Dead Man's Lake (The Braddock & Gray Case Files Book 5)

by H. P. Bayne

  “No. I never asked. The less I knew, the happier I was.”

  Dez glanced between Dunsmore and Lachlan. “How serious would that sort of thing have been?”

  “Spying on the competition to a major contract?” Lachlan said. “Pretty damn serious.” He lifted a corner of his mouth. “Maybe even serious enough to commit murder.”

  20

  Sully had just met Forbes at a coffee shop near the offices of Calypso Construction when Dez called. In the passenger seat of Forbes’s car, Sully pressed the speaker button on his cellphone so they both could hear.

  “Forbes with you?” Dez asked.

  Forbes leaned in to answer. “Yep, I’m here, Braddock. What you got?”

  With the clearing of his throat, Lachlan butted into the conversation. “Things are starting to shape up here. Dunsmore filled us in on the situation in the eighties. Turns out he had two companies vying for the contract on the lakefront development. One was Brinks Construction. The other was a company co-headed at the time by Harrison Craig.”

  Sully met Forbes’s eye. “So they were in competition then?”

  “And how,” Lachlan said. “Not only were they competing, it seems Craig got himself a spy inside the Brinks company to ferret out any details he could get.”

  Sully stared at the phone as if looking into Lachlan’s eyes. “Walter McCrory.”

  “Now that I would put money on,” Lachlan said.

  Forbes grabbed the phone, bringing it to his mouth to speak. “Hang on. Before you move on anything else, what else do we have here, exactly? Do we have anyone confirming McCrory as the spy?”

  “Not yet,” Dez said. “We’re working on it.”

  “Give me a minute here.”

  “We don’t have long to mess around on this,” Lachlan said.

  “I know. Just—bloody hell, you’re telling me it’s confirmed we’re looking into a murder? My unit should be taking control of this thing.”

  Sully leaned toward Forbes, speaking quietly. “With what evidence? You’ve told me often enough yourself. The things I see don’t count as evidence. But maybe if we play our cards right, we can gather enough today so you can move on it officially. That’s the way we’ve always done things, and it works.”

  “I shouldn’t be here,” Forbes said. “I could get my ass in a real ringer for giving a group of PIs the go-ahead to interview potential homicide suspects.”

  “You’re not along as a Major Crimes investigator exactly,” Sully said. “You’re here as my brother. You’re here in a personal capacity in case Craig doesn’t take kindly to being questioned.”

  Forbes dropped his face into a palm and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “That won’t help me, believe me.”

  “We won’t say anything if you won’t.”

  Forbes glared at Sully. “I’ve lied enough in my life, on and off the job. One of these days, it’s going to bite me in the ass.” He sighed. “But I’ll figure it out. You’re right. I don’t have enough to take to my CO. Not yet.”

  “Then let’s get changing that,” Lachlan said.

  Calypso Construction was located inside a glass tower in the downtown area, taking up several floors right at the top.

  After Dunsmore Developments fell apart, Calypso had no doubt branched out, taking on extra contracts needing filled. It appeared they were doing well for themselves. Sully wouldn’t be surprised to learn Harrison Craig had been able to purchase himself a huge, shiny new condo downtown or a large house in the country for weekends and holidays—perhaps the very places vacated by Ray Dunsmore.

  Sully dialled in to Forbes’s phone while still in the car, then pocketed his cellphone without disconnecting, ensuring Forbes could hear him through the material of Sully’s topmost coat pocket. Despite Dez’s concerns, Sully wasn’t worried about his safety walking in here. Sure, it was possible Craig was Walter’s killer—he had motive, after all, if Walter had been spying for him and if he’d been concerned his dirty secret would be revealed. In the middle of the downtown core in a busy high-rise office tower, there wasn’t much Craig could or would do to him.

  Even so, it paid to be cautious. Sully’s terrible track record required it.

  “Sit as close as possible to him and keep your voice up,” Forbes advised as he readied a digital recorder. “Act like you have a hearing impairment if you have to, but get him to say everything as loudly as you’re able. I hope your boss bears that in mind over at Brinks.”

