Extra! Extra! Dead All About It

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Still, when I ran her, I didn’t expect her to have ties to you,” I continued. “I thought something else was going on – like maybe she was having an affair with Tad and didn’t want anyone to know because he’s gross and bad in bed – but you were one of the first things that came up. That’s when I realized I didn’t understand her at all.”

  Justice folded her arms across her chest and glared. “Honor didn’t continue working for Ludington to spy for me. I’m hardly worried about him. He’s not a real opponent. I mean … look at the material you’ve uncovered about him in recent months. There’s no way the voters will put him in office.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” I argued. “You’re giving the voters more credit than they deserve. Most of the people who vote don’t even follow the news. All they’ll know is that they recognize Tad’s name.”

  Justice didn’t look happy with my assessment. “I’m not worried about Ludington. All Honor and I did was laugh about him. She’s a good girl and would never do anything unethical as you’re suggesting.”

  “I don’t disagree with you. That’s why I didn’t press her too hard. Besides that, she’s a woman. Tad didn’t trust her enough to allow her in the inner circle. You need a penis, however small, in Tad’s world for that.”

  “You still put her in an awkward position,” Justice challenged. “She might fail her class.”

  “That’s not my fault.” I didn’t take credit for things I legitimately did wrong. There was no way I would take credit for Honor’s mistakes. “She should’ve told her professor who she was. You can’t blame that on me.”

  “What can I blame on you?” Justice groused. “It seems I should be able to blame something on you.”

  “Maybe eventually you’ll figure something out,” I said. “For now, you’ll have to settle for me questioning your cousin.”

  “And why would that possibly worry me?”

  “Because she could’ve been hiding financial documents for you.” Geez. Did she need me to explain everything again from the beginning? It was going to be a long night if so. “She’s your mole.”

  “Except I’m not hiding financial documents,” Justice argued. “I haven’t brought in nearly as much money as Aiken and Ludington. Do you want to know why?”

  “Sure.”

  “Because I’m a woman.”

  That wasn’t what I was expecting. “What do you mean?”

  “The good old boys’ club in Macomb doesn’t want to give me money because I’m a woman,” Justice explained. “I’ve been told that to my face numerous times. If someone is hiding money, it has to be an individual who is bringing in a lot of money. That’s Aiken and Ludington. Heck, even Rayne is bringing in more money than me.”

  Could that possibly be true? “But … your cousin works for the clerk’s office.”

  “So what? Marlena and I are hardly close, and she works in the deeds department. She’s not with the election team.”

  Crap on toast. “Seriously?”

  Justice nodded. “Marlena works in the clerk’s office, but she’s in records and deeds not elections. So, go ahead. Spout your nonsense to whoever will listen. I’m fine with it. I can guarantee I’m not the one funneling money.”

  Something about her tone made me believe her. “So it was really just a coincidence that Honor ended up with Tad?”

  “Hey, if I could’ve chosen for her to be with a candidate so I could learn dirty details it wouldn’t have been with Ludington,” Justice said. “His life is an open book and we all know he’s a tool. I would’ve chosen to put her with Aiken.”

  “I like how you admit you would’ve taken advantage of that situation.”

  “Is there anyone in my position who wouldn’t?”

  That was a fair question. “Okay, let’s say I believe you – and I’m not ready to rule you out quite yet – but if you had to choose, who do you think is hiding money?”

  “Ludington is the obvious answer.”

  “But he said he was keeping the documents because he was spying on you guys.”

  “And you believe him?” Justice let loose a derisive snort. “You of all people should know that he lies every chance he gets. This situation is no different. He probably realized you were closing in on him and lied to cover his tracks.”

  I wanted to argue, but I couldn’t find the words. “Crap!” Was it possible? Instinctively I knew it was. “That would be just like him.”

  “Yes, and I think the fact that you’ve been chasing shadows all day is enough to make it worthwhile for him,” Justice said. “Face it, Ms. Shaw, you’ve been had.”

  Those were words I never wanted to hear. “I’ll make him wish he’d never been born.”

  27 Twenty-Seven

  I was back at Eliot’s shop pacing twenty minutes later.

  “You’re going to wear a groove in that floor,” he noted.

  “I double-checked with the clerk’s office via phone,” I muttered more to myself than him. “Marlena Newman does work in the property and deeds department. She’s not even scheduled to help with the election tomorrow night.”

  “Well … that doesn’t mean she didn’t somehow help her cousin.”

  “No, I guess not, but unless Elizabeth Justice is the best actress ever – and I’ve seen her in action and know that to be false – she wasn’t even a bit worried that I’d be able to tie the financial documents to her,” I explained. “I think that takes her out of the running.”

  “So that leaves you with Aiken.”

  “Unless I was completely off about Rayne, and now I’m starting to second guess myself,” I admitted. “Justice brought up a good point. She said that I’m taking a lot on faith when it comes to Tad.”

  “I believe I said that to you as well.”

  I cocked a challenging eyebrow. “Nobody likes a know-it-all.”

