Too Many Suspects Read online

  “Ron covered that scenario last night,” Sam told him. “It’s legit.”

  “Where is Ron, by the way?” Callahan scanned the kitchen.

  “Probably still sleeping,” Pete said. “I got up early to get into the office, but then Sam came down and we started talking.”

  “About generators,” the blonde added a little too quickly.

  Kate reset the clock on the microwave and turned to her brother. “You’re going to be late, not early, if you don’t leave soon.”

  “Right.” Pete took a swig of coffee while he rose from the table.

  “I’ll stop by later this morning with Ron,” Callahan said. “We can try to come up with a plan to locate those two Irish bastards.”

  “Sounds good,” Pete told him. “With only Bud and me on patrol, it’s hard to handle a manhunt. It’ll be a stretch to put a BOLO for a big, black SUV but I’ll tell Bud and the State cops to keep an eye out, anyway. If they notice anything suspicious, they can at least let me know.”

  Roxanne sniffed. “It wasn’t just a big, black SUV, it was a HULKING big, black SUV.”

  “Gotcha.” Pete slipped the notebook into his pocket and grabbed his police-issue jacket before he strode out of the kitchen.

  “I should be going, too,” Roxanne said.

  “What about breakfast before you go?” Kate asked. “I’ve got enough bacon and eggs to feed an army.”

  “Not today. Much as I’d like to, I should get into the office to see what Sylvia has lined up for me,” Roxanne told her. “She always has donuts if I get hungry.”

  Kate sniffed. “Donuts aren’t food. They’re just empty calories looking for a willing body to pile fat on.”

  “But they taste good,” Roxanne said with a smile.

  “Hey, I wouldn’t mind some of the eggs and bacon.” Sam raised her hand.

  “Of course.” Kate beamed at her. “At least one of my guests knows what’s good for her.”

  “Ron should be down soon. I’m sure he’ll be ready for breakfast.” Callahan stepped aside to allow Roxanne access to her coat. “Tell him I’ll be back and he better be ready to go when I get here.”

  “Where are you going?” Roxanne asked as she slipped into her coat.

  “Taking you to the office,” he told her in a no-nonsense voice.

  “I can get there myself,” she protested.

  “But what about the HULKING big, black SUV?” Callahan said.

  “C’mon. That was just a fluke. I’m really sorry I even brought it up.” Roxanne waved to Kate and Sam as she followed Callahan to the hall. “Hey, if you drop me at the office, how am I going to get home?”

  “Call me. I’ll pick you up.”

  “This is getting ridiculous,” Roxanne muttered. “I feel like a little kid.”

  But she made certain both the latch and the deadbolt kicked in as she shut the front door.

  - 6 -

  Roxanne recognized Sylvia’s car when Callahan dropped her at the law firm. In spite of the early hour, Sylvia managed to get there first. Not only that, a redhead sat flipping through a magazine in the waiting area. The sun streaming through the window glinted off her coppery hair.

  Before Roxanne could even ask, Sylvia said, “Vicki Samuels stopped in to see you. She doesn’t have an appointment, but I thought you might be able to fit her in sometime today. She’s waiting to find out if that’s possible.”

  Roxanne recognized the woman from the vegetarian restaurant in town. “Vicki! Good to see you. I’ve been meaning to get back to your place for lunch but it’s been crazy.”

  “So I’ve heard. I’m sorry about Chester and hate to bother you. But I have a problem you might be able to help me with.” Vicki put aside the magazine and glanced up at her with enormous coffee-colored eyes. Her freckles stood out against her pale skin, begging for attention. “Sorry I don’t have an appointment. It all started over the weekend and I’d like to talk to you about it as soon as you can squeeze me in. I’ll take whatever you can give me.”

  “I think I can fit you in right now.” Roxanne knew she’d be giving up whatever time she had hoped to spend organizing her day and the week to come, but Vicki looked pitiful. At her words, the anxiety on the woman’s face shifted to relief.

