“So I guess Mom won’t find out unless I tell her.”
“Are you going to?”
“I haven’t decided, yet,” Theo had replied as he turned off the TV. He’d smiled ruefully at Ric. “When I do, you’ll be the first to know.”
Now, as he crossed to give Donna a hug, he asked, “How was your day?”
“Busy,” she said. “We have a new client who wants us to plan what her guests will do at her destination wedding in Punta Cana. Then the Thompsons added two more couples to their group, which meant I had to finagle the hotel into finding rooms for them close to everyone else.” She rolled her eyes. “The things I do to keep people happy.”
“Stop bitching. You love it.”
“I do, but come on…”
“Mom…” He gave her another hug before going to his desk to start the day.
* * * *
Ric left the hospital feeling much better about Ethan, who had assured him that he was on the mend and would be released soon.
“Into my care,” Susan had stated.
“Meaning I won’t be working until she says I can.” Ethan winked at his wife. “Or until I override her.”
Susan chuckled. “Lots of luck on that.”
“The things I do to keep her happy,” Ethan grumbled, although his expression said he didn’t mind one bit.
Ric had barely pulled out of the lot when his phone rang. It was Detective Kane, asking if he could spare a few minutes to come down to the precinct. Ric had the feeling saying ‘no’ would gain him nothing, so he told Kane he’d be there shortly. “Is Theo coming, too?” he asked.
“No. Yes, this concerns him, but my lieutenant wants to run everything by you, first. He’s afraid, given what Theo went through last night, he might react badly.”
“I doubt it,” Ric said. “He’s stronger than you probably think. I’m not going to argue, though. I’ll see you in ten.”
Kane was waiting for him when he walked in. He glanced at his watch, said “Eleven minutes, but who’s counting,” and then they went upstairs. Ric expected they’d be sitting at Kane’s desk. Instead, they went into Lt. Archer’s office.
Once they were settled, the lieutenant said without preamble, “His real name is Harrison Chadwick. His father is Franklin Chadwick.” He looked at Ric as if he should know the name—which he didn’t, and said so. “Franklin Chadwick is a tycoon with investments in several large companies. The best analogy would be, he’s a second-rate Warren Buffet, but without the philanthropic bent. Franklin’s father was a billionaire who apparently was disgusted with his son and grandson, so he left everything to his first-born great-grandson. The problem is, he died before he knew he had one.”
“How do you know all this?” Ric asked.
“From a source within the Securities and Exchange Commission. As soon as I learned who Harrison Chadwick’s father was, I contacted my man there. He’s pulling together more information for me, but what I told you is the basics. Franklin Chadwick is a cutthroat businessman who has caught SEC’s interest several times in the past. Harrison had followed in his father’s footsteps, to a lesser degree.”
“If those were the terms of his grandfather’s will, why didn’t Harrison get married and have a child of his own?”
“The details of the will weren’t revealed until after the old man’s death,” Lt. Archer replied. “By that time, Lilliana had gotten pregnant and then disappeared before Theo was born. At the moment we have no idea why she did that. Hopefully we’ll find out when we talk with her father.”
“Since she didn’t know the terms of the will, it couldn’t have had to do with keeping Theo safe,” Ric said.
“Agreed,” the lieutenant replied. “However, her putting him up for adoption might have, if somehow she learned about her grandfather’s death, and his will, soon after Theo was born. If that’s the case, she must have known her family would do anything to keep Theo from inheriting, including eliminating him, and possibly her as well.”
“I can’t imagine what it must have been like, living in a family where you’d fear for your life because they were so greedy, or evil, or who knows what. I’m not surprised that she vanished when she learned she was pregnant. I have a feeling that would have upset her father even before he found out about the will. Something I’ll ask her, if I ever find her,” Ric said with a wry smile.
“Have you been able to get in contact with Franklin Chadwick, yet?” Kane asked.
