ex and his younger replacement.”
Rather than blow off my impression, Zev asked with what sounded like sincere curiosity, “If someone was making your life miserable, embarrassing you every chance he could get, wouldn’t you be pissed?”
“Yeah, but…” Frustrated at not finding the right words to articulate what was bothering me, I trailed off.
Thankfully, Zev didn’t press. Instead, he made one last turn and rolled to a stop in the shade provided by an old-growth Palo Verde tree that sat between two older, neatly kept cinder-block homes. “For now, let’s concentrate on Keith. Maybe we’ll get lucky, and you’ll find something that will help you figure out what’s bothering you.” He leaned an arm over the steering wheel, peering through the window at the house. He indicated the house on the left. “Doesn’t look like anyone’s home.”
I turned to study the house. The postage-stamp front yard was done in rock and desert plants, while the neighbor’s equally small lawn was cut short and patched in greens and yellows. This was one of the older neighborhoods that dated back to the mid-century. The one-story brick and stucco homes ranged from boxy to arched facades guarded by narrow front porches and sported carports instead of garages. Despite the age, it was clear those who lived here took pride in their homes, because it was like stepping back in time. Neat yards, flags, tall trees, and plant boxes abounded.
The one we wanted looked newly painted. The slate-gray accents unmarred by sun and dust were dark against the light-beige paint. The carport was empty, and the blinds were drawn on the large front window. “What’s the plan?”
