by G. K. Parks
Moretti ignored me and spoke to Heathcliff. “I want to wipe the smug look off that bastard’s face. Did you hear what he said? He despised Knox and hasn’t shown even the slightest hint of compassion or remorse over the man’s death. Dollars to donuts, he killed him.”
“Probably.” Heathcliff remained professional, but inside, he was squirming, stuck between duty and friendship.
“Once we serve the search warrant, he’ll be singing a different tune.” Moretti shifted his focus back to me. “You’re supposed to be working on Cross’s behalf. It’d be in his best interest to come clean now. Once I lay my cards on the table, the case will be solid. He won’t have any room to negotiate. I’m trying to do him a favor. I’m giving him a chance to get ahead of this. You need to convince him to cooperate.”
“Cooperate? You’re hoping for a confession,” I said. “That’ll never happen. He’s not an idiot.”
“He messed up, Parker. He’s probably spent the last eight years thinking he got away with it, but he didn’t. It came back to bite him in the ass. I’m offering him an olive branch. There’s only so much I can do.”
“How stupid do you think I am?” I looked from one man to the other. “If you had anything, you would have charged him by now.”
“Do you want to know what we have?” Moretti opened the door. “Let me show you.” He nodded to Heathcliff. “Give Cross five more minutes with his counsel. Then you and Parker can get situated in the interrogation room. I’ll have the techs set up our little show and tell.”
“Yes, sir.” Heathcliff gestured that I go ahead of him.
We stood in the hallway, an unfamiliar tension between us. “I don’t like this,” I said. “You knew what was going on last night, and you didn’t tell me.”
“I couldn’t.”
“It’s me.”
“I know, but Moretti gave me strict instructions. I shouldn’t have taken you to the ME’s office.”
“That’s why you left the file in the trunk.” I stared at him. “But the details you gave me, those were real.”
“I didn’t lie to you.”
I bit my lip, working through what I knew. “Four shots to the chest, resulting in a fatal gunshot wound to the heart. Shots like that could indicate an emotional trigger.”
“Overkill. Anger,” Heathcliff suggested, “which goes along with the animosity Cross has displayed toward Trey Knox.”
“Actually, he didn’t display much emotion.” Cross didn’t seem to care Knox was dead and had no problem showing that to the police. “A grouping like that would rule out a professional. Don’t you think Cross would be a better shot?”
“It depends. We are talking eight years ago. He was just starting out.”
“But he went through academy training. Surely, cops learn to shoot better than that.”
“I’ve seen plenty of cops who couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, who barely qualify.”
“What about torture? Cross isn’t a sadist.”
“You work for him. You’d know better than anyone, but he does know a thing or two about forensics and how bodies are identified. That could explain it.”
“You also thought Martin was guilty when he was suspected of murder, but you were wrong.”
Heathcliff smiled. “Nine times out of ten, I would have been right. Lightning doesn’t strike twice. This time, I am right.” He checked his watch and knocked on the interrogation room door. “Take it from me, Parker. Lucien Cross is a killer, and from the look on your face, you know it’s true.”
“My face doesn’t say a damn thing.”
He raised one eyebrow but kept his mouth shut as he slowly opened the door. “Time’s up, gentlemen.”
Eight
A police tech placed a laptop on the table, inserted a USB drive, which he’d removed from an evidence bag, and hit play. The laptop screen filled with footage from a beach resort. Waves crashed in the background while Cross threatened a man I assumed to be Trey Knox.
“If I ever see your face again, I will end you,” Cross hissed.
“Now you’re threatening me?”
“It’s not a threat. It’s a promise.”
“What are you going to do, Lucien? Take care of me the same way you took care of the Russians?”
Cross snorted. “You can’t extort me. I’ll expose you for what you are. You don’t know what I’ve found on you or the info I have on your various aliases, so I suggest you do us both a favor and stay away.”
“Lucien, you’re no angel. You can’t do anything to me and still come out smelling like a rose. It’d be a shame if your actions were to come back and bite you in the ass.”
“If they do, you’re getting bit too.”
“This is a non-extradition country.”
“You should keep in mind, Mr. Knox, I have dozens of Special Ops trained mercenaries on my payroll who know a thing or two about international travel. They won’t have a problem grabbing you in the middle of the night and taking care of the situation. Understand?”
The video reached the end, and Moretti shut the laptop lid. He let out a noisy exhale. “Now that you and your counsel have had time to converse, I’m hoping you’ve reconsidered.”
Cross stared at the screen.
“Where did you get that?” Almeada asked.
“We found it inside a safe deposit box.” Moretti removed the USB drive, placed it back in the evidence bag, and slid it closer to Almeada.
Almeada read the label and attached chain of custody form. “Has it been authenticated? It’s easy for footage to be doctored or faked. I’ll want a third-party lab to verify the results you’ve reached.”
“It’s real.” Moretti smiled at Cross. “Isn’t it?”
“That doesn’t prove anything.” Cross leaned back in the chair, finding a spot on the wall to stare at. I’d conducted enough interrogations to be familiar with that behavior. No matter how tough or indifferent Cross acted, the footage had gotten to him. This was his ‘oh shit’ moment.
