Chapter 25

As soon asI hung up, all three of us started talking at once. Then we all stopped and stared at one another.

“This couldn’t have happened at a worse time,” Gertie said. “The last thing Kelsey needs is to be worried about Brett, and the last thing Ben needs is to be heading into a major surgery without his father there.”

I nodded. “I wonder if Detective Casey knows anything.”

I picked up my cell phone to call her and it rang as I lifted it.

Detective Casey!

“Kelsey told me the FBI seized Spalding’s offices and took Brett into custody,” I said as I answered.

“That’s not all,” she said. “Brett’s parents have been taken into custody as well.”

“What? Where were they?”

“New Orleans, of all places. In a small hotel in the French Quarter.”

“Why would they risk coming back here now?”

“I have no idea, but I’m with you—it’s stupid. I’ve spent a lot of years watching criminals and their behavior, and I have to say, this one doesn’t sit right with me. Something changed. Something big enough for them to risk coming back into the United States.”

“They didn’t even come back for Ben’s first transplant. What could be so important that they’d come back now? When the FBI is lurking around?”

“I wish to hell I knew, because I don’t like it. And all of this on the heels of that mess with Holly Beech yesterday.”

“You know about that?”

“One of the cops who took your statements is the captain’s nephew. The captain has been pacing and fuming all morning because the state police got the case.”

“Who else was I supposed to call? Certainly not Cantrell, and NOLA doesn’t have jurisdiction.”

“Oh, you absolutely did the right thing. The captain even said as much, but he’s still hacked that we’ve been shut out. He’d love to be part of taking Cantrell out for the botched investigation. But the state isn’t going to let him in on that any more than the FBI is going to let him in on the Spalding situation.”

“So how mad is he that I’m the one who turned the spotlight on Cantrell?”

She laughed. “At the moment, he’s just relishing Cantrell’s lack of actual police work and praying it gets him out of a profession he never should have been part of. And he’d never admit it, but I think he appreciates what you’ve accomplished. He’s just disgruntled because we have to play by a different set of rules.”

“We’ve all got our cross to bear. Let me know if you get anything out of the FBI. I told Kelsey I’d call her back with information when I had it.”

“Will do.”

I disconnected and blew out a breath. Ida Belle and Gertie were both staring at me, and I was sure we all looked a little shell-shocked.

“What in the world is going on?” Ida Belle said. “Why would the Spaldings come back into the country now? And not just the country—back to New Orleans?”

I shook my head. “I wish I knew.”

“I feel like we should be doing something,” Ida Belle said. “But I have no idea what.”

“I feel the same,” I said. “Let’s head to NOLA.”

“To do what?” Gertie asked.

“I have no idea,” I said. “But I have a feeling that if something pops up that we can help with, it’s going to be there.”

* * *

We were halfwayto NOLA when I got another call from Kelsey. I’d rung her after I’d talked to Detective Casey, but she hadn’t answered. I’d left a message, figuring she was probably dealing with the attorney and would get back with me as soon as she could.

“Oh Fortune, it’s so bad!” she wailed as soon as I answered. “The FBI came here after we got off the phone. They told me they’ve seized everything—not just the business, but all of my and Brett’s personal accounts and assets. I called the hotel and asked them to stop direct deposit of my checks, but what am I supposed to do? How long can they keep my accounts tied up?”

“As long as they want to. And I’m afraid I have more bad news—the FBI has Brett’s parents in custody as well.”

“What? How? They can’t just pick people up in Italy, can they?”

“The Spaldings were in NOLA. Unfortunately, my source doesn’t know any more than that, but all of this looks really bad. Is Devin there? Did you get in touch with the attorney?”

“Yes. He got here right after the FBI left, after telling me I’m basically a pauper and treating me like a criminal. You’re on speaker. What the hell is going on, Fortune? I can’t believe Brett did anything wrong. Not something the FBI would be interested in. What happens when the surgeon asks for his money? I have to prepay for the surgery.”

“I already told you I’d lend you the money.” I heard Devin’s voice in the background.

“It sounds like you have a solution,” I said. “Take his offer. You’ll be able to repay him at some point, and even if you never get your assets back, your son’s life is worth years on a payment plan, right? I need you to focus on Ben and try not to even think about the rest of this. You can’t help Brett. But you can help Ben.”

