by Dee Davis
"But he did help with the negotiations," Gabriel urged.
"Sometimes, when his head was clear." Mr. McGee shrugged. "But I think Cullen did the bulk of the work himself."
"And didn't claim responsibility? That doesn't sound like Cullen."
"I can't tell you more than that," Mr. McGee said. "I've never been high on Cullen's need-to-know list. All I can say is that my son was in no condition to offer anyone advice about anything."
"He was just trying to help Anderson, Thomas, you know that." Mrs. McGee's eyes were pleading now.
"He was using Andy. I've no idea what kind of game he was playing, but you can bet it had a bottom line. Cullen doesn't do anything unless there's something in it for him. And now thanks to his meddling, my son is dead. As far as I'm concerned, Cullen Pulaski is as responsible for my son's death as the man who killed him."
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
"I THINK I MAY HAVE FOUND something interesting." Harrison greeted Gabe and Madison as they walked through the door to the operations room, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.
After the strange conversation with the McGees, Gabe welcomed anything that could remotely be considered a step forward. Following Madison, he crossed to the conference table where Payton and Harrison had spread out what looked to be half the paper in the free world. Despite an overall chaotic effect, stacks, piles and fans of the stuff indicated there was at least some degree of order.
"We've pulled all the information we could come up with on the nine victims. And then grouped it according to category. Duplicating as necessary." Harrison swung out an arm indicating the paper-laden table.
"It looks like a junk pile." Madison laughed. "I'm surprised you can find anything at all."
Harrison laughed, too, the easy camaraderie between the two of them sending shards of jealousy piercing through Gabe. He frowned at himself, surprised at the depth of his feelings. They'd both made it absolutely plain that there was nothing going on between the two of them, and even if they hadn't denied it, last night should have made it abundantly clear. Apparently though, his psyche hadn't gotten the memo.
"Actually there's a lot. Most of it we already touched on. Schools, background, that sort of thing." He moved over to the far side of the table. "This is where we've started grouping data based on the victims' fathers. And interestingly enough, these fellows have a lot more in common than their children."
"What do you mean?" Gabe asked, coming around to stand by Harrison.
"Almost all of them served on the board of directors of a company called Vrycom," Payton said.
"Never heard of it." Gabe pulled out a chair and sat down, frowning up at his friend.
"I have," Madison said. "They were an acquisitions firm, right? In the '80s?"
"Yeah." Harrison shot her a look of surprise. "How did you know that?"
"Because they approached my dad about serving on the board. He turned them down. No idea why, but I remember because a couple of years later they ran into SEC problems."
"Exactly." Payton looked impressed. "There were allegations of collusion. Vrycom existed only on paper. And its sole purpose for existence was for leveraged buyouts. A down-and-dirty way to deal with the competition, if the allegations were true."
"Were formal charges ever brought?" Gabe tried to fit this new information alongside the evidence of nine murders.
"No." Harrison shook his head. "The company disbanded before anything official could happen, and the SEC dropped it. I guess they thought pulling the plug on the organization was enough."
"Any civil actions?" Madison asked, chewing on her lower lip, a sure sign that she'd gone into overdrive thinking.
"We're working on that now." Payton waved at another pile of papers. "So far we've only come up with one. A company called Bluemax. The suit was apparently dropped before it went to trial."
"Maybe it had something to do with the SEC investigation?" Gabe leaned forward picking up a prospectus on Bluemax.
"I don't think so," Payton said. "The suit predated the SEC's interest by about two years."
Gabriel flipped through the prospectus, noting that Bluemax was a start-up. "So who else served on the board?"
"Now there's the interesting twist," Harrison said. "Eight of nine of the vics' fathers served on the board of Vrycom."
"I'm guessing the exception was Jeremy Bosner." Madison's frown was speculative, as she considered the new evidence.
"You'd be guessing right," Payton said. "There's no indication that his company was involved at all. Although he certainly ran in the same circles. But that's not the most interesting part." He leaned forward, lowering his voice to a whisper, and a shiver ran up Gabe's spine, the prospectus from Bluemax sliding out of his fingers. "There was one other board member. In fact, he served as chairman."
Realization dawned as the puzzle pieces rearranged themselves in a new pattern. "Cullen Pulaski," Gabe muttered.
"You're an apt pupil," Harrison said, obviously pleased. "It's an interesting fit, too, because Cullen is younger than the others by something like ten years. Basically the generation between the victims and their fathers."
"That one I can actually explain," Madison said with a wan smile. "Cullen was a wunderkind. A whiz at mathematics, he was a natural for the computer, and quickly morphed that into taking advantage of the technological revolution. Bill Gates with an industrial slant. He made his first million before he was thirty."
"So he was far more of a player than his age would suggest," Gabe said.
Madison nodded. "Put it this way, the big boys of the day would have fallen all over themselves for a piece of his action."
"Even if it involved collusion," Harrison concluded. "Unfortunately, that's as far as we've been able to take it. We were just beginning to read the SEC documents when you all walked in. So far there's not any kind of link between Vrycom and the Chinese or the consortium, other than a few repeat players."
