Playing Dirty

by Liliana Hart

  Jack winced. “Let’s maybe hold off on that option for a bit. But you’re right. Something isn’t right. You and dad know all of the board members. Have you called and tried talking to them to see what’s going on?”

  “They’re dodging our calls,” she said. “Your dad dropped me off here and said he was hunting board members. He said he’d hang their heads on the wall of his office with the animals. You know nothing much ruffles your dad, but it makes him mad when people make me cry.”

  Vaughn came in at that moment and said, “There’s my girl.” And then he stopped in his tracks when he saw Jeri’s tear-streaked face. “What did y’all do to her?”

  “We didn’t do anything, thank you very much,” Jack said.

  Vaughn scoffed. “Don’t say that as if there’s no reason to assume. You didn’t even tell your mother she was a grandma.”

  Jeri started crying harder at that and Jack took a step toward Vaughn, but Vaughn stood his ground.

  “Hey man, don’t take your own screwups out on me,” Vaughn said.

  “It’s not your business, and it’s not your place,” Jack said calmly. “I know you’re mad. And you’ve got every right to be. Hell, everyone has a right to be angry at me after this week. I own it and I know it. But you’re the bottom of the totem pole here, so back off.”

  Vaughn blew out a breath and took a step back. “Fine,” he said. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Then he turned his attention to Jeri and spoke gently. “What happened, love?”

  Vaughn had that way about him that could make strong people melt, and Jeri turned into his arms and let him hold her while she explained what had happened.

  “We don’t need them,” Vaughn said. “It’s just dirty politics. There are some new people in this county who have money and are trying to use it to get Jack out of office, but we’re not going to let them do it. We’ve got friends in high places too, and it’s time to use them. I’m going to call Marco Lombardi and see if we can use his restaurant for the victory party. He’s got that big space out back where we can put up a tent with a stage and lights. It’ll be even better than the country club.”

  Jeri lifted her head, a stubborn line creased on her forehead, and she nodded. “You’re right. That stupid board of directors is going to rue the day they messed with my family. Maybe we should start our own exclusive club. Jack, you should buy up some land and build a golf course.”

  “I’ll get right on that,” Jack said dryly. “I do appreciate you both. I know running a campaign isn’t easy, and I couldn’t do it without you. Mostly because I have no desire to do it.” He grinned and handed me his phone so I could read the text that just came in. “But I know it’s a necessary job so I can do this job. Thanks for believing in me.”

  I read the text twice to make sure it was correct. Morgenstern had found a partial print on the cap of one of the water bottles and a full thumbprint. And a match hadn’t taken long because the prints were already in the system.

  “I can see by the look on Jaye’s face that y’all are going to have to go do murder stuff,” Vaughn said. “But let me tell you the money doesn’t lie. The people in this county are funding your campaign and you still have more than a million dollars in the war chest. But Floyd’s money is coming from an outside donor. So don’t let all of this stuff that’s happening play mind games. He tried to knock you off with the story in the paper and then this thing with the country club. He’s trying to keep everything in your life and the people in it in an upheaval. Don’t let him do it.”

  Jack looked at me and I could practically read his mind. Upheaval was the right word. And would whoever was pulling the strings attempt murder to continue the chaos? Was this all about Jack?

  I felt guilty for not telling Vaughn where we were going. I busied myself gathering my things while Jack finished up business. Vaughn would be able to tell something was wrong if he saw my face. We said quick goodbyes and headed out, this time taking the Tahoe.

  Jack waited until we were on the road before he called Cole. “Can you send me the home address for Adam Taylor?”

  “Doing it now,” Cole said. “You think he’s the guy?”

  “I think he’s definitely a guy worth talking to,” Jack said. “They might still be out on the ride. I’m going to swing by Vaughn’s place and see if we can head him off.”

  “It’s always too good to be true,” I said. “Poor Vaughn.”

  Jack headed toward King George Proper and the vitamin shop. We passed cyclists on the way who were finishing up their ride. When we arrived, there were fewer cars than there had been earlier that morning, but it looked like there were still a couple of teams out. Several cyclists were in the parking lot in stages of undress or in conversation.

