Peter Decker 2-Book Thriller Collection: Blindman’s Bluff, Hangman. Faye Kellerman

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СКАЧАТЬ with mirrors and marble decorated with new brown velvet furniture and black coffee tables. The uniformed doorman directed Decker to a set of brass art deco elevator doors and told him to take it to the seventh floor.

      Antoine Resseur had a Christmas lights southern view of L.A. from two picture windows, giving punch to the boxy living room. Red leather sofas complemented bird’s-eye maple tables and shelving units. The black granite floors melded into a fireplace hearth. The recess lighting was dim and soft, and there was classical music on the stereo.

      Dressed in jeans, a blue oxford button-down shirt, and boat shoes, Resseur was holding a glass of red wine. He was short and slight, with propositional features, dark hair, and hazel eyes that looked like agate marbles. “Can I get you something, Lieutenant?”

      “I’m fine, but thanks. I appreciate your talking to me.”

      Resseur’s voice was low and soft. He sat down and pointed for Decker to do the same. “This has been a nightmare.”

      “You’re still close to Gil?”

      “We’re the best of friends.” He took a sip of wine.

      “It was very nice of you to offer to look after him.”

      Resseur looked down. “I’m the only one who Gil trusts right now.”

      “Not his brother?”

      “Grant wasn’t shot, was he?” Resseur sighed. “That sounds horrible. Gil’s being a little paranoid, I think.”

      “Once you’re shot, there’s no such thing as paranoia. Is that what Gil told you? He doesn’t trust Grant?”

      “What he told me is that he doesn’t trust anyone except me.”

      Decker took out a pen and a notepad. In the back of his mind, he never trusted the hero of the story and that’s how Resseur was presenting himself. “How long were you and Gil an item?”

      “About six years.”

      “That’s a long time. What broke you two up?”

      Resseur swirled the wine in his glass. “Gil was a very busy man. His dad made sure of that. He didn’t have a lot of time for personal relationships.”

      Decker nodded.

      “Always busy, busy, busy.” Another swirl, then Resseur took a sip. “But things got frenetic once Guy and Mace started suing each other. I thought things would quiet down once the lawsuit was resolved, but it just got crazier.”

      “How so?”

      “Mace was shipped back east, and a huge truckload of work was dumped on Gil. It was terrible for him.”

      “Could we talk a little about that? Like why Mace was kept in the company when he was caught embezzling funds?”

      Resseur rolled his tongue inside his cheek. “How should I say this? There isn’t anything about Kaffey Industries that Guy didn’t know about.”

      “Guy knew that Mace was embezzling?”

      “It’s not embezzling if the boss knows about it, is it.” A shrug. “That’s what rich people do for pocket change … dip into the slush fund and why not. It’s their money.”

      “Okay,” Decker said. “So why the lawsuit?”

      “Kaffey got into trouble with the IRS. Mace took the brunt of the fall. On the surface, it looked like Mace got hammered, but actually he was rewarded by Greenridge.” Resseur took a sip of his wine. “I talk too much when I drink.”

      Decker assured him that the information wouldn’t be used against him, but it got him thinking in another direction. Though still high on the list of suspects, Mace dropped from the top spot. “How did Mace and Guy get along?”

      Resseur rubbed his chin. “As well as can be expected. Guy had a temper. And Grant’s not far behind in that department.”

      “Have you experienced Grant’s temper?”

      “Not directly, but I’ve seen it. Gil is much more even tempered—like Mace. That’s why it was hard on him after Mace left. It was just Gil and his father without an intermediary.”

      “I heard that the two of them were very close.”

      “If you call working twenty-four/seven with a person close, then the two of were very close.”

      “Weren’t they planning on turning Coyote Ranch into a winery?”

      “They were?” Resseur seemed genuinely surprised. “That’s a new one, but I’ve been out of the loop. Good idea though. Gil had a fabulous wine palate. It’s certainly a good use of that monstrous place.”

      “Monstrous?”

      “That’s not a home. That’s a national park.”

      “You seem to have a lot of insights into the family.” Decker put down his notebook. “What do you think happened, Mr. Resseur?”

      “Me?” He pointed to his chest. “I don’t know.”

      “But you’ve thought about it.”

      “Of course.” He went over to his picture window and studied the view. Then he turned and faced Decker. “Nothing too profound. To get through all that security, it must have been an inside job. Isn’t one of the security guards missing?”

      “Yep. But do you see just one person pulling this off by himself?”

      “No, but that’s not how it happened. Someone hired thugs to do the murders. Gil remembers seeing people with tattoos before he crumpled and blacked out.”

      “Any candidates for the mastermind besides Rondo Martin?”

      “I’d check out the head of security: Neptune … something.”

      “Neptune Brady. Why do you suspect him?”

      “He was supposed to keep Guy and Gilliam safe. And now they’re dead.”

      “Grant is keeping Brady on as a security guard. What do you think about that?”

      “That speaks to Grant’s stupidity or Gil’s paranoia about Grant.”

      “He really thinks his brother was in on the murders?”

      “Gil has said a lot of things. But he’s delirious and doped up. His brain is scrambled right now.”

      “Have you arranged for any type of security once Gil leaves the hospital?”

      Resseur tapped a nearby end table. “I’ve broached the subject. Gil is disinclined to talk about it. He keeps harping on being released because he thinks the doctors are trying to poison him. That’s why I can’t take his talking against Grant too seriously.”

      “For the record, Grant told me he thought you СКАЧАТЬ