Fatal Fraud: A Fatal Series Novel

by Marie Force

  “Yeah, I kinda do. It’s even more fun to say to Freddie.”

  Nick laughed. “Poor Freddie.”

  “Poor you. Are you okay?”

  “I guess. It’s just bizarre to be the subject of this kind of attention.”

  “I assume if they doubled the kids’ details, they doubled yours too?”

  “Tripled.”

  “God, Nick…”

  “It’s fine, babe. They’re on it, and everything’s okay as long as you and the kids are safe.”

  “And you. Please don’t take your own security lightly. People are nuts.”

  “Trust me, I know. Where should I send your detail?”

  “HQ, but tell them to stay outside. I’ll be here for a while. Tell them I’ll mostly ignore them, and they’re to do the same to me, if they know what’s good for them.”

  “Will do,” he said on a soft chuckle. “Love you.”

  “You owe me big for this.”

  “I owe you big for a lot of things, and I swear I’ll make it up to you.”

  “Can’t wait. See you soon.”

  “Watch your back, babe. It’s my favorite back in the whole world.”

  “Will do. See you.”

  “Bye.”

  Sam hated to end the call, but she had too much to do to hang inside the morgue door, talking to her husband like they were a couple of middle schoolers in the throes of first love. Even if that was how it felt. She’d been in love before him, but her feelings for him were on a whole other level than anything she’d experienced with anyone else. If you’d asked her before him if soul mates existed, she would’ve scoffed. Now she knew better.

  “Everything okay?” Lindsey asked.

  Sam realized her friend had been standing there for a minute, watching her.

  “Uh, well, the world’s gone mad over Nick’s announcement, and now I’ve got a detail.”

  “No way. It must be bad for them to insist on that.”

  “I guess it is. Who knew that people would feel that he owes them something?”

  “Jeez… That’s insane.”

  “Yep.”

  “So you’ve got a detail.”

  “I’ve got a detail, but I told Nick to tell them to stay the hell out of my way.”

  “In those exact words, I presume.”

  “What other words should I have used?”

  Lindsey’s eyes lit up with silent laughter.

  “I gotta go deal with Ginny McLeod’s fake Realtor, who ran from us when she saw us coming but doesn’t see how that impeded a homicide investigation.”

  “With the mood you’re in, I presume you’re going to enjoy setting her straight.”

  “You presume correctly, Doc. By the way, Haggerty’s team found an implement that’s most likely our murder weapon.”

  “Is that right? Ragged edges?”

  “Super ragged, and the only one in the house that’d been wiped completely clean and then stashed in a downstairs bedroom closet.”

  “Ah, damn, so it’s no help to you.”

  “It’s something we didn’t know before—that the perp took the time to clean the murder weapon thoroughly and hide it in the house while Ginny bled out on the floor. That makes it a little more cold-blooded than it initially seemed.”

  “I don’t envy you any of your cases, but this one…”

  “It’s a bitch, and so was she. We met with her daughter, who was in tears telling us everyone in her life has turned on her. In addition to her own family, she scammed the parents of the kids’ friends.”

  “Good Lord. She was a sociopath.”

  “Indeed. It’s hard to work up the same level of enthusiasm for getting her justice that I usually feel.”

  “I don’t blame you. Not that anyone deserves to be murdered, but…”

  “Exactly. See you later.”

  “Let me know if I can help.”

  “Will do.”

  Sam made her way to the pit and went straight to Cameron Green’s cubicle. “Could I please see the Fed reports about the role of the Realtor?”

  “Yep.” He sifted through meticulously labeled manila folders, found the one she’d requested and handed it to her.

  “You make us all look like slackers.”

  The young detective looked up at her, seeming stunned. “I, um…”

  “That was a compliment, Green.” She rolled her eyes. “Sheesh. You’re a very good detective.”

  “Oh, well, thanks. I enjoy it.”

  “That shows. Give me the highlights on our friend Cheri.”

  “She’s a pretty successful Realtor in Northwest. Some of the biggest transactions in the last year were handled by her on both sides—buyer and seller. She’s very active in civic organizations like the Rotary, chamber of commerce, etc. Her business is booming—or it was until Ginny McLeod’s scheme was uncovered, and people started accusing her of being in bed with Ginny. She swore, under oath, that she had no idea what Ginny was doing when she asked Cheri to show properties to some of Ginny’s clients.”

  “By the time Ginny had brought hundreds of people to see a run-down former warehouse, wouldn’t Cheri have been a little curious about what was going on? Especially when no one ever bought anything.”

  “That’s what the Feds wanted to know too, but Cheri said Ginny asked her to show the properties and paid her to do it. She didn’t ask any questions about why.”

  “Do you find that hard to believe?”

  “Extremely, and so did the Feds. But Cheri never deviated from her story over the months the Feds spent investigating both her and Ginny. I took a look at her recent financials, compared them to a year ago and found her business is down fifty percent year over year. The affiliation with Ginny has hurt her, despite her persistent claims that she had nothing to do with the scam.”

  “I hate these women,” Sam said.

  “A lot of people do.”