  “Vaughn said Adam Taylor had a Jeep,” I said, pointing to the sand-colored hardtop in the end parking spot on the farthest row.

  “That’s his,” Jack said. “Vaughn rode in with him this morning. I saw him get in and get some of his stuff before we took off.”

  “When Vaughn was talking about the lives of the people you love being thrown into chaos this week,” I said, “he didn’t mention himself. He’s got a bike exactly like our victim and then today that new bike has a blowout. And the guy he’s been riding with, who has access to his bike, left his fingerprints on the water bottles with the amphetamines in them.”

  “There’s no such thing as a coincidence in an investigation,” Jack said. “But right now even fingerprints would be circumstantial. You saw how chaotic things were before the ride this morning. Everyone’s bottles are the same. But I agree with you. I don’t think this has anything to do with Brett Jorgenson.”

  Jack pulled into a parking space that faced Adam Taylor’s Jeep. “We passed several of the Old Dominion riders on the way here,” he said. “We shouldn’t have to wait too long before he shows up.” The phone rang and Carver’s name came up on the screen. “Tell me you’ve got good news, Carver.”

  “I certainly have interesting news,” Carver said. “But I don’t know if it’s helpful. I didn’t find anything unusual on the financial side of things. None of these guys are in major debt. Their businesses are doing well. And there are no iffy or hidden accounts that I can find. Believe me, I looked hard.

  “When I didn’t find anything in financial records I started going through medical records. And I found one of the suspects on your list has a prescription for Adderall.”

  “The ADD drug?” Jack asked. “Why is that significant?”

  “Because Adderall is an amphetamine,” I said.

  “Exactly,” Carver said. “Normally it might not have stood out or even showed up in this level of search because it’s so commonly prescribed, but in the military you have to have medical permission to get a prescription for Adderall. In fact, you have to have the drug out of your system for a year before you can even join the military, and then once you’re enlisted you’ve got to go through a rigorous process to get put back on it. They keep a close watch on anyone who takes that kind of drug.”

  “Adam Taylor,” Jack said.

  “Bingo,” Carver told him.

  “We just found his fingerprints on Jorgenson’s water bottles.”

  “You’re going to need nothing short of a confession for this one,” Carver said. “There’s circumstantial evidence all over the place. An attorney would laugh at you.”

  “Yeah, I’m aware,” Jack said.

  “I also found out something else while I’ve been filling my free time with constructive and helpful things,” Carver said.

  Jack’s lips twitched. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

  “AvantGuard should have better cybersecurity,” he said.

  “You didn’t,” Jack said, raising his brows and looking at me with concern. “They will kill you if they find out.”

  “Please,” Carver said. “Like they’ll find out. But you probably want to know what’s going on right under your nose. They’ve been buying up property in King George like crazy
, offering a lot of the farmers more than double what the land is worth. The good news is that the people in King George are stubborn and most have turned down the offers. But they bought out Floyd Parker’s parents’ place. About two hundred acres. And they’re trying desperately to get the land adjacent to it.”

  “Let me guess,” Jack said. “AvantGuard is one of the main investors in the private prisons they want to build here.”

  “Got it in one,” Carver said. “But it’s not the AvantGuard name they’re buying the property under. The main company is called Trident, and they own several corporations under that name in different fields. Real-estate development is one of them. They’ve done a good job layering the companies so it’s hard to find out who is who and which company is buying up property. It’s very much like a military operation. They’re flanking King George County and about to make an attack. And you’re the last person they’re going to want as sheriff, because it’s you who can make or break this deal.”

  “I think you’re definitely onto something,” Jack told Carver. “Let’s start with Adam Taylor and see what layers we can peel back. He’s got a lot of explaining to do.”

  16

  We didn’t have to wait long after Carver hung up for several of the Old Dominion riders to glide into the parking lot. It was hard to distinguish between them, with the exception of Ginny Grant. There was no mistaking her curves and red hair.

