My cellphone rang, pulling me from my drowning thoughts.
My heart raced for a moment. The Watcher? Or someone else?
It was Sierra.
“Where are you calling from?” I asked. It wasn’t her normal ringtone. Clarice may have been onto something when she programmed my phone for me because I was starting to depend on those digital cues.
“I’m working late on a protest we’re planning here at work. But I promised you I’d call as soon as I heard anything.”
“About the apartment,” I realized with a dull thud of my heart.
“We were informed today that it sold. The ‘For Sale’ sign disappeared and everything.”
“That was quick.” Just like that, more pieces of my life felt like they were slipping away.
“Yeah, tell me about it. I heard the person who bought it paid cash, so that cut the time virtually down to nothing.”
“Are we being kicked out?” I hardly wanted to hear her answer. I just wanted things to go back to the way they used to be; yet, that wasn’t possible. Change would always be a part of life. I had to somehow come to accept that fact.
“That’s what I haven’t heard yet. I’m sorry, Gabby. I know it’s not what you want to hear.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“Oh, and before we get off the phone, Chad wanted me to tell you ‘Partners in Grime.’ I told him it was lame.”
“Tell him I echo your thoughts on that one. Let’s keep thinking.”
I hung up and noticed Garrett glanced at me from the driver’s seat. “Everything okay?”
I told him about the apartment building being sold. What I didn’t tell him was how that building was where I’d met my best friend Sierra. Or how I’d met Riley in the parking lot on his first night as a resident as he tried to get a parrot down from the tree outside his window. Nor did I tell him the horrific things that happened there. The man who’d been murdered in my kitchen. Or how Milton Jones had sneaked in to threaten me in the middle of the night.
“You think the person who bought it will kick you out?”
“I’m preparing myself to look for another place.” Away from Sierra and Chad. Away from my crazy, radio talk show host neighbor Bill McCormick. Away from the eccentric writer I called Mrs. Mystery.
Away from Riley’s place.
That apartment building had so many memories for me.
Maybe moving would be for the best. That’s what I needed to convince myself of, at least.
I’d been saying that life wasn’t based on luck, but there were times I felt like the most unlucky girl in the world. No, since I was a crime scene cleaner, maybe I had more muck than luck—in more than one way. An image of those impossible to remove streaks of oil flashed back into my mind again.
“I know it will all work out, Gabby,” Garrett said.
I wished I felt that sure.
We pulled up to a cabin nestled in the woods along a river. It wasn’t nearly as extravagant as the Mercer’s mansion, but the place was still a nice size. I stared at it from the passenger’s seat.
“Was it weird that your dad had this place?”
Garrett shrugged and cut the engine. “After we moved here, my dad seemed to like time by himself. Money was never an issue, so buying this place wasn’t really a big deal. My dad mostly used it, but I came here some.”
We climbed out of the car. The sun was setting and the pleasant smears of a fluorescent sunset lit the sky beyond the river. I could see where someone might want to come here to relax.
“Have you been here in a while?”
“I actually do like to come here for personal retreats, to revitalize myself and think about the company.”
I’d known Garrett’s lifestyle was different than mine, but just the thought of being able to get away and have weekends to clear your head made me realize how far apart our worlds were. I couldn’t even entertain the thought of such a luxury.
“Who keeps this place up for you?” I stepped onto the massive wooden porch, longing for a moment to sit on one of those rocking chairs and simply relax.
“I use a management company. They rent a lot of cabins in this area. Of course, I don’t rent mine, but this business manages the property. That works for me.”
“Sounds expensive.”
“Maybe. But there are some things that I just can’t get rid of. My mom insured that I didn’t ever have to worry about money. I’ve invested in a few different properties.”
He unlocked the door, and we stepped inside. The cabin was cozy and just the kind of place I’d love to go on a quiet vacation or for a romantic getaway. There was a two-story fireplace, a loft, and a wall of windows showing the river behind the property.
“It’s chilly in here, isn’t it? Maybe I’ll start a quick fire to warm it up. I know we won’t be here long, but at least we’ll be comfortable. Besides, a nice fire always helps me relax and relaxing sounds really good right now.”
While he worked on the fire, I wandered around downstairs, looking at pictures of Garrett and his family.
You’d never have to worry about money with me again.
That’s what Garrett had told me. For a moment—and just a moment—that idea tempted me beyond what I was prepared for. It would be so nice to not have to worry about paying the bills or where I was going to live or what my future would hold. Not that money or love would answer all of those questions. But stability sounded nice.
I stepped toward the window and stared at the sunset against the river. I wished my heart felt as peaceful as that sunset. The pastor at my church had once said that peace comes with understanding. But maybe peace really just came with accepting—accepting your circumstances, accepting the uncertainties in life, accepting that some things were simply beyond your control.
“The fire’s blazing. Hopefully it will warm up in here soon.” Garrett’s voice sounded close.
Without turning I could sense him behind me. In the briefest flash of desire, I imagined him putting his arms around me and holding me close.