It was time I stepped in. “A safe deposit box? Surely, you would have conducted a thorough search of Knox’s property when he went missing. Have you been sitting on that recording for eight years?”
“No, Parker,” Moretti scowled at me, “we located the box after we found Knox’s remains.”
“How?”
“The key was hidden inside the man’s shoe. The one place the killer didn’t think to look.”
“Didn’t you check his bank records prior to that? Wouldn’t you have discovered its existence years ago?”
If looks could kill, Moretti would be facing homicide charges of his own. “The box wasn’t registered in Knox’s name. It was opened under an alias, probably one of the aliases Cross knew about.”
“What alias?” I asked.
Moretti didn’t want to answer, but since he’d opened this can of worms, he didn’t have much of a choice. The recording was his smoking gun—his ace in the hole—it amounted to a deathbed declaration and probably gave enough credence to the police department’s request for a search warrant. “Thomas Gunn.”
“Are you sure that isn’t a real person?” Almeada asked. “It sounds like a real person to me.”
“What do you think, Mr. Cross?” Heathcliff asked. “Is that one of Knox’s aliases?”
“I am unaware of Mr. Knox using any aliases or nicknames.”
“That’s not what you admitted on the recording.” Heathcliff jerked his chin at the USB.
Unsure how to respond, Cross held his tongue.
“Have you investigated the possibility that Mr. Gunn exists?” Almeada asked.
“We take our cases seriously around here. We perform our due diligence,” Moretti said. “The bank had a photo ID on file of the man who opened the box. His photo matches Trey Knox.”
“When was the box opened?” I asked.
“Eight years ago.” Moretti slid into the seat and stared at Cross. “Do you want to tell me what went down between you and Knox? The man
tried to blackmail you. That’d piss me off. No one would blame you for threatening to kill him.”
Cross took care to select his words. “People make idle threats all the time.”
“Where were you when that footage was taken?” Moretti asked. “The sand and crystal clear water looked rather nice.”
“I don’t remember.”
Almeada nudged him again. The police would use the topographical features in the distance to determine the geographical location. They’d also subpoena Cross’s passport records and travel history.
“When was the footage taken?” Cross asked.
“It had a timestamp on it,” I said. “Have you determined if that’s accurate?”
Heathcliff nodded to me. “It is.”
“In that case, it might have been Vanuatu. I can’t be sure. It’s been eight years.” Cross emphasized the length of time. “I’ve traveled a lot this decade. It all blends together.”
“That was right after Knox disappeared. About three weeks after his disappearance, if I’m not mistaken. How did you find him?” Moretti asked.
This changed everything. Knox didn’t disappear because he’d been murdered. Knox had fled. “Vanuatu is a non-extradition country,” I said.
“Yeah, he mentioned that on the recording.” Moretti glared at me for disrupting his flow. But what did he expect? There were too many cooks in the kitchen.
“Was Knox involved in any illegal activity?” I asked. Perhaps Cross had helped hide his client. The threats he made might have been meant to keep them both safe, though I wasn’t sure how.
Cross quietly cleared his throat. I’d worked for him long enough to know I’d done something to piss him off. Moretti sensed the shift in the room, as did Heathcliff.
“An officer will be right outside. You change your mind and want to talk, let us know. If not, you have the room to talk things over with your counsel.” Moretti nodded to us. “For your sake, Lucien, you should talk. There’s a deal to be made here. You just have to tell me what happened. Maybe we could discuss what Knox meant about the Russians in more detail. That intel might be worth something. Or you could tell us about Knox’s aliases and whatever crimes he was involved in. I want to help you, but you have to give me something.”
Cross didn’t move or blink.
“Just think about it.” Moretti ushered the cops out of the room and pulled the door closed behind him.
“That could have gone worse,” Almeada said. “The first thing we’ll do is challenge the recording and its discovery.”
“That’s a waste of time,” I said.
Cross gave the two-way mirror a dirty look.
“It’s safe to talk,” I said. But he didn’t believe me, so I opened the door, made sure the attached observation room was locked, and stepped back inside. “The cops aren’t spying on you.”
The unreadable mask he’d put in place slipped, and he turned his anger and frustration on me. “What the hell are you doing, Alex?”
“My job.”
“Interrogating me isn’t your job.”
But I didn’t let him distract me. “The footage wasn’t faked. You knew what would be on the recording, where it took place, and when. That means you knew Knox was alive after he disappeared. Did you give him a new identity and send him away?”
“I did more than enough for that lying prick,” Cross said.
With just the three of us in the room, Cross wasn’t nearly as guarded. But I still couldn’t get a clear read on him. He was hiding something. I just didn’t know what. “Tell me about him,” I instructed. “How did you track him down after he disappeared?”
“Knox was obsessed with sports. When he took off, he left a championship ring behind. It’s the only piece of his collection he couldn’t bear to part with. The morning of his disappearance, I’d gone to his house to return it, but he was gone. I left the ring in his desk drawer. But since I’d spent so long trying to track it and the rest of his collection down, I had feelers everywhere. When Knox finally made some inquiries, word got back to me. I tracked his internet handle and took a little trip.” Cross stared at the mirror, not fully believing the conversation was private. “Knox was alive and well when I left him.”