  We watched Adam pull the cap from his head and drink deeply from his bottle, and then he unclipped his shoes and got off the bike. There was plenty of jovial conversation from the riders as they cooled down and got their bikes racked.

  Ginny seemed to be in a particularly good mood as she unzipped her jersey and stripped down to her sports bra. But she wasn’t alone as the other female rider in the group, Leslie Carron, did the same. Benji Lyles was with them and pointing out something along the rim of his tire to Adam. Everyone seemed in a good mood, and whatever bad blood had been between Benji and Ginny earlier that morning seemed to have disappeared.

  “Do you think Vaughn’s tire mishap this morning was accidental?” I asked Jack while we continued to watch them.

  “I’m going to check the bike when we get back home,” he said. “But it’s not hard to sabotage a bike. The problem is those tires are so full that when they blow, they tend to shred. I might not be able to find any evidence it was tampered with. But if someone was trying to get Vaughn out of the way by spiking his drink and that didn’t work, then why wouldn’t they try again by tampering with his bike?”

  They group was starting to part ways, tossing shoes and clothes into their cars and making sure their bikes were secure. I moved to open the door so we could intercept Adam before he left but Jack put his hand on my arm to stop me.

  “Well,” he said. “Will you look at that.”

  I maneuvered my body toward his side of the Tahoe so I could see exactly what he was looking at and gasped. “That jerk,” I said. “How dare he pretend to be gay just so he can get to Vaughn.”

  The door to Adam’s Jeep was open, and he leaned against the seat with his legs planted firmly on the ground. He was pelvis to pelvis with Leslie Carron. His hands rested on her hips and he smiled at whatever it was she was whispering in his ear. She finished it off with a quick nip to his earlobe and then she sashayed away to her black Lexus.

  We weren’t the only ones who’d noticed the exchange. Ginny and Benji both watched from the sidelines.

  “Yikes,” I said. “If looks could kill Adam would be dead.”

  Ginny’s green gaze shot daggers at Leslie, and Benji looked like he wanted to do bodily harm to Adam.

  “Gotta love the drama,” Jack said. “It’s just like a soap opera. Benji loves Leslie, she doesn’t love anyone because she’s an ice queen, but she does enjoy the opposite sex every now and again, and it’s just a bonus if she can make Benji jealous or let others think she can make Adam play for her team. Ginny thinks every man should always pick her first. And Benji is grateful when anyone picks him at all.”

  “What’s the story with Leslie?” I asked, smiling at Jack’s rundown of the players. “She was the one giving you the dirty looks this morning while Mitch publicly threw his support to you.”

  “Oh, yeah,” he said. “She’s a weird one. Doesn’t really seem like she fits in with the group, but she can obviously hang. More of an observer. I keep thinking she seems familiar, but I can’t place her. She kind of blends in with the scenery.”

  “She’s pretty in an understated way,” I said. “But you’re right. She tends to blend in, especially standing next to Ginny.”

  “Let’s go,” Jack said, letting go of my arm, and we got out of the Tahoe.

  Adam didn’t see us until we were almost to the Jeep, and then he turned and greeted us with a smile.

  “Hey, man,” Adam said. He was the kind of guy who was all personality and charm, and I could see why Vaughn liked him. He gave a great first impression. “I was wondering what happened to you guys. We got separated at the light and I never saw y’all again. Did you finish the ride?” He looked around as if searching for Vaughn. “Where’s Vaughn? Does he need a ride back home? He’s on my way so it’s no trouble.”

  “He had a mishap over by the park,” Jack said. “He blew a tire and bent a rim and went down pretty hard.”

  “No way!” Adam said. “Man, that sucks. That bike is brand new. I bet he’s ticked.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Jack said. “But he’ll be fine and the bike will get fixed. It happens.”

  “Yeah,” Adam said. “I hit a rock once going forty-five on a downhill and went ass over elbow into the ditch. I woke up two days later in the hospital. Rattled my brains pretty good.”

