Old Flames Never Die (Valentine Mystery)
Page 6
“I know, I know, it's confidential. Don't worry, I've got a locked file cabinet at home.”
“But I'm sure Valentine has a key.”
“I'm sure he does, but he won't look.”
Tess could see that Daniel thought her faith in Jack was naive. But she knew she wouldn't be hurt by Jack lying or sneaking a look at her files. What Daniel didn't understand is that while Tess believed one hundred percent in Jack's character, that didn't mean he'd never hurt her.
Chapter Five
Jack was already in a foul mood when he entered his office at Worthington Corp. He didn't like Tess' mood when he'd arrived home the night before after dropping Liv off at the hotel. He would have preferred that she'd yelled at him. Instead she said all the right things, but didn't seem to believe them. To top it off, she seemed nearly cheerful as she got ready to spend the day with Daniel. The logical part of him reasoned that she was glad to have something work-related to fill her day. But he couldn't stand the idea of her meeting with Daniel and how he'd take advantage of that. He threw his pen across the room.
“I see you've read the paper this morning.”
Jack looked up to see the Senator, Lauren, and Philip standing in front of his desk. God, could his day start out any worse?
“What are you talking about?”
“What does Tess think about your late night rendezvous?” Lauren said as the Senator tossed the paper on the desk. Jack picked up the paper and read a brief article about the Danforth murder investigation. It had the search on Liv's home as well as Jack's escorting her to the hotel. Of course, it failed to mention that he'd dropped her off at the lobby.
“How do you do it? Murder just seems to find you, doesn't it, boy?” the Senator said.
“I knew this whole deal was a bad idea,” Lauren said.
Jack grabbed his coat. “I think you forget that I don't need this deal. You do. If you have a problem with me, I'm happy to take my money and my team and leave.”
“Now, now, don't get upset. We're just concerned about how this will affect Worthington Media,” the Senator said.
“You don't have to worry about Worthington's image.” Jack headed out the door.
“Where are you going?” Lauren demanded.
Jack ignored her. He was barely out of the building when his cell phone rang. “What do you need, Brad?”
“Just checking in,” Brad said. “I'm wondering if you enjoy bringing excitement to this corporate empire I've built for you. I have to say, the board liked it better when you weren't so involved.”
“I see you read the paper.”
“Internet. How do you do it? Two murder investigations in a few months?”
Jack didn't want to get into it with Brad. “I'm on it. Tell everyone not to worry.”
“I already did that. I just wanted to know if I was lying.”
“No, you weren't.”
Jack got into his car and headed to the police station.
~~~~
“You just missed Tess,” Daniel said as Jack stalked to his desk.
“My business is with you.”
Daniel pointed to a chair. “What's on your mind?”
“Are you purposefully feeding the media biased information about me?”
Daniel looked surprised and then amused. “You're not really going to blame me for your actions, are you? Surely Tess warned you that you'd be watched.”
“By the police, yes. So who here is telling the media?”
“The Danforth murder is news. I'm sure the media is staked out anywhere Mrs. Danforth goes. Probably more now after last night's escapade.”
Jack's jaw clenched. “I just dropped her off. The police know it and the media knows it, but no one seems to care about the truth.”
“I don't really care about your personal life.”
“The hell you don't! You'll take any advantage to get Tess. But here's a news flash, Daniel. Even if I were out of the picture, she still wouldn't fall in love with you.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed and Jack was glad to have wiped the smug look off his face. “I know where I stand with Tess. My interest now is in protecting her.”
“Fine. While you're working on ruining my reputation and relationship, take this into consideration. I love her. And you will watch her become my wife.”
“If you love her so much, why are you running to a former lover in the middle of the night?”
“She was afraid to stay in the house. The home her husband was murdered in and that you ransacked.”
“Why you?”
“Look. I'm not here to answer police questions. I just want you to know that I won't tolerate misleading news stories about me nor will I let you hurt my relationship with Tess.”
A woman approached Daniel's desk. “I'm sorry to interrupt, Detective Showalter, but you told me to deliver these directly to you when they were finished.”
“Yes, thank you, Karen,” Daniel said taking the pile of folders from her. He set them on his desk and retrieved his jacket. “If you have problems with the media, you need to take it to them. I don't feed them information.”
“Whoever is sharing information should at least get it right. I wonder if they'd be interested in how a certain police detective was immediately at Tess’ boyfriend's home to tattle on him yesterday. How his personal feelings are clouding a murder investigation.”
“There is no proof of that.”
“That's one thing I learned from Tess. Except in court, it doesn't matter what can be proven. I can cast the same shadows on your character and I will if I have to.”
“You don't scare me, Valentine. She asked to work with me. And I won't back off this investigation.”
“I'm not telling you to back off the investigation. I'm telling you to stop using your personal agenda in this investigation. Do your job.”
“I am.”
Jack scoffed. “Not very well.”