  “Your first appointment isn’t until eleven.” Sylvia shuffled papers while Roxanne mentally thanked the woman for giving her a heads-up about what to expect for the rest of the day.

  “Then let’s get started.” Roxanne gestured for Vicki to follow.

  When they were settled in her office, she asked her unscheduled visitor what she could do for her.

  Vicki played with her fingers, then took a deep breath. “I don’t exactly know. I think I need a restraining order.”

  “Someone’s bothering you?”

  “Not someone... my brother…” Her voice trailed off.

  Roxanne remained silent, waiting for her to explain.

  Vicki shook her head. “I know it sounds silly to be afraid of my own brother, but Henry and I were never close. He’s my half-brother, actually, we have the same father but different mothers. I grew up in the same house as Henry and his mom. He’s two years older than me and was jealous of any attention our father paid to me. In high school, he often got in trouble and blamed me for any problems he caused. Of course, his mother believed him.” Vicki lowered her voice and added, “I guess you can’t blame her. I was just an albatross that came with my father.”

  “Sorry to hear that,” Roxanne said when Vicki paused to gaze at the ceiling.

  “You don’t need to hear all that.” She brought her attention back to Roxanne. “I get carried away when I think about Henry.”

  “That’s all right. It helps for me to learn as much background as possible.” Roxanne always felt more comfortable knowing why someone wanted her to handle a matter in a particular way—whether a will, real estate transaction or tax audit. If she understood the reasoning behind a parent’s desire to cut a child out of the will, or why a CFO took a shaky business deduction, she could often gently lead them into a compromise that would prevent a shitload of trouble down the road. She encouraged Vicki to explain further. “Tell me more about your family.”

  “We were fairly well-off. My father was an accountant with some very wealthy clients. One of them turned him on to a guy who promised exorbitant returns on investment. My father jumped at the opportunity. I was only fourteen at the time but it still sounded like pie-in-the-sky to me. If he thought he could triple his money in a few months, it meant I could buy fancier clothes and impress all my friends. I didn’t understand about the risk and all that other stuff. The way things turned out, I wish I did.”

  “I take it his venture didn’t work out too well,” Roxanne said.

  Vicki grimaced. “I’m sure you’ve heard of Barry Gentile.”

  “He’s one of the most notorious and successful con men of the twenty-first century. Your father was one of his marks?”

  Vicki gave a slow nod and continued. “He lost every cent, including our college funds and his retirement savings. Henry and I had to switch from private school to public, leaving all our friends. I think that’s what first set my brother off. He started selling drugs in senior high; he and our dad argued most of the time. Henry’s first arrest came when he was a senior but since he was still a minor, the judge went easy on him.”

  Roxanne thought about Sean and hoped the judge in his case didn’t feel the same way. She’d never feel safe if the teenager received a slap on the wrist and was set free. With a conscious effort, she brought her attention back to the conversation before she could start agonizing over her own troubles.

  Vicki was still talking. “As soon as he graduated, Henry moved out. He joined the Navy, since college was out of the question without money. Even though his grades were good, they were not enough for a scholarship. I heard
from one of his friends that he’d started Seal training, but I can’t be sure. Henry never wrote or spoke to me after he left, although I assumed he kept in touch with his mother. Dad was long gone by then, leaving me with Anita. She wasn’t happy about being stuck with me, but she tried her best.”

  “Where did your father go?”

  “No one knows. One morning he just disappeared. He never showed up at his office, either. Since he took one suitcase, Anita figured he’d planned his departure. We never heard from him again, although he sent a graduation card to Henry with a crumpled twenty-dollar bill inside. I think Henry threw it away.”

  “Wait a minute,” Roxanne said as her mind shifted into gear. “Henry’s two years older than you and you have different mothers, so was your father married to Henry’s mother when you were born?”

  “No, it’s a bit more complicated but that’s another story.”

