CHAPTER 28
Abby glanced outside for the fifth time in the past half hour. No sign of either her mother or Jada. Turning away from the window, she paced the short distance across the living room and back again. Tripp sat sprawled on the sofa, watching her with a slight smile on his face. “They’ll get here, Abby. Sit down before you wear a hole through the rug.”
She shot him an angry look, but she gave up and did as he suggested. “Why are you so relaxed? You’re usually the one who goes all protective and prowly when something is going on.”
Now he looked mildly insulted. “First of all, I’m pretty sure ‘prowly’ isn’t even a word. But to answer your question, after twenty years in the army, I learned to appreciate the calm before the storm. There’ll be plenty of time to rev up the engines once we know what’s going on.”
Then he closed his eyes as if preparing to take a nap. It was tempting to toss a handy book at his head, but she aborted the mission at the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. A second one followed almost immediately afterward.
“They’re here, Tripp.”
Just that quickly, he was on his feet, alert and ready for action. “Where do you want to hold this briefing? Here or the kitchen?”
Either would work. “Let’s use the kitchen. Right now, I want to be as close to the coffeepot as possible.”
Not to mention the cookies. It wasn’t smart to binge on sugar in times of stress, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Earlier, before she and Tripp had adjourned to the living room, she’d put together a tray of cheese, crackers, and fresh fruit. She’d left it up to Tripp to decide which kinds of cookies to dump on a second one. His efforts weren’t exactly artistic, but no one would go hungry.
She led the charge down the hall to the kitchen just as her mom and Owen filed in the back door a few seconds ahead of Jada. When no one said anything, Abby automatically went into hostess mode. “Have a seat and help yourself to a snack if you’re hungry. There’s fresh coffee, pop, iced tea, and wine to drink.”
She offered up a small smile. “Depending on how this impromptu meeting goes, I can also break out the hard stuff if it would help.”
No one laughed, but at least everyone took a seat and helped themselves to the goodies. As she passed a plate of lemon bars to her mother, she kept a worried eye on Jada, who looked pretty shaky. That was understandable after dealing with her godfather. What was of more concern was the way she avoided making eye contact with anyone at the table. Maybe all she needed was a little time to come to terms with the knowledge her father had been involved in something shady that was possibly—even likely—criminal.
When it appeared everyone had what they needed, Abby jumpstarted the conversation. “Jada, would you like to tell Owen and Mom about your encounter with Will Swahn today, or should I do the honors?”
Jada had been staring down at her plate as if a few pieces of cheese and fruit were the most fascinating things in the world. She slowly looked around the table as she drew a deep breath. “I took my car in this morning to get the window replaced. It was broken out in the university parking lot yesterday.” She paused to look at Owen. “The campus police don’t know who vandalized five different cars. I can’t say for sure if my car was the real target, but I suspect it was. My godfather is desperate to find a ledger he claims my father used to keep track of some money. Uncle Will called it ‘combat pay,’ but we all know that’s not what it was.”
Once again, Phoebe showed her capacity for empathy. “Jada, don’t let what your father did or didn’t do during the war affect how you feel about him. He was your father, and judging by how you’ve turned out, a good one. Remember that about him and let the rest go.”
Abby smiled at her mother. “Well said, Mom.”
Jada managed a slight nod as she filled everyone in on the conversation she’d had with Will in the glass shop parking lot. “While he denied murdering Mitch Anders, I’m real sure he threatened me if I don’t find the ledger and turn it over to him.”
Tripp spoke up for the first time. “I have a question, Jada. Why aren’t we involving Gage in this conversation?”
Good question, but Abby suspected the answer was that bringing the police into the conversation would make Don Davidson’s shady dealings all too real. His daughter was torn between the need to protect his reputation and the threat presented by Will Swahn. Before Jada responded, Owen joined in the conversation. “What can you tell us about this ledger or where your father might’ve kept it? That is, if it even exists.”