“Let me give you a piece of advice, Jack.”
“I don't need advice from you.”
“Take it anyway. When you have a woman like Liv, who's nice to look at on the outside and probably pretty good in bed, but lacks any sort of depth, compared to a woman like Tess who has all the same qualities, plus she's smart, kind, and full of love, go with the woman like Tess. Because right now, everything you're doing indicates you're choosing Liv.” Before Jack could find a response that wouldn't get him arrested, Daniel picked up the pile of folders, rounded his desk and left the building.
~~~~
Tess was beginning to think interviewing the staff at the Danforth farm was a waste of time. The one person she really wanted to talk to, George Boone, was running errands in town. The barn staff reported the same information they'd shared with Daniel and Sam. And now the trainer, Tanner Rogers, was echoing what the others said. If anyone asked her, Tess would be able to report that Charles Danforth loved his horses more than anyone or anything, he was indifferent to his wife, and kept his personal and business issues to himself.
Undaunted, Tess pressed on with Tanner. “Had Charles had any unusual accidents?”
Tanner's brows drew together. “No.Why?”
“Sometimes murderers don't get it right the first time. I'm wondering if anything had happened to him before that might have seemed like a fluke accident.”
“Not that I know of.”
“Did Mr. Danforth seem upset or worried about anything?”
Tanner gave an indifferent shrug.
“As someone who works with horses, you must be in tune to subtle changes of temperament in your horses. Maybe you'd notice subtle changes in your boss too.”
“I guess. I suppose he was a little off a few months ago.”
“What happened?”
“Mr. Danforth had wanted to step up the quality of horses on the farm. He wanted the Triple Crown. So I found this really great filly. She's a little old, but has great breeding, particularly on her sire side. If he could swing the cost and breed her with Galaxy Rise, he might g
et a horse. But he was distracted or something. I kept telling him about the deal. That he needed to act fast. But he did nothing, which is odd, because usually the horses come first in everything.”
“Do you have any idea why he was distracted?”
Tanner shook his head.
“Maybe he didn't have the money?”
“That could be, but he never said anything. And recently he asked me to look at a couple of yearlings he was eager to buy, which would cost way more than this filly.”
“You mentioned earlier about him 'swinging the cost'. Was money an issue?”
Tanner shrugged. “I don't know the accounting.”
“But you think the money might be an issue?”
“I don't know. He was always tight with the money. I think his family trust has limits to what he can spend. I think he might have a business deal or something that he said would give him the money he needed.”
“A business deal. The only other business I'm aware of is the partnership with Mr. Wilson. Is that what he was referring to?”
“I don't know. Mr. Danforth never gave much information about anything.”
“What about Theresa Cromwell?”
“What about her?”
“What sort of relationship did Danforth have with her?”
Tanner gave her an amused look. “She owned horses, he owned horses.”
“Nothing more?”
“Danforth was a very private person.”
“Were any of the horses he wanted to buy hers?”
“No. But her horse, Trimeter was sired by Galaxy Rise and is currently heating up the track.”
Tess wasn't sure what all this meant, but she made a mental note of it. She thanked Tanner and left him her number in case he thought of anything further.
Once in her car, Tess wrote down what Tanner had told her. She didn't know much about horseracing, but hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses with the goal of winning millions could lead to murder, she supposed. She put a star next to the note about the business deal that Danforth thought would bring him the money to buy the horses and breeding services he desired. She put a question mark next to Theresa Cromwell. Tanner didn't give any information, but his smirk suggested that there were rumors about her and Danforth's relationship.
Once her notes were written, she drove to Bobby Wilson's construction company. On her way, she called Daniel.
“Your boyfriend was in to see me this morning,” Daniel said.
“Why?”
“He seems to think I'm trying to ruin his reputation and his relationship with you.”
“That doesn't sound like Jack.”
“It was Jack alright.”
“What happened?”
“He told me he loved you and that I'd see you marry him one day.”
“Yes, he's quite certain that will happen.”
“And what about you?”
Tess pulled to a stop at the light. “It's a possibility.” She shook her head that she'd even consider marriage. Three months earlier, she was committed to being a spinster, and now she was thinking of love ever after. “Did he say anything else?”
“He thinks I'm sending biased information to the media.”
“Ah, the paper this morning. I wondered how he'd react.”
“He reacted by coming here accusing me of feeding information and threatened to do the same if I didn't do my job.”
Tess eased the car forward when the light turned green, but her mind was on Jack. He wasn't usually one to worry about what others thought about him. His reaction was strange.
“I'll stop by and talk to him after I meet with Wilson.”
“How'd it go at the Danforths?”
Tess told him what the trainer had shared.
“So you're wondering where the money is coming from? Maybe Wilson will have an answer for that.”
“We'll see. I'm pulling into Wilson's now.”
“Keep me posted.”
Tess turned off her phone, tossing it in her purse. She entered the office where a young woman with big hair and small clothes sat behind a desk.