  “Tell me what you can in a nutshell. It’s best I have a complete understanding of what’s going on and how everyone fits into the picture.” Roxanne leaned back in her chair. “If you want a restraining order, I need to know the whole dynamic.”

  Vicki let out a heavy sigh. “Okay, well, my dad was married to Henry’s mother, Anita. But she wanted more than the life they lived in Connecticut. She wanted an apartment in Manhattan to be near my father during the week. My guess is she didn’t trust him. Anyway, right after Henry was born, Anita gave him an ultimatum—either they moved to Manhattan or she would file for a divorce.

  “My father decided the divorce was the lesser of two evils. Twelve months later, he married his secretary. That was my mother, who was pregnant with me at the time. When I was six months old, my mother died and Anita took that opportunity to make a comeback.”

  “What a shame. How did your mother die?” Roxanne thought Vicki’s mother’s death was a bit too fortuitous and wondered if Anita had anything to do with it.

  “She was hit by a taxi when she stepped off the curb at Union Square. According to the police report, there was nothing the taxi driver could have done to avoid her. The cab had the right of way, and my mother wasn’t looking where she was going.”

  “How awful.” Roxanne dismissed her suspicions about the stepmother. She was hanging around Roxy too much. Pretty soon, she’d see conspiracies and evil doers everywhere.

  Vicki moved on, oblivious to Roxanne’s roving speculations. “My father was traumatized. I think he really loved my mother and, on top of that, he didn’t know beans about taking care of an infant. So when Anita suggested they remarry, he agreed. They already had a child together and he needed help in raising me. Anita got her man back, along with the fulfillment of her wish to live in Manhattan. There’s not much more to it. Henry and I grew up as brother and sister, but we lost any semblance of a family unit when my father tapped out his savings with his surefire investments. We more or less went our separate ways after that.”

  “So, what’s the problem between you and your brother now?” Roxanne asked.

  “Someone was in touch with Henry a few weeks ago in an attempt to locate our father. Told Henry he had a windfall coming if he could be found. For some reason, Henry seems to think I know where Dad is, even though I told him I haven’t a clue. He doesn’t believe me. My brother figures Dad is either dead or close to it, and the windfall will soon be his.”

  “What about you? You’d get a share of it, too.” Roxanne picked up a pen and tapped on her desk. “Could it be part of the money he lost to Gentile? I thought they never located the billions stolen.”

  Vicki shrugged. “I guess it could be some kind of settlement. I just know that Henry’s angry and anxious to locate Dad. He doesn’t care if he’s dead or alive—probably prefers dead. Then he could get his hands on the money that much quicker.”

  “I’m not sure why you want a restraining order. Has Henry made specific threats to you? Does he have a history of violence?”

  Vicki’s eyes seemed to swallow her face. “I don’t know whether he’s violent or not, anymore. I do know he received a dishonorable discharge from the Navy two or three years ago. I only found out because Anita was beside herself about it. Her baby boy, the light of her life, was victimized by a corrupt military institution... at least that’s what she said.”

  “So Anita is still alive?”

  Vicki shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. She developed lung cancer and passed away last year. I did all I could for her since Henry wasn’t around. That’s how I found out about the dishonorable discharge.”

  “Do you know what it was for? I understand you have to be court-martialed and convicted for that type of discharge. But I’m not sure. Maybe Callahan will know. Do you mind if I bring him in on this?”

  “John Callahan? No, I don’t mind, but why on earth would he want to be involved in my problem?”

  “He’s going to become part of the law firm soon.”

  “Really? I didn’t know that.” Vicki raised her eyebrows, then dropped them. “And I thought I knew just about everything that was going on in town. People do like to gossip, you know.”

  Roxanne smiled. “Even vegetarians?”

  “Especially vegetarians,” she said.

  “Okay, so let’s get back to Henry.” Roxanne pulled a yellow legal pad from her top drawer and started to write. “He’s anxious to find your dad—doesn’t care if dead or alive. But if I heard you correctly, preferably dead.”