  Sully nearly snorted. “Lachlan won’t be in charge of recording. The guy is brilliant at everything else, but he can barely manage his cellphone some days. Dez will be on top of it.”

  Forbes halted Sully before he climbed out of the car. “If things head south, change the subject and start talking about me. I’ll take that as my cue to come pull you out.”

  Sully resisted rolling his eyes. All he needed was a second overprotective brother. “If things go south, I’ll get myself out. But I’ll bear in mind the whole subject-change thing.”

  He half-expected Craig to have invented some excuse for not being able to meet with him. However, upon reaching the executive offices on the uppermost floor, the secretary there led him right back to the CEO’s offices. There, Sully waited only seconds for Craig’s executive assistant to call back to ensure he was ready for his visitor.

  “Mr. Craig will see you now,” the woman said as she stood to open one half of a set of double doors.

  As Sully had suspected on his way up, Harrison Craig’s office was massive with a commanding view of the expanse of Kimotan Rapids and its picturesque river. Despite the fact Sully had passed a large conference room on his way back here, Craig had his own conference-sized table on one side of the room. The other side held a smaller table, a comfortable-looking couch, numerous built-in shelves and a huge desk which Craig was now circling with an outstretched hand.

  Sully met the handshake, then settled into the chair Craig ushered him into. It wasn’t nearly as comfortable as it first appeared, and Sully wondered if that was deliberate. Uncomfortable chairs, after all, made for abbreviated meetings.

  He waited until Craig had settled in behind the desk, using the few seconds to shift so the mouthpiece of the phone was in the best spot to catch the conversation.

  “Thank you for meeting with me,” Sully said. “I know you’re busy.”

  “No problem. I understand you have questions about Crystal Lake.”

  “As I believe Lachlan told you on the phone, we’ve been retained by Mr. Brinks in relation to a matter that has nothing to do with you. But as we’ve dug deeper, your name came up.”

  Craig studied him for a beat before speaking. “You know we’ve been discussing working together on the project, then. Nothing’s set in stone, of course, but I wanted a crew of experienced contractors lined up to share the work if I do, in fact, end up with the successful bid.”

  “You’re not the only one hoping for the lake development deal.”

  Craig uttered a dry laugh. “So, it seems, is Bright Sands, gauging from the story I saw in the paper recently. They seem to think they have it in the bag.” Judging by the smirk plucking at the corners of Craig’s mouth, so did he. Confidence seemed to be a trait shared by most executives Sully had had occasion to meet. In some cases, he was more apt to call it conceit. In Craig’s instance, Sully leaned toward the latter descriptor.

  “Why’d you decide on Brinks to work with?” Sully asked. “There are a lot of companies out there that can do this sort of work, aren’t there?”

  “A significant number, yes. The destruction caused by the flood a few years back created an abundance of work, which led to an abundance of companies competing to do it. But as I’m sure you can appreciate, buying some heavy equipment and taking a few courses doesn’t make you good at development or construction. A job as large as this one requires skill and experience. I wanted the best, and Brinks is the best. Peter’s been doing this work for many years, and he has a solid reputation, just as my own com
pany has. We considered doing the work ourselves if we should have the successful bid on the land, but our board had a good look at the plans my engineers put together. If we want to complete the job within the time frame we’ve proposed to the government, we’ll need help. That’s why we’re planning to take on a partner in the work.”

  Sully leaned forward, aiming to appear interested while putting his phone closer to Craig. It seemed a good time to get into the details they’d learned from Dunsmore. “My colleagues met earlier today with Ray Dunsmore. He told them you and Peter Brinks weren’t always the best of friends. In fact, your companies once fought against each other for the same project you’re currently in the running for.”

  If Craig was surprised by this reveal, he didn’t show it. Then again, the ability to conceal emotion and thought was a skill quickly learned by the best businessmen, Sully had observed.

