Chapter Thirty-eight

When Rebel stopped talking, Jordan sat back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest. He said to Gregson in his deep voice, "Obviously something changed between Mr. Navarro's first interview with your people on Wednesday and tonight. Please tell us why you suddenly issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Navarro and hauled him here."

"It's very straightforward. We have your signature on the documents."

"You didn't need to be there—as you certainly know. You filled out the necessary forms and sent them in by registered mail."

Jordan held up a hand. "Agent Gregson, let me see if I've got this straight. You think the Navarro brothers conspired together to steal over two hundred million dollars from the investment fund?"

She opened her file again, pulled out a sheet of paper, and slid it over to Rebel. "Is this your signature, Mr. Navarro?"

Gregson slid a sheet of blank paper over to him. "Would you please sign your name for me right now so we can compare them?"

"Six times would be good," Gregson agreed, and watched Rebel closely.

Jordan said, "Of course they do. I would expect them to, since Mr. Navarro's signature is illegible, and that makes it easy to copy." He picked up the pen and signed Rebel's name himself, pushed the paper back to Gregson. "Pretty close, don't you think? And that's without practice. He writes his name like my brother, a physician, on his prescription pads."

Rebel said, "Agent Gregson, I did not sign this document, nor did my brother steal from his own company. As for my leaving the country, you know my nephew is staying with me. You also know he has no other family. I would never leave him, nor would I drag him along to parts unknown." He paused a moment. "Please try to understand. My brother was getting his life back together after the death of his wife two years ago. His company was thriving and he'd just remarried. He was finally happy. He's not a Madoff or Bankman-Fried. There was simply no reason for him to steal all that money from his own clients. My brother is proud of his company, proud he built it himself. Many of his clients have become personal friends. Never would he steal from them. He's been set up just as I have. It has to be someone else who works at his investment fund who's behind this. You read in that text he pointed to his COO, Carla Cartwright."

Rebel said, "My brother simply went on his honeymoon to Europe with his wife and was in Paris when the missing funds were discovered. I know my brother. I can only imagine how frantic he is, how disbelieving that anyone would think him responsible for this crime. I also imagine he doesn't know what to do. Stay in Europe, hidden, until you discovered the real criminals? Myself? I would have come back and raised hell, but it wasn't my decision." He paused, added, "My brother is one of the smartest people I know, a genius with people. I would never accept he would do something so stupid as to use codes only he knew. Talk about painting an X on his back." Rebel sat forward. "Agent Gregson, please believe me when I tell you my brother is very logical, very realistic. He's also got plenty of money, no reason to steal more—to ruin his company and make himself a fugitive. Somehow, someone got hold of those passcodes."

Rebel said automatically, "My brother doesn't drink mai tais."

"This is a superb screwup, Agent Gregson. Now, it's time for you to release Mr. Navarro on his own recognizance until such time as you actually have some definitive proof he was involved in this, which I really doubt exists. Otherwise, I'll call Judge Hobbs and explain what you've done and be granted his immediate release and you, a reprimand."

Rebel gave Briggs a little finger wave.

Rebel knew, of course. Autumn. He shook his head. No way was he going to bring her into this mess.

That's what Autumn said. Rebel said to Jordan, "I think this whole plan was set into motion months ago. And I was involved to make it seem even more obvious my brother planned it and now it's a family deal."

Jordan stopped by a black Mercedes sedan. "Is your brother a careless man?"

Rebel nodded. "Rafael. Yes, I'm Rebel."

Rebel had to smile. "Guess he underestimated his old man."

Rebel nodded. He thought of Tash, wondered what he'd be like at seventeen. If he drank and got caught, would his father ground him? Would he?

He had plans.