by Robin Caroll
Danielle wiped her window with her sleeve. “Hey, isn’t that Big Al?”
Alfonse “Big Al” Marcello, rumored to be from that Marcello family, ran high-end loan-sharking, gambling, and a little drug and guns running. Nothing to compare to the history of the Marcello crime family, but enough that most every detective knew Big Al by sight. And what he was up to at any given time.
“Pull up there, Brando. It looks like this might get heated, and I’d rather head it off before it starts so I don’t have to get out in the rain to stop something.”
Brandon nodded and moved the car in that direction. He turned on his lights as he approached the men.
They turned as the car inched to them. Big Al took one look, turned his back to Brandon and Danielle to face the man, then strode off, carrying the umbrella with him.
The other man stood for a moment, then turned and rushed into the alley behind the Darkwater Inn.
Brandon stared after him, then looked at his partner. “Was that Colton York?”
TWENTY-FOUR
“Well, you said it had to be someone who cared about Anna Belle and what happened to her and who thought you were responsible for her death. Laure Comeau fits the bill.” Pam leaned back on the couch in Grayson’s office at Game’s On You, curling her feet underneath her like a young schoolgirl.
“She was very apologetic for slashing my tires. She said as soon as she got paid, she’d reimburse me for my tires.” Grayson wrestled with making her pay him. On one hand, she was struggling to make ends meet and he easily afforded the grand the four new tires for his truck cost, but on the other hand, it would be a lesson learned the hard way that actions have consequences, and sometimes those consequences can be very expensive. Still, he understood Laure’s feelings of helplessness over Anna Belle’s death and wanting to do something—anything to see justice served. He was torn.
Pam pulled her hair into one of those ball-looking bun things on the top of her head. “You’re too nice for your own good, Grayson. That woman’s unstable. Throwing rocks through windows. Slashing tires. Egging.”
He propped his feet up on the leather ottoman between the couch and love seat. “I’m just relieved she’s not gunning for the police to arrest me for Anna Belle’s murder anymore.”
“She should be extremely thankful that she chose not to mess with my car that night. I’ve never claimed to be nearly as nice as you.”
Grayson ducked his head to hide his grin, imagining only too well what Pam’s reaction would’ve been if Laure had slashed the tires on Pam’s car. It wouldn’t have been pretty.
“Too bad she didn’t tell you she’d pay for the tires before you spent the money on buying new ones. Or filing a claim.”
He snapped his fingers. “I’ll have to call and cancel the claim. I certainly don’t want to be accused of filing a false claim.” Grayson could well imagine how Danielle and Brandon would make something out of it. He’d probably be accused of insurance fraud.
“Look at your policy. You might be able to cancel the claim online or something,” Pam suggested. “Those chat options are pretty cool, and then you have the discussion in writing, just in case you need it.”
“Smart thinking.” He stood and went to his desk.
“I didn’t mean right this second.”
“I’ll forget if I wait.”
Pam chuckled.
Grayson awakened his computer and typed in the site address in the search engine. He found his insurance company’s page and logged in. While he waiting for his account to load, he glanced at the stack of papers that somebody had plopped in the center of his desk. A sticky note read:
G, these are the insurance papers we discussed. Sign by arrows. I’ll pick up when we meet. —C
With the rain and talking with Laure, he’d almost forgotten their meeting. He grabbed his pen and poised it over the first blank where the arrow highlighted.
“You’re not going to read what you’re about to sign?” Pam stood on the other side of the desk, frowning her disapproval.
“Colton and I discussed the insurance papers. We have to renew our corporate liability policy annually.” He noted her hands were already on her hips. “But, you’re right, I should read everything before I sign.”
She nodded and took a seat in one of the chairs facing him.
He smiled and lifted the cover sheet and started scanning the information. Just like Pam to keep him on his toes. She was nothing if not … Wait a minute. He went back over the paragraph he’d just skimmed. This had to be wrong.
Grayson lifted the page so he could read the top. This wasn’t from the insurance company, but a bank. Not the bank the company held their accounts at either. He started reading from the beginning, his heart quickening as he read. Loan papers. A loan for five hundred thousand dollars that put not only the company up as collateral, but also all the company’s assets, which included both Colton and Grayson’s vehicles, among other things.
“What’s wrong?” Pam was on her feet again, hovering over the desk.
Grayson’s stomach turned. There had to be a mistake.
“Grayson?”
He met her stare. “Have you heard anything about Colton needing money? I mean, for the business? Did y’all have a meeting or anything while I was out of town?”
“No. Why?”
His mouth was spitless as he held up the papers. “These are loan papers that put up the business, all of its holdings and assets. My truck.” He shook his head. “At one time, mine and Colton’s houses were listed. I thought when we paid off the initial loan that was changed, but now…” When was the last time he and Colton had sat down and reviewed the company’s profit-and-loss statement together? Colton had always sent Grayson the report that he said he’d gotten from their accountant. It was a spreadsheet, easy enough to alter. Grayson couldn’t remember ever seeing a paper report.