  “Yes, you’re correct,” he said. “Peter and I did once vie for the same work at Crystal Lake. Dunsmore Developments was in the running to purchase the land at the time, and it appeared as if they would be successful. Ray was wanting to take on a contractor for the levelling work, a company with experience on the sort of scale we’re again looking at here. At the time, only Brinks and my then-company were viable options.”

  “It must have become pretty competitive.”

  “It can, and I suppose it did. We were talking a lot of money. I was young and hungry for success. I knew we could do it, and I was eager to prove it to Ray.”

  “Eager enough to pay someone as a spy within Brinks Construction?”

  This time, Craig visibly bristled. He sat up a little straighter and folded his hands together atop the desk. His chin dipped a little while his lips pinched together. He eyed Sully through a glare. “I’m sorry? I don’t think I heard you correctly. I believe you just accused me of paying someone to spy on a competitor.”

  Sully maintained his posture. He was certain Craig—who possessed a booming voice to start with—couldn’t help but make himself heard on Forbes’s recording, yet he needed to make sure. “I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m only passing on what we’ve been told.”

  “And who told you that? Dunsmore? I know who you are, Mr. Gray. You, of all people, know Ray Dunsmore is not a man to be trusted. Nothing he says can be relied upon. Certainly, nothing he says can be counted as evidence of anything other than his own shattered ego. You know what they say about misery loving company. He’s the sort of man who would happily drag others down to the depths he allowed himself and his company to sink.”

  Sully watched Craig closely as he formed his next question. With Craig already clearly upset, this seemed the ideal moment. “Do you remember a man named Walter McCrory?”

  Sully took the fact Craig lost a shade of colour as affirmation, regardless of what he might say next.

  “Are you all right, sir?” Sully asked, for the benefit of the recording.

  “Of course, I’m all right. I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

  “That’s not the impression you gave a second ago. I could have sworn by your reaction you did know him.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  Sully opted to back off a little, to give the conversation some room to move. “You said you were vying for the same contract as Brinks was. Wouldn’t it be usual practice to learn all you could about a competitor? Walter worked for Peter Brinks at the time. Might be you dug into Brinks’s staffing, seeing what strengths and weaknesses he had. That wouldn’t be illegal, right? It would just be a smart business move.”

  “I recognize the name you mentioned, but nothing more. I believe he did work for Peter Brinks.”

  “He did,” Sully said. “And he eventually disappeared.”

  “Not before making himself a wanted man in a bank robbery.”

  Sully smiled. “So you did know who I was talking about.”

  Craig frowned. “I don’t know what you’re expecting from me, Mr. Gray, but I’m certain it’s not simply to discuss the proposed project at Crystal Lake. I’d appreciate it if you’d cut to the chase. As you said coming in here, I’m a busy man.”

  Busy and now very stressed, Sully thought to himself. “While this wasn’t what we initially came on board for, our investigation has come to include what happened to Walter McCrory. So, yes, I’m asking you what you knew about him. Specifically, I’m asking whether you’d been paying him to keep tabs on what Peter Brinks and his company were up to.”

  Craig’s nostrils flared as he blew a heavy breath through them. “Let me guess. Ray Dunsmore told you all of this. Well, let me return to something I already said. Nothing that man told you or your associates can be trusted. I did not pay anyone to spy on a competitor, and I very much resent the accusation. I will consider that to be my final answer on the subject, and I’ll ask you to show yourself out. Good day, Mr. Gray.”

  Sully stayed where he was for the moment. “I need you to be aware of something. Walter didn’t disappear solely of his own accord. We believe he was the victim of a homicide. Once we’re able to prove that, you’ll have a harder time avoiding questions from the police. You might be better off answering mine honestly right now. Did you or did you not pay Walter McCrory to turn over information to you about Peter Brinks?”

  Craig held Sully in a narrow-eyed stare. Time passed, perhaps as long as half a minute. Finally, Craig released a breath, this time through his mouth.

  A defeated sigh.

