“So do you want to tell us about your grand plan and how you managed to pull it off?” Riley asked.
“Jeffrey took care of everything.”
“Okay,” Max said, although she didn’t believe her. “Then can you explain an entry on your campaign funds ledger for a hundred thousand dollars paid out to the M. C. Party Planners?”
“What about it?” she asked. “I don’t handle my money. I have an accountant for that.”
“Then why do you suppose that entry is in your handwriting?”
Stansbury’s mouth gaped.
“I’m astounded you’re so surprised, Senator. You’re a bright woman. Did you think no one would ever suspect what you did was illegal?”
“People do foolish things in the name of love.” Stansbury crossed her arms and rested them against her chest.
“That’s a lot of money for a catered affair.” Riley said.
“I’m sure you can understand . . . ,” she said.
“All right, Senator.” Max’s eyes narrowed. “Enough,” she said gruffly. “Let’s get down to specifics. Isn’t it true that the entry for M. C. Party Planners is just a fictitious event created by you and Dr. Barrett?”
Stansbury licked her parched lips.
“Here’s your chance to tell your side of the story, Senator. You’ve already seen that covering for him is a worthless cause,” Max warned. “After examining yours and Dr. Barrett’s financial accounts, we found two entries for a hundred thousand, both paid to M. C. Party Planners. Yours is an entry on your campaign ledger, and Dr. Barrett’s is from his Souley account. We believe that you paid the original one hundred thousand as hush money out of your campaign funds to the individual who covered up the illegal heart transplant, and the second payout from Dr. Barrett’s account was made because the individual was blackmailing you . . . or maybe it was paid to kill Helen Barrett? How am I doing so far, Senator?”
Stansbury’s eyes cast downward as she played with the lid from the bottle of water sitting on the table in front of her. Max’s silence caused the senator to look up. Max’s patience was waning. “Listen, if you’re just going to ignore my questions, then there’s no reason for us to waste time. We have a lot of work to do.” Max turned to Riley. “Will you call for a uniform to transport the senator to her cell?”
“Okay, I’ll answer your questions, but I hope this is going to keep me from going to jail.”
“I told you before, I can’t guarantee anything, but I will tell the district attorney that you did cooperate.”
Noticing she’d finished her bottle of water, Riley passed another over to her and one to Max.
“The money, Senator? What was the money you paid out for?” She didn’t respond. “What was Dr. Barrett’s payout?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you use your campaign funds to make that payment?” Stansbury simply stared at Max. “Your lack of a response tells me that’s exactly what you used.
“Was the money used to blow up the car with Helen Barrett in it?”
“Not as far as I was concerned. I have no idea if Jeffrey had planned to do that. I don’t know why he let her drive his car when he wouldn’t even let her ride in it.” She shrugged. “Honestly, it was surprising to me.”
“I’m going to ask you this again. Did you use your campaign funds to pay out the one hundred thousand?” The senator continued to stare. “Okay, Senator, I’m going to take your silence as a yes.” When the senator neither admitted nor denied, Max knew she had her answer.
“Was part of your payout to M. C. Party Planners to kill Helen?”
“I told you, dammit, I had nothing to do with that.”
“Then tell me who the owner of this company is.”
“I . . . don’t . . . know.” She blew her nose. “My aides took care of that function for me.”
“So if the aides took care of that for you, why was Jeffrey paying the funds out of the Souley account?”
“How should I know?” Max noticed her eye twitch, a known physical indication from the body language experts that she was lying.
“Senator, you’re lying.”
“Talk to Jeffrey. I gave the money to him and he handled it all.”
“From your campaign funds?” Max said. The senator looked directly into Max’s eyes. “Okay, Senator, I’m once again going to take your nonverbal response as a yes.” Max took a breath before continuing. “Does the M. C. stand for Melanie Chambers, the transplant coordinator? Did she need money, and you caught her at a vulnerable time?”
The senator remained silent.
Max refused to play her game. “I’m going to ask you one more time, Senator, did you two conspire to kill Helen Barrett?”
“I told you, no. I might have wished she was dead, but I didn’t have anything to do with it. I don’t know why he gave her the keys to his car, and I sure as hell don’t know if he killed her. What I do know is that he wasn’t about to give up his millions to her and have to start all over.”
“Oh, really?”
“Can I go home to my daughter now?”
“I’m afraid not, Senator.” Max nodded to Riley, who removed his handcuffs from the back of his belt as he stood.
“Senator Kay Stansbury, please stand and put your hands behind your back.” It was obvious the fact she was about to be arrested hit her hard, because she was sobbing. “You are under arrest for attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud, as well as hindering prosecution and false statements to law enforcement. You have the right to remain silent . . .”
“You can’t do this. I’m a senator of the United States of America.”
“Actually, Senator, I can. Just because you’re a senator doesn’t give you a license to break the laws. You not only broke the rules of your office, but there’s no excuse for your behavior. Rest assured, these charges are only a beginning.” Max nodded to Riley, who opened the door and called a uniform into the room.
“You tricked me, Detective. You made me think you were my friend just so I’d spill my guts. You know how vulnerable I am right now.”