  “So many haters that finding a murderer in this crowd is going to be almost impossible.”

  “Something will break if we keep digging.”

  Freddie came into the pit, looking annoyed. “A pleasant lady, Ms. Clark is. She’s processed and waiting in interview two.”

  “And the lawyer?”

  “Has been called. Said he’d be here in the next couple of hours.”

  “That must’ve pleased her,” Sam said.

  “Not so much.” Freddie ran his fingers through his hair. “She’s furious and talking about calling the media to report harassment.”

  “Let her,” Sam said. “We can tell the world how she ran from cops who just wanted to ask her a few questions. Last time I checked, innocent people don’t run from cops.”

  “Truth,” Freddie said.

  “Green, do a deeper dive into Cheri’s finances. If there’s anything to find, find it.”

  Green nodded. “On it.”

  “While we wait for her attorney, let’s get everyone in the conference room to go over what we have and next steps.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  While they got themselves together, Sam went into her office for a quick look at her email and to check her messages. She gave out tons of business cards but rarely ever heard back from anyone who thought of additional information she ought to have, which was fine. She’d continue to give the cards in the hope that someday one might yield a tidbit that blew a case wide open.

  She was scrolling through her email when Avery Hill appeared in her doorway. “Not now, Agent Hill. I’m knee-deep in a homicide investigation.”

  “The woman who scammed her family and friends, right?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “You must have motive coming out the wazoo.”

  “And every other orifice, which means I don’t have time for you today.”

  “I was hoping you could find some time in the next day or two.”

  “Everything I know about Stahl and Conklin is already in the record.”

  “Everything?”

  “Everythin
g that matters.”

  “I’ll bet there’s a lot more you’ve forgotten that might come out in conversation.”

  “You’ll understand I’m not eager to have conversations about either of them or Hernandez, for that matter.”

  “I do understand. I knew your dad, admired and respected him, and while I can’t begin to know how you must feel to have the trail lead into your own department, I’m heartbroken for you that it played out the way it did.”

  “Thank you.” She didn’t want him or anyone else to be heartbroken for her, but she’d sound like a bitch if she said so. No one in the world could possibly understand the feelings of betrayal she carried now that she knew the truth. That people within the department she and her father had served for more than four decades combined could’ve let them down the way Conklin and Hernandez had. “The only thing I want is to find out who else knew the truth.”

  “You believe it went beyond Conklin and Hernandez?”

  “Hell yes, I do. The money would’ve been tantalizing to more than just the two of them. We can work overtime and extra details until we’re blue in the face, but we can only make so much money as cops.” Another thought occurred to her. “Remember when we busted the prostitution ring that took down the Speaker of the House?”

  “How could I forget?”

  “Think about how many high-level officials were implicated there. I don’t care what you do for a living, easy money is easy money. And cops aren’t immune to the siren’s song, even if we’d both like to think they are.”

  He came in and took a seat. “Do you have any names in mind?” His lyrical South Carolinian accent had become so familiar to her in recent years. There’d been a time when his unrequited interest in her had made her exquisitely uncomfortable, but that was long in the past now that he was happily married to Shelby.

  She was still thinking about Avery’s question when Sergeant Ramsey appeared at her door, interoffice memo envelope in hand, his face bright red with rage that made his mean eyes bug.

  “What the fuck are you doing, Holland?”

  Avery stood and turned toward the door.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Sam said.

  “You know exactly what I’m talking about, you fucking cunt.”

  “Hey,” Hill said. “Watch your mouth.”

  “Shut up. I don’t work for you, you fucking Fed.”

  “I’m not sure what’s crawled up your ass and died this time, Ramsey,” Sam said, “but I can assure you it has nothing to do with me.”

  “You’re a fucking liar, and I’m going to prove it.”

  “Knock yourself out. Oh wait, you already did that when you went through the window in the lobby, right?”

  “You think you’re so fucking smart,” he said, sputtering with outrage, “but you mark my words, Holland. I’m going to end you.”

  “You heard that threat, Agent Hill, right?”

  “I did.”

  “If you think you can resort to blackmailing me to save your precious Gonzales—”

  “Whoa,” Sam said. “Someone’s blackmailing you? If you’re this pissed, they must have something awesome on you.” She leaned in, hoping to project intense interest. “What’s got you so hot under the collar?”

  His eyes narrowed into a look of pure hatred. “Fuck you. You’d better watch your back.”

  Sam smiled at him as if nothing he could do would ever get to her. “Got it. Will do.”

  Ramsey stormed off.

  “What the hell, Sam?” Avery said.

  “That’d be my good friend Sergeant Ramsey. We go way back.”

  “He just threatened your life in front of an FBI agent. We could charge him.”

  “Eh, he’s not worth it. I’m not worried about him, and you shouldn’t be either. But if I should turn up dead, maybe you could mention what he said to Malone or someone who’d care?”

  “Don’t make jokes. That guy is unhinged. I wouldn’t put it past him to come for you.”

  “Well, the good news is that as of about right now, I’ve got a Secret Service detail until people get over the news that Nick isn’t going to run.”