Lt. Archer shook his head. “He hasn’t answered his phone, or the emails I sent him to the addresses my source at the SEC gave me. When I reached his office, his secretary said he wasn’t there, which from what she implied wasn’t that unusual for him.”
“If he’s heard about Harrison’s death,” Ric said, “he could be on his way out here to claim the body.”
“If so, he’s using his private jet, and didn’t file a flight plan. Trust me, I checked. Right now I’m waiting for the Chicago police to call. I asked them to send someone to his home; on the off chance he was purposely avoiding my calls.”
“It’s…” Ric checked the time. “It’s ten in Chicago. Shouldn’t you have heard by now?”
“I only got in touch with them twenty minutes ago,” the lieutenant told him.
“So we sit and wait.”
“No. You go back to what you’re doing, which I presume is running the agency since Mr. Moore is still out of commission,” Lt. Archer replied. “Detective Kane and I have other things on our plates. When I hear back, I’ll let you know.”
Ric took that as a dismissal, stood, and left the office—and the precinct a couple of minutes later.
As he walked to his car, he called Theo. “When do you get a break for lunch?” he asked.
“Around one, when Mom gets back. Why?”
“Want to meet me somewhere close to you?”
“Of course. There’s a decent place two doors down.”
“Good. I’ll see you at one.”
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?” Theo asked.
“I miss your smiling face,” Ric replied, which was partly true, because he did. Not that he’s had much to smile about in the last couple of days. Maybe from now on he will.
Theo laughed. “I’ll take that with a grain of salt, and still meet you.”
* * * *
Because his mother ran late, Theo didn’t get away for lunch until one-fifteen. When he entered the restaurant, he looked around, certain Ric had given up on him by now. He was relieved when he spotted him at a table in the corner, set off from most of the others.
“You made it,” Ric said with a smile.
“I said I would.” Theo pulled out the chair catty-corner from Ric, sat, and cocked his head in question. “So?”
“Later, after we’ve ordered,” Ric replied.
“You’re trying to make me crazy, aren’t you?”
“Make you?” Ric winked.
“Okay, smartass.”
Ric grinned. “It got you smiling.”
“Which I won’t be, once you tell me why we’re here, right?”
“Wrong, I hope. Well, maybe you won’t smile-smile, but I think you’ll be interested in what the good lieutenant found out.” Ric waggled a finger. “Don’t ask. First we eat.”
Theo sighed, knowing he’d get nowhere if he tried to cajole Ric into opening up. They ordered when the waitress appeared, then Ric told him about his visit with Ethan while they drank their coffee and waited for their meals to arrive.
They were halfway through them when Theo said, “If you don’t tell me now, it’ll have to wait until this evening because I need to get back to work, soon.”
“All right.” Ric ran through everything Lt. Archer had found out.
Theo was appalled by what Ric told him. “I wonder if my grandfather knew what Harrison was planning to do.”
“My guess would be, he not only knew, he encouraged it. From what the lieutenant found out, he has no morals, and you better believe he ma
de certain Harrison didn’t, either. At least when it came to anything financial.”
“Poor Lilliana,” Theo said softly.
“I agree. I’m sure her father kept a tight rein on her, or tried to. Obviously he failed because she managed to get out from under his thumb long enough to meet someone and get pregnant.” Ric spread his hands, adding, “This is all conjecture, but I bet I’m right.”
“It makes sense. If you find her, ask.”
“Or you can,” Ric replied.
“I…” Theo worried his lip between his teeth. “I don’t think I want to meet her.”
“What?” Ric cocked his head in question at Theo’s unexpected declaration.
“I don’t. You see, when it comes down to it, she’s not my mother. Not really. I have a real one who devoted her life to making certain I became a decent human being. She loves me and shows me she does in every way possible. So did my dad. They were my real parents. I’m sure, for whatever reason, Lilliana did what she thought was best when she gave me up—and I honor that—but I’m not going to suddenly reappear in her life.” Theo shook his head. “She has a new life now, whoever she became. I hope it’s a happy one and I won’t ruin it for her.”
