Deep Extraction

by DiAnn Mills

  “I did that too.” Lance rubbed his jean leg. “A business meeting. Legit.”

  Tori stood and paced the room, stepping over books, papers, empty plates, and junk. “Lance, could this have been a one-time affair?”

  According to ASAC Hughes, Tori had spoken with Ms. Krantz today and apparently found no red flags. Cole would discuss the conversation with her when Lance wasn’t around.

  “Miss Tori, there are other pics with dates in the file. Why would Dad keep this trash? He wasn’t stupid. Everything on a computer can be found.” Lance’s shoulders arched. “How could he do this to Mom? No wonder he wanted a divorce.”

  To soothe his own guilt and shame.

  “I’m so sorry,” Tori said. “No wonder you’re on emotional overload.”

  “Yeah. Easier to be the smart-mouthed kid than deal with the truth about my scum of a dad.”

  Sympathy for Lance swept through Cole. “Showing us these files took guts.” He grasped the teen’s shoulder. “And I’ll never forget you took a punch to keep your mom and brother from learning what you discovered.”

  He blinked. “Sorta like a black eye of truth.”

  “I’d call it love,” Tori said. “Cole and I will handle this delicately and attempt to keep your dad’s indiscretion from getting out.”

  Lance’s eyes fired. “But you can’t promise?”

  “No,” she said. “If we learn incriminating information because of these photos, then other people will find out.”

  “Dad wiped his computer clean before he died,” Lance said. “I checked today when Mom thought I was in my room. The meeting stuff is still there, but not the pics. No reason for anyone to find them or dig deeper. I hope he deleted them to protect Mom and not his girlfriend.”

  “But they are evidence,” Cole said.

  Lance swallowed hard. “Protecting Mom and Jack is what matters to me.”

  Cole wanted to shield all of them, but it wouldn’t happen. “We’re looking at a situation that none of us understands. When we’re able to weave all the facts together, then the whys will be clearer. Until then, we keep searching and analyzing everything we find.”

  “The ‘we’ means you and Miss Tori and the old guy, right? ’Cause this will destroy Mom.”

  “You’re not responsible—”

  “You don’t understand. I’m the man of the house now. It’s my job to keep my family safe. Mom and Jack never questioned anything about Dad. He’s their hero, the guy who—until the night he died—said and did all the right things. Finding out Dad isn’t perfect will hurt them so badly they might never get over it.”

  “What about you?” Tori said.

  “Not sure right now. He talked about that woman in front of Mom like she was a saint. I heard him ask Mom to take her to lunch. It’s impossible to remember good times when those things are in my mind.”

  Cole knew tossing out the one question that had to be asked was like pitching acid on an open wound. “Lance, my job is to find a credible trail in a labyrinth of clues leading to your dad’s killer. You despised what you learned about him. He disappointed—”

  “If you’re about to ask me if I had anything to do with his death, the answer’s no.” He dug his fingers into his palms. “After what he said to us, I wanted him to leave. Get as far from us as possible. Not dead.”

  “You may be asked the same question again by another investigator.”

  His fingers remained tight. Lance was keeping something to himself. “I figured so.” He stiffened as though summoning courage to withstand whatever lay ahead. “Right now I have to help Mom and Jack get through the funeral. She wants to pull out photos, make us look like a happy family.”

  “Protecting those we love is honorable. But your mom and Jack are stronger than you think. I’m at the top of the list in wanting them not to discover what happened with Ms. Krantz. Yet if it goes public, those of us who care for you will be right here.”

  He covered his face. “I keep seeing those pics of Dad and her. I hate him. All his self-righteous charity work and making himself look so good. What a liar.”

  Cole seized the opportunity. “Forgive him. It’s the only way I know to put it behind you and be a better man. Someday you’ll have a family of your own. You’ll want them to love and trust you as you do them. As long as there’s bitterness in your heart, your relationships with others will suffer.”

  “But how do I get past it right now? Stomach’s tied up in knots. I’m so mad. This is just wrong.”