  Vicki nodded. “He could be dangerous, too. I don’t know what kind of training he had as a Seal, but I’m sure he wasn’t pushing paper in the Navy.”

  Roxanne’s hand froze in mid-stroke. A shudder passed through her as she again saw the goons who’d almost broken into her room in the early hours. Most women were no physical match for well-muscled men, no matter where they’d trained. She hated to consider what would have happened to her if she had been alone at the B & B.

  She forced herself to resume writing and looked up when she’d finished her notes. “How did he threaten you? Do you recall his exact words?”

  Vicki scrunched her mouth, wrinkling her forehead. “I’m not sure if he said anything specific. Just something like I’d be sorry if I tried to interfere with this so-called ‘windfall’.” She used two fingers of each hand to put air quotes on the last word.

  “But you don’t know what it is or, if it’s some kind of settlement, how much is involved?”

  “Somehow I don’t think it could be all that much. Hundreds of people were scammed by Gentile and I imagine they’d have to split it among all of them.”

  “Do you know where Henry is now?”

  “I think he called from his apartment in Maryland. But I don’t know for sure.”

  “You moved here about six months ago. Does he know where you are?” Roxanne asked.

  “It’s possible.” Her shoulders slumped as she considered the implications. Vicki looked defeated.

  “Do you have a social media account?”

  Vicki nodded. “For the restaurant.”

  “So it’s more than possible, it’s probable he knows where to find you.” Roxanne tapped the pen against the legal pad. “I’m not sure if we could get a restraining order unless he made an overt move against you.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of.” Vicki sighed and stood. “I’ve wasted enough of your time with my warped imagination. Henry may be angry at me, but what can he do?”

  “You haven’t wasted my time,” Roxanne assured her. “If you hear from him again, try to tape the conversation. If something appears threatening, we can try for a restraining order. Of course, you know those orders often mean nothing. They can’t guarantee protection.”

  “I’m aware of that. I just figured if I could threaten Henry with one, maybe he’d leave me alone.” Vicki wrapped her coat around herself as she stood.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help,” Roxanne said. �
��Keep me informed.”

  “I will, thanks.” Vicki gave her a wry smile before she left.

  Roxanne glanced at the clock on the wall. She had a few minutes before her next appointment. Instead of pulling herself together to face the rest of the day, she sat mesmerized by the swinging pendulum.

  The art-deco clock was left over from when Ralph Patterson sat in this office. Sylvia told her it had been one of her husband’s prized possessions. He found it at an auction in New Orleans and paid a fortune to have it shipped.

  When Roxanne took over the office, she assumed Sylvia would take the clock home. But although the desk had been replaced with a more modern model and the chair with one better suited to Roxanne’s back, the clock remained.

  Knowing its provenance brought back Roxanne’s days in New Orleans—both as a student and as the naive wife of Adrian Boudreaux, a member of a prominent Crescent City family. She’d had such high hopes for her future with the main-line family as well as her lowly entry position in the District Attorney’s office.

  Those dreams had taken her down such a dark, twisted road.

  First she became disillusioned when she realized her job in the DA’s office consisted mainly of filing paperwork. The only time she entered a courtroom was when she brought papers to a litigator who dismissed her with a wave of his hand. After becoming privy to all the underhanded deals that were made by her boss, she brought it to her husband’s attention. He told her to keep her head down and just do what she was told.

  She tried, even though she had to bite her tongue when the DA kowtowed to a brazen city politician and dismissed the domestic violence charge against him. Then she tried even harder when she noticed how certain individuals kept popping up in the system only to have their charges dismissed or even expunged from their record. Eventually she knew she had to find employment elsewhere.

  Adrian wanted her to hang in there. He told her that she might work her way up so she could eventually be useful to his family enterprise. By that time, she’d be part of the corrupt system, in way over her head.