She blew out a breath. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I’m just so spaced out. I feel like I’m wound so tight I’m going to explode. And my head is killing me. Thank God I sent Ben to a friend’s house right after I talked to you, or he would have heard everything the FBI said. I don’t even know what to tell him.”

“Nothing. If Brett is still being held when Ben’s surgery comes up, you tell him that Brett has the flu and he’s not allowed in the hospital or around Ben because it’s too dangerous. Ben has been through enough that he’ll be disappointed, but he’ll understand.”

“Yes. That’s good. That would work. Thank you, Fortune. Your clear thinking is really helping me.”

“We’re headed to NOLA now. I want to check in with my source and see if they’ve gotten any more news, and then we’ll come by to check on you, assuming you’re up to it.”

“Definitely! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you’ve done.”

We clicked off and I stared out the windshield, shaking my head.

“This has gone from bad to worse,” Ida Belle said.

“I’m just glad Devin is going to lend Kelsey the money for Ben’s surgery,” Gertie said. “We all know if the FBI has gotten something in their craw, they’re not going to give those assets up. Not without a fight.”

Ida Belle nodded. “And the Spaldings have been stuck in their craw for over a decade. That’s a lot of festering anger and disappointment they’re going to want to balance out. They’re not going to care at whose expense.”

“Maybe we should talk to Alexander,” Gertie suggested. “He knows everyone. He might be able to get some inside scoop. Or give some advice.”

“Alexander hates the FBI,” I said. “He says of all the government agencies, they’re the worst to ask for favors, but you’re right. He will probably have some advice about how to handle it all.”

Gertie nodded. “And he’s sort of involved already by way of the fact that he’s Ryan’s attorney, who is Ben’s bio father, who is Brett’s son, who needs the money for surgery.”

“That was incredibly convoluted, but accurate,” Ida Belle said. “And I think a conversation on all your thoughts on Holly Beech is in order as well. I know Alexander has nothing to do with the ADA charging her, but he wouldn’t want to be part of railroading another innocent person any more than you.”

“I was the first person to defend her,” Gertie said, and sighed. “But after seeing Jared sitting in lighter fluid and her holding that candle, my doubts kind of flew out the window.”

I nodded. “I get it. And trust me, there’s no doubt in my mind that she could have done it. And maybe it’s like Carter said and she never saw anyone at Lindsay’s house that night. She absolutely could have confused her nights, or it’s entirely possible it never happened at all.”

“But assuming she did see someone hit Lindsay, regardless of the actual day, what are your thoughts on that?” Ida Belle asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “But at this point, a second investigation will be up to the ADA. Jared’s testimony and Holly’s clothes are damning, and her trying to kill him isn’t going to help her case. Regardless, it’s never going to trial. It’s clear that Holly isn’t of sound mind, and I don’t know that she ever will be.”

“I get that,” Gertie said. “But what about that small chance that they can fix her? If everyone assumes Holly is the killer, then there’s no good reason to make her better when that just means she’ll stand trial for murder. She’s clever enough to know that and keep ditching her meds.”

“Staff at those facilities are trained to handle people like Holly,” Ida Belle said. “She won’t be able to play them like she did Jared.”

I nodded. “Jared should have never been tasked with being Holly’s keeper, but then, everyone we’ve talked to has said Raymond Beech was a butthole. I just wish I knew if he never pushed for outside help because of the terms of the trust or because he wanted to keep Holly close in case she remembered who the guy was in Lindsay’s house that night. Assuming there was a guy, of course.”

Ida Belle shook her head. “Seeing her brother kill her sister would be a good enough reason for Holly to slip off the edge and into the deep end. The problem is, we don’t know for certain what happened—did Holly witness her sister’s murder, or did she kill her? Either one would have sent an already troubled mind into lockdown.”

I frowned. “How long does it take before those meds start to wear off?”

“No way of knowing for sure,” Ida Belle said. “Depends on the med, the person, how long they’ve been taking them, the dosage. Someone could start to act differently in a matter of a day or two, or it might take weeks or months. Why? What are you thinking?”

“That when they put Holly back on meds, she’ll stop remembering that night again.”

Gertie nodded. “The meds have probably been keeping it repressed and foggy.”