“First of all, you are an adult. Second of all, I did no such thing. And if you recall, I have a recording of the conversation to prove it.”
Stansbury clamped her mouth shut and stared at the floor. “I have to make arrangements for my daughter’s care,” she said in a remorseful voice.
“And you’ll have your chance. Right after you change into your orange jumpsuit.” Max nodded to the uniform to take her away.
Riley turned to Max. “So what’s your take on her involvement with Helen’s killing?” he asked.
“I’m not convinced she took part in it, but that remains to be seen. That’s one down and a few more to go. Let’s go see if the attorney for Dr. Wonderful has arrived.”
“By the way,” Riley said after the senator was carted away, “having the uniform come in here with Barrett was classic.”
“Oh, I didn’t plan that.” She gave Riley a hard wink, and he laughed.
“Good afternoon, Dr. Barrett,” Max said after walking into the interrogation room, thankful that Riley had taken all the necessary steps to prepare him for questioning. She eased her way over to the recorder, clicked the remote, and stated the names of those in attendance.
“You’re in a lot of trouble, Dr. Barrett. Do you know that?” Barrett gave her an impetuous glare. “Where were you going when our officers came to your house?”
“My attorney is on his way, and I’ll answer no questions until he’s present.”
“That’s certainly your right, but cooperating with us now is in your best interest.”
“I’ve done nothing wrong.”
Max snickered. “Then you have nothing to worry about. Right?” she said matter-of-factly. “We had this same conversation on Wednesday morning. You came down here to find out how much I knew?” He glowered at her. “You can pretend you’re innocent, but that isn’t what your dead wife said.”
“Excuse me?”
“Did you know that juries have a tendency to give more credence to a victim who speaks from the grave than if they were listening to them in person?”
He snickered, crossing his arms. He leaned back as though closing his mind off to the conversation, but after a moment, he took the bait. He snorted. “So now you’re going to tell me you had a séance and she spoke to you?” he mocked. “What kind of fool do you take me for?”
“You don’t believe me, huh?” Max shoved a piece of gum into her mouth. “You know what I think, Doc? I think you underestimated your wife. No one could ever accuse Helen Barrett of being a dummy. In fact, she was a woman who knew you so well that she suspected you might try to do something to her, and because of that, she left a handwritten note in Maddie’s duties binder.” His eyes narrowed with skepticism. “She did!” Max held up her hand. “And you know where it was? Right in the pantry! Maddie didn’t even know it was there. I guess your wife knew you would never have any reason to be looking in that binder, but there was a chance Maddie would at some point.”
Barrett’s eyes smoldered with fire.
“From what Mrs. Barrett told us, I’m afraid this party is over for you and the senator.” His lips twisted into a cynical grin. “Yes, Doc.” She nodded her head up and down. “Aren’t you even curious about the note?” She waited for a reaction, but he maintained the cool exterior so inherent to those in the medical field. “Okay.” Max shrugged. She walked to the door, opened it, and called out to another detective, “Will you please escort Dr. Barrett to a holding cell?”
“With pleasure.”
Max moved out of the way to allow him to cuff the doctor and watched as an angry Barrett stared her down, daring her to defy him. She knew that look all too well from her adoptive father. She stood erect, unflinching as she stared right back at him without breaking her focus. She watched as he was escorted down the hall to the holding cells and then turned toward her partner.
“Okay, Riley, we have a lot of work to do within the next seventy-two hours. Our first stop is to give the boss an update. There’s a lot more than meets the eye on this one.”
“Yes, ma’am, but let me bring you up to date on the M. C. Party Planners,” Riley said, catching up with her long stride. “Lucille Brennen, who was in charge of the senator’s entertainment during the campaign, has no knowledge of this catering company and said they never catered any of the senator’s functions. She didn’t hire them, but she did say she was out for a few weeks with a leg injury. She suggested checking with Gwen Miller, the senator’s accountant. Oh, and bringing up whether or not they both paid out that money does beg the question of blackmail. Good going. Despite Stansbury’s silence, I’d bet my paycheck that she used her campaign funds.”
Max glanced at the clock on the wall. She was tired, but her anxiety to solve this case was pushing her forward. “I’m not concerned,” she said, “because I know our guys will find it when they go over her accounts with a fine-toothed comb.” Riley was smiling at Max for no apparent reason. “What?” she asked.
“I was just thinking about how lucky I am to be working with you. You’re like the Energizer Bunny—so full of knowledge, you’ve helped me tremendously, and I know I’m going to be a better detective.” He smiled. “So thank you.”
“It’s called paying it forward. Howie taught me, and whatever knowledge I can impart on you helps me pay the debt back to him.”
“I guess being part of the upper echelon gets you better cases,” Riley said.
She laughed. “It’s seniority.”
“I think you’re being a bit humble here. You’re a damn good detective, Max, and I’m honored to be working with you.”
“Thank you. I enjoy working with you too. I like your youthful energy too—that’s something that was missing for me for a few years. God rest his soul, Howie was a wonderful partner, the father I always wanted, and a very knowledgeable mentor. I learned so much from him, and I’ll always be grateful for that. He was a good detective, but he had slowed down considerably toward the end.” She patted his shoulder. “Your enthusiasm and excitement motivates me. So I have to thank you too, for giving me that extra sparkle.”
