Deadly Discovery

by Tami Kidd

  Eighteen

  They arrived in Sacramento late evening. Alex thought it would be a good idea if they got a room, a good meal, and then researched the internet to find out where to locate Lawrence Gerard. If successful, first thing in the morning, they planned to pay him a little visit.

  The next morning, gray thunder clouds threatened to open up with buckets of rain. Mara hoped the ugly weather wasn’t a portent of what lay ahead. She wanted answers and felt confident that Alex’s plan to make Gerard talk would work. The thought of being in the same room with him made her skin crawl. She knew Gerard wasn’t going to be thrilled at seeing the woman who kicked his ass and left him to burn to death. Nope, this isn’t going to be a joyous reunion of long lost friends.

  ****

  Alex and Mara sat in a park located across the street from Gerard’s home. Located in a well-established neighborhood where doctors, lawyers, and bankers raised their families, the spacious two-story, cheery-yellow building and well-maintained yard scattered with patches of colorful flowers looked like the type of home Mary Poppins would live in, not a corrupt kidnapper.

  Activity began to stir in the neighborhood as families left their homes dressed in their Sunday best. Most probably headed off to worship services.

  “This goes against the laws of nature,” Mara said, looking at Gerard’s house.

  “What?” From across the picnic table, Alex cocked his head to one side.

  “It’s not natural for a scumbag like Gerard to live in such a nice neighborhood across the street from a park where respectable families bring their kids to play.” She pointed at the homes surrounding Gerard’s house. “Makes me physically ill to think a man like him pretends to be an upstanding citizen by day and then a crazed lunatic by night. He doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as these people.”

  “I know,” Alex said, shaking his head. “All we can hope for is that one day he’ll get what he deserves.”

  “It doesn’t always happen that way. Some people never get what’s coming to them. Somehow they always manage to come out smelling like a rose.”

  “That’s when you have to have faith that in the end they will be held accountable for their actions.”

  Mara said nothing. She looked at Alex and knew he believed what he said to be true. His optimism continued to surprise her. He was his own man with his own set of beliefs. You’re an amazing man, Alex Strange. I wish I could tell you how amazing you are.

  After a minute, he slapped his hands down on the table and stood up. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

  Together, they walked across the street and up the long, neatly manicured walkway to Gerard’s front door. Alex rang the doorbell. As he reached up to knock again, a petite middle-aged Hispanic woman dressed in a black and white maid’s uniform answered the door.

  This keeps getting better and better!

  “May I help you?” she asked in a thick Spanish accent.

  “Yes, we’d like to speak to Mr. Gerard please,” Alex said.

  “If you are with the press, you will have to make an appointment with Mr. Gerard’s press secretary,” she said as she started to close the door.

  Alex held his hand up. “No, ma’am, we’re not with the press. Please tell him we’re here about the letter. He’ll understand.”

  “Excuse me a moment.” She closed the door behind her.

  As they waited, Mara asked, “If this turns ugly, you do have an exit strategy, right?”

  “It won’t get ugly. We’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Follow my lead.” Alex patted her on the back.

  The maid opened the door. “Mr. Gerard will see you now. Please follow me.” Stepping aside, the maid waved them inside.

  Mara’s stomach flipped a few somersaults. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. What have we gotten ourselves into?

  The maid led them through a set of double doors that opened into a large spacious room. “Mr. Gerard will be with you shortly,” she said as she closed the doors behind her.

  The library had books lined on two walls from top to bottom. A huge fireplace stood off to the right far wall. The mantel was lined with framed photos of all sizes including pictures of Gerard, an attractive redhead, and two small boys with the same red hair. Mara assumed they must be his wife and children. A few of the photos exhibited him with various public figures such as the Governor of California. The largest photo of Gerard and his wife standing with the former President and First Lady took center stage.

