Quest For Justice. Kathleen Tailer

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СКАЧАТЬ any information you gain from your investigation that might have a bearing on our hiring decision. With Mr. Cox gone, we’ll have to hire a new investigator. That will really mess up our timeline.”

      “Will you have to forgo some of the background checks?”

      Johnson looked uncomfortable. “The board hasn’t decided. We might just go with Cox’s preliminary findings.”

      “Does Gates have any enemies? Anybody who would like to see the leadership struggle?”

      “Sure,” Johnson answered. “Atlantic Medical Supply is probably our staunchest competitor. We’re both bidding on a large contract with Nextco, a company that makes three of our biggest sellers.”

      “And what happens if Gates doesn’t get the contract?”

      “Well, we’ll have to lay off about one hundred workers.” He held up his hands. “I’m trusting you not to share that information. It’s one of the reasons the board is in a hurry to fill the position. We need a strong leader to secure the contract.”

      “Do you have a frontrunner in this search?” Frank asked.

      “We’ve been leaning toward Gabriel Jeffries, an entrepreneur who has done amazing things in the market. If the decision had to be made today, he would probably be the one selected, unless we discover some horrible skeleton in his closet. He has the most experience and would take our company in the right direction.” Johnson stood and motioned toward the door. “I’ll walk you out and get my assistant to send you that list of applicants and Mr. Cox’s preliminary report.”

      They all walked back out to the secretary’s desk and she quickly emailed both of the promised items to Frank’s work email address. He noticed Bailey looking around the reception area as if expecting to see someone, but the room was empty. To his surprise, she stayed quiet until they had left the Gates building and were standing on the sidewalk.

      “Okay,” she said, her eyebrows raised. “I held up my end and didn’t ask a single question. Can you share the list of applicants and report with me?”

      Frank shook his head. “Our deal was that I let you in on the interview instead of arresting you. I didn’t say anything about sharing the list. We still don’t even know if this case has anything to do with your father’s murder, but, either way, that’s for me to investigate. You need to go home now and let me do my job.”

      Her face flushed with anger. “Hold on now. I thought we were working together on this.”

      Frank laughed. “I don’t know what gave you that idea. I certainly never said that.”

      His response only seemed to make her angrier. “You implied it. I have a lot to offer.”

      “I’ll give you a million reasons why that will never work.”

      She raised an eyebrow. “So we’re singing that old song again, are we?”

      “And we’ll keep singing it until you return the money.” Frank leaned forward. She was so close that he could feel her breath on his skin. When he spoke, his voice was low but forceful, and his words were for her ears alone. “You never served a day in prison for stealing all of that money. Do you honestly think that’s right?”

      Bailey narrowed her eyes. “I was acquitted, remember? The DA tried to pin it on me and failed. The medical equipment was all anyone could prove I had stolen, and I served my time for that.”

      “That stolen equipment was just the tip of the iceberg,” Frank said, his voice still deceptively soft. “You know it and I know it. You might have beaten the court system, but I still want the money you stole returned, and I’m not going to stop pushing until we get it all back. Every last cent. When you’re ready to turn it over, come see me. Otherwise, stay out of my way.”

      She grimaced. “I need that list and my father’s report. I’ll trade you for them—do some computer work for you or...”

      Frank leaned back. “We’re done here. Go home, Bailey.”

      She put her hands on her hips. “I won’t,” she said stubbornly.

      He moved closer again and she took a step back. “Tell me where the money is, Bailey. It’s the right thing to do.” She met his eyes but said nothing.

      Frank stepped away. “Good-bye, Bailey.”

       FIVE

      Frank turned on his heel and walked away, leaving her standing in front of Gates. He definitely needed to get as far away from Bailey Cox as possible before he was forced to admit that he found her attractive when she showed her strength and determination. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, angry with himself and the jumble of emotions that were flying through him. Why couldn’t he control his feelings? She was a criminal and an unrepentant one at that. Yet, without seeming to even realize it, she was drawing him closer like a moth to a flame, and his skin was already feeling the singe.

      He widened his steps and sped up, suddenly in a hurry to get to his car and be off. It was ridiculous for him to feel anything for her besides contempt when she was still hiding the money she’d stolen. Sure, the case had gone cold years ago, and since the insurance company had paid the tab, nobody was really even looking for the money—except him. He just couldn’t let it go, even though it was probably a fool’s hope that he’d ever track it down.

      He pushed his feelings aside and focused on the murder investigation. There was no reason to ever see her again, and that thought gave him some degree of satisfaction. For a moment, he’d thought he’d seen something in Bailey’s eyes that made him believe she was willing to make a bargain, but he had been wrong. She wouldn’t even talk about the money, and without that dialogue, he was done. It was time for them to go their separate ways.

      He reached his car but couldn’t shake a strange feeling that he was being watched. He scanned the area but didn’t see Bailey or anybody else paying any attention to him. Still, hot electricity ran down his back. He checked again and this time noticed a man in black eyeing him from across the street. Frank pocketed his keys and headed across the street to confront the man, but several cars drove by and blocked him from crossing. By the time Frank reached the doorway where the man had been standing, there was no sign of him. Why had the man been watching him?

      His stomach rumbled and he decided to stick around and grab a quick bite in case the man reappeared. He glanced up and down the street and then headed toward a nearby coffee shop and turned his thoughts back to Gates.

      The company didn’t look like much of a lead at this point, but he would follow through and check out the five applicants, just in case. It seemed ridiculous to kill over a career opportunity, but he’d actually seen worse as a beat cop. Maybe he was jaded, but few things surprised him anymore. In any case, the list of applicants from Gates was his best lead so far. Hopefully interviewing them would point him to the killer.

      He placed his order at the counter and then called his office while he waited.

      “Graham.”

      “Hey, this is Frank.” He gave Ben Graham a synopsis of the discussion with Johnson, smiled at the waitress who handed him his food and headed for a table, his ear still pressed against the phone. СКАЧАТЬ