[Katerina Carter 01.0] Exit Strategy

by Colleen Cross

  “All this questioning about Takahashi is bordering on harassment.”

  “I’m not leaving without an answer.” He continued to stare at her, his eyes giving away nothing.

  “I had to go there. I was checking something out.”

  The diamonds. The glassine packet sat alone on the counter where Cindy had left it. Kat tried not to look, hoping Platt wouldn’t notice it.

  “I saw you put something in your pocket when you left. Trespassing and removing property without permission is a crime. I should arrest you right now.”

  “You can’t arrest me—I didn’t remove anything. I had a candy and I put the wrapper in my pocket.”

  “Detective Platt, is Kat a suspect?” Cindy asked.

  “Let’s just say she is a person of interest. Can’t rule her in or rule her out right now without her cooperation.”

  “So she is.”

  Platt didn’t answer and continued staring at Kat. She felt like a frog under a microscope, dissected in biology class.

  “Detective Platt, innocent people are being killed. And someone tried to kill me on Sunday. But you already know that if you were following me. I’ve got some questions of my own. If you were tailing me, why the hell didn’t you do something about the truck that hit me and sent me into the river?”

  “We weren’t actually following you. We had Takahashi’s house under surveillance and saw you come and go. You still haven’t answered my question. Why were you there?”

  “Just looking around. For evidence you missed. The poor guy was murdered, and you’re barking up the wrong tree. I know I’m not the murderer, but you don’t seem to. If you can’t do your job properly and find the killer, then I have to, for Ken’s sake. Too much time is being wasted.”

  “Aside from the fact you were trespassing on private property, you have no authority to enter a crime scene.”

  Kat saw a split-second flash of fire cross Platt’s cold blue eyes. She had made him mad. Good. Two could play at this game.

  “I hope you’re telling the truth, Katerina. If you took anything from that house, I’ll find out.”

  Cindy’s mouth dropped open. She realized the source of the diamonds. She closed it just as quickly and an impassive expression washed across her face. She was upset again. Still, Cindy remained silent and contributed nothing further to the conversation.

  “What if I could prove Takahashi was murdered because of a cover up at Liberty?”

  “I’m listening.”

  “I’m still working on the details. I’ll let you know when I have them.”

  “Don’t wait too long. I’ll give you one last chance—did you remove anything from that house?” Platt’s cool demeanor was gone and his face was flushed. She decided to take advantage of it.

  “What if I did? What are you going to do about it?”

  Cindy shot Kat a warning glance.

  “Evidence tampering will be treated very seriously. Aside from the fact you were trespassing, you can’t remove anything from a crime scene.”

  “You didn’t seem to care about it before.”

  “Let’s be clear. It is a crime, and if I find out, you will be prosecuted.”

  “Fine. But you should be investigating all the people who had a reason to kill Takahashi. He was murdered because he asked too many questions.”

  “He was fired from Liberty a long time ago. If it was related, he would have been killed then. Don’t try to sidetrack things. You’re still my primary suspect.”

  “Liberty was five billion dollars richer a few months ago, wasn’t facing bankruptcy, and didn’t have a CFO scandal. You’re on the wrong track, and the time you waste watching me means the killer is free to kill others. He’s already killed Takahashi, Braithwaite, and probably Bryant. Who’s next?”

  "Hold on. We have no evidence linking the murders. And Bryant is missing, not murdered.”

  “C’mon, Detective Platt. Braithwaite was murdered because he was outspoken and there was a power struggle going on between him and Nick Racine. Takahashi was killed because someone was afraid he was going to talk to me about the falsified output at Mystic Lake. Again, a conflict with someone at Liberty. He was forced out of his job. And I was almost killed while working on the Liberty fraud. That’s pretty damning evidence that this is all tied to Liberty. Bryant was set up as the fall guy for the missing money. He didn’t take the money. It was payment for the diamonds. Liberty is being used as a conduit for dirty diamonds.”

  Kat didn’t expect him to believe her, and he didn’t.