  Two overstuffed couches sat at right angles to the fireplace. Between the couches, a beautiful upright root stump table gleamed with natural beauty. The room had a warm, welcoming feel to it, and that bothered Mara. As a real-life Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, did his wife know what a treacherous man she slept with? Mara shivered at the thought.

  “Not bad,” Alex whispered.

  “Yeah, I guess deceit has its perks.”

  As if on cue, the double doors opened and Lawrence Gerard walked in looking like he owned the world. His thin lips bordered a broad smile. Every strand of his dark hair was neatly trimmed in place. His close-set brown eyes situated above a long nose dominated his thin, pinched face. He wore a dark-blue pinstriped suit over his lanky frame.

  “Isn’t this a surprise? Mrs. Byrne and Mr. Strange, how absolutely delightful to see you!” Gerard said in a jaunty tone. “Please have a seat.” He motioned to the couches in front of the fireplace. “Carmella said you wanted to speak to me about the letter. Excellent!”

  Oh my God, there’s that word again! Mara wanted to choke him to death but remained as calm as possible. Alex must have sensed her reaction, because he gently squeezed her arm as they sat on the couch opposite Gerard.

  “Ah! Where are my manners? Could I have Carmella bring you something? Coffee? Tea?”

  “No, thank you, we’re fine,” Alex said, holding up his hand.

  “If you’re sure,” Gerard said, “please let me know if you change your mind.”

  Mara wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. Are you serious? You kidnapped me. Tied me up. Threatened to kill me. And now you’re offering me something to drink! “Can we get on with this?” Mara asked through clenched teeth.

  “Of course,” Gerard said with a nod. “What can I do for you? Or, more importantly, what can you do for me?”

  “We would like to ask you some questions,” Alex interjected before Mara spoke up.

  “Ask, but I won’t guarantee that I’ll answer them all.” Gerard sneered as he looked at Mara.

  She returned his steady gaze. He was playing games now, hoping to remind her of Twenty Questions. You son of a bitch.

  “I think you’ll be more than willing to answer our questions once you hear what we have to say,” Alex said.

  Gerard raised a hand to motion Alex to proceed.

  “On Tuesday evening you—” Alex paused. “Took Mara against her will, held her and questioned her about a letter. What interest do you have in the letter?”

  “I have no idea what you’re referring to,” Gerard said as he studied his expertly manicured nails.

  Liar!

  “Listen, Larry Gerry, stop pretending. We want to know why you have such a hard-on for this letter.” Alex leaned forward; his gaze hardened. “This is not a social visit. We’re not here to play patty-cake with you. And we’re certainly not here to tolerate your counterfeit courtesy. Just give us answers.”

  Gerard sucked in a deep breath and said, “If I were interested in this letter you’re referring to, I would not have gone to such drastic measures to obtain information.”

  Alex sat straighter. “We have proof you did exactly that!”

  Gerard stared for a moment, his face blank. He laced his hands together and then tapped his lips with his fingers. “I don’t believe you.”

  Alex leaned forward on the couch and said in a soft maniacal voice, “Think about it. Do you actually think we would come here today if we didn’t have proof?”

  “All right, I’ll
bite. What’s your proof? Let me see it.”

  “Do you think we’re that stupid? Let’s just say a picture is worth a thousand words.”

  “You’re bluffing.” The skin on Gerard’s skinny neck turned red.

  Alex reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved his cell phone. Before he could object, Alex snapped a photo. The look of surprise on Gerard’s face was priceless. Alex placed the phone back in his pocket and waited for the man’s response.

  “I see.” Gerard’s tone was measured. “Mrs. Byrne, I give you credit. You are a clever woman. You must guarantee my cooperation ensures that any unflattering photos of me are kept from public scrutiny.”

  Yes, we got you now, bucko! “Of course,” Mara said.

  “Very well. What do you want to know?” Gerard rose from the couch and walked to the table lined with several crystal decanters of alcohol.

  Alex winked at Mara with a look of triumph. He turned back to Gerard. “Do you know Dr. Jessica Foster?”

