by G. K. Parks
“I don’t know any of the details. I have no idea what’s going on, but since you’re working with him on that R&D project, I figured this could negatively impact you and MT when the news breaks.”
“Shit.”
“Tell me about it.”
“This is the last thing I need right now.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. Thanks for telling me. I’ll notify legal and our PR department and have something drafted and waiting. Do you know who they think he killed?”
“Not yet. I’m going to call Heathcliff as soon as we hang up.”
“Okay, let me know what you find out.”
“I will.”
Five
“I can’t talk about this with you,” Heathcliff said.
“Cross just got perp-walked out of our morning meeting. At least tell me if I should be looking for a new job.”
“It wouldn’t hurt.”
“Really? It’s that bad?”
“Dammit, Parker, I’m not supposed to discuss this with you.”
“Fine, can you put Detective O’Connell on the phone?”
Heathcliff sighed. “He can’t talk to you either. Moretti’s orders.”
That meant Cross’s case was being investigated by major crimes and not homicide, even though the two departments often overlapped. My gut had been right. John Doe and Cross’s arrest were connected. They had to be. I’d been taught to never believe in coincidences. “Did you get an ID on your John Doe?”
“Uh-huh.”
“At least give me his name.”
Heathcliff hesitated, torn between following orders and honoring our friendship. Finally, he whispered, “Trey Knox.”
“Is that name supposed to mean something to me?”
“You have resources. Look it up.”
Martin wasn’t the only one who could read between the lines. “Is that the man Cross is accused of murdering?”
“Parker, I have to go. Do yourself a favor and stay out of this.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why am I not surprised? Just be careful. I’ll see you Thursday.”
Before I could reply, he hung up. Since the phone call hadn’t gotten me very far, I’d have to do my own research. At least I had a name, and since Heathcliff mentioned my resources, I started with the Cross Security database.
Eight years ago, Trey Knox hired Lucien Cross to work an asset retrieval. Knox’s home had been burglarized and his priceless sports memorabilia had been stolen. The police didn’t have any solid leads, so Knox went to the private investigator, hoping to increase his chances of a recovery.
According to the file, the case had been closed. I checked records, but Knox’s account balance had never been paid. It’d been written off. Granted, Knox was one of Cross’s first non-corporate clients, so the Cross Security filing and billing system might not have been as streamlined as it was today. But I found that odd.
I noted the date Knox signed a contract with Cross Security, figuring that might come in handy. I’d need the police reports of the original break-in and any subsequent reports the police department had on file concerning Trey Knox. Heathcliff said the man had vanished eight years ago, and Moretti had been assigned to investigate his disappearance.
Given the date of the contract, I had to assume it was around the same time Cross had taken Knox on as a client. That might explain why Knox never paid for services rendered. It could also be part of the reason Cross had been arrested this morning. He might have been one of the last people to see Knox alive.
Cross Security had access to a lot of law enforcement databases, but the Knox files were inaccessible. The police department might have sealed them or moved them behind a firewall of some sort. Cross had an illegal back door into their system, which might explain why they’d taken extra precautions with this case. Of course, that would mean they knew about his illicit access.
“That’s another problem for another day,” I reminded myself. Instead, I’d have to get the police files another way.
I called the precinct to see if I could find out what was going on, but I was told the public wasn’t allowed access to open cases.
“I’m not the public. I work for,” I skimmed the details Knox had provided to Cross, “Home Insurance Inc. We’re conducting a review on home invasion claims made in the last decade and need access to the police reports to compare them to our records.” The lie sounded hollow even to my ears, but I hadn’t been prepared. Today had me off-kilter.
“You can come by the precinct and pick up a copy.” The desk sergeant gave me the address, in case I didn’t have it, and hung up. So much for plan A.
Pulling out my cell phone, I moved on to plan B. After three rings, SSA Mark Jablonsky answered my call.
“Why are you calling so early?” he asked. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”
“I am at work.” I waited, figuring if the supervisory special agent had heard the news, he’d let me know. But Mark didn’t say anything. “I need a favor.”
“Doesn’t Cross Security have enough fancy tools and tech that you don’t need to annoy the federal government with your requests anymore?”
“Not when it comes to law enforcement issues.”
“What do you want, Parker?”
I debated telling Mark, my former boss and mentor, that Cross had been arrested. That would just lead to a lecture on why taking this job was such a bad idea. Instead, I started by asking about Trey Knox. “Have you heard about the body that got dug up at the airport?”
“It’s all over the news.”
“The dead guy is Trey Knox. Does his name ring any bells?”
“Should it?”
“It didn’t for me either, but eight years ago, he vanished. Until now, no one had any idea what happened to him. I was hoping you could get access to the police files and find out if they had any leads back then or if those leads are panning out now.”
“Why do you care? You work private security. Private. Ongoing criminal cases have nothing to do with you, especially murder cases.”
“Please.” But I knew he wouldn’t budge until I gave him a reasonable answer. “Knox had been a Cross Security client. I’d like to know what happened.”