Riley’s face turned crimson, and it brought a smile to her face. “Thank you, Max. I’m flattered by your compliment.”
Seeing his embarrassment, she changed the subject. “I’d like to stop at the lieutenant’s office to see if he’ll approve overtime. I want to utilize every minute of those seventy-two hours to prove them guilty.”
“Want me to wait here?” he asked.
“Hell no. C’mon, let’s talk to him together.” Trying to keep up with her, Riley walked faster.
“What’s happening, Max?” Wallace asked when he heard her voice. She and Riley both entered his office.
“Good news, Lieutenant. I just arrested Senator Stansbury. She spilled most of her guts after finding out that her cohort was trying to skip out of the country without her. Barrett however, clammed up and is waiting for his attorney, and since the clock is ticking, we need a warrant for the heart transplant records for the years 2012–2014.”
“And?” Wallace’s brow rose. “What else?” Max looked at him expectantly. “And you want me to approve overtime?” She scrunched up her face. Wallace groaned. “All right, let’s do it. I know I don’t have to tell you the captain is going to have my ass on this one, but with it being a high-profile case, we do what is necessary. I’ll have one of the guys get your warrant and serve it.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” They exited his office, and Max caught Riley’s grin. “And what’s that grin for?”
“I was just thinking, and that’s how it’s done.”
“Right”—Max flashed a toothy grin—“and that’s how it’s done!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Max groaned and blinked her eyes shut when she saw attorney F. Leigh McGuire strut his stuff into the precinct late Thursday afternoon. “I have to go, Cory,” Max said. “Barrett’s attorney is here.”
“Who is it?”
“None other than F. Leigh McGuire.”
“Ooh, he’s an arrogant son of a bitch.”
“My sentiments exactly. I’ve had previous dealings with him, when I was a rookie. He was representing a known gangster that I arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The DA, Ryan Sullivan, argued the case, but he was no match for this skilled attorney.”
Cory snickered. “If you want someone who can twist the truth, then he’s your guy.”
“He was so good, he got the case dismissed. But you know what? He taught me to be prepared, and I won’t lose to him again.”
“Good girl. Okay, catch up later?”
“I hope so. I’ll call you either way.”
Max was definitely prepared this time. She couldn’t wait to compile all the evidence she had on Jeffrey Barrett, the Mr. Tough Guy who thought he was above it all. She loved being confronted by men like him and his lawyer so that she could prove she had no problem holding her own.
When the uniform brought Barrett to the interrogation room, she’d been expecting his belligerent attitude. She found it interesting how quickly he’d changed from the forlorn widower to a caged lion; his reproachful eyes and creased forehead signaled his change of demeanor when he sat down. She’d give him just enough rope to hang himself. His expression told her he was used to being in charge. He bulldozed over the first words out of her mouth.
“I don’t have time for this game you’re playing, Detective. I was scheduled to perform a transplant that had to be reassigned to another surgeon. If that patient dies, that’s on you.”
“And a very good afternoon to you too, Dr. Barrett.” She nodded to his attorney as a polite acknowledgment.
“If you don’t start asking me questions,” Barrett bellowed, “I’m going to walk right out of here.” He scowled.
“You think so, huh?” Max’s hand shot to her hip as her voice boomed, “Then let me remin
d you that I’m running the show in this room, and if you set one foot out of this office, there are several uniforms right outside just waiting for you to step out of line.” Turning to his attorney, she said, “I’d suggest that you instruct your client to speak when spoken to. Am I making myself clear?”
McGuire’s hand clamped onto his client’s arm while he spoke to him in a low voice. A few seconds later, Barrett seemed more resigned.
“Senator Stansbury and your deceased wife have implicated you in a grand scheme to buck the transplant protocol, Dr. Barrett.” He gave her a skeptical frown. “I find it very interesting, Doc,” Max said with a chuckle, “that you don’t believe anything I tell you. Trust me, I don’t make claims unless I have documentation or a witness to prove it.” He remained silent, but his smirk did not go unnoticed. “So tell me, what do you have to say about that?”
“Not a thing. They’re both nuts. I knew the minute I’d met Kay she was going to be a big pain in my ass. I loved my wife with all my heart, but she did have bouts of insecurities and did things just to hurt me.”
“Is that why you froze her out of all the monetary accounts?”
“I told you why I did that. I was trying to convince her to stay with me.”
“Hmm, that’s not what the senator said. She implicated you in every way.”
“What did you expect her to do?” Barrett fired back.
McGuire put his hand up. “Detective, how exactly did Senator Stansbury implicate my client? Your report doesn’t show any documentation to prove her allegations. She’s a disgruntled woman who made a play for my client, and it didn’t work.”
“That’s not exactly true, Mr. McGuire.” Max pulled out the photographs of the love nest. “Your client, Senator Stansbury, and her daughter were caught walking out of a home in New Jersey just last Monday.”
“That hardly proves your claim. You realize the child is under his care?”
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