Ric took Theo’s hands in his, looking into his eyes as he said, “You’re a good man, and sure some of that is due to your parents. But mostly, it’s because you couldn’t be anything else, in my opinion. It’s not in you.”
Theo felt his face flush with embarrassment. “I just a normal guy.”
“Well, the world would be a lot better off if everyone was like you,” Ric replied adamantly before leaning in to kiss him quickly. “And do not argue.”
“But…”
“I mean it. Don’t.” Ric brushed his lips over Theo’s one more time. Then, obviously to change the subject before Theo turned an even darker shade of red, he asked, “Do you want me to keep looking for her?”
“No. I suppose the police might find her, as part of their investigation. If they do, I hope they have sense enough not to tell her father. Hell, I hope they don’t tell him where to find me. Like you said, if he was behind what my uncle was doing, he might decide to come after me himself, or hire someone to take me out.”
“I’m sure they won’t tell him. They, it must have been Kane or Lt. Archer, made certain your name and your building didn’t appear on the news.”
“But Harrison might have told him,” Theo replied.
“Hopefully the police will find out when they finally talk with him, and make it damned clear that he’d better not try anything because the finger would point right at him if he did.”
Theo smiled weakly. “Maybe I should talk to whoever’s handling my great-grandfather’s will and tell them I’m not interested in his money. That way there’s no reason for Franklin to come after me.”
“You’d give up inheriting a fortune?”
With a grin, Theo replied, “Sure. That way I know you’re interested in me for me, not my millions.”
Ric clutched his hand to his chest. “You wound me to the quick.”
“Uh-huh. Right.” He kissed Ric, whispering against his lips. “By the way, what the hell is a ‘quick’?”
“Got me,” Ric said. “I’ll have to look it up. Right now, however, you’d better get back to work before your mom sends out a search party.”
“No shit.” Theo flagged down the waitress, they paid her, and then left the restaurant.
As they walked back to the travel agency, Ric asked, “Are you going to tell your mom?”
“Damn. I don’t know. I guess I’ll figure it out, but not right this moment.” He hugged Ric when they were in front of the building. “And I’ll definitely let you know when I decide.”
Ric nodded, then asked, “Dinner tonight?”
“Umm, sure. Your place or mine?”
“Well now, Mr. Speer, are you propositioning me in your own subtle way?”
“Nothing subtle about it,” Theo retorted. “We said we’d move on, or up, or whatever, when all this was over. As far as I’m concerned, that would be tonight.”
“You’re on, and my place. It’s bigger, and so is my bed.”
Theo laughed. “And bigger is better. Besides—” he sighed, “—there won’t be bloodstains. God, I have to call someone to deal with all that.”
Ric took out his phone, went through his contact list, and gave him the name and number of the clean-up company he recommended, which Theo entered into his phone. “They’re good, and fast.”
“Thanks.” He wrapped his arms around Ric and they kissed for a long moment. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“I’ll be there, waiting.”
“Better be,” Theo replied with a grin as he opened the entrance door. “If not, I’ll hunt you down.”
“You would, too.”
“You know it.”
Chapter 11
When Ric walked into the waiting room at the agency, after his lunch with Theo, Ms. Lane stopped him and said, “A Detective Kane called. He wants you to call him right back. It sounded serious.”
Now what? Please let it be good news, like the police in Chicago talked to Franklin Chadwick and put the fear of God into him.
As soon as he was in his office, he called Kane. After identifying himself, he said, “Tell me Theo’s grandfather has been warned off getting in contact with him in any way.”
“Nope. That can’t happen,” Kane replied. “Mr. Chadwick is dead.”
“Fuck. You’re sure? How? Heart attack? Not that he had a heart, but…”
“He was murdered, although the killer tried to make it look like he drowned after an accidental fall in the bathtub.”
“No shit?”