“Ah, I see. So this is about avoiding scandal and keeping any dirt off of Cross Security.”
“Something like that.” His guess had been on the nose, except it was already too late to avoid scandal and dirt.
“Normally, I’d tell you this isn’t my problem. But since Lucien Cross did play a small part in keeping me alive when I was shot, I guess I owe him one. I’m in the middle of something, but when I have a few free minutes, I’ll make some calls and see what I can find out.”
“Thanks, I owe you.”
“Drop by the federal building after hours, and we’ll go over the details. Dinner’s on you.”
“You got it.”
“And none of that healthy shit. The doc said I’m fully recovered, so don’t try to feed me rabbit food or that gelatin crap. I want real food or the deal’s off.”
“Fine.”
Unsure where to go from here, I reread the sparse Cross Security file on Trey Knox’s case. Eight years ago, Lucien Cross was the only investigator at the company. But his assistant, Justin, was still around. Maybe he knew something. I needed to talk to him. After all, Cross told me to clear my plate, pass off my cases, and take on a new assignment. Since Justin was supposed to brief me, I could kill two birds with one stone.
Grabbing the file Cross left for me at reception, I brought it down the hall to Renner’s office and asked him to handle it. Then I took the elevator upstairs. During the short ride, I wondered what case Cross wanted me to take care of.
I had no idea why he chose me. I wasn’t exactly a team player. No one would find me waving a “Go Cross Security” banner. Frankly, Renner, Kellan, and the rest had demonstrated their willingness to drink the Kool-Aid on more than one occasion. Any one of them wou
ld have been a better choice, which led me to believe whatever this was, it wouldn’t be easy or pleasant.
Could it have something to do with Martin or MT? Cross had made me sign on the dotted line that any work I did for Martin Technologies would fall under the Cross Security umbrella, but that was because he knew Martin would never hire him, even though the two were currently partnered together on a project.
I thought about the doozies Cross had assigned me in the past, but there had been a vast array. This could be anything. Since it would be a waste of time to ponder this for another moment, I decided I’d use it as leverage to convince Justin to tell me everything there was about Cross’s connection to Trey Knox.
The elevator doors opened, and I strode down the hall. The large conference room on my right was packed with members of our in-house counsel, public relations department, and a few receptionists. Cross’s arrest had the rest of the staff freaked out, even if the investigators didn’t seem to take this seriously.
“Ms. Parker,” Justin spotted me heading his way, “I was just about to call you.”
“Sorry, it took me so long. I had to clear my schedule.”
“Yes, I understand.” He opened the door to Cross’s office. “Let’s speak in here.”
“Are you sure Lucien won’t mind?”
Justin gave me a look and entered the lavish office ahead of me. He took a seat behind Cross’s desk, causing me to wonder if he snuck in here and sat in the big man’s chair whenever the boss was out. “As I’m sure you’re aware, we have a situation.”
“Don’t tell me we’re out of coffee.”
“No.” Justin stared at me. “Lucien was arrested this morning.”
“I vaguely remember that.” Obviously, he hadn’t gotten my joke. So much for breaking the tension.
“Sit down.” He gestured at the client chair in front of Cross’s desk.
“I have a few questions.”
“We’ll get to them. But let me go first. Suffice it to say, Lucien has left specific instructions with his attorney per your role in what’s about to happen.”
“What’s that?”
“I just said—” Justin began.
I held up my palm. “I know. I heard you. But I don’t understand what’s going on. Cross got dragged away in handcuffs. The cops are saying he killed someone. He didn’t exactly deny it either, but everyone’s acting like this is just another Tuesday. I know I don’t go to a lot of morning meetings, but this isn’t a normal Tuesday. Shouldn’t helping him be our priority?”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.” He deflated, sinking deeper into the chair.
“You’re worried about him.”
“Of course. I’ve been with Lucien since the beginning, since before the beginning. This isn’t good. He doesn’t deserve this.”
“Did he do it?”
Justin didn’t answer. Not a single muscle twitched. “Do you think he did?”
“It doesn’t matter what I think.”
“Good. Personal feelings won’t help matters. He believes you can be objective. You’ve made your dislike of him known.”
“I don’t dislike him.”
“Really?”
“I don’t trust him, but the man has saved my life on at least three occasions. Maybe four. It’s hard to keep count.” Granted, if Lucien hadn’t assigned me those cases, I never would have been in harm’s way in the first place, but that was neither here nor there. The job was the job, regardless of who pulled the strings. I couldn’t blame him for the potential peril. “He’s gone out on a limb for me. I’d like to get to the bottom of this.”
“Does that mean you’re willing to return the favor?”
I couldn’t be sure what that would require since I had no reason to think my boss was wrongly accused, but Justin was loyal. If I didn’t agree, he’d shut me out of the investigation. “What does Cross want me to do?”
“He has a case for you.”
“I know. He said that before he left. What case?”
