The secrets they keep, p.13
The Secrets They Keep, page 13
I can do this on my own.
The wind swept through her hair as she turned onto a main road toward the highway.
Make him pay. Pay for the pain and fear he’s caused me.
I don’t just want to have him arrested…because there’s a chance he’d go free with no proof. I want to make sure he pays for making me afraid everywhere I go.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and as she merged onto the highway, she turned her music on, losing herself to the melody and clearing her mind of the revenge she could barely let herself admit she wanted.
Because if I get back at him—hurt him—what does that make me?
It puts me in control again.
I need to feel in control of my life again.
Chapter Sixteen
Buster missed you last night. I didn’t hear you come in. Let’s do dinner tonight. Chili please? I’ll bring cake.
Grace left the note on the kitchen counter, then rushed out the door after receiving Tarek’s text.
Financial reports are in. The debt is astounding.
Marie hadn’t come off as lacking intelligence, but rather ignorant to the household finances.
Either this is about to be a big shock to her, or the debt is motive.
As she strode by Rhonda at the front desk, her name echoed through the receiving area. She turned around as Mac jogged toward her with a smile.
“You got the text?” he asked.
She nodded as he caught up, and they walked in tandem at a quick pace down the hall toward Tarek’s desk. “How was your night with Kenzie?” she asked.
“Pretty great.” He was still smiling as they approached Tarek at his desk. “I’m going to need some coffee though, because we didn’t get to bed until almost midnight. She wanted to watch Disney movies all night, and I didn’t have the heart to turn her down after not seeing her for two weeks.”
“Parental guilt,” Grace said before stopping in front of Tarek. “Let me know how that works out.”
“Ha.” Mac let out an unenthused huff. “Okay, Tarek, show us what you got.”
“Good morning to you too,” Tarek said before opening a binder. “What we’ve got is a binge and purge-like pattern here since Cory Boyd started college. He got a rather generous loan from the government for both semesters, and it was almost gone before the first one ended. Same for the next year. Then he was receiving transfers I traced back to his parents through all this. Nothing big, but he blew through it all quickly too. Two years ago, it starts to straighten out again. Living paycheque to paycheque, but no debt.”
“That’s when he and Marie got together, I think,” Grace said.
“It’s actually just before her name was put on his account.” Tarek flipped several pages. “Here, we have the windfall. Seven hundred grand deposited. Beginning that same month, it’s all debits. Cars, a house, bars, but especially large cash withdrawals that I’d assume were for gambling because they came out of the bank closest to Shorelines Casino or the ATM they have right there. Nothing coming in, and it’s all rushing out. We then have the largest chunk removed, likely for the business. After that, he wasn’t even left with a tenth of that original deposit. A little trickles in here and there from his business, but mostly, it’s gone a month after they open.”
“So that was three months ago.” Mac leaned over the paper to see where Tarek was pointing to the negative two hundred dollars. “What happened after that?”
“Right before he opened the business, while he still had some money, a line of credit was given in his name. Here’s the account.” He pulled out another binder. “Thirty thousand was given, and here it is, the end of that month, gone. Interest was at eighteen percent, and minimum payments for just the interest skyrocketed after the next month, until…”
He flipped toward the middle of the file and jabbed his finger at the paper.
Grace leaned over. “His debt is cleared. Less than two months ago.”
“In cash,” Mac said.
“Right, so we have a mysterious benefactor solving Mr. Boyd’s problems, and at the same time...” Tarek tapped on the page from the binder. “Ten thousand of that was transferred and deposited into the Boyds’ joint account.”
“Was Marie’s name on the line of credit?”
“No, just his. No co-signer. Here’s where it gets worse. After paying the mortgage and some bills, the rest of the ten thousand was gone in one weekend.”
“Wow.” Grace stood up straight. “So he just cleared their accounts—twice.”
“Didn’t learn the first time because he was bailed out somehow,” Mac said.
“Since then, they’ve been in overdraft. The debt was bad on the line of credit again, and he wasn’t making payments. Other than roughly two thousand a month that Marie Boyd was bringing in, the account hasn’t seen any positive credits since then.”
“How much debt is Marie in?” Grace asked, closing her eyes and wincing.
It’s going to be bad. She’s recently widowed. Husband murdered. Now this.
“Fifty-four thousand,” Tarek said.
“Damn.” Mac shook his head. “Okay, alright, it could have been worse.”
“Do you think she knows?” Grace asked.
“Mr. Boyd’s been helping her, so I think she knows about her overdraft, but the line of credit in Cory’s name will be news.”
“The house isn’t in her name?” Mac asked.
“No. Once they request that banking information, and the red tape can take a while on those things, the debt will be even worse.”
“He left her in a mess,” Mac said, rubbing the palms of his hands against his eyes. “I need coffee. This is bad.”
Grace pursed her lips and nodded. “This is motive. If Marie somehow found out about the debt, maybe life insurance would have been her motive to get out of the trouble he put them in.”