"Namely Cullen." Madison's forehead was furrowed with worry.
"You've got to admit his name keeps coming up at very inopportune times," Gabe said, his gaze meeting hers.
She chewed her lower lip. "You're talking about the McGees."
"Among other things."
"What about the McGees?" Harrison asked, straddling a chair at the end of the table.
Madison blew out a long breath and ran her hand through her hair, the gesture reflecting just how tired she ready was. "According to Anderson McGee's father, any involvement he had in the accord was a ruse."
"Anderson was a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, and from what we could tell, most likely not capable of providing the degree of support he is supposed to have been giving the negotiations."
"But he's an expert in Chinese custom, right?" Harrison asked, frowning.
"Was," Gabe said, still watching Madison. "He evidently came home from China a sick man. That's when he moved out to Connecticut. And according to his father, even on his best days there was no chance he was operating at the level necessary to provide support to the negotiations."
"So it was a scam."
"We don't know that." Madison's voice was quiet, but firm. "What we do know is that whatever arrangements were made, Anderson wasn't doing the work he was credited with."
"So who was doing it?" Payton put down the paper he'd been reading, curiosity at war with speculation.
"Cullen." The name hung in the air, taking on a life of its own, and Gabe suddenly felt as tired as Madison looked.
"So we've got a lot of odd incidences without seeming connection or motive," Harrison said. "First we have a paper company with SEC problems that took over vulnerable companies in the '80s. And Cullen was chairman of the board. Which would have been just about the time his empire was taking off. Then we have the consortium. Again with Cullen as a major player. And ultimately the chairman of its board."
"And the accord—" Payton took up the story "—apparently with Cullen as one of the two or three who masterminded the origina
l idea."
"But from the get-go there are problems. And people start dying," Gabe added, his mind moving over the facts, trying to put them into some kind of coherent order. "But no one knows it. Or at least recognizes it as murder."
"Except Cullen." This time it was Madison who hammered the nail home. "He knew something was wrong."
"But apparently not before he had the opportunity to tamper with evidence and persuade survivors against autopsy. And enlist a mentally unstable man to handle crucial portions of said negotiations." This from Payton, who had moved to stand by the window, twirling a pen between his fingers. "Eventually however, he begins to see signs of something amiss and calls you in."
"And Madison," Gabe added.
"But why?" Madison asked. "I don't see how any of this fits together. We have no connection between Vrycom and the Chinese negotiations. In fact, it was no longer in existence when the first idea for an accord was discussed. There could be any number of reasons to explain any of the things we've mentioned here. All of them perfectly innocent. Cullen is a major player across the board. There are probably hundreds of ways he connects with all of the people involved. Six degrees of separation and all that."
"And you don't believe a word of that."
She blew out another breath, her sigh audible. "No. I guess I don't. But I'll be damned if I understand how it all fits together."
Gabe shrugged. "There's only one way to find out for certain."
"I know." She tipped back her head, tears shimmering in her eyes. "We've got to talk to Cullen."
*****
MADISON DIDN'T WANT TO believe anything she was hearing. Didn't want to think about Cullen involved in anything as nefarious as murder. But there were questions here that couldn't be answered easily, and the only way she knew to deal with the matter was to tackle it head-on.
They'd spent the past half hour putting facts together, preparing for what they hoped was a cogent attack. One Cullen would have to answer truthfully. All that remained was to face the man.
Her godfather.
Some part of her refused to accept that there was any possibility of wrongdoing on Cullen's part, but she also knew that at his level of business it was kill or be killed, and that often meant tough tactics. But surely not murder?
The truth was, there was no motive. It made no sense for Cullen to try and ruin the accord. And the SEC violation at Vrycom was just part and parcel of doing business. She wasn't her father's daughter for nothing, and it was a ruthless world out there. Hadn't Nigel just proved that very fact?
"Maybe you should let me handle this." Gabriel's voice was warm and concerned, and Madison suppressed the irritation that flashed through her.
"I'll be fine. If there's a connection somewhere in all of this, we need to find it, and Cullen appears to be the link."
"But you're not willing to go as far as admitting he might be the problem." His eyebrow lifted in question, the gesture, as always, adding a hint of the devil to his expression. Madison might love him, but she sure as hell didn't know him. And the two facts ought to be mutually exclusive.
But of course they weren't.
And a part of her did know him.
Just like she knew Cullen, the little voice in her head whispered. It was almost as if the world had turned topsy-turvy, someone she trusted suddenly suspect, and someone she'd never thought to trust, her lover.
But then, she overanalyzed everything. It was a part of the job that she took home with her all too often. Surely there was a point where faith had to come into play? She trusted her instincts every day when it came to profiling. So why not now?
Why couldn't she trust her instincts where Cullen was concerned? Or Gabriel?
She felt his hands on her shoulders, and looked up to meet the icy intensity of his gaze. She wanted to trust him, to believe they had a future, but suddenly it was all too much. More than she could handle, her fear taking hold and digging into the dark recesses of her mind.
He leaned down to kiss her, his lips warm as they moved against hers, taking possession. Possession. Her heart hammered, and she felt faint. Part of her wanted to pull him closer, to throw propriety to the wind, but she couldn't. Not when the other part of her kept singing the word possession.