  “I shouldn’t be under suspicion. I’m in danger. Someone sends me into a river after I get a threatening note attached to my dead cat? What’s going to happen to me next?”

  “You just watch yourself. You’re overstepping your bounds.” Platt turned and stormed out the patio door. A burning smell wafted from the oven.

  Kat opened the oven door and cursed. Her soufflé was burnt and fallen. But that was nothing compared to the wrath of Cindy.

  “Kat! How could you do this? Now I’m part of your one-woman crime wave. That was no candy wrapper. You stole the diamonds from Takahashi’s house. I can’t believe you did this.” Cindy speared a mushroom cap with more force than necessary, breaking the toothpick in half.

  “I’m sorry. You know I wouldn’t put you in this mess unless I had no other choice. Once the diamonds are tested, I’ll have my proof.”

  “I could lose my job over this. If Platt finds out I’m involved, I’ll never work as a cop again.”

  “No, you’ll be vindicated. You’ll see. Just wait till the results come back. I promise you they’ll show diamonds are being laundered. And that will get Platt off my back and onto whoever is responsible for Takahashi’s murder.”

  Kat nuked the now cold French onion soup. Surely a faux pas in any proper Parisian’s books, but it did the trick.

  “Platt’s got a reputation. He never lets up.”

  “No kidding.”

  “I’m serious. My career is toast if it screws up his murder investigation.”

  Cindy pulled two wine glasses from the cupboard and poured out the Pinot Gris. The friendly Paris-jolly ambiance from moments earlier had evaporated.

  “But he’s not very good at his job, Cindy. He didn’t remove those diamonds. Why am I the one connecting all the dots? If he had any smarts, he would focus on people with motives for Takahashi’s murder. I don’t have a motive.”

  “Theft.”

  “What?”

  “Theft. You stole the diamonds from his house. That makes it theft.”

  “But once you get those diamonds tested—”

  “Kat, you’re putting me in an awkward situation. First you contaminate a murder scene, and then you give me potential evidence from that murder scene—that you stole—without telling me how you got it. You’ve incriminated me. Why should I help you?”

  “I thought I was doing you a favor.”

  “You call this a favor? I’m doing you a favor, by saving your sorry ass. At the risk of my own, I might add.”

  “Okay. I suppose you’re right. I should have told you. But I’m sure the analysis is going to show these are dirty diamonds. Shouldn’t that clear me as a suspect too?”

  “I don’t know if it would clear you. I mean, your DNA’s all over Takahashi’s place. But that would add another motive, which means other suspects. There is one thing that Platt doesn’t seem to have considered though.”

  “What?”

  “It strikes me as odd that you would win in a struggle against Takahashi.”

  “Because I’m female?”

  “Yes. Even if you are taller than Takahashi’s five-foot-seven, you don’t have the upper body strength of most men. If faced with a fight for his life, I doubt he would lose against you.”

  “I do weights. I’m stronger than you think.”

  “I’m not criticizing you, just stating a fact. At a minimum, if you were in a life-and-death struggle with a knife, you would probably have
some marks on you too. I’m surprised Platt hasn’t questioned that. Or maybe he has. He just doesn’t have any other leads at the moment.”

  “That’s exactly my point. He’s not trying to get any either.”

  “Kat, I’m on your side. I just don’t like how you operate sometimes. I know you’re not a killer. Let’s drop this. I’ll get the diamonds tested.”

  “You sure? You can back out at any time.”

  “Not now, I can’t. Testing the diamonds is the only way to clear myself. If Platt finds out I had those diamonds and didn’t do anything, I’m history.”

  Kat dissected the soufflé, hoping for salvageable parts. There weren’t any. Even Tina wouldn’t touch it. She dumped it in the garbage and set water on the stove to boil. They would have to make do with Kraft dinner.

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” Cindy said as she handed Kat a folded square of paper. “I found this on the back porch.”

  Kat unfolded it. It was written in the same shaky handwriting as the note Jace had shown her yesterday, with one important difference. This note was signed.