  Taking a swig, Gerard seemed to contemplate his answer. “No, I’m afraid I’ve never heard of Dr. Jessica Foster.” Gerard returned to the couch and sat down.

  “Do you know who wrote the letter?”

  “No, I don’t. Sorry.”

  “Why did you want the letter?”

  “The letter contains valuable information. Important people are willing to pay millions for it.”

  “Ah,” Alex said, “this is all about money.”

  “You catch on very quickly, Mr. Strange.”

  “You’re scum!” Alex spat out vehemently. Mara reached over and placed a calming hand on his arm.

  Wagging his finger, Gerard said, “Tsk, tsk, Mr. Strange. I would be willing to be quite generous if you and Mrs. Byrne hand over the letter. I’m not an unreasonable man.”

  Alex took a deep breath. “What’s in the letter?”

  “I’m afraid I am not privy to that. It’s valuable. That’s all I know.”

  “So valuable that you were willing to kidnap and murder for it!” Alex lashed out again as he almost jumped off the couch.

  Mara placed her hand on his arm again to calm him. His emotion surprised her.

  Gerard’s eyes narrowed. “I assure you, I would not have harmed Mrs. Byrne in the process of obtaining the letter.”

  “You sure had a funny way of showing it,” Mara said.

  “I apologize, Mrs. Byrne. I may have been overzealous in my eagerness to acquire the letter for my client, but I would—”

  Mara jumped to her feet. “Overzealous!”

  Alex grasped her arm and pulled her back down onto the couch. “Larry Gerry, tell us who your client is.”

  Gerard grinned and lowered his head. “I’m embarrassed to say, I don’t know. I was approached anonymously. The client never revealed his identity. If I acquired the letter, in exchange for it, I would receive a payment transferred to an offshore account.”

  “How much?” Alex asked.

  “Twenty-five million dollars.”

  Mara choked.

  “How was your client going to take possession of the letter?” Alex asked.

  “I received instructions to mail the letter to a post office box on the east coast.”

  “What was the address?”

  “I never received it. An email with the information would be sent once I confirmed the letter was in my possession.”

  “What was the client’s response when you failed to get the letter?”

  “I—never told the client that I failed. When I agreed to obtain the letter, I made it clear that I didn’t know how long it would take.”

  “So, your client is still waiting for you to respond?”

  “Yes.” Gerard nodded.

  Alex shot a glance at Mara. “Email your client and tell them you have the letter.”

  “Excellent!” Gerard clapped his hands together.

  Mara jumped to her feet. “Are you out of your mind?”

  “Can you give us a minute?” Alex asked, looking at Gerard.

  “Of course.” Gerard rose and left the room.

  When Alex was sure Gerard was out of earshot he said, “Listen, Mara—”

  Mara held up her hand. “Don’t. Just don’t. I can’t believe you’re going to give him what he wants!” She paced back and forth.

  Taking her shoulders, Alex whispered, “I’m not giving him anything. I want him to think he’s getting the letter. You want to find out the truth behind all this, don’t you?”

  Mara nodded, uncertain what he was up to, but she would listen to what he had to say.

  “Well then, just play along,” Alex said. “We have to make him believe we’re willing to cooperate.”

  “Are you sure this is going to work?”

  “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes, I suppose,” Mara said with a shrug of her shoulders.

  “Please, Mara, I would never do anything to hurt you. Believe that.”

  “Okay.” She sighed as they sat back on the couch and waited for Gerard to return.

  He walked into the room smiling. “Well, do we have a deal?”

  “This is your lucky day, Larry. We have a deal.” Alex gave Larry his biggest, brightest smile.

  “Excellent!” Gerard said as he rubbed his hands together.

  “First, we need to lay down some ground rules,” Alex said.

  “Rules?” Gerard gazed sideways at the bar.

  Mara’s face split in a shit-eating grin. What’s the matter? Don’t you like rules?