My heart lurched. I loved Riley. So why was I feeling these things?
“You okay?” Garrett asked.
I didn’t dare look at him. Instead, I stared out the window and crossed my arms. “Yeah, I’m going to be fine.”
“Gabby …”
I still didn’t turn. I didn’t trust myself. That first kiss with Garrett had been all his doing. If we kissed again, I’d have to take responsibility.
I cleared my throat. “Yes?”
His hand went to my shoulder. Heat from his touch seemed to sear through my clothing all the way to my skin. The cabin, the fire, the sunset … it was proving to be too much for me.
Before I let myself down in a major way, I decided to remove myself from temptation—kind of like Joseph fleeing from Potiphar’s wife. I darted to the other side of the room, my heart pounding in my ears.
“We should stay focused.”
Garrett shoved his hands into his pockets. “Of course. What do you want to look at here? I wasn’t quite clear.”
Great, he probably thought I’d asked to come here as some kind of excuse for a rendezvous.
I shook my head, determined to stay strong. “I don’t know. I want to figure out what your dad wanted to talk to you about. If this was his space, then maybe there’s a clue.”
Garrett nodded slowly, pinching his lips together. “Okay then. Where do you want to start?”
I started pacing. “I’m not really sure. Did your dad have an office here?”
“Right upstairs. I can take you there.”
I nodded and followed him, ignoring the urging in my head to run. I’d been called a lot of things in life, but I’d never been called unfaithful. I didn’t plan on adding that to my list.
“Did the police come here?”
“The police went everywhere. I’m sure they came here, but I don’t remember them finding anything of significance.”
“Did your dad have any kind
of safe where he might keep valuables?” Or secrets?
Garrett shook his head. “You mean, like hiding behind a picture?”
I nodded. “Whatever floats your boat.”
“Typical myth about the wealthy. We don’t keep safes behind wall art.”
I shoved a painting out of the way, just to prove his point. What I saw made me pause. A metal plate. In the wall. With a small door. “Are you sure about that?”
Garrett stepped closer and squinted. “No way …”
“Maybe hiding a safe here is so obvious that it’s not obvious.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He took the picture off the wall and examined the metal box there. A combination lock was nestled in the center. “I’ll be darned.”
Yeah, me too. I truly hadn’t expected anything to be there. But I wasn’t complaining, either.
“You know the combination?”
He shook his head. “No, but I’d be willing to try a few things.”
He tried a couple of different combinations, his eyebrows thoughtfully knit together as he spun the dial. “What else could it be?”
“Birthdays?”
“I tried those.”
“Addresses?” I suggested.
“Tried some of those, too.”
“Maybe some kind of code from when you lived in England? Similar to a zip code?”
“It’s worth a shot.” He spun the numbers around again.
The next moment, the door popped open.
I held my breath as I waited to see what was inside.
CHAPTER 30
Garrett reached inside and his hand emerged with a wad of cash. And then another. And another.
“That’s a lot of money,” I muttered.
There were blocks and blocks of hundred dollar bills. “There are thousands of dollars in here.”
Even Garrett, who had a lot of money, seemed in awe.
“Why would your dad keep money here?” I asked. “Certainly he had accounts.”
“Beats me.” Garrett pulled out some papers, his eyes widening as he studied the contents. “Offshore accounts. Worth millions. Where did he get this money?”
“Maybe it was your mom’s?”
He shook his head. “No, my mom kept a tight rein on her money. It was all in her name, even. She insisted on buying the house and keeping it in her name. She said something about her parents advising her to do that.”
“How’d your dad feel about that?”
Garrett shrugged. “Not sure, but I can imagine it wasn’t a great premise to have in their marriage.”
I nodded toward the safe, resisting the urge to reach into it myself. “There’s more.”
Garrett pulled out a box and, holding it against his chest, opened it up. Passports were inside, along with awards, resumes, and driver’s licenses.
His family’s pictures graced the covers, but …
“That’s not your name,” I blurted, pointing to one of the licenses.
Garrett looked at me. “I have no idea what this means, Gabby. My father has fake driver’s licenses, not only for himself, but also for the rest of the family. Passports. Offshore accounts. Tons of cash.”
“He was planning to run. Maybe that’s what he wanted to talk to you about. I mean, look at the dates on this resume. It says his last job ended the week before he died.”
Garrett sunk down on the floor, still staring at the information in the box. “I just don’t understand. Why would he run?”
“Did he get himself in trouble? Witness protection? Maybe he had to testify against someone at the drug company who’d done something illegal?”
“I have no idea.”
Before I could second guess myself, I slid down onto the floor beside him and squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry, Garrett.”
He nodded. “Me too.”
I picked up a resume and studied it a moment. “Garrett, according to this resume, your dad’s last job wasn’t at Wimbledon. It was at a company called Dermott Technologies. I’ve never even heard of that company.”
Garrett took the paper from me. “What? This makes no sense.”
