Trust No One

by Velvet Vaughn

  "Thank you, my son, thank you."

  "Don't thank me," he corrected her. "Daphne's the one who escaped."

  "Yes, but you are going to get her and I know you will keep her safe now."

  He disconnected with a promise to have Daphne call her soon. He wove in and out of traffic, pushing the boundaries to get to his little sister as quickly as possible. The area was on the west side of town. An accident blocked the intersection and Dorian cursed. Kendall suggested an alternate route that took them around the fender-bender and had them back on track. They pulled up to the industrial park filled with several large warehouses. He rolled slowly across the lot while Dante tried to pinpoint the exact location of Daphne's cell.

  "It should be that one." Dante pointed to a hulking gray building. Two men were coming out a small side door, one talking on a cell. The other was holding a can of Coke against his forehead. They watched as the men moved to the next building down the row. Once they were inside, he pulled behind the building they just left and cut the engine.

  "Stay here," he ordered Kendall, as he and Dante stepped out. Thankfully she didn't protest. Dorian couldn't help it…he leaned over and brushed a kiss across her lips. "Be right back."

  Dante acted like he didn't see the kiss, but he had a knowing look on his face. They withdrew their guns and eased inside the building. The interior was filled with metal storage containers. Windows surrounded the top of the building, adding a muted light to the space. They both surveyed the area, looking for any sign of Daphne or the bad guys. Before he could call out her name, she came running from her hiding place and launched herself in his arms. Dorian managed to slide his weapon in the back waistband of his jeans while he hugged her tight, so damn thankful she was alive and unhurt. He had to swallow a couple of times before he could get any words out. "Are you sure you're okay?"

  "I'm fine," she insisted, her voice muffled against his neck.

  "Let's get you out of here," Dante said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. He opened the door and held up a hand for them to wait. Once he cleared the area, he motioned for them to follow. Dorian wasn't letting go, so he carried Daphne to the truck. Dante opened the door and he sat her inside. Kendall had moved to the back and she cried out in relief, throwing her arms around his sister. They clung to each other and he had to fight another lump in his throat.

  #

  "So, I tried using my super-sleuth skills to grill Roger but the guy was totally clueless."

  Daphne was sucking on a milkshake as she related the story. Dorian had swung through a drive-through to purchase the treat for her on the way home. She didn't even have to ask him....he just knew she'd want one. He called their mom as soon as they pulled out of the warehouse and she wept in relief. She was so happy that she couldn't even speak. Daphne made her promise to stay with her sister until it was safe to come back. Now they were all seated in Alex's cabin while she filled them in on how she escaped.

  "He didn't have any idea who was pulling the strings?" Dante asked.

  She shook her head and sat her empty cup aside. She could use another hit. Her adrenalin was still running strong. "He said some man paid them five grand each to watch over me and then they would get another five grand when the job was over."

  "Could he describe the guy?"

  Daphne shook her head. "He said he wore a hood, cap and sunglasses. He was white, about six feet, medium build. That's all he knew."

  "It's someone that has access to a lot of money," Kendall surmised. "Ten grand up front is a hefty sum."

  "How did Roger and Reggie get in touch with him?" Dorian queried.

  "They didn't. He said the man called them."

  Dante grabbed Roger's phone off the coffee table. "Maybe we can trace it."

  "I'm guessing the kidnapper probably used the same burner," Dorian said, "but it's worth a shot."

  Dante stepped away to call Peter to check the numbers while Dorian dialed his phone. "Hey Mags. I know it's late, but—"

  Maggie squealed loud enough that Dorian winced and pulled the phone from his ear. "Let me talk to her."

  Dorian handed Daphne the phone. She'd met Maggie once when she and Mama took a trip to visit Dorian to see his new house. They'd become fast friends and kept in touch on social media. Maggie was one of the few people that knew about Daphne's dream of becoming an agent.

  "I'm so proud of you," Maggie gushed.

  "Thanks, Mags," Daphne said. "I'm a little proud of me, too."

  "Still thinking of becoming an agent?"