  “I happen to love one,” Eliot shot back. “As for Ludington, I’ve told you a hundred times that he’s more dangerous than you think he is. Your opinion is based on the boy you met at college. He wasn’t a fully-formed manipulator by then.”

  “He was a manipulator,” I argued. “He simply wasn’t dangerous. He’s never been dangerous. He’s all talk.”

  “You’re discussing financial documents,” Eliot pointed out. “Tad is the sort of person who would embezzle.”

  “To what end, though? I know I call him an idiot, but how did he think he would get away with this? He’s not that stupid.”

  “He is that egotistical.”

  “Ugh.” I hate it when Eliot has a point. “Let’s throw out all preconceived notions,” I said after a beat. “Let’s pretend I haven’t spent years sparring with Tad and that I haven’t done some terrible things to him that might possibly spur him to violence. Taking it straight from a logical standpoint, where would he possibly get the sort of money we’re talking about?”

  “Well … .” Eliot broke off as he rubbed the back of his neck. Fawn watched us from the corner, keenly interested in the conversation. She wisely didn’t contribute, which would’ve forced me to rip out her hair and smoosh her face into the ground to shut her up. “Maybe he got donations.”

  “Really?” I had trouble wrapping my head around that. “What moron would give Tad that much money knowing the things he’s done? The dude is more inept than a Kardashian at a humble contest.”

  Eliot furrowed his brow. “What’s a humble contest?”

  “A contest where people try to be humble.”

  “Is that a real thing?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then why would you mention it?”

  “Forget that.” I waved off the question. “I was merely thinking out loud. If I choose to believe Justice – which I’m leaning toward because she seemed almost gleeful at the prospect of taking down one of her opponents – that means her cousin wasn’t helping her and isn’t involved.”

  “Okay. Where does that leave you?”

  “With the original suspicion, at least when it
comes to the clerk’s office,” I answered, an idea forming. “It has to be Mary Winters.”

  “You heard Jake. She’s sick, dying if the rumors are to be believed. Why would she involve herself in this on her way out of office?”

  That was a very good question. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

  “Does that mean you’re done pacing?”

  “For now.”

  I HURRIED BACK TO the clerk’s office parking lot and found most of the vehicles already gone. I cursed under my breath as I surveyed them, sighing when I realized Mary’s was still parked in the top spot.

  Rather than watch from afar and risk Mary racing away when she saw me, I opted to lean against the back of her car, arms crossed, and wait for her to come to me. Thankfully – because the heat was growing oppressive – I didn’t have to wait long.

  Mary pulled up short when she saw me. “What are you doing here?”

  “Waiting for you.”

  “But … why?”

  “Because we have to talk,” I answered, opting not to play games. I gestured toward the Aiken bumper sticker on her car. “You said that everyone in your office was banned from expressing political affiliation.”

  Mary balked. “I … someone put that there as a joke. I’m not kidding. I came out from work one day and it was just there. I didn’t put it there myself. I’m not a bumper sticker sort of girl.”

  I glanced down at the sticker and then back up, genuinely amused. “Wouldn’t it be funnier to put a Ludington sticker on someone’s car? He is the resident goofball, after all.”

  Mary scowled. “You’ll have to ask whoever did it. I noticed it the other day, but haven’t had the chance to remove it.”

  I didn’t believe that for a second. “Yeah, well, that doesn’t really hold water for me. See, at first I thought it was Marlena Newman because she’s Elizabeth Justice’s cousin … .”

  “What? Marlena is Elizabeth’s cousin? How did that get by me?” Mary feigned shock.

  “You’re a really poor actress,” I chided. “Don’t do that again.”

  “Don’t do what? I’m minding my own business here. I’m trying to go home. You’re the one standing in my way. You’re the one … stirring things up.”

  Her tone was bitter and it told me I was on the right track. “Marlena is Justice’s cousin, but they’re not particularly close and Marlena works in deeds and records.”

  Mary’s lips curved down. “So? She could’ve helped her cousin. She might’ve manipulated the other women in the election department to the point where they didn’t realize what was going on.”

  “It’s kind of funny that you say that now, because when I brought up that possibility a few hours ago you said it wasn’t even worth considering.”

  “Well, I’ve given it some thought.” Mary squared her shoulders. “I don’t think anything is impossible and I was wrong to dismiss it out of hand. That wasn’t fair to you or the voters of Macomb County.”

  I bit back a sigh … but just barely. “I know you’re sick.”

  Mary’s face momentarily registered shock. “Excuse me?”

  “I know you’re sick,” I repeated. “Cancer. I heard through the grapevine that this is your last election and you’ll be stepping down not long after.”

  “And who told you that?” Mary’s tone was accusatory. “I’ve only confided in a few trusted sources and I’m sure none of them would tell you.”

  “No, but they probably told a few trusted sources of their own and word spread. I heard it at the diner today, of all places.” Even though I was angry with Jake, I refused to rat him out. “I’m sorry about your misfortune, but I’m not going to back away from this story because I pity you.”

  Mary shifted from one foot to the other. “And what story is it you think you’ve uncovered?”