“Maybe he was creating a new identity for himself. Maybe he needed to cover up parts of his past.”
“Why?”
I shook my head. “I’ll do my best to wade through all of this. My next question is: Are you sure you’re prepared for the answers?”
***
“We need to call the police.”
Garrett shook his head. “Not yet. Please. Just give me a day. Let me try and figure out what was going on.”
I stared at him. I saw the pain in the depths of his eyes. I saw the suspicions that somehow his father was betraying his family by keeping secrets—big secrets. I tried to put myself in his shoes.
“A day,” I finally told him. The investigation wasn’t ongoing, but I didn’t want to impede anything.
I knew Garrett worried that this information would somehow make his father look bad, and that he wanted to do his own research first. I really hoped this wasn’t his way of trying to cover up something—like his own guilt in this.
We’d moved downstairs in front of the fire, and we’d brought everything from the safe with us. I also pulled out Cassidy’s pictures. All the information was spread out on the coffee table. Garrett and I sat beside each other on the couch, each mulling over our thoughts.
“Can we talk this through?” I finally asked.
Garrett nodded, still looking more somber than I’d ever seen him. “Why not?”
“Okay.” I crossed my legs and sucked in a deep breath. “I still believe that this is somehow tied in with your family’s vacations, which always included people from his work. That means that Wimbledon Pharmaceuticals could somehow be connected.”
“Remind me why you think that again? My head feels like it might burst right now.”
“That’s based on a couple of things, including my conversation with Tess. I also heard hints that your father hadn’t been very happy at work. What if your dad was a whistleblower?”
Garrett shook his head. “He wouldn’t have run from something like that.”
“Okay. Let’s talk about the Watcher then. When I hinted that his involvement in this had something to do with his mom, he sounded like I was right. You said Smith Wimbledon’s mom was sick.”
Garrett dragged his eyes up to meet mine. “You really think Smith Wimbledon would do this? He was just a teenager when my family was murdered.”
“I think that the Watcher is being manipulated by someone. What if Smith is being blackmailed to do this, some way?”
Garrett shook his head again. “I just don’t see it.”
“What about Vic Newport? His wife battled with drug addiction. She’s been in and out of rehab. Could someone have been blackmailing him?”
“I just have trouble seeing any of those people taking the time to follow you around and warn you to stay out of trouble. People at the office would notice if Smith or Vic didn’t come to work. Besides, who’s the one really pulling the strings?”
“I wish I knew. I have to figure out how the P.I.s somehow tie into this. I mean, why was Bradley Perkins shot now? He’s not even on the case anymore.” I rested my head in my hands, feeling a headache coming on.
“I’d offer to rub your shoulders,” Garrett started.
I shook my head. “Tempting, but better not.”
The less he touched me, the better.
“Don’t say I didn’t offer.”
“I hope you didn’t hire me to no avail.”
He patted my knee. “You’ve made more progress than anyone I hired. I’d say that was a success.”
“Success to me is finding a killer.”
Admiration sparkled in his eyes. “And that’s just one more reason I hired you. Tenacity. And you’re really nice to look at in the process.”
“You’re a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
He shrugged. “Nothing wrong with surrounding myself with beauty.
”
I remembered everyone at his company. From his receptionist to his assistant, I had no doubt his words were true. “There are not-so-attractive people who could add value to your company.”
Before he could respond, my phone screamed. I answered on the first ring, hoping it was Morrison calling with another update. Maybe even hoping it was Riley calling from a different phone number.
“You’re a busy girl.”
It was the Watcher. I mouthed the words to Garrett. He scooted closer and put his ear to the phone.
“I like to call myself productive,” I retorted.
“Ask your friend Garrett how he liked the chlorine at his gala.”
I glanced at Garrett, whose eyebrows were knotted together on his forehead.
“What are you talking about?” I questioned.
“He should know. He should remember.”
“I thought you just did that to prove to some rich people that they weren’t all that.” Wasn’t that what he’d said when I’d left Tess’s house?
“The chlorine was on purpose. But I’d bet you Garrett was too into himself to remember what happened. I, on the other hand, can’t forget.”
I looked at Garrett again. He shook his head, looking clueless.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” the Watcher continued.
“Why? Why don’t you want to hurt me? I don’t understand.”
“I have my reasons.”
“Why don’t you tell me what they are? Help me to understand you.”
He was silent before chuckling. “You think you’re going to get me that easily? You just want to profile me. Figure out who I am.”
“Certainly telling me why I’m still alive won’t reveal too much about you.”
Silenced stretched a moment. I waited, restraining my tongue, giving him a moment to speak.
“No one else was supposed to be there that night,” he finally said. “At least, that’s what I heard.”
“Edward Mercer was the target, wasn’t he?” I asked. I hated to say the words in front of Garrett, but I had to know.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It keeps getting bigger. I’m tired of this game, Gabby.”
I gripped the phone even tighter. “Then why not end it?”
Christy Barritt - Squeaky Clean 07 - Mucky Streak Page 21