Ida Belle frowned. “If it was Jared she saw, he was in the perfect position to know when she remembered, keeping her closed up with him and with minimal staff in the house.”

“Exactly,” I agreed.

“Well, if he’s sticking close to monitor Holly,” Gertie said, “he’s doing a crap job of it. That girl has managed to be a lot of places she wasn’t supposed to be. And someone needed to cancel her Uber account and lock up those household vehicle keys where she couldn’t find them. The woman shouldn’t have even been allowed a bicycle.”

“It only takes minutes of distraction with a work issue or things like that charity meeting he had after we talked to him that first time to give her the opportunity to slip away,” Ida Belle said.

“She managed to leave the hospital without anyone noticing,” I agreed. “My guess is Holly is a master of sneaky. And I’m going to guess she doesn’t have an Uber account but is using someone else’s.”

“Probably that disgruntled security guard,” Gertie said.

Ida Belle nodded. “Or another of the household staff who won’t dare tell Jared about it.”

Gertie sighed. “But if Jared killed Lindsay, why didn’t he just kill Holly, too? Surely he could have made it look like an accident given the trouble she got up to.”

“Three siblings, two deaths, and one left to inherit?” Ida Belle asked. “I think it might have raised some eyebrows, especially with the trustees. And given Raymond’s poor parenting choices, it wouldn’t have surprised me if he’d chosen to cut Jared out altogether if Holly was no longer around. It sounds like the sort of thing he’d do.”

“True,” I agreed. “And to be honest, if Jared killed Lindsay, I think it was a crime of passion. He’s just too soft to plan out a cold-blooded murder. When he realized Holly’s memory was gone, she was no longer a threat, so he was never faced with that choice.”

Ida Belle shook her head. “I almost wish Raymond Beech was still alive so he could witness all the damage he’s done. If either Holly or Jared killed Lindsay, I contend the blame begins with their father. And Ryan’s incarceration lies firmly on him.”

“I agree,” I said and lifted my phone to make a call to Alexander. But before I could, my phone rang. It wasn’t a number I recognized, but it was a NOLA exchange.

“Hi, Ms. Redding?” a woman said when I answered. “This is Trish Maxwell. You left me a message saying you had some questions about my employment at Spalding?”

“Yes, Ms. Maxwell, thank you for calling me back.”

“No problem. I’m sorry I didn’t get back with you sooner. I just got back from vacation, and I lost my cell phone two days ago. Oh my God, I don’t know how people made it before they existed.”

“Everything was harder or simpler. Depends on how you look at it, I suppose.”

She laughed. “True. So what did you want to know? It’s been a minute since I worked at Spalding, but I’ll try to help. Are you interviewing someone who worked there?”

“No. I’m a private investigator. I’ve been retained to look into Lindsay Beech’s murder.”

“Oh my God! I haven’t thought about Lindsay in forever. I know that sounds horrible, but the whole situation was something I’d never dealt with before and never want to again. Someone you see practically every day and that happening… I had nightmares for months. You just don’t ever think about things like that happening to people like Lindsay.”

“Why is that? What was she like?”

“Good family, well educated, incredibly smart, and super nice. She was also introverted, like a lot of finance people are, but beyond that, she also seemed very shy and somewhat socially awkward. She always blushed when Brett complimented her on a big score, even though she definitely deserved the praise. I’ve never known anyone with a mind like hers.”

“Did you ever meet her boyfriend, Ryan?”

“Once, at a company thing. He seemed nice. Out of place, but that makes sense. I felt a little sorry for him because he didn’t fit with the investor crowd and didn’t come from money, so he was well outside the ring. Lindsay didn’t appear bothered by it, mind you, but he seemed really uncomfortable. I couldn’t believe it when he was arrested. I talked to him for a bit that night, and there was absolutely nothing about him that suggested he was going to kill her. I think that’s why I had nightmares for so long. That you just can’t tell, you know?”

“I definitely know. I have seen all kinds of things in my line of work.”

“You said you’re looking into Lindsay’s murder… Does that mean you don’t think Ryan did it?”

“We’ve had a witness come forward who was never aware of his arrest and had a one-night stand with him. That night. And she swears he never left the hotel room in NOLA. I have other evidence besides her word, so I’m convinced that Ryan has been convicted for a crime he didn’t commit.”