  Dear Caretaker,

  My tour has been extended. Please stay on. The garden looks fine, but the rhodos could use some fertilizer.

  Sincerely, Verna

  27

  Kat was growing impatient. Audrey Braithwaite was forty-five minutes late. The waiter stalked by and refilled her water glass with an exaggerated flourish.

  “Still waiting for your friends?”

  He wouldn’t earn much of a tip on her tap water refills. It was just before eleven and Carlisle’s was full with the business-lunch crowd. The waiter was anxious to turn her table over to a more lucrative diner. She’d have to leave soon or order something off the outrageously priced menu.

  She decided to give Audrey five more minutes. She eyed the fare at nearby tables. It was just as well. The entrees were miniscule. Artistically arranged or not, the escargot at the next table reminded her of the wildlife she had seen on her sidewalk this morning. She could only justify the expense if it was going to be worth her while.

  Kat thought about the caretaker note from yesterday. Was it really Verna, or just someone’s idea of a practical joke? The writing did look like an old woman’s, but that could be faked. Could Verna have been the person she saw in the backyard earlier?

  If she could intercept whoever was leaving the notes, she might get her answer. Maybe she would find out more about Verna and why she forfeited her house to the city tax sale.

  “She’s over here.”

  The waiter’s voice caught Kat’s attention. She glanced up from her menu to see the insolent waiter approaching with Audrey. All traces of arrogance were gone, and he smiled broadly as he escorted her over to Kat’s table at the back of the restaurant. Judging by their chatter they knew each other, not much of a surprise as Audrey had chosen the restaurant.

  Audrey appeared to be at least sixty, but she was well maintained. Kat imagined an army of personal trainers, plastic surgeons, and whomever else rich people employed to buy youth. She flashed an artificially white smile at Kat as she sat down.

  “What’ll it be, Ms. Braithwaite? The usual? And you, miss? Another water?”

  Audrey ordered double gin and tonics for them both before Kat could protest. She was still reeling from last night’s Pinot Gris. Alcohol made her woozy, and she needed to work fast before the alcohol went to work on her. This was do or die.

  She was also guardedly optimistic. They might bond over drinks. A little tête-à-tête and maybe she could stop the next criminal act.

  She tentatively sipped her gin and tonic and almost gagged. It was all alcohol and Kat’s first bout with gin. Not exactly tasty, but she was determined to get in Audrey’s good books, no matter what. If it meant drinking hard liquor on an empty stomach, she would do it.

  Audrey belted hers back in two quick shots.

  “So you’re the girl working on the Bryant fraud. I’ve heard lots about you.”

  Apparently not that much, or she would know that Kat had been fired. And she was hardly a girl, but decided not to take offence at Audrey’s comment. Older people always seemed to underestimate age. It was a form of self-denial.

  “Now tell me—what is this all about?”

  Kat filled Audrey in on the details of the Porter offer as the waiter descended upon them with a fresh drink for Audrey.

  “So you think tendering to Porter is a bad idea?”

  “I do. I think you’re being taken advantage of. Someone’s been shorting Liberty on a massive scale, driving the share price down. It’s probably being orchestrated by the same people that are trying to buy Liberty at a fire sale price.”

  “Porter? But it’s our last chance to get our money out. We accept Liberty’s offer or go bankrupt. There’s so much debt because of Bryant’s theft that we don’t have any other choice. The shares are almost worthless as it is. What else can we do?”

  “Don’t accept the offer. Tendering your shares plays into Porter’s hands. Don’t you see? First they manipulate the share price by shorting, and now they’re trying to take the company from you. Besides, Liberty’s debt has been refinanced in the short term, so there’s no danger of bankruptcy for at least a few months. We just need a bit more time to get the five billion back.”

  The waiter brought two more gin and tonics, one each. Kat still had three quarters to go on her first one. Neither the waiter nor Audrey seemed to be in a hurry for their food order. Some bread to sop up the alcohol in her stomach would be nice too. Audrey took a healthy swig and leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially.