“Oh, it exists all right.” Jada reached for her backpack and pulled out a manila envelope. “I got this out of Dad’s safety deposit box today. I originally ran across it when I went through the box a few days after he died, when I was looking for his will. He’d taped a note to the front cover that said if something ever happened to him, I should ask Uncle Will to explain it. At that time, I was barely functioning, so I just put it back to deal with later. I’d almost forgotten about it until Uncle Will told me what I should be looking for.”
She pulled a faded blue book out of the envelope. It was less than half an inch thick and had the word “ledger” embossed on the cover. “I didn’t ask you to call Chief Logan because I was considering giving this to my attorney and letting him decide the best way to proceed. There’s no way to prove that Mitch Anders ever realized what was written on my dad’s picture, so we don’t know if his death was connected to the ledger or the money that both Uncle Will and his wife have been talking about.”
All of that made sense, at least on the surface. Abby suspected that everyone sitting at the table wanted to get a glimpse at what was written inside the ledger, but Jada held it in a death grip. The ensuing silence grew more awkward by the second. Finally, Owen spoke again. “I’d like to tell you those things aren’t related, but they almost have to be.”
She finally passed the book over to Owen. “I haven’t had much time to study its contents, but none of it makes sense. We need to use the key from the message on the picture to figure out the code Dad was using.”
Owen flipped through several pages, stopping every so often to study the neat rows of numbers on the pages. “I could probably crack the code if we had more time. But with Will pushing so hard to get his hands on this, that’s not going to happen.”
He handed it over to Tripp, who gave it a cursory look before passing it to Abby. They were right. Without the key, the mix of numbers and symbols was pretty much gibberish. She returned it to Jada. “So, what do we do now? Your godfather presents a real threat to you. All things considered, I think he most likely stole the picture from your house and probably broke into your car as well. He clearly considered Mitch Anders a real threat to his plans to make a run for it. He’s desperate and getting more so by the moment.”
Jada studied the cover of the book. “If we give this to Uncle Will, maybe he’ll disappear for good, and my life can go back to normal.”
That was possible, but Abby had her doubts. Besides, Gage already knew about the money. If Will managed to abscond with the rest of the cash, would that leave Jada on the hook for all of it? She had no idea what the legal ramifications were. As important as that might be, right now ensuring Jada’s safety had to take precedence. It was time for some hard truths.
“Maybe there’s a chance it would play out that way, Jada, but there’s no way to know for sure. I understand that you want to protect your father’s reputation, but you need to think beyond that. If Will really is behind the break-in at your house, not to mention your car, that makes him a criminal. He needs to face justice for what he’s done.”
Tripp went one step further than Abby had. “Jada, what if he did murder Mitch Anders? If he manages to leave the country, that could leave Owen here on the hook for a crime he didn’t commit. Even if you could live with that, don’t believe any promises Swahn made about taking the money and disappearing. You’re the one person who knows for sure he was involved in all of this. Will
you ever feel safe knowing he’s still out there?”
There was nothing but silence for a full minute before Jada finally responded. “I really want this to be over with.”
“We all do, Jada.” After a brief pause, Abby’s mother had more to say. “I can’t sleep nights for worrying about what’s going to happen to Owen. I hate that my daughter and her friend are both caught up in another murder case. None of this is easy for any of us, and it’s worse for you. Having said that, you’re the only one who can help Chief Logan put an end to the threat your godfather presents to all of us. I won’t lie and say it will be easy, but you won’t be alone. We’re here to help.”
Jada winced at the stark picture Phoebe had painted, looking even younger than she really was. But she drew back her shoulders and sat up straighter as she laid the ledger down in the middle of the table. “So, what’s the plan? Do we call Chief Logan to come here or do I need to go to his office?”
Owen picked up the ledger. “We go to him.”
* * *
After some discussion, only three people made the trip down to the police station. Owen drove with Abby in the front seat and Jada in the back while Tripp and her mother stayed at the house. Gage wasn’t going to be happy with what they had to tell him, and there was no use in everyone getting caught in the crossfire. At least that was the excuse Abby had given her mom. The truth was she didn’t trust her mother not to go ballistic if she didn’t like what he had to say to either Owen or Jada. They needed to have a calm, reasonable discussion with Gage, not another major blow up.