“His.”
I felt as if we were performing our own version of Who’s on First. “I know. Which one?”
“His.”
“His?” The word didn’t compute. “Doesn’t he work multiple cases at a time?”
“No, Ms. Parker, you’re not taking over one of his cases. You’re taking over his case. He suspected things might turn out this way. That’s why he chose you to work the murder investigation.”
I nearly choked. I’d expected to have to coax the info out of Justin. Instead, I was being offered the keys to the kingdom on a silver platter. This had to be a trick. Cross always planned his moves three steps ahead. Did that mean he was guilty and wanted to use my skills and favorable status with the police department as a get out of jail free card?
“What’s wrong?” Justin asked.
“Cross Security has a strict policy against working homicides. Those fall under the purview of police jurisdiction. We do not get involved in police matters.”
“I see you finally got around to reading the employee handbook.”
“Right, so is this some kind of joke?”
“No.” He sat up straight. “Look, I know you’ve had difficulties with Lucien in the past. His whole obsession with James Martin didn’t help matters. But that’s water under the bridge. They’re working on a joint project. Lucien’s arrest could negatively impact that partnership. You don’t want that. I don’t want that either.”
“Now you’re resorting to blackmail?” He stole my move before I could use it.
“I want you to realize it’s in everyone’s best interest for you to take this on.” He stared into my eyes. “Lucien is my oldest and best friend. He needs help. Your help.”
“Why me? Renner’s a former homicide detective. He’s better equipped to handle this. If nothing else, he’s better prepared and has a lot more contacts.”
“The look of impropriety would be enormous.” There was something he wasn’t saying.
“Is this because I have friends in the department?”
“That and several other reasons. Namely, the police allow you to consult for them. Bennett Renner doesn’t hold that special designation. Furthermore, you’re not a Cross Security employee.”
“Again with the handbook?”
“Technically, if an employee investigates on Lucien’s behalf, he would be in breach of contract.”
“Cross would fire someone for helping him?”
“Lucien doesn’t always do things that will benefit him, but he tries to do what’s right.”
I choked back my snort. From what I knew of my boss, he’d take whatever actions benefitted his agenda. As far as I could tell, there was no moral or ethical element to them. Everything was just business, like hiring me and then spying on me to gain access to Martin.
“What happens if I say no? Do I get fired on the spot?”
“You have the right to refuse per the terms of your contract. I just hope you won’t.”
“Can I think about it?”
“Sure, take some time. Mr. Almeada should be arriving in the next few minutes. He’ll want an answer before we proceed.”
“But no pressure, right?”
“Maybe a little.” He went to the door. “Make yourself comfortable. Would you like me to get you some coffee?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s not a problem. The espresso maker’s right outside.” He didn’t wait for me to answer before slipping out the door and gently pulling it closed behind him. I wondered if he left me unattended so I could snoop through our boss’s files, but that didn’t feel like the case. He must have left me in here so I could think, except I had no idea what to think.
Two minutes later, he returned with a tiny mug and saucer. He placed it on the coffee table near the couch. I picked it up and moved to stand in front of the window. Justin knew our boss pretty damn well, and he thought Cross deserved my help. But the one thing Justin hadn’t said was Cross didn’
t do it.
Could I defend a murderer? Was it even up to me to decide? The police must have plenty of evidence. They wouldn’t have gotten an arrest warrant otherwise.
“Justin,” I turned around to face him, “what can you tell me about Trey Knox?”
“How do you know that name?”
“Answer my question.”
“Knox was a client. One of the first. Cross agreed to help him, traced his stolen property to a storage unit, and called in a tip to the police. After that, the situation went off the rails, and Knox vanished. The police came by, asked some questions, and kept tabs on us for a while.”
“They suspected Cross was involved in Knox’s disappearance?”
“That’d be my guess, but I don’t know anything for sure.”
“Did Cross try to find him after he disappeared?”
“Yes.”
“Great. Tell me everything. Start at the beginning.”
Six
Justin went to the filing cabinet and pulled out the hard copy of the Trey Knox file. Inside were pages of Cross’s handwritten notes and theories. None of this had been on the company’s servers. I turned a page and found a copy of the police report Knox had filed concerning the burglary.
“Did you ever meet Trey Knox?” I glanced at him while I skimmed the details.
“Several times.”
“And?”
“He was a difficult client.”
“Difficult how?”
“He withheld vital details which proved detrimental to Lucien’s well-being.”
“I need you to elaborate.”
“Like I told you before, Ms. Parker, I don’t know much about what happened. All I know is Lucien had his nose broken, a contact of his was attacked, and there were threats.”
“What kinds of threats?”
“I don’t know.”
If he said those three words one more time, I would scream. “Then how do you know Cross received threats?”
“He beefed up security and assigned a detail to follow me and Gloria, our receptionist.”
“Does she still work here?”
“No, she quit six years ago, right after she got married. I don’t think she was aware a detail was following her.”