“Oh wow! That’s horrible. And that means whoever really killed her is still out there, right? Who do you think did it? And what did you want to ask me about?”

“The police brought someone in for questioning, but I’m not allowed to talk about it at this time. And my original questions are probably a moot point now, but I might as well ask them since you returned my call. Ryan told me Lindsay was being harassed by her boss, and I wanted more information. I knew an existing employee was unlikely to talk, but I figured a woman—a young woman no longer employed there—might be willing to speak freely.”

“Gotcha. I don’t know anything for certain, but me and Suzanne, another coworker, saw her come out of his office a couple times and she had that look, you know?”

I had no idea personally as everyone I worked with feared death if they hit on me, but I understood what she was saying.

“She was looking down and hurrying,” Trish continued. “I mean, she was always rushing around and wasn’t big on eye contact, but the couple times we saw it happen, she didn’t even lift her head and acknowledge us when she passed. In fact, if anything, she dropped her head even lower. She looked embarrassed.”

“Maybe she’d gotten chewed out over a mistake on an account.”

“Ha. Lindsay didn’t make mistakes. She was God’s gift to numbers. If I had a quarter of her talent, I’d be retired already.”

“Why do you think he picked Lindsay? If Ryan attended a party, I have to assume everyone knew they lived together.”

“Sure, but they’d recently broken up. I found Lindsay crying one day in the break room and she told me about it. I told the other girls, so they’d prop her up if we saw her struggling—female solidarity, you know? But I imagine word of their breakup got around the office fairly quickly.”

“And did you or any of the other girls ever have similar problems?”

“No way! Which is why it surprised me and Suzanne. It was out of character, you know? Every year, some of the new interns made their play, but they were always ignored. The office gossip was that he was gay but so far in the closet he was dwelling in Narnia. But I don’t think anyone ever had proof. I just figured it was sour grapes started by the rejected.”

I frowned at the ‘gay’ comment. That one seemed totally out of left field given that Brett was married and by all appearances dedicated to Kelsey. And Kelsey had certainly never mentioned anything of the sort, but then, maybe the Narnia comment was accurate.

“Anyway,” Trish continued, “after seeing his gaze linger a little too long on hot women at restaurant meetings, I dismissed the gay thing and just figured he didn’t want to get involved with an employee. It’s the smart move, mind you, especially the interns, because boy would that have been a legal minefield if someone reported him. Which is why Suzanne and I were shocked over the thing with Lindsay. It was sudden and completely out of left field. I mean, she’d been working there for years and nothing. It was like he walked into the office one day and suddenly realized she was attractive.”

“And there were never other incidences or even rumors about Brett hitting on other employees?”

“Brett? No way. That man cares about three things—his son, his wife, and money—probably in that order. I thought you were asking about Devin. He was Lindsay’s supervisor.”

And suddenly, it all started to make sense.

Devin, who had rich parents but was never flashy until recently. Who pushed Brett to shut up and write checks for Ben’s surgery. Who had offered to pay for the procedure after Brett’s arrest. Devin, who’d had a meeting at a boutique hotel, right around the corner from Spalding offices the day before the Spaldings were arrested. The man the FBI had asked to secure Spalding’s server. The man whose parents Brett had never met. The man Kelsey had probably just told all about Jared and Holly Beech.

Lindsay didn’t make mistakes.

He’s not a puppet master.

But he was. If I was right, Devin had played everyone he’d ever known, and I’d be willing to bet he’d been doing it for a long, long time.

“Thanks, Trish,” I said quickly. “I’ve got an emergency and have to run, but I appreciate it.”

I hung up before she could even reply and dialed Kelsey. “Is Devin still there?”

“No. He left right after we talked. He said he was going to see about getting the money for me.”

“Did you tell him about Holly Beech being taken into custody?”

“Yes. I hope that was okay. He asked about the investigation.”

His aunt is a hospital nurse.

“No problem at all. I’m about to meet with Alexander. I’ll call you later.”

“Okay—”

I dropped the call on another startled woman and called Alexander, praying he answered.

“Where is Holly Beech?” I asked when he picked up.

Without hesitation, he gave me the name of the hospital.

I repeated the name to Ida Belle and told her to hurry.

“We’ve been wrong. Horribly wrong.”