  The condition of his room demonstrated Lance’s anger. “Each new day will get easier. Here’s what happened to me. . . .” Cole told him about the shooting that stole his career for too long. “It wasn’t until I forgave the shooter that I could open my mind to going back to the US Marshals.”

  Lance rubbed his eyes. “When this is over, will you tell me what it was like? I mean, how you handled the anger and stuff?”

  “Sure.” He patted the teen on the back. Too much of a burden for a fourteen-year-old. “Right now Tori and I need to get busy. See if you can sleep tonight.”

  Lance removed the thumb drive and handed it to Cole. “I’ll try. Thanks for keeping my secret. Not sure how I’m going to explain my black eye at school.”

  “A big guy like you doesn’t have to say a thing. The truth doesn’t hurt either. Joke about it and say, ‘My shrimp of a brother slipped a punch in.’”

  Cole and Tori finished with Lance’s devices and left him alone. An hour later, they said their good-byes to those downstairs and walked to the curb.

  “It’s 8:43.” Tori dragged her finger over her left wrist. “Do we pay a visit to the model in Nathan’s photos?”

  “I’m ready. We need to get this settled. Did you hurt your wrist?”

  “Oh no. Habit, I guess. Do you want Anita Krantz’s home address?”

  Once he saw where the woman lived, a condo inside the Loop, he turned to Tori. “Why not drop off your car at the FBI office, and I’ll drive. On the way, we can pick up a sandwich.”

  Her stomach protested loudly its lack of dinner.

  “Or we can go separately,” he said. “Though we could talk.”

  “Probably a good idea so we can discuss Nathan’s extracurricular activities and whatever we learn from his mistress.”

  “I want to make sure those images weren’t Photoshopped.”

  Tori stopped at her car. “I wish they were computer generated, but I’m guessing those pics are the real thing.”

  “This will get worse before it gets better.”

  “I know.” She snapped the words like a crack of gunfire. “On the way to the office, I’ll give her a call.”

  “How well do you know her?”

  “We’ve been introduced, and I’ve been there when she dropped by to see Nathan.”

  “Since you spoke with her today, why not lead out in the interview?”

  “Aren’t you afraid I’ll shoot her?”

  “Not in the least. I have both your backs. I’m furious with Nathan, and I’m sure the two concealed their rendezvous from high-profile staff. Did he ask Sally for a divorce to free himself from the marriage, or was he protecting his family from a person or persons who wanted them dead?”

  “Or both. A scorned woman is nothing to mess with.”

  “Anita or Sally?”

  She didn’t answer. Neither was he so sure he wanted to hear it.

  ANITA KRANTZ HADN’T BALKED at the late hour for Tori and Cole’s interview. She wore an apron, and classical music played in the background. Weird. Strangely psychotic in Tori’s opinion.

  “We’ve met at the Moores’,” Tori said, attempting to shake off her animosity toward Nathan’s mistress and seek answers to Anita’s and his relationship. Tori handled the introductions. “This is Deputy US Marshal Cole Jeffers.”

  Anita reached out to shake his hand. Exquisite nails in a fashionable French manicure. A classic beauty, as Tori’s mom would say, with high cheekbones and flawless skin. “Natha
n spoke highly of you.”

  She positioned petits fours in pastel shades of green, yellow, and pink on a crystal plate. She pulled pale-yellow napkins from a drawer and folded them into triangles. A sprig of mint and crystal demitasse cups set the stage for what appeared to be a ladies’ party. She wiped her hands on a dainty towel and placed it perfectly beside the sink.

  She carried the tray of petits fours into an adjoining living area and set it on the coffee table. The room held all the furnishings of a Victorian era . . . except the owner’s moral ethics when it came to extracurricular activities.

  Had this woman lost her mind? Serving party food at an FBI interview? Tori had called her less than twenty minutes ago.

  Tori could take no more of the hospitable charm. “Ms. Krantz, we aren’t here to socialize.” She studied Anita’s smile, a bit forced—the woman failed to mask her fear.