  She was buying time, hoping to come up with a solution that would give her a window of escape … or force me to focus on someone else. I guess I couldn’t blame her, although it was a weak effort. Anyone who had ever met me knew I couldn’t be distracted that easily when I was determined to solve a puzzle.

  “I know that one of the candidates has been taking money and turning over the appropriate documents to your office to avoid prosecution,” I supplied. “I also know that someone in your office is helping hide the bigger financial declarations, although I’m waffling on why.

  “At first I thought it was as simple as someone not wanting the voters to know how much he or she raked in with donations,” I continued. “Times are tough in a lot of spots – including here – and there could be a backlash if someone raised too much money. After giving it some thought, though, I realized that theory was too simple.

  “By filing the documents with the clerk’s office the candidate in question could avoid prosecution if ever pressed on the issue,” I said. “Or at least offer up some plausible deniability. Also, putting money through the campaign means it’s not taxed. It makes an interesting money laundering pyramid, especially if a candidate has enough of his own money to put into the accounts.”

  Mary’s cheeks flooded with color. “I can’t believe you think I’d be involved in that.”

  “I can’t believe I do either. I’ve always been genuinely fond of you, if only because you were good at your job and never kicked up a fuss when it came to giving me information. It’s not as if I liked you, but I didn’t hate you and I respected you as a professional. Here we are, though, and I think you’re definitely the culprit.”

  “And yet I’m not guilty of what you think I am,” Mary pressed, in what felt like a last-ditch effort to shuttle aside blame.

  “I think you are, Mary.” I kept my tone even. Turning shrill and mean would help no one in this situation. “I think one of the candidates – one of the male candidates – approached you with an opportunity. Word about your illness has spread despite your best efforts, and apparently someone felt as if he could take advantage of you.

  “Whoever is responsible for this funneled a lot of money – more money than should be considered acceptable for a county commission election – through election funds and then hid that fact on the website,” I continued. “To do that, the candidate would need help. Now, I’m not ruling out one of your workers, but it seems to me that would be a gutsy move for a nine-to-fiver. It seems far more likely the boss would be the one brave enough to do it.”

  Mary blinked several times in rapid succession as she regarded me. I thought she was going to put up more of a fight. Instead, she heaved out a sigh and rubbed her forehead. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

  “I want to hear the truth.”

  “And will that somehow cause you to back off and let things play out the way they’re supposed to play out?”

  “No.” I saw no reason to lie. I had the upper hand here. “Mary, you used to be a woman of principle. I get how this happened – no, really, I do – but you can’t let it continue. Your legacy will be tarnished if you do.”

  “My legacy will be tarnished if I admit it,” she corrected. “My legacy is already dirt because of you.”

  “Really?” My eyebrows flew up my forehead. “Are you going to blame me for your poor decisions?”

  “We were almost to the end, Avery. You could’ve just left it alone.”

  “No, I really couldn’t. That’s not how I operate. It would’ve eaten me alive to try.”

  “Do you want to talk about being eaten alive?” Mary’s frustration was palpable as she went on the offensive. “I’ll tell you about being eaten alive. Try getting cancer … even though you ate right and worked out four times a week every week and never smoked. Try finding out you have lung cancer even though you never smoked, for crying out loud. How is that fair?”

  Genuine sympathy rolled through my chest, but I refused to back down. “That totally sucks.” I meant it. “I would be furious in your position. Heck, I would probably feel a little sorry for myself, too. I tend to feel sorry for myself regardless, because I
don’t take it well when things don’t go my way.

  “I’m not saying you had any good choices in this,” I continued. “I don’t understand why you picked the one you did, though. You could’ve gone out in a blaze of glory of sorts, your legacy intact and your memory revered forever. Instead you chose to do this … and I’m not sure I understand why.”

  “Don’t you?” Mary was done pretending to be even mildly pleasant and the look she shot me was pure venom. “You don’t have any idea why I would possibly do this?”

  Her anger caught me off guard. “Are you involved with the candidate you’re helping?” I imagined her getting hot and sweaty with Tad and internally shuddered. “Please don’t tell me that’s why.”

  “Ugh. You’re so full of yourself I can’t stand it. Everyone in this county hates you. You know that, right?”

  I had no intention of letting her derail the conversation. “I know it and relish it. I’m not here to be liked. A wise man once told me that if you tick off only one side in a story you’re not doing your job. If you tick off both sides, you’ll be a better reporter for it.”

  “And what moron told you that little gem?”

  “Marvin Potts.”

  Mary rolled her eyes. “Yes. He’s a real role model. Do you know that he was at a beachfront bar in St. Clair Shores two weeks ago and he told his date he had to go to the bathroom but she found him in the parking lot making out with another woman?”

  That sounded just like him. “I don’t see what that has to do with this conversation.”

  “When she asked him what he was doing he said that he figured he had a better shot at getting sex from the woman in the short skirt,” Mary plowed forward. “Can you believe that?”

  “He has issues with women,” I conceded. “That’s not the point here. I want to know why you did this.”

  Mary threw her hands in the air. “Fine. You want to know, so I’ll tell you. I did it for the money.”