“I don’t understand.” Pam slumped back into the chair. “What’s going on?”
Little things began to fall into place. “Hang on. I’ll be right back.”
He walked across the building to Colton’s empty office. The whole building seemed to have already left. It was quiet and dark on Colton’s side, save the multiple flashes of lightning seen through the windows.
Grayson went to Colton’s bookcase, to the display of where his St. Andrews souvenirs usually sat unless Colton was playing golf and using the glove and ball marker.
His blood ran cold as the glove and ball tool sat without the actual ball marker.
“What’s going on?” Pam asked from the doorway.
He couldn’t say it out loud. His thoughts were so jumbled, falling all over each other. He silently walked back to his office, going over everything.
“Grayson, you’re scaring me.” Pam followed him.
A clap of thunder made her jump as they entered his office again.
He leaned against the arm of the couch. “Tell me I’m crazy … tell me I’m so far off base that I’m lost behind the fence.”
“You’re crazy, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She sat on the arm of the love seat, her feet dangling. “Fill me in.”
“Colton brought the Deets deal to me. He fought hard for me to agree to the game. Fought really hard.”
“Right.” Pam nodded, that ball on the top of her head bopping. “I remember, and I agreed with you, even after you told Colton you’d do it.”
“Even though Colton should’ve taken lead, he insisted I be the creator.”
Pam nodded again. “I’m with you so far.”
His mind raced. “He went over every detail with me multiple times before he took it to Tim. He said he wanted to get it all set in his mind because he’d be the one on-site. He knew every little secret I knew, including Anna Belle’s allergies. He also knew I was angry with her and hurt to the point of desperation.”
Pam shot to her feet. “You can’t think … No, Grayson. Colton’s your friend. No way—”
“Would h
e kill my ex-wife and set me up?” he finished. His tongue burned even as he said the words, but his gut … his gut balled into a tight knot.
“He wouldn’t. He’s your friend. Your business partner. He wouldn’t do it.” But she didn’t sound as sure as a minute ago.
“He’s taking out loans on the company and tricking me into signing them without telling me what they really are. His St. Andrews ball marker is gone from the case, and I found it in Anna Belle’s room at the rental house on Esplanade Avenue. He was there, not just on-site, but apparently in her room sometime. He knew about her allergy well in advance of her death. He knew about her addiction to those stupid energy drinks.”
“He’s not on the video at any time even slowing down by her room,” Pam argued.
“We’re missing eighteen minutes, right? That could’ve been of him going in her room, then out again.” Grayson shook his head. “And if you think about it, well, he knows how to manipulate the video to delete sections and would know just what to tell the police to put suspicion on me and you.”
Lightning flashed, followed by a loud clap of thunder.
Boom!
All the lights in the office went out. The hum faded as the computer went down.
Great. Just wonderful. The power had gone out. That loud boom usually meant the local transformer had blown. With the storm, no telling how long it would be before an electric company crew could get out to repair it.
Grayson went to his cabinet, pulled out a battery lantern, and turned it on. New Orleans was below sea level and got its fair share of storms and flooding, usually knocking out power for several hours or even days.
The shine from the lantern illuminated his office just fine, but the constant flashing of lightning lent an eerie glow to the room. He sent a text to the power company outage reporting system. An automated response text sent back to him confirmed that the outage had been recorded and would be placed in the queue.
He slipped his phone into his jacket pocket and sat back down on the arm of the couch, facing the love seat with his back to his office door. “I hate to say it, but it makes perfect sense. It’s the only thing that does.” More than he or Tim or even Emmi, Colton made the perfect suspect.
“But why? Why would he kill her?”
“The business. Game’s On You.”
“What? How does killing Anna Belle have anything to do with the company?”
It was all so obvious now…. How could he have not even thought about it before? “In the event that either of us dies or is incapacitated, the company reverts to the remaining partner. That incapacitation clause includes incarceration.”
“Oh Grayson.” She plopped down onto the love seat.
“And for whatever reason, he needs money, as apparent by those loan papers.” He shook his head, remembering all the little remarks Colton had made over the last year or so about the price of things. He hadn’t acquired any frivolous items like a yacht or anything over the last year. He hadn’t even purchased a new car for two years, so what did he need the money for?
Pam interrupted his train of thought. “If he’s getting a loan, then doesn’t that say he didn’t do anything in order to get control of the company? I mean, why get the loan if he planned to get the whole company? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I don’t know, but what if he thought the police would arrest me immediately? He seemed surprised to see me actually show up here at the office Tuesday. And maybe that’s why he asked you so many times if I was coming in. Maybe he thought I’d have been arrested as soon as I got back into town on Sunday night. Or maybe before then, because he probably thought I’d have been called as soon as Anna Belle died, but he didn’t know I’d lose my phone.”
“I tried to call you to tell you.” Pam’s voice held no more argument.