When they’d called ahead to say they were coming, the first thing he’d asked about was Jada’s attorney. Unfortunately, the man was in court and unable to come. Abby worried about Jada’s decision to proceed without him, but she trusted Gage would do his best to protect the young woman’s rights.
Owen dropped them at the front door of the city hall building and drove around back to park. They waited in the lobby until he joined them before making their way down the hall to Gage’s office. He silently pointed at the three empty chairs he’d arranged in a semicircle. There were also three bottles of water on the front edge of his desk where they could easily reach them. Abby took the far seat, letting Jada have the one in the middle between her and Owen.
Once they were settled, Gage sat back in his chair. He looked at Owen and Jada in turn before aiming his angry gaze directly at Abby. “Tell me what I’ve missed out on this time. I don’t need or want excuses, just the facts.”
Why target her? Especially when both Owen and Jada were closer to the action than she was. On the other hand, while she might be willing to throw Owen under the bus, she couldn’t bring herself to do the same to Jada. So, where to start?
“You know everything up until what happened today, so we haven’t been keeping you in the dark.”
For long, anyway.
Who knew an experienced cop like Gage could roll his eyes with the same disdain as a teenage girl? “Like I said, no excuses. Just tell me, Abby.”
So she did, starting with Jada getting her window fixed. When she got to the part about Will Swahn confronting her in the parking lot at the glass shop, Gage held up his hand to stop her. “Okay, maybe I do need an excuse. Why didn’t you call nine-one-one to tell us what was going on?”
“Because I didn’t want to hang up and leave Jada completely on her own to deal with him. And I thought you might want a witness to what he had to say.”
Gage closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. “And if he’d attacked her?”
As soon as he posed the question, he sighed. “Never mind. Just keep going.”
So she repeated what Will had said to Jada about her father and their other friend. About the way Jack had used his third of the money, and how Don Davidson had used his to pay for Jada’s schooling. That Will knew Mitch Anders had discovered the message on the picture. If he’d realized that it was only part of the puzzle, that might explain why he wouldn’t return it or any of Don Davidson’s other personal items to Jada when she’d asked.
“I feel like I’ve been babbling. Was all of that clear?”
Gage nodded. “I have a few questions, but I want to hear the rest of it first.”
To Abby’s surprise, Jada took over telling the story. “Uncle Will said whatever was written on Dad’s picture contained the key to the code he used to track the money. He was convinced Mitch Anders had read the message on the mat and had been hunting for the ledger, too. For sure Uncle Will doesn’t know where Dad kept it, because he ordered me to find it. If I don’t, he plans to take over the search. He said I wouldn’t like it if that happened.”
She stopped talking long enough to open a bottle of water and took a long drink. Clearly confession was thirsty work. “He went on to say his wife had used up twenty-five years of his life, and he wasn’t going to let her steal any more. When she told you and Abby about her suspicions that Will was hiding money from her, I don’t know how much she actually knew about the situation.”
When she paused this time, it was to pull the manila envelope containing the ledger out of her backpack. “I did ask him if he thought all of this was why Mitch Anders was killed, but he said he didn’t know. He thought it was equally possible that someone else from Mr. Anders’s past had reason to come after him. I don’t know about that, but I’m sure Mr. Anders must have pressured Uncle Will to share the money.”
Then she passed the envelope across the desk to Gage. “This was in my father’s safety deposit box. Like I told Abby and the others, I saw it right after Dad died when I was looking for some legal papers. There was a note from Dad saying I should talk to Uncle Will about the ledger, so I left it in the box. I would’ve gotten around to it at some point. I just had more important things to think about at the time.”
Gage pulled the book out of the envelope. “So is that everything? No more surprises for me?”