  “Oh, I totally understand. Give me just a minute. I want to ensure my guests are comfortable.” With a soft sigh, she retraced her steps to bring a tray of coffee and a pair of crystal cream and sugar containers. After rearranging the display, she sat primly. Her hands trembled. “Your call gave me a few minutes to prepare for your visit.”

  Like deleting files and images from your own devices? “We aren’t guests. Although I appreciate your efforts.” Tori focused on Cole. “Marshal Jeffers and I are part of an FBI task force to bring Nathan’s killer to justice and also learn who bombed the oil rig.”

  “Please, sit down.” She gestured to a high-back chair and a green brocade love seat.

  Tori took the chair and Cole the small sofa. “Marshal Jeffers and I have a few questions. He and Nathan were good friends.”

  Anita’s blue eyes clouded. Naturally she’d mourn her boss’s death, but this was more. “I assume you were able to obtain a court order for Nathan’s business files.”

  “Yes, a team will be there first thing in the morning. Our visit is about your relationship with Nathan. Ms. Krantz, is there anything you’d like to tell us?”

  Again the woman appeared perfectly poised. “Nathan exhibited the utmost professionalism of anyone I’ve ever met. We all should emulate his manner of dealing with critical situations.”

  “Were you two also friends aside from business?”

  “Yes.” She wiped invisible dust from her slacks. “He chatted about the two of you.”

  “What else did you discuss with him?”

  “Business dealings mostly.”

  “We have evidence that you and Nathan were having an affair,” Tori said.

  Krantz startled. “Nathan loved his wife. He was devoted to her, his sons, and—”

  “Were you involved with him?”

  She dabbed beneath her eyes, her exterior crumbling. “Nathan Moore was my employer. We had a professional relationship. Where did you hear such preposterous claims?”

  “What about Vermont in 2014?”

  “I’ll look at my calendar, but I remember a few years back a fracking symposium took place there. Nathan pioneered many of the techniques used in the process.”

  Cole cleared his throat. “Excellent memory, Ms. Krantz.”

  “An executive assistant prides herself in remembering pertinent information.”

  “Sounds like a statement from an employee’s handbook. Why haven’t you answered Special Agent Templeton’s question?” Cole’s voice left an uncomfortable silence in its wake.

  “A fabrication doesn’t deserve a response.” A distinct coldness settled in her eyes, and for the first time, Tori saw a woman in control, not one emotionally distraught.

  “We’re here to discern the truth,” Tori said. “We have incriminating photos taken in Vermont in 2014. The question is, had you two maintained the affair?” She allowed silence to continue weighing heavily in the room. Nothing more needed to be said. She relaxed and stared at Anita Krantz.

  Moments ticked by. Cole must have played this game before because he hadn’t budged an inch or uttered a sound.

  Ms. Krantz stood. “We’re finished here.”

  “Not exactly,” Cole said. “We have enough evidence to arrest you.”

  “For what?” Her voice rose.

  “The murder of Nathan Moore,” Cole said. “Looks like a simple case to me. You two had a spat, and that spells murder. What do you think, Tori? I have my cuffs.”

  “Please,” Anita said. “I’m innocent.”

  “I have another theory.” Tori settled back in the chair. “A woman’s angry that her lover won’t leave his wife, so she kills him. If she can’t have him, no one will.”

  Tears spilled over Anita’s cheeks. “I have no idea who killed Nathan. All I know is someone threatened him and his family.”

  “You were involved with him,” Cole said.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “How long?”

  “Since February 2012. I knew about the pics, but Nathan said he’d destroyed them.”

  “Did he plan to leave his wife?”

  “Not to my knowledge. He loved her. I was there and convenient.” She glanced away, then returned to him. “I mean, he cared for me, but he loved Sally. He never gave me any hope or indication otherwise.”

  “But you loved him.” Tori inched closer to the truth. Anita had motive as old as time.

  “Is there evidence on your personal or business computer vital to this case?”

  She swallowed hard. “No.”

  “Can we image your device here?”