  “Don’t you like the gin? I’ll send it back if you don’t like it.”

  “Uh, no. It’s smooth, very good. I was just savoring the taste.”

  “Well, there’s more where that came from. Don’t be shy.”

  How did Audrey do it? She was a fraction of Kat’s size, weighing in at little more than a hundred pounds. She was a stereotypical anorexic society matron in size two, trumping Kat’s size ten. Kat said a silent prayer for her liver and plunged back in. She would worry about the consequences later. Most important was to convince Audrey not to tender the Braithwaite Family Trust shares to the offer. Right now gin was their common bond.

  Audrey continued on, oblivious to Kat’s alcohol dilemma.

  “I have to admit, all this corporate business bores me. Alex always took care of everything. Now he’s gone. Nick’s been very helpful though. That’s been quite a surprise, considering how much he hated my brother.”

  “Really? Has Nick given you any advice?”

  “He said it really didn’t matter what we did. He said that his shares would decide the fate of the company. And he’s right. Whatever Nick wants, Nick gets. Alex had quite a few run-ins with him. They never agreed on anything.”

  “Why do you think Alex was murdered?”

  “I don’t know. My brother was a bit of a hot head. He had enemies because of it. Lots of people wanted him out of the way. But murdered? I never thought someone would go far enough to kill him.”

  “Would Nick? You said Nick hated Alex.” Kat was treading a thin line. She said it before fully realizing her thoughts were coming out of her mouth. It was the alcohol speaking.

  “Nick? He’s got some bad character traits, but he’s not a murderer. Men like Nick don’t like to get their hands dirty. He wouldn’t do it. Might get someone else to do it, mind you. Can you delegate murder?”

  “You can buy anything if the price is right.”

  Audrey cast a long look at Kat. “You don’t think Alex’s murder has anything to do with this takeover, do you?”

  Through the haze of alcohol, Kat could see she was beginning to get through to Audrey.

  “Well, the timing is interesting. I wouldn’t rule it out.” Kat was certain they were related. She just hadn’t connected the dots yet.

  “Nick will be unopposed, now that Alex is gone.”

  “So it appears. Unless you and your family t
rust decide to stop him.”

  “What can we do? The other shareholders are convinced that they won’t get a penny unless they sell their shares. Their shares and Nick’s are enough for a takeover.”

  “Nick’s right about his shares. He can swing the vote. But there’s one thing he neglected to tell you. Although your family trust doesn’t have a majority of the shares to vote for the takeover, it has enough shares to stop the takeover. The takeover needs a two-thirds majority to go ahead. The trust has thirty-five percent. One hundred percent minus thirty-five, leaves sixty-five percent—short of the two thirds majority of sixty-six percent.”

  “Enough to quash the takeover, and stop Nick.”

  “Yes.” Things were moving in the right direction. Kat took another sip of gin. Audrey gulped the remainder of her glass as the waiter suddenly reappeared, depositing two more gin and tonics.

  “Audrey, how would Alex have felt about selling?”

  “He’d never consider it. He always said this was just the beginning for Liberty, and he was in it for the long haul. He felt there was so much untapped potential in the Canadian north, and Liberty was in the best position to take advantage of it. It was what Daddy used to say too.” Audrey appeared wistful for a moment.

  Just like Bryant, Kat thought.

  “Remember, Audrey. You do have a choice. Even if Liberty is having some financial difficulties at the moment, it doesn’t mean all is lost. We have a law firm working on returning the missing money right now.”

  “Well, Nick said that this would be our last chance. The board also recommended accepting the Porter bid. They wouldn’t do that unless the offer was reasonable under the circumstances. I don’t want to sell Daddy’s company, but I don’t want the shares to become worthless either.”

  Kat knew Audrey Braithwaite had never had to work a day in her life. Her wealth came effortlessly. Alex made all the decisions, and hired professionals executed all the details. This was probably the first time Audrey had to decide anything tougher than what shade of nail polish to wear. It had to be scary for her.