Owen spoke up. “For the record, I didn’t kill Mitch, but Will’s assessment of the man was right on target. Mitch would’ve made a deal with the devil himself if he thought he could make a quick buck. That’s one reason I avoided him as much as I could. I’ve reached out to some . . . well, let’s call them some mutual friends. If he’s been causing any problems lately, they hadn’t heard anything about it. As far as they could tell, he’d been keeping his head down since he started his new career. That could just mean he was doing a good job flying under the radar. He had the right training to pull it off.”
Gage didn’t look surprised, which made Abby wonder if he’d done a little checking of his own. He glanced through the ledger and then set it to the side, looking as if he was about to launch into a tirade. Jada derailed it when she put a small piece of paper on his desk. “Uncle Will dropped this through my car window. It’s his new phone number. I’m guessing it’s a burner phone.”
Okay, that was new to Abby. Jada had been keeping secrets from more people than just Gage. She leaned forward, trying to see what was written on it. There were numbers scrawled across the top with a few words written below. She couldn’t read them from where she was, but it was clear whatever it said had Gage seeing red.
“This is a definite threat, Jada. I don’t want you going home until we have this guy in custody. In fact, I’d like to contact the county sheriff to see if they can put you up in one of their safe houses.”
She was already shaking her head. “I’ll stay at Abby’s, but that’s it. If I miss any more classes, I could lose credit for the entire quarter. I can’t let that happen.”
He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Please, someone, save me from stubborn women.”
Owen started to laugh and then tried to disguise it as a cough. Gage shot him a dark look. “Okay, smartass, you try keeping people safe when they refuse to use common sense. The next thing you know, they’ll be wanting me to use them as bait to draw Will out of hiding.”
Holding up his hands in surrender, Owen apologized. “Sorry, Gage. But now that you mention it, the
whole bait idea isn’t a bad one. Only, let’s use me instead of Jada or Abby.”
Gage leaned forward, elbows on his desk. “What do you have in mind?”
CHAPTER 29
Abby didn’t like the idea of anyone she cared about putting themselves in harm’s way. It hadn’t been that long ago that she would’ve been happy if Owen Quinn disappeared from her mother’s life, but having him playing bait to trap Will Swahn wasn’t what she’d had in mind. Besides, even she had to admit the man had a certain charm, and he clearly cared about her mom.
“Are you sure that Gage will keep Owen safe?”
The worry and fear in her mother’s voice was understandable, but this wasn’t the time for lies and platitudes. The unexpected could happen at any time. After all, criminals weren’t exactly predictable. “Gage and his people will do their best to protect him. And don’t forget everything Owen told you about his past. He’s a trained professional with decades of experience dealing with dangerous situations.”
Her mother shuddered. “You say that like it’s a good thing.”
“Under the circumstances, it is.” Abby slipped her arm around her mother’s shoulders to give her a quick hug. “Mom, retired or not, it’s who he is. If you can’t accept that about him, you shouldn’t let this relationship continue. It wouldn’t be fair to either of you.”
“Like you accept Tripp’s past?”
“Yes, exactly.” It was hard not to get a bit defensive. “Don’t forget that both Tripp and Owen sacrificed a lot for our country. It’s no surprise that it left a mark on both of them. Tripp’s a good man, Mom.”
“I’m not saying he isn’t. It’s just taken a bit of an adjustment to see you with a man like him. He so different than Chad.”
Abby managed a small smile. “All things considered, that’s not a bad thing.”
“Maybe not.” Her mom turned to stare out the window. “I just wish this was all over.”
“Me too.”
Her mom had totally freaked out when Gage and Owen had explained the plan to lure Will Swahn out of hiding. Owen was going to call the man and tell him that Jada had found the ledger in her father’s safety deposit box. She’d immediately asked Owen to act as intermediary. The only problem was coming up with a believable reason that she would do that. It was Jada herself who had provided the perfect excuse. Will had scared her badly when he’d confronted her in the parking lot, especially when he’d kicked the side of her car hard enough to leave a dent in the door.
Death by Intermission Page 26