  Daphne turned so her brother couldn't hear the conversation. Though it was a perfectly fine career for him, he'd have a fit if he found out she wanted to be an agent, too. He would try to tell her it was too dangerous. "Absolutely. Now more than ever."

  "Well, I think you'd make a kick-ass security specialist," Mags praised.

  "Thanks. You would, too."

  "Tell that to my lug-headed bosses," Maggie grumbled.

  "Have you heard anything about Hillary?" She was a little afraid to hear the answer. She'd been shot so many times.

  "Just that they stabilized her enough for surgery and she pulled through. Luke flew over to be with her when she wakes up. He's going to let me know as soon as there's any news."

  "Would you please let me know, too? I feel so guilty."

  "Don't," Maggie ordered. "This wasn't your fault."

  "But she was shot because of me. So many times, Maggie."

  "Hillary is one of the toughest chicas I know. She's strong and she's a fighter. She'll pull through," Maggie said confidently.

  Daphne prayed she was right.

  "Dorian is gesturing to me, so I guess he needs to talk to you."

  "I'm so happy you're safe, sweetie," Maggie said. "I want to hear all about your escape soon."

  They said their goodbyes and she handed the phone to Dorian. He asked Maggie to check the financial records of Byron Wilks, Gray Posten, Vivian Mathison and Senator Aaron Hofstra to see if any of them recently withdrew a large sum of money.

  She sat back down on the sofa next to Kendall.

  "I'm so proud of you, Daphne," Kendall said, hugging her. "And I'm so sorry you were dragged in to this." She pulled back and lowered her voice. "They really didn't hurt you?"

  She shook her head. "They pretty much ignored me."

  "They most certainly underestimated you," she said with a smile.

  Kendall was movie-star beautiful and one of the nicest people she'd ever met. Daphne hoped her big brother fell for her so that they could be sisters.

  #

  Dorian turned into the complex where Stefani's apartment was located. He parked a few units away and cut the engine. Daphne had fallen asleep after her ordeal, so Dante stayed at the cabin to watch over her. "I'm sorry we have to do this," Kendall said. "Your sister can escape maniacal kidnappers but I can't even manage to hold on to one small flash drive."

  Dorian grabbed her hand before she could exit the truck. "We were running for our lives, a man was shooting at us. Your safety is all that mattered." He slid his hand around her face and brushed her lips with his. It was light and sweet and not nearly enough. She opened her mouth and he groaned, pulling her tighter as his tongue slid inside to tangle with hers. She loved kissing him. Much too soon for her liking, he pulled back and ran a thumb across her lips. "Let's go see if we can find the drive so you can quit beating yourself up."

  "Hopefully the downstairs tenants aren't home," she said, remembering the barking canine from the other night.

  They stepped out of the truck and Dorian reached for her hand pulling her to his side. She threaded her arm through his. They strolled leisurely, like two lovers out for an evening walk. Dorian smiled down at her and her heart skipped a beat. Oh, no. She'd actually done it. She'd fallen in love with him.

  Before she could process that thought, Dorian flipped on a flashlight and shined it around the area as they strolled past Stefani's unit. "If the police canvassed the area for shell casings, they could have fou
nd it," he warned her.

  They walked slowly, searching for anything that caught in the light's beam. "Is that it?" She scurried over to the item, excitement surging through her veins. She reached for it and snatched it off the ground. Her shoulders sagged. "Just a lighter," she said with dismay.

  "Don't give up hope yet. We've still got a big area to cover."

  "I just don't want to have to go back inside Stefani's apartment and see all of the damage."

  "If we don't find it out here, I'll go in so you don't have to," he offered. He was so generous and kind and concerned for her feelings. No doubt about it…she'd fallen headfirst in love with him.

  They came upon the row of bushes she'd hidden behind waiting for him to emerge from the apartment. She closed her eyes, trying to recreate her movements that night. She'd hunkered down and withdrew her weapon, intending to protect Dorian at any cost. She didn't want to have to shoot someone, but to save his life, she would have in a heartbeat. The drive could have easily been dislodged when she pulled the gun. She opened her eyes to search, shocked to see Dorian standing in front of her wiggling something in front of her face, a huge smile on his lips. "Look familiar?"