“And he called too. Remember my call log?” Grayson could see it all clearly now. “If he needs the money now and the police seem to be dragging their feet in arresting me and taking me out of the picture, that could be why the loan. Short term. Just until I was incarcerated so he could take total ownership of the company.”
Colton had talked so many times about taking the company public, but Grayson had refused. When he’d come back from his last trip to Vegas, he’d started talking that up to Grayson immediately. He said he’d met a financial adviser at the blackjack tables who made the recommendation. Grayson hadn’t taken the talk seriously, because who took advice from someone at a card table in Vegas?
“I just find it so hard to believe.” Pam shook her head. “I’m not doubting anything you’ve told me—it’s all logical and cohesive. It’s just … wow. I mean, you two go back to, what, college or med school days?”
He nodded, remembering the first time he’d met Colton York. Grayson had been in his last year at LSU med school in Baton Rouge and had been introduced to Colton by a frat brother. Colton had finished med school the year before and passed his boards. He came back to campus to give an inspirational talk to the nearly burned-outs, and Grayson found him to be charismatic and engaging. They’d bonded over discussion of the best golf courses around, made a vow to play St. Andrews together one day, and became friends who actually kept in touch as the years passed. Colton never lost his ability to draw people in, one of his personality traits that made him extremely good at bringing in business.
“So what now?” Pam asked.
“I don’t know.” He closed his eyes against the flashes of lightning and sent up a silent prayer for wisdom.
Thunder rolled across the sky, rattling the windows in the office building.
“Should we call the police?”
“I want to be positive before I do that. If I’m wrong, I don’t want him to have to answer to the police for something he didn’t do.” He shook his head. “I’ve been having to do that every day lately and wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
“So you’re saying you want to confront him yourself? That might not be the best idea, Grayson.”
Lightning flashed across her face, highlighting the concern and worry in her eyes.
“Not confront. I just want to ask him. I think he’ll tell me the truth.”
Pam snorted. “Are you serious? Do you hear yourself?”
“What?”
“Grayson, sometimes you can be a Pollyanna, wanting to see the best in people all the time.” She shook her head. “If you’re right and he did kill Anna Belle and set you up to be blamed, why on earth would you think he’d admit it to you? He’d be stupid to do that, and we’ve already established he’s not stupid.”
“I think he’d be honest with me.” He might not want to admit it, but if Grayson stood right in front of him, looking him in the eye, Grayson figured Colton would ‘fess up.
Pam shook her head and pulled out her cell phone. “I think you should at least talk to Brandon first.”
Another boom of thunder rattled the building.
“He’ll just tell me to let him and Danielle do their job. I’d prefer to talk to Colton myself and see what he has to say for himself.”
“What I have to say for myself about what?”
Pam’s eyes widened as she looked over Grayson’s head. Grayson jumped to his feet and turned.
Colton stood in the doorway, dripping water into a puddle on the floor. “Say for myself about what?”
TWENTY-FIVE
“Man, it’s not letting up at all.” Danielle stated the obvious as she fell into step beside Brandon, making their way into the precinct.
Water rolled off Brandon’s back, and his shoes squished against the worn floor of the hallway. “It’s pretty miserable, that’s for sure.” They rounded the corner and headed to their work space.
The phone on Danielle’s desk rang, causing her to rush to grab it. “Witz.”
She wedged the phone between her chin and shoulder as she opened her drawer and pulled out an old T-shirt that she used to dab herself. “Uh-huh.”
Brandon grabbed his old gym bag from under his
desk and pulled out a towel. Thank goodness he hadn’t been able to work out in a week or more so the towel was clean. He wiped as much of the rain off as he could.
“I’m impressed. Thanks.” Danielle finally sat down but still wiped at her upper arms.
He took a seat as well, the towel now very damp.
“Of course. Just put him in whatever interrogation room is open when they get here and let me know. Thanks again.” She hung up the phone and smiled across the desk at him.
“Good news apparently?” It was nice to see her smiling real smiles again. Funny that he hadn’t realized until they talked that she’d been wearing stress and strain on her like a favorite sweater.
“Patrol picked up Big Al and are on their way with him to the station right now.” She grinned wider. “How’s that for good news?”
“That’s great news. Fast too. You put out the call, what, fifteen minutes ago?”
“About that. Apparently he was already on the schedule to pick up in relation to an open narcotics investigation. Since our questioning is just to try and pull some information, we get him first before narcs.”
Brandon leaned back in his chair. “And it’s not even my birthday.” He sat up straight. “I’m requesting a background on Colton York.”
Danielle stood. “I’m going to update the commander. You know how he likes to be updated when we’ve got witnesses or suspects across department divisions.” She grabbed the folder from her desk. “Be back in a jiffy.”
Brandon nodded as she took off. He accessed the system, logged into one of several databases, and looked up Colton York.
Two parking tickets, paid in full. Three moving vehicle violations, all paid without traffic court appearances. Interesting that he didn’t have a vehicle registered in his name—Brandon knew he had a car. Nothing really fancy, but a nice car. Might be in the business name though. More and more small-business owners seemed to be doing that lately.