“Is Mr. Wilson here?” Tess asked.
The woman looked up from her computer screen. “He's in a meetin', but should be done shortly. Who should I tell him is here?”
“Tess Madison. I'm a special investigator with the Commonwealth's Attorney's office.”
“Is this about Mr. Danforth?”
Tess nodded.
“Such a shame.”
“Did you know him?”
She shook her head. “I don't think anyone really knew him. He pretty much kept to hisself. Still, to be mindin' your own business and have someone pop you in the chest. That's cold. I bet it was that wife of his.”
“What makes you say that?”
“She just seems cold, you know. Everyone knows she only married him for the money.”
Tess had been thinking the same thing, but coming out of Mr. Wilson's secretary’s mouth made it sound like gossip.
“Will he be much longer?”
“Just a couple of minutes. He's chewing out a sub who cost him two grand in damages.”
“That's a lot.”
She shrugged. “Jimmy Lee cost him more when he flooded the Jordon place.”
“Does Jimmy Lee still work here?”
“Hell, no.”
“Debbie?” the woman turned to look at the man entering the room. Preceding him was a younger man who looked like he'd been chewed up and spit out.
“Yes, sir. This is Ms. Madison with the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. It's about Mr. Danforth.”
“I already talked with the police.”
“I just have a few more,” Tess said.
“I have about five minutes before I need to meet with my lawyer. I'm heading off a lawsuit because of that numbnut who just left my office.” She followed Wilson into his office. It was modest, with pictures of soccer teams he'd sponsored, newspaper articles, and a deer head mounted on the wall. His desk was covered in papers.
“What can I help you with?” he asked as he sat down behind his desk.
“I'd like to review and ask a few new questions if I could.”
“Okay.”
“You said that Charles was supposed to meet you Saturday morning to go fishing, is that right?”
“Yes. We were supposed to meet at Crawford Pond, but he never showed.”
“What did you do when he didn't show?”
“I called him a few times. At his home and cell phone. But there was no answer, so I fished without him.”
“You weren't worried when he didn't answer?”
“No. I figured something came up with the horses. That was his first love.”
“So he's missed fishing outings with you before.”
“Sure, a few times.” Wilson said reaching for a cigarette.
“You and Mr. Danforth have been friends for a long time, is that right?”
“That's right. I did some work on his home when he first bought it. We found we had a lot in common.”
“Such as?” Tess asked.
“Fishing and hunting, mostly. We both preferred bow hunting to guns.”
Tess tried to ignore the vision of little Bambis being speared with arrows.
“Did you know Mrs. Danforth very well?”
“Not too well.” Tess waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't.
“Did Mr. Danforth ever talk about his marriage?”
“No.”
“He never mentioned her?”
“Not really. If you ask me, they didn't really act like married people.”
“In what way?”
“Well, I don't know. They didn't fight or anything, like I said. It was like two strangers living in the same home.”
“Did Mr. Danforth ever mention if his wife was having an affair?” Tess asked.
“We all knew it happened, but no one ever discussed it, least of all Chuck.”
“You didn't find that odd?”
“How about Mr. Danforth? Did he have any lady friends?”
There was a pregnant pause. “Not that I know for sure.”
“But you think maybe?”
He shrugged. “Chuck was a difficult man to be friends with, but he was a man after all. Even he needed a little lovin'.”
“And his wife didn't fit the bill.”
“Like I said, they didn't act like married people.”
“Did he ever mention Theresa Cromwell?”
Wilson shook his head. “Nope.”
Something on his face had Tess thinking Wilson knew more than he was telling, but that she wouldn't be able to get it out of him. She decided to let it go.
“Were you aware of any accidents involving Mr. Danforth?”
“Accidents?”
“Did he have any injuries that were unusual or suspicious?”
Wilson took a moment to think. “You think maybe this isn't the first time someone tried to kill him?”
“I don't know, but it's a possibility.”
“I don't think so. Except…”
“Except what?”
“Well, one time when we were hunting, not this last winter but the winter before, he was nearly shot.”
“Shot?”
“It was just one shot that came out of nowhere. We figured it was just a careless hunter.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
“No. Most hunters take care to know what they're shootin' at. But it's not out of the realm of possibility. We reported it to the sheriff's office, but there was really nothing that could be done. We didn't see anyone.”
“How about three weeks ago? Did anything unusual happen then?”
“Three weeks? Let me think. That was April?”
“Yes.”
“He did seem a little preoccupied on a trip we took to Pinehurst.”
“Pinehurst?”
“It’s a golf course in Myrtle Beach. We drive down once or twice a year. He was distracted and didn't seem to be having as much fun as he usually does. I figured he and Liv were having problems or something.”
“What kind of problems?”
“I don't know. Like I said, Charles didn't talk much about hisself or Liv.”
“You didn't think maybe it was the horses?”