Kane chuckled. “No shit. The coroner estimates the time of death as sometime late morning or early afternoon on Saturday.”
“Then why wasn’t his body found before today?”
“According to his secretary, he emailed her Saturday night to let her know there was a business emergency and he’d be leaving town Sunday morning to handle it, although obviously he wasn’t the one who sent it. She wasn’t terribly surprised, as it had happened several times in the past, according to her.”
“How did they figure out it wasn’t an accident? Wait, let me guess, no water in his lungs.”
“Got it in one,” Kane replied. “There was a dent in the back of his skull, as if he’d hit it on the spout when he fell, and then slipped under the water. There were even traces of blood in the water. But as you said, there was no water in his lungs and the coroner says the amount of blood was minimal, which is inconsistent with the blow happening in the tub.”
“So he was attacked somewhere else in the house and then put into the tub. Have they figured out where?”
“Not that they’ve let me know, yet, but it’s only the beginning of the investigation.”
“You know Harrison did it, and then came out here after sending the threatening email. He figured we’d lead him to Theo, at which point he could take him out, too. With both of them dead, he stood to inherit everything.”
“That would be my guess,” Kane agreed. “Proving it might be another thing, with him dead, too.”
“Does proving it really matter at this point?”
Kane snorted. “We’re cops, so yes it does. But that’s us. We like tying a murder up in a fancy bow before we shelve it.”
“Interesting analogy,” Ric replied with a laugh.
“But the truth, no matter how I phrase it. All right, I have other things I need to take care of. I just thought you’d like an update.”
“Thanks. Any problem if I tell Theo and Ethan?”
“Not at all.” With that, Kane hung up.
* * * *
“He wasn’t the smartest killer to come down the pike,” Ethan commented after Ric filled him in on the latest developments. “Even an amateur knows drowning means there’d be water in the lungs, and he should have checked to be certain I was dead before he left my office.”<
br />
“In his father’s case,” Ric replied, “he might have acted on impulse and then realized he’d be the prime suspect, so he tried to cover his tracks.”
“I’d have made it look like he fell down a flight of stairs,” Susan put in. “But then that’s me. I’ve been married to Ethan for so long I’ve learned all the tricks.”
Ethan shot her an amused look. “Should I watch my back, the next time we have an argument?”
“I don’t think you can turn your head enough to see your back,” she replied without blinking an eye.
Ric groaned. “On that note, I’m getting out of here. Oh, wait, one more thing. Have they given you a release date, Ethan?”
“Tomorrow, thank goodness. I’m over green Jell-O.”
Susan shook her head. “The food here is better than what I make at home.”
“But then she never was the best of cooks,” Ethan said, rating him a light swat on the shoulder from his wife.
Ric laughed, glad to see that Ethan seemed to be well on the way back to his normal self, and then left. He debated calling Theo to let him know about Franklin Chadwick, then decided he’d be seeing him in a couple of hours and could tell him then.
* * * *
“I called the cleaning company,” Theo announced as soon as Ric let him into the house. “They said they could start to work first thing in the morning, so I’ll be out of your hair.”
“But I like you in my hair,” Ric retorted before giving him a welcoming kiss, which Theo returned enthusiastically. When it ended, Ric said, “I’ve got some news.”
“Good or bad,” Theo asked with a worried frown.
“Depends on your point of view. If you were Franklin Chadwick, it would be very bad. He’s dead, murdered, probably by Harrison.”
Theo sucked in a breath as he sank down on the sofa. “Not that I wanted to get to know him, but damn.”
Ric joined him and relayed everything Detective Kane had told him.
When he finished, Theo nodded, and then asked the first thing that came to mind. “What about a funeral? Who’ll arrange that, for both of them?”
“If he was smart, and I’m presuming he was, Franklin undoubtedly left instructions in his will, and with his lawyers. I don’t know enough about Harrison to speculate one way or the other, but I’m sure he wasn’t hurting, monetarily. Unless he was stupid, he’s got a will, too.”
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