  Her eyes flared. “Not without a search warrant. Besides, all you’ll find are personal things and family photos. Work information stays at Moore Oil & Gas.”

  Tori couldn’t fault her for exercising her legal rights. “We’ll get right on it. Were you aware Nathan would be killed last night in his home?”

  “Absolutely not. I repeat: I have no clue who killed him. Call my sister. I was with her and her family for dinner. We watched a movie until after eleven.”

  Tori saw the anguish in her face. “Ms. Krantz, I see you’re hurting. You loved a man and had to keep your relationship quiet. Now he’s gone, and you’re grieving. There’s no one you can talk to or share your misery with.”

  The woman sobbed. “I promised him I’d never breathe a word about us. Reality is, I like Sally, and his kids are great.”

  Tori pushed aside her growing contempt for Nathan and Anita. She thought she knew the man, and the idea of his infidelity made her blood boil. “Our investigation will point to your involvement, and others will likely learn about you and Nathan.”

  “Is there a way to conceal it?”

  “That would be an obstruction of justice,” Tori said.

  “Ms. Krantz,” Cole said, “you are a person of interest. In short, don’t leave Houston without contacting Special Agent Templeton or me.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “During the course of our investigation, if you have additional information, please contact one of us.”

  “I will. How did you find out about the affair?”

  “Don’t worry about where we got the evidence, but we have it.”

  IN THE DARKNESS of Houston’s busy residential streets, lit by oncoming vehicles and strategically placed streetlights, Cole drove with Tori beside him. As it neared midnight, he longed to stretch out anywhere and get some sleep. But working a critical case meant postponing life until those responsible for the drill site bombing and Nathan’s murder were apprehended. Ms. Krantz’s demeanor broke the mold on covering up the life of a mistress. She presented herself as too perfect and proper while the pics of her and Nathan revealed more than Cole wanted to remember. The hammering at his internal workings refused to let the discrepancy rest. He’d figure out what was gnawing at his gut.

  First things first. Time to fix the bad start with Max Dublin, even if it meant eating a little humble pie. Cole could have told the agents from the start their assumptions about his friendship with the Moores was off-kilter. Didn’t seem important at the time to correct them.

>   Tori yawned.

  “Would you rather I talk to Max alone?”

  She laughed lightly. “He’d blow a hole right through your heart, then drag you inside to claim home invasion.”

  “I manage to trigger his killer instinct. Has he always been a cantankerous man? Is it the cancer?”

  “Appears to be the cancer. The illness hit him blindside. Like many of us in law enforcement, we think we’re invincible. He’s a tough agent, yet detailed and compassionate when a situation calls for it. His approach to Sally and the boys was not the Max Dublin who taught me how to investigate violent crime. A bulldog when it comes to bringing in bad guys. But not bitter and . . . shoving others away. His wife left him, and his adult kids insist his commitment to the FBI is more important than his family. Those were his words back when he used to confide in me.”

  Cole had seen the crusty attitude of remorse and pity too many times. “Are they right?”

  “Probably so. He told me he never learned how to balance the job and family.”

  “As a single man, I can see the problem. Not impossible to rectify if he chooses to fix it.”

  “Might be too late for Max. Not sure where I’d fall. Depends on the opportunity presented.”

  Opportunity seemed like a strange word to use. No ring on her finger, but she could want a family. He nearly started to probe further but changed his mind. No point being accused of prying into her personal life. More important was the ability to gain her confidence. “Nathan has been gone twenty-four hours. What I’ve learned about him makes me wonder if I knew him at all.”

  “I met him in college when he started dating Sally. Never dreamed he’d cheat on her.”

  Cole dodged an SUV swerving in and out of traffic on the interstate at breakneck speed. “Came as a shock to me too. Sometimes when a man reaches the top of his game, he looks for ways to channel his drive. Anita Krantz was there and obviously willing. The imaging of Moore Oil & Gas devices tomorrow could reveal more about Nathan’s business dealings. But the affair has my attention.”

  “Anita or Sally?”

  “With Anita pretending to be prim and proper?”