  “Do you mind if we talk to you for a couple of minutes?” Jack asked. “It’s about Brett Jorgenson.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Adam said, nodding. “Sure. It’s terrible what happened to him. It really makes you think about how vulnerable we are out there. All it takes is a guy driving by and not paying attention and then it’s all over in a flash. But at least he turned himself in. It doesn’t bring Brett back, but it at least gives his poor wife some closure. I can’t imagine what she’s going through right now.”

  “I completed the autopsy yesterday and discovered something interesting,” I said.

  Adam looked at me quizzically.

  “Brett wasn’t killed because of the hit-and-run,” I said. “Brett was murdered. Someone spiked his water bottles with amphetamines and his heart exploded.”

  Adam’s face showed confusion, immediately followed by shock. He seemed genuinely surprised by the news.

  “How’s that even possible?” Adam asked. “No one would want to kill Brett.”

  “That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Jack said. “You see, someone would’ve had to switch his water bottles after the ride Thursday night. Brett had a routine. He’d prep his bike immediately for his ride the next morning. It wouldn’t be hard to switch his bottles with the spiked ones. He’d never know the difference.”

  Adam’s eyes went even wider. “That means you think it was someone in Old Dominion who killed Brett?” He shook his head and put his hands on his hips. “No way. Not possible. I know all those guys. No one would do anything like that.”

  “Except it’s true and Brett is dead,” Jack said. “But maybe Brett wasn’t the intended target.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Can you explain how we found your fingerprints on Brett’s water bottles?” Jack asked. “The same water bottles that came back with positive traces of amphetamines?”

  “Wait, what?” Adam said. “You’ve got to be joking.”

  “I try to make it a point not to joke about murder,” Jack said. “You take Adderall, don’t you?”

  Adam looked confused for a moment and asked, “What does that have to do with anything? I used to take it, but I’m in a trial program with the military and I haven’t taken any in almost a mont
h. I don’t understand.”

  “Adderall is an amphetamine,” I said. “It doesn’t take much to overdose. It gets the heart pumping. Shortness of breath. Hallucinations. Confusion. Panic. All things Brett Jorgenson probably experienced before he died. On someone with a normal, healthy heart, it might not kill them. But Brett didn’t have a normal healthy heart. But the killer wouldn’t know that.”

  Adam paled and licked his lips. “This is crazy. I liked Brett. I would never do something like that to him. There has to be an explanation.”

  Jack moved in a little closer, his size intimidating. But Adam didn’t budge an inch. He was probably used to people being in his face after years in the military. If anything, he stood up straighter and faced Jack head-on.

  “This doesn’t look good for you,” Jack told him softly. “We’ve got your fingerprints on Brett’s water bottles and your drugs as the murder weapon of choice. But I think you’re right about liking Brett. About it being a mistake. Because Brett wasn’t your target. It was Vaughn.”

  “Vaughn?” Adam asked, color flooding into his cheeks. “Why the hell would I try and kill Vaughn? This doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I don’t think you tried to kill him,” Jack said. “You just wanted to throw him off course. Someone has been working overtime to make sure the people closest to me are out of commission recently. Because when the people closest to me are hurt, my focus isn’t on the job, the election, or the fact that AvantGuard is trying to take over my county and do whatever the hell the want to do. They’re trying to buy and intimidate an elected office. So how do you fit into all of this?”

  “I really have no idea what you’re talking about,” Adam said. “I don’t know anything about an election. Vaughn is my friend.”

  “Is that all he is?” Jack asked. “Maybe you thought it would be easiest to get close to him if he thought you were gay. You hang out a few times. Give him rides. Have access to his bike and water bottles.

  “Maybe you’ve been off the Adderall for a few weeks, but I bet you still have a prescription bottle full of pills lying around somewhere just in case. Though I’m guessing the pill bottle isn’t so full now. Everyone has the same water bottles, so you spike the water, add in some electrolyte powder to disguise the taste, and slip them into the cages when no one is looking. Only you weren’t planning on Vaughn’s new bike. It’d be easy to get them mixed up when everyone’s bikes are scattered after a ride and put them in Brett’s cages by mistake. It was an accident, right Adam?”