  She squealed and jumped into his arms. "I was trying to recall my movements that night to narrow down the search area."

  "It's got a bit of dew on it but at least it's in one piece. If we can't get anything off of it, I'll overnight it to Pete and he can pull the data."

  She kissed him quickly on the lips and then jumped from his arms. She practically towed him to the truck, anxious to see what was on the disk Stef left for her to find.

  "In a hurry?" His smile was amused.

  "As a matter of fact, yes." She scurried inside the truck and belted up. "Can we pop it in your computer now?"

  "Just to be safe, let's get back to the cabin. I'd rather have total privacy. And I don't want to stick around here any longer than necessary and have some nervous tenant calling the police on a suspicious vehicle."

  He was right…it would be better to get back to the cabin…but she didn't have to like it. "Fine, but drive fast."

  Thirty minutes later, they pulled up to the cabin. Kendall raced through the door, the flash drive practically burning her palm. This was the clue they needed to find Stefani's killers…she was sure of it. It had taken longer than she wanted to return, but Dorian insisted on several circuitous routes to make sure they weren't followed.

  Dante glanced up when she entered, his cell plastered to his ear. He said goodbye to his son and disconnected. "Did you find it?"

  Kendall showed him the drive and pointed to Dorian as he closed the door behind him. "He did."

  Dorian held out his palm and she tendered over the drive. "Is Daphne still asleep?" he asked, as he settled his computer on the bar in the kitchen and powered it on.

  "Out like a light," Dante confirmed. "I checked on her a few minutes ago." He padded over to watch.

  Dorian slid the drive into a port on his computer and opened the folder. "Only one file and it's a video." He clicked on a program and turned on the sound. Stefani's face suddenly appeared and Kendall gasped at seeing her friend alive and beautiful.

  "My name is Stefani Sinclair and I witnessed what I believe was the murder of Senator Aaron Hofstra's wife. I was at a fundraising party at the governor's mansion on September eleventh with my boyfriend,Nov Byron Wilks. Byron is Senator Hofstra's campaign manager and he was working the crowd when I needed to use the restroom. There was a line, so a server guided me to a bathroom upstairs. As I was coming out, I ran into Mrs. Hofstra, who was pale and unsteady on her feet. I asked if she was okay and she told me she wasn't feeling well. I spotted a couch in a dark room and I guided Mrs. Hofstra to lie down. I pulled the door closed and went to fetch a wet cloth for her forehead, but someone else was using the restroom so it took me a few minutes before I returned. As I approached the room, light spilled under the door, which I thought was strange since I left it dark. I gently pushed the door open and saw Mrs. Hofstra lying on the floor in front of the sofa. She was bleeding profusely and appeared unconscious. There was something protruding from her chest that looked like a letter opener. A man was standing over her, barking into his phone. I gasped and he spun around, but I managed to duck out of sight and flee down the hall. After I calmed my breathing, I went looking for Byron to tell him what I saw, but I couldn't find him. As I fumbled for my cell to call him, I spotted him walking down the corridor. I was so relieved, I started towards him, but he made a beeline for the room and shut the door. I heard the click of a lock being turned. I didn't know what to do, so I returned to the party and tried to act normal. I didn't want him to know what I'd seen until I could figure out what his part was, so I called him to ask where he was. He was brusque…borderline rude, telling me something came up and he would call a cab to take me home. I told him I'd wait but he adamantly refused and told me—ordered me, really—to wait outside for the taxi."

  All three of them were transfixed on the screen, waiting for Stef to continue.