  “First, we want your word that you won’t try to hurt either one of us, or any of our friends,” Alex said.

  “Agreed.”

  “Next, when you receive the address, you will give it to us so we can mail the letter.”

  Gerard held his hand up in protest. He opened his mouth to speak.

  Alex cut him off. “Take it or leave it.”

  “What guarantee do I have that you will actually send the letter?”

  “When you receive the payment in your offshore account you will have all the confirmation you need. When you receive payment, you will then deposit five million dollars into a Swiss bank account for us.”

  Gerard tilted his head. “What makes you so confident that I’ll do that?”

  “You’re forgetting we have insurance.” Alex patted his jacket pocket where he kept his cell phone.

  Gerard’s face paled.

  For the next twenty minutes, Alex and Gerard went over the details. When they left his house, the clouds began to break, sunlight peeking through. Mara felt like she had been on a roller coaster ride and had trouble finding her footing.

  They got in Alex’s truck and headed back to Riverside. After they pulled on the interstate, Mara asked, “Do you think this is going to work?”

  “I do. Gerard is the type of person who believes everyone is as greedy as he is. He wasn’t surprised when we agreed to deal for five million. He doesn’t understand that some people don’t think the world revolves around money and power. He believes that given the chance, everyone can be bought if enough dollar signs are involved.”

  “I hope you’re right or we could end up dead.”

  “I am right. I know people like Gerard. They’re predictable. I think we’ve made a lot of progress today. I believe we’ll know very soon what this is all about.”

  “I hope so. I wonder what Thomas was mixed up in. Why was Dr. Foster even in California working at a job so completely outside her field? I think there are more unanswered questions now than before. Who is this third person and why does she want the letter?

  “I don’t know. We’ll be getting to the bottom soon. I promise.”

  It was late when they arrived in Riverside. Careful, Alex drove around different streets to Matt’s house in case they were being followed. Gerard could still have his men take the letter by force. No need to share in the payoff.

  ****

  “Tomorrow morning, I’ll call Jerry and see if I can pick up the letter,” Alex said as he thr
ew the keys on the kitchen counter. “Then I’ll call Gerard and tell him to proceed as planned.”

  Too tired to speak, Mara shook her head and waved her arm. “I’m really tired. I think I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.”

  “Are you okay?” Alex asked with a concerned look on his face.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just beat. Seeing Gerard today really drained me,” Mara said, running her hand through her hair.

  Alex didn’t look convinced but let it go. “Well, if you’re sure you’re okay. I’m going to stay up for a while and see what else I can find out about Dr. Foster.”

  “Good luck.” Mara turned and walked down the hallway to the bedroom. Though it had become her room during the stay, she missed her own bed. Then she wondered how her house got along with the sale. Helen probably thought she fell off the face of the Earth. Also remembering the missed calls from Lucia and her editor, Mara pledged to take a shower and return the calls before bed.

  She felt like a new woman when she stepped out of the bath wrapped in an over-sized towel. After she dried herself off, she dug in her bag for a nightshirt. Her phone buzzed. It was Lucia.

  Mara answered. “Hey, Luc. I’m sorry I didn’t call you back. I’ve been very—”

  “I’ve been worried sick! Don’t ever do this to me again! I’ve been out of my mind. Stephen said he’d file for a divorce if I didn’t shut up about you.” Lucia laughed.

  “I’m so sorry, sweetie. You wouldn’t believe what I’ve been through the past few days.”

  “So, let’s have lunch tomorrow, and you can tell me all about it.”

  Mara hesitated and then said, “Uh, I guess I can squeeze in lunch, but it will have to be a short one. Is that okay?”

  “No, but I’ll take what I can get,” Lucia said. “And you can tell me all about what’s been going on between you and Alex.”

  “What makes you think something is going on?”

  “I went by your house this afternoon. Mrs. Parker was snooping around in her front yard. She came over and said she hasn’t seen you since you left with that nice young man.”