  “It’s not my proudest moment,” he said. “I was young and ambitious, and my actions sometimes bordered on the foolish. You’re correct I looked deeply into Brinks’s resources back then, to see what I might be able to exploit or use against them. One of the things I did was to headhunt some of his best people. I thought if I could draw some of his skilled labour my way, he’d be weakened significantly. Walter was a highly competent man, strong and smart. I offered him a job; he accepted.”

  “What was the job?”

  “It was to be working with me, helping with whatever levelling work needed doing. He was capable of handling most pieces of heavy equipment on a variety of terrains, and given the lay of the land at Crystal Lake, he would have made for a valuable asset. So, yes, I offered him a job at higher pay than he was receiving with Brinks. He accepted.”

  “Only he didn’t leave.”

  “As I said, I’m ashamed of some of the things I did at the time. He was required to give notice, and I asked him not to mention he’d got on with my company. While he rode out the rest of his term with Brinks, I said if he happened to learn anything helpful to me in my bid for the lake project, I’d …” Craig paused there, mouth moving slightly as if chewing through options. “… make it worth his while.”

  Sully shifted slightly in the chair. The damned thing was becoming unbearable to sit in, but he didn’t want to move and lose the sound. “And did he?”

  “A tidbit here and there. Nothing that would have been of much help to me. He wasn’t exactly in a position to get close to Peter Brinks. He wasn’t a company man. He was strictly crew. That said, he was respected, so I’d hoped McCrory might have occasion to hear things from people who were in the know.”

  “Which didn’t work out because of the whole robbery thing?”

  “I was as shocked as anyone. McCrory hadn’t seemed the type. Far from it. And you’re correct, he never did an official day’s work for me as he was still with Brinks when the whole thing happened. As I understand it, he took off. I never heard from him again.”

  Sully peered at Craig, wishing for not the first time his gift extended to mind-reading. “And you never wondered what happened to him? Where he ended up?”

  “Sure, I wondered. For a while, anyway. But I decided he didn’t want to be found—for obvious reasons. I had a lot on my mind at the time, as it happened. No doubt if Dunsmore told you all of this, he told you about the falling out I had with my then-partner. I left to start my own company. It was a very stressful time for me, and McCrory didn’t factor
into things anymore as far as I was concerned.”

  Sully leaned slightly farther forward. “Seems to me you stood to lose should word of your deal with Walter be made public. Even if it didn’t go so far as to land you in criminal trouble, it would have been bad for you in the business sense. It would have been hard to get people to trust you again, wouldn’t it?”

  “You’re suggesting I had motive to kill him. I’m going to say this once, Mr. Gray, as I don’t intend to justify your ridiculous accusations with anything more. I didn’t kill McCrory—if, in fact, he is dead—and I don’t know who would have.”

  The conversation with Craig concluded, Sully returned to Forbes a few minutes later.

  “You get all that?” he asked as he dropped into the passenger seat.

  Forbes pressed a button, rewinding the recording, then tapped another button to play. He’d been using headphones in the jack to monitor, so Sully had to rely on Forbes’s nod and subsequent verbal response to affirm. “I’ve got it—such as it is. Didn’t exactly admit to murder.”

  “No, but he acknowledged what could amount to motive.”

  “One problem,” Forbes said. “He’s also given a motive to Peter Brinks.” He reached over and tapped Sully’s pocket containing his cellphone. “Maybe we should give Dez and Lachlan a call, huh?”

  21

  Dez’s phone buzzed in his pocket, but given he was using the thing to surreptitiously record the conversation with Brinks, answering it wasn’t currently possible.

  He spared a quick thought, hoping everything was going all right with Sully and Forbes, before returning attention to the interview.

  Brinks being in the midst of a job, they’d come down to the site to talk to him, meeting inside the trailer he was using as an office.

  As usual, Lachlan had commanded the most airtime, leaving Dez sitting like a mute bodyguard. Though he’d managed a question here and there, Lachlan promptly overtook things. For the most part, Dez was content to leave well enough alone. If there were secrets or sins to ferret out, Lachlan would find them.