  "I love my boyfriend and didn't want him getting into trouble, but on Monday evening, when I heard that the senator's wife was missing, I knew I had to do something. I thought about asking Byron but something told me not to, so on Tuesday, I called an old friend, Detective Rick Fleming with the Chicago Police Department. I told him everything I'm telling you. Since this was such a high-profile case, Rick didn't want to notify anyone in his department until we gathered as much information as we could before making any accusations. I wanted to discreetly question my boyfriend, but he was busy all week. He finally agreed to lunch on Friday, but he was very distracted. He got a phone call that upset him but he wouldn’t tell me why. He took me home early and I decided to follow him. He drove back to his apartment but instead of going in, he got into a waiting car. They pulled into an alley on the west side of town and got out. I wouldn't have recognized Byron if I hadn't see him get in the car. He and the other man both wore ski masks. A man was waiting for them and they approached him and killed him. I'm not sure if it was Byron or the other man who shot him. I took pictures on my cell phone to show to Rick, but when I called him, I found out he…" She stopped to compose herself. "He was dead. I don't believe it was an accident like they are saying. Someone found out he was looking into the case and silenced him. I'm afraid they're after me now. I'm scared to go to my apartment, but I need to sneak in to hide this recording. I'm meeting with my college friends and then I'm going to figure out what to do. I'm taping this in case anything happens to me."

  Kendall swallowed a lump in her throat. Stefani tried to do the right thing and instead, she ended up dead, with Kiki and Bridget innocent bystanders.

  "Kendall, I know you're the one watching and I'm sorry we let so many years go by without getting together. I love you and will miss you. You'll know what to do with the information. You were always the one I trusted. Please tell my sister that I love her. I pray you can get justice for Mrs. Hofstra, for Rick Fleming, for the old man in the alley, and for me. And now for the final piece of the puzzle…" Stefani paused for effect. "The man I saw standing over Mrs. Hofstra's dead body was the Governor of Illinois, Carson Denton."

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Ron Daulton was just about to nod off when his desk phone rang. He hadn't slept well in the last two weeks…ever since Pamela Hofstra went missing. He wiped a hand down his face and answered.

  "Hey Ron, it's Kirby from the CyberCrimes division. I was finally able to track down the money trail that leads to that thirty-thousand dollar payment to Cora Nelson."

  Ron was instantly awake. "What did you find out?"

  "The money was deposited into her account from a company named Starlight International, which is nothing more than a shell company. I had to do some hard-core digging…the company was deeply buried under layers and layers."

  "Someone went to a lot of trouble to hide it," Ron summarized.

  "Exactly. They were good, but not good enough. I was eventual
ly able to link Starlight to a parent company by the name of ARM Investments."

  "I've heard of them."

  "They're a multi-million dollar investment company founded here in Chicago by the late Arthur R. Mathison."

  "Vivian Mathison's husband."

  "Exactly."

  "We've got her red-handed." Ron thanked Kirby and rubbed his hands together with glee. They had enough to tie Vivian Mathison to the murders of Cora Nelson and Dr. Feldman. No towing company in the greater Chicago area had picked up a vehicle registered to Vivian the day of her supposed car trouble, nor the next few days after. No reports of abandoned vehicles either. Cory spoke with a cab driver who dropped off a woman matching Vivian's description a block from the clinic the night in question. Cory was showing her picture to the man now to get a positive ID.

  If she was capable of felony murder…killing committed during the commission of a major crime, in this case arson…it wasn't a far leap to assume she slayed the very enceinte Mrs. Hofstra as well. He grabbed his jacket and slid it on as he went in search of Cory and an arrest warrant.

  #

  Dorian parked in the visitor lot and grabbed his laptop as he exited the truck. Kendall rounded the hood and met him, grasping his hand as they made their way to Alex's room. They wanted to show Alex the video in person instead of telling him about it over the phone. Dorian copied the disk onto his hard drive and left the original with Dante at the cabin for safekeeping.

  Alex was sitting up in bed when they arrived, a half-eaten lunch tray pushed to the side of the table. He glanced up with his one good eye, a look of disgust twisting his features.

  "You didn't happen to bring me a cheeseburger, did you?" He picked up a fork with some kind of lumpy, white substance that Dorian assumed was supposed to be mashed potatoes. "I could paper walls with this."

  "Sorry, no cheeseburger," Dorian commiserated. "But we do have something better."

  "No kidding?" Alex shoved the tray aside and arranged the blanket covering his legs. "What have you got?"