“You threatened to kill him. Shit, Lucien, you threatened to have black ops guys abduct him in the middle of the night.”
“Your point?”
“Did you kill Trey Knox?”
“Do you really have to ask me that, Alex? Isn’t it obvious?”
“You’ve yet to deny it.” I waited, wondering if he would.
“I didn’t kill him.” Cross studied my expression. “But it doesn’t matter what I say because you don’t believe me.”
“I’m not sure.”
“I wouldn’t have asked you to investigate if I were responsible. That’d be suicide. I know you won’t stop until you figure out what happened. Right now, that’s exactly what I need. Eventually, you’ll believe me. You’ll have to. And once you do, so will they.” He nodded at the glass.
“Is that why you chose me? To manipulate the situation?” It wouldn’t be the first time my connections made me the ideal pawn in one of Cross’s games.
He reached for a glass of water and took a sip.
“Did you hire Bennett Renner for the same reason?”
Cross quirked his head to the side. “You think I hired a detective because he tried to put the screws to me and failed?”
“It depends. Did you ask Renner to throw the case or look the other way? Is that why it took the police this long to find Knox?”
His confused look turned into a glare. “No, that had nothing to do with Renner getting a job at Cross Security. Frankly, that’s the number one reason why I almost didn’t hire him. I don’t believe in rewarding incompetence.”
“What changed your mind?”
“He needed a job.”
“That was it? You hired him just like that?” I didn’t believe it, especially after all the hoops Cross had made me jump through when he first considered hiring me.
“Pretty much.”
“Lucien,” Almeada said, “we need to focus here. Knox mentioned what you did to the Russians on the recording.”
“That’s inconsequential.”
“Are you sure?” Almeada sighed. “It could turn problematic real fast.”
“It won’t.”
“Regardless, you shouldn’t give them anything,” Almeada cautioned.
“I don’t intend to,” Cross said.
“What did you do to the Russians?” I asked. Whatever it was had Moretti interested.
Cross gave Almeada a hard look, silently communicating that the attorney ought to keep his mouth shut. “It’d be best if you let that one lie, Ms. Parker.” The sudden formality meant I’d struck a nerve. At this point, several. “Do the police have the murder weapon yet?”
“No,” I said.
“I’ve seen the autopsy report. Knox was shot in the chest.” Almeada reached for his briefcase. “Four times.”
“Have you seen the report?” Cross asked me, and I nodded. “Do you think he was killed by a professional hitter?”
“A pro wouldn’t have shot him in the chest. It would have been a headshot, possibly execution style. Four to the chest is sloppy, emotional, especially after…”
“After what?” Cross asked.
“After he’d been tortured.”
“Tortured?” Something flickered behind Cross’s eyes.
“His molars were removed and his fingertips burned off.”
“Dammit.” Cross blinked hard. “Knox was a real piece of work. I knew it’d catch up to him, but I never thought I’d be blamed.” He tapped his pointer finger on the table, unaware he was even doing it. “That doesn’t make any sense. We didn’t overlap. He worked for arms dealers and cartels.”
“What was Knox involved in?” I asked.
“Smuggling.”
“Do you have proof?”
“Rumors of a ledger, but nothin
g solid. I never investigated.”
“Why not?”
“It’s complicated.” Cross went back to staring at the wall. “Just get me out of here. I’ll figure the rest out, but I can’t do that from a holding cell.”
“That’s easier said than done. They plan on executing a search warrant,” I said.
Almeada cursed. “We expected as much. Any surprises I should prepare for, Lucien?”
“Nothing.”
“I’ll do my best to slow them down and run whatever damage control might be necessary. What about Justin? They’ll want to bring him in for questioning,” Almeada said.
“He knows how to handle the situation, but make sure he’s okay,” Cross said.
Almeada didn’t seem nearly as optimistic on this point. “Given who your father is, I think it’s time we loop him in. He has plenty of clout. We can use that to our advantage.”
“No. I didn’t want his help then, and I sure as hell don’t want it now. He doesn’t know anything about this, and even if he did, I doubt he’d care.”
“Regardless, a phone call could work wonders,” Almeada said. “You could be home by dinner.”
“No.” Cross folded his arms across his chest and sat back in the chair. He’d always said and done what he wanted, but this was nothing more than sheer stubbornness.
“Lucien—” Almeada began.
“I pay you to act on my behalf. I said my father stays out of this, so he stays out of this. Got it?”
Almeada met my eyes. “You might as well get to work since our job has gotten exponentially harder.”
“I’ll see what I can do, but don’t hold your breath.”
Nine
After walking out of the interrogation room, I tried to gather as much intel as I could from my buddies in blue, but no one would talk to me. Moretti made sure a cone of silence surrounded the Knox murder. Heathcliff kept a watchful eye on me, keeping me away from anything of use. Unfortunately, he knew all my tricks and exactly where I’d go for my intel.