  “I heard his decision isn’t going over well.”

  Sam shrugged. “I get it. He’s the best. I understand why people are disappointed, but he’s not going to change his mind.”

  “I’ll confess to being disappointed myself. I was looking forward to a Cappuano administration.”

  “Whereas he’s looking forward to not missing a minute of the teenage years with Scotty or elementary school with the twins.”

  “I admire that. I really do.”

  “It’s the most important thing to him, and, selfish cow that I am, I’m thrilled to know he’s not going to be off campaigning for months on end.” The thought of that gave her angina. “I don’t think single parenthood would look good on me.”

  “You could do it if you had to.”

  “Thank God I don’t. I’ve got my team waiting in the conference room. I’ll give you some time tomorrow afternoon, later in the day if that works.”

  “I’ll take what I can get. Thanks, Sam.”

  “I’d say it was no problem, but this whole thing is a huge problem to me.”

  “I can only imagine.”

  “I’m making an effort to not let it ruin a job and a career I’ve loved, you know?”

  “I get it. But the betrayal strikes deep.”

  “As deep as it gets. And to answer your question from before Ramsey rudely interrupted us, I don’t know who else might’ve been aware of the gambling ring. I’m still shocked that Conklin, of all people, knew and never said a word while pretending to be my dad’s close friend. Hernandez was another huge shock.”

  “I’m sure.”

  “My dad was a great cop. One of the best I’ve ever known, and I’m not saying that just because he was my dad.”

  “Everyone says that.”

  “That’s nice to hear. He raised me to always try to do the right thing, even when it’s the hard thing. That was the credo he lived by and instilled in me and my sisters. I hope that, despite what we’ve uncovered since he died, people will remember him for how he lived and did the job and not for the way he died.”

  “They will and they do. I promise you. People remember.”

  “That’s good to hear. Protecting his legacy is really the only thing that matters to me when it comes to this whole mess.”

  “I understand. I’ll let you get back to work and check in with you tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Avery. I know I’m supposed to rail with every fiber of my being against the Feds investigating us, but I’ve got to say I actually kind of welcome it this time. If there are others who knew…”

  “We’ll find them,” Avery said, his expression fierce. “We will find them, Sam.”

  She nodded, her throat tightening around a hot knot of the emotion that still caught her off guard weeks after her father’s sudden death. Not to mention the horror that’d followed when the newly reinvigorated investigation into his shooting had led to their own deputy chief, among others.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

  “I’ll be here.”

  At the doorway, he turned back to face her. “You know… A lot of people would’ve said fuck it after they uncovered this kind of betrayal. I give you a lot of credit for continuing to show up and do the job.”

  “What choice do I have? It’s the only thing I’ve ever been any good at, the only thing I know how to do.”

  “You’re exceptionally good at it, and it’s what you should be doing.”

  “Now that the fear of my husband becoming president has been taken off the table, I can exhale a bit about my own future. Looks like I’ll be spending it right here, so if you could get rid of any of the remaining scumbags in our ranks who knew who shot my dad and didn’t say anything, I’d consider that a personal favor.”

  “We’re working on it. People are less than forthcoming, but we’re not going to be dete
rred by stonewalling.”

  “Go get ’em.”

  “Good luck with the fraud case.”

  “Ugh, I’m going to need it.”

  “You’ll figure it out.” He waved as he walked away to continue plumbing the depths of the MPD for scumbags.

  Once upon a time, she’d been under the illusion that everyone in the department viewed the job the same way she and her father did. Those illusions had been shattered a long time ago. Whenever she’d talked to Skip about it, he’d advised her to continue to stay on the side of right, do the job the best way she knew how and she’d be fine. “You can’t control what others do,” he’d said. “Only what you do and how you react.”

  As she gathered what she needed for the meeting, she let the soundtrack of his voice play in her mind. She’d known him as well as she knew herself and knew exactly what he’d say to any comment or question. That was a huge comfort to her now that he was no longer physically present. Knowing what he’d say about any topic would keep him present to her for the rest of her life. And for all the life she had left, she’d fight for justice for him, even if it meant seeing colleagues she’d worked with for years taken down. If there were others, she hoped they were freaking out with the FBI crawling all over HQ.

  She went into the conference room where her detectives had gathered. While they waited for her, they’d updated the murder board with additional information, including photos of Ginny alive and dead, the garden tool they assumed was the murder weapon, a list of the people they’d talked to and others who’d been scammed.

  “How did you order the list of her victims?” Sam asked.

  “By dollar amount invested,” Jeannie said. “The ones at the top put in the most. The thought is to start with them and work our way down.”

  “Tell me we aren’t going to have to talk to all of them.”

  “Uhhh, well,” Jeannie said with a smile and a shrug.

  “I hate this woman, and I hate this case,” Sam said. “If you were wondering.”

  “We weren’t wondering,” Cameron said, smiling. “But thanks for confirming.”

  “Of course even vile people deserve justice when their lives are taken,” Freddie said. “But sometimes it’s hard to feel bad for them when it seems like they had it coming.”