She didn't want to belong to anyone.
Ever.
She'd been there and done that. Playing the role of little woman wasn't what she was cut out for. Better to be alone.
With a little cry she pushed him away, ignoring the flash of hurt in his eyes, and Payton and Harrison's astonishment. She simply wasn't ready. What had felt right in the dark of the night felt wrong here in the light of day.
She swallowed hard, avoiding his gaze. "You ready?" She pasted on her most winning smile, her emotions still reeling, her thoughts tangled together in a mess of present and past and impossible future.
"Sure." The word was clipped, and he might as well have stabbed her, considering the pain. But even as she had the thought, she knew she'd brought it on herself. It was her fears that were threatening the best thing that had ever happened to her.
Her fears alone.
"Madison?" Payton's voice was hesitant, more timid than she'd have thought possible with him.
She turned to face him, knowing her face was red and that her feelings were transparent across her face. But all she saw reflected in his green eyes was concern. "I just got a call from your father."
Great. All she needed now was another male in her life trying to tell her what to do. "What did he want?"
Payton's glance took in Gabriel standing at her elbow and the tension radiating between the two of them, and he actually took a step back. Not a bad idea, actually, as she'd always found it better to avoid a battle zone. "He wants to meet you at your apartment."
Gabriel mumbled something and moved away, the lack of physical presence making Madison's heart shrivel. "Did he say why?"
"Yeah," Payton said. "Something to do with Cullen. He said it was really important."
That got her attention. A welcome relief against her surging emotions. Maybe her father had something to tell her that would help clear things up. Exonerate Cullen.
"I'll go with you." Gabriel had returned to her elbow, but his voice was all business now.
"He said alone." Payton looked apologetically at his friend.
"Fine," Gabriel barked. "You go talk to your father, and I'll tackle Cullen. Then we'll all meet back here and see where we stand."
He turned to go, and Madison reached out to stop him, then dropped her hand. What was the use? By the harsh light of day she could see clearly that there was no future for them. Their paths would always take them in different directions.
"Sometimes you have to grab what you want no matter how ridiculous the notion may seem." Payton's voice was soft, his words meant only for her ears. "He's a proud man, Madison. It took a lot for him to show his feelings here in front of us. If it matters at all, I've never seen him care about someone like this. He's finding his way, too. Don't shut him out unless you're sure that's what you want."
She nodded, not willing to look at him, certain she'd fall apart if she did. Instead, she hurried through the door, praying that Gabriel would still be in the hallway, that she'd have the chance to make it right. But it was too late. Gabriel was gone.
CHAPTER THIRTY
GABE SAT in the vestibule of Cullen's office, trying not to dwell on what had just happened. For all practical purposes, Madison had rejected him. Or run scared, the voice in his head insisted loyally.
Either way, she'd disengaged, and done it in a very public kind of way. His heart twisted at the memory, his stomach churning. Women were unpredictable, that was for certain. But he'd thought there was more between them. That they'd decided to at least give a relationship a try.
But then what the hell did he know about relationships? He'd spent his entire life alone. On purpose. And here he was trying to preserve a connection with another human being. Not exactly something he had
experience with. Maybe he'd made a mistake. Read more into it than was really there.
He replayed their conversations in his mind, trying to find his error, to understand why he could have thought there was more to it than there obviously was. He sighed, knowing there wasn't an easy answer, wishing there was a way to quell the uneasiness in his heart.
He wanted her. Hell, he loved her. But it took two to tango. Still, she'd said she loved him, too. So what the hell was the withdrawal all about? He wasn't certain. It was all too new. But he did know one thing, he'd be damned if he would let her run away.
She was too important. They were too important.
He was halfway out of the chair when the door opened and Cullen beckoned him in. He pushed his thoughts about Madison away; he'd have to deal with it later. Right now he needed to handle business, and judging by the somber expression on Cullen's face, he knew what was coming.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Cullen gestured toward the chair in front of his desk, choosing the adjacent chair for himself, rather than keeping the desk between them. It was a move calculated to make the conversation more intimate.
Gabe suspected Cullen might soon prefer the barrier of the desk. "We've uncovered some new evidence."
"Something to do with Anderson McGee." It was a statement, not a question. "You found out he wasn't actually taking part in the negotiations."
"According to his father he wasn't capable of reading the paperwork, let alone negotiation." Gabe watched Cullen, looking for something to give away his thoughts, but the man hadn't gotten where he was by wearing his emotions on his sleeve.
"He wasn't." Cullen shook his head and sighed. "But he did have moments of lucidity. And memories. He knew what he'd been. Can you imagine what that must be like? To know that you were once capable of greatness, only to wind up losing it all to a chemical fluke in your brain."
"It still doesn't explain his part in the accord."
"He didn't have one." Cullen sighed, absently twining a loose upholstery thread around his finger. "It was a ruse. Just as you suspected. But not for any sinister reason. We were all in on it. Bing, Jeremy, Kingston and I. It gave Andy purpose. Helped him to get up each day."