“I don’t think she knew,” Mac said. “She doesn’t have access—”
“If she saw papers,” Grace said, “and if they received phone calls from debt collectors, she’d have an idea. We need information on the insurance policy, Tarek.”
“Already on it.”
“And can you let us know if there were any pending money transfers to his account?” Grace asked. “Brad Hensen says he sent it to him last night. Let’s see if it checks out. Thanks.”
Tarek nodded.
“I want to see Hensen’s financial records since opening the store,” Mac said, walking toward the coffee maker. “I think we should ask him.”
“And if he says no, we’ll need a warrant.”
“From what he said, he knew about Cory’s financial issues, even closed the business because of it, so that’s motive. That’s enough to submit for a warrant.”
“Alright, so we call and ask.”
“Or pay him another visit.” Mac grabbed a Styrofoam cup and poured coffee into it, handing it to Grace.
“Thanks.”
He nodded and poured himself one.
“Let’s take these to go,” she said.
“Where to?”
“I was looking over the photos again with my sister’s tip in mind, and there were only five people who appeared to be wet from the snowfall. The two men smoking cigars you already questioned, Madigan and her dad, both alibis for each other and not at all suspects, and Todd.”
“So we’re paying Todd a special visit of his own.”
“Right.” They walked toward the front. “If Marie knew about the debt, and something’s been going on between her and Todd, she could have had him kill Cory.”
“You think there’s something more there, don’t you?”
Mac held the door open for her, and she walked out without comment.
“You don’t like discussing theories, so what’s the point?” she said as they reached her car.
“Do you have a picture of Marie?” Mac asked.
“In the wedding photos, yes, they’re on my laptop.”
“And Cory too, then?”
“Yes, why?”
“I think we should ask their neighbours if they’ve seen them together,” Mac said.
“Wow.” She sat back in her seat and twisted the key in the ignition. “Finally taking my theories seriously enough to investigate.”
“I’m trying to get some hard facts we can work with,” he said, a fake exasperation to his tone.
“Mhmm, sure. My laptop’s in the back,” she said with a grin as she pulled out of the parking spot. She could feel his eyes on her, but refused to look in his direction.
What is he thinking about when he looks at me like that?
Like a friend he’s happy to poke fun at?
Or something more?
She pushed the latter thought from her mind as they pulled onto Main Street.
“After you examined the photos,” Mac said, pulling the laptop open, “and Malone and Vila didn’t get a hit from any of the guests’ shoes for blood or a matching print in the snow, Todd seems like the only viable suspect from the actual wedding.”
“Brad Hensen is suspect number one.” Grace nodded. “Let’s see what we can find on Todd Leaver.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Knox,” Roy called from behind the bar as Madigan trod toward the back with her bag and helmet. “How’s it goin,’ stranger?”
“Sore,” Madigan said with a sigh. “Came from the gym. Out in a sec.” She ducked behind the door to the empty employee backroom.
I could have told Roy it was a self-defence class at the gym, but I can’t deal with the inevitable questions he’d have right now.
After shoving her bag and helmet in her locker, she pushed through the door, back out to the bar, immediately recognizing the back of a man’s head.
Jack.
She almost froze, wishing to be anywhere else.
He turned over his shoulder, as if sensing her behind him.
Too late.
“Hey, Mads,” he said as she walked back around the bar with Dana and Roy. “I hoped you’d be working today.” He wore his blue firehouse t-shirt, showing off his toned arm muscles.
Muscles Dana couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of.
“Where’s your girlfriend today?” Madigan asked, stopping in front of him.
“Working,” he said.
Of course she is. She probably has a normal job, with normal hours. I’d ask, but I don’t really care. Why fake it?
Madigan nodded and grabbed a bin full of clean glasses, stacking them behind the bar.
“What can I get you?” Dana asked in a honeyed tone.
“Burger and fries to go, please,” he said.
“Anything else?”
He shook his head, and she slipped behind Madigan, then strutted off to the kitchen, overtly swaying her hips and flaunting her curves.
Oh, give it a rest.
Madigan shook her head and sighed as she continued stacking.
He’s taken, and he’s the loyal type. Won’t fall for your advances, Dana.
“Will you be at the funeral?” Jack asked.
She kept her back to him.
“He’s sure isn’t asking me,” Roy said, walking around to the other side of the bar, leaving them alone together.
“It’s on Friday,” he said.
“I hadn’t heard.”
“Haven’t spoken to your parents since the other day?” he asked.
She shook her head and put the bin back under the bar, walking toward him with hesitation in her step.
“Can I have a water?” he asked.
“Sure thing.”
“I still can’t believe what happened,” he muttered as she grabbed a glass, cocking her head to the side. “About Cory.”
“Right. Yeah.”
She set the cold glass of water down in front of him and pressed her lips together, staring down at it and avoiding his gaze.
Why can’t I do this? Why can’t I be around him without wanting him?
“Did I do something, or…” he asked, pressing his lips together afterward and shaking his head slightly.
“No,” she sighed. “It’s just been a weird week altogether.”
He nodded, taking a sip of water as Dana strode back toward the bar and joined Madigan’s side.
“How long’s your lunch break?” Dana asked. “Would you like a pint while you wait?”
“Water’s fine,” he said, smiling.
“Well, alright then.” She grinned and flipped her hair behind her shoulder before grabbing a cloth and wiping at the bar beside Jack. “Won’t be long for your lunch.”
I tell her he has a girlfriend, and she still can’t help herself. At least I’m showing restraint.
“Actually, sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” Jack said.
“Dana.”
She’s beaming.
Madigan rolled her eyes and turned her back to them.
“Dana, could I actually get another burger to go please?”
“With the fries?”
Ugh, even her voice is annoying me.
“Yes, please.”
Dana swished past her again, and Madigan turned back to face Jack. He stared up at one of the mini TVs in the corner, watching the news.
He was just trying to have a normal conversation with me. Didn’t he say he’d hoped I was here, or am I just imagining that?
Ugh, it doesn’t matter, because whether I talk to him or not, I don’t have a chance at what I really want with him. Never have. It’s no reason to be rude or cold.
“I—I have a confession to make,” she said, and Jack turned to her, eventually smiling as she took a step toward him. “It’s not a good one, but Grace is the only one who knows.”
“Okay.” He stopped smiling, but continued to stare at her.
Those green eyes.
“Well?”
“Well,” she sighed, lowering her voice. “I was actually outside around the front when all that happened between Todd and Cory.”
He furrowed his brow.
“I was at the front outside, heard Cory and Marie arguing, and then kinda spied around the side. Eavesdropping.”
“Uh huh.”
“And then you guys came out, and all that went down, and you went back inside, and then there was just Cory.”
“How long were you out there after we left?”
“Just a moment. My dad called me back to the front, but before I left, I got a good look at him. Staring down at the money on the ground. He was broken.” She looked around and leaned in closer over the bar. “And it’s weird to think I could have been the last one to see him—besides…”
“I get it,” he said, nodding with a concerned look. “Secret’s safe with me. I kind of have a confession too.”
“About that night?”
He shook his head and glanced from side to side, making sure they were alone before he spoke again. “I don’t know,” he mumbled.
“What?” she asked, pulling back. “No, you can’t do that. You have to say.” Her heart beat sped up at the same time she took short breaths.
What if it’s about me? What if he does feel the same way?
“I just,” he said, tapping his fingers against the bar.
Each second that passed infuriated her, but she waited on baited breath for his words.
Just say it. Say you came to tell me you want me.
“I sort of told your sister in not so many words that Cory wasn’t very financially savvy or secure.”
A part of her deflated, but she stood up straight. “Oh,” she said on exhale.
“On the bachelor trip, he actually asked me to cover Kurt’s part for the hotel. I did, no problem. Dude’s going to be my new bro-in-law, you know? But then, when we got there the first night, Cory asked me to borrow money for the casino. I mean, I didn’t pity the guy, but I thought we were all having fun, so let’s keep the good times going. He promised to pay me back, but I knew, even before giving it to him, that he wouldn’t.”
“Really?”
Jack nodded. “Not because he’s a bad guy. He was cool. Just had a feeling. He used to pay for our nights out after his big win, and Kurt would brag about the good times Cory showed him, but then it slowed down. I just knew he didn’t have the money.”
“And you told Grace?” she asked.
He nodded. “I didn’t know until the plane ride home that Todd caught Cory with another girl.”
“Oh man…”
“Yeah. I told Kurt, and he didn’t believe it, but Todd was convinced.”
“Did you tell my sister?”
He shook his head. “It’s bro-code, and I don’t think it matters anyway.”
She cocked her head to the side and frowned at him.
“What?” he asked her, his lips curling into a grin.
“Then why are you telling me?” she asked, grinning back.
“You told me yours; I told you mine,” he said.
“What about bro-code?”
He pushed his water glass away. “I guess it’s not about that. I just didn’t want the news coming out about that now. He’s gone, but Marie’s still here, and she’s grieving. That’s not something she’d want to hear right now.”
“Well, I admire your respect for the living and the dead,” she whispered, “but he was murdered.”
“You think I should say something.”
She stared back at him without flinching.
Your choice, Jack. You’re a good man. You’ll make the right one.
“I don’t want to make things worse for anyone…” He cracked his knuckles and avoided eye contact.
“Let me tell Grace.” He looked up at her, their eyes meeting in a strong gaze. “She should get to decide if it’s important or not.”
“Lunch is ready,” Dana called from the double doors, carrying a paper bag. “Back to the fire hall?”
“To my girlfriend’s office,” he said. “Then home after what may have been the longest shift of my life.”
Dana laughed lightly, and he smiled as she handed him the bag, her hand brushing against his.
“Thanks,” he said, stepping off the barstool, turning to Madigan. “Good to see ya. Let your sister know about that thing, alright?”
She nodded and watched him stride away toward the door without looking back.
