Thorne’s eyebrows shot up. ‘How did you know about that?’
‘I caught up with Darian and Chandler after they ran from the school. We met up at Darian’s house. The Hinmans didn’t have an unlocked bar, but they did have a fridge full of expensive beer. We got drunk again, and Darian and Chandler told me. They’d seen Gil shove the key in Richard’s gut after he sliced him open. Which was after he’d beaten his face in with the brick. We made a pact never to tell. Then I got home and heard that Sherri had been killed in a car accident. A hit-and-run. With a truck. I knew Gil had done it. I knew he’d kill me too if I said a word. So I didn’t. I let a killer walk free.’
His sister cleared her throat. ‘To be fair, Colt had a breakdown after that. He was catatonic. My mother called me. I was out of college and living on my own by then. I came straight home and Colt was in his room, rocking back and forth, mute.’
Like Gwyn, Thorne thought. After Evan.
‘You were hospitalized?’ Jamie asked Colt.
‘Yes. I was put on a seventy-two-hour suicide hold. When I got out, my father sent me to a private clinic. I was allowed out to testify in Thorne’s trial. I never told anyone at the clinic what had happened. Maybe I would have healed faster if I had. I did heal, though, enough to be on my own. I was scared to go home. Scared to run into Darian or Chandler or, worse, Gil. One thing that did come out of therapy was me.’ He made a face. ‘My parents were less than enthusiastic. Cut me off financially. I decided to make a break of it and change my name. I got into a decent school and took on loans for med school, payable with service in disadvantaged communities. I paid off my financial obligations years ago, but I stayed.’
‘Penance,’ Thorne murmured.
‘Yes,’ Colt confirmed. He spread his hands on the table. ‘That’s all. I hope it helps.’
Joseph and Hyatt shared a glance. ‘We can get warrants now,’ Joseph said.
Hyatt nodded. ‘This together with Eileen Gilson’s testimony can get us a warrant for Linden Senior’s financial records.’
‘And for his house?’ Gwyn asked, startling them. She hadn’t spoken a word since they’d entered the room. ‘Because if Richard had a key back then, someone put a lock on Patricia’s door. And if someone put the lock there, they knew she had reason to need to protect herself.’
‘Her parents,’ Colt said grimly. ‘One or both of them knew she was being molested by Richard.’
‘Or at a minimum that he’d assaulted others, or had a predilection,’ Gwyn said. ‘They knew the significance of that key. They paid Kirby Gilson for it before Richard’s body was autopsied. If the key became public, they’d have to acknowledge that they were harboring a sexual predator.’
‘You’re right,’ Thorne murmured. He hadn’t thought of that. ‘Thank you.’
A kiss to his biceps was her answer.
‘What about Segal?’ JD asked. ‘He knew too. He murdered Richard and then covered it up. We need to get a warrant for his arrest too.’
‘We can bring him in for a chat,’ Joseph said. ‘I’d like to hear about his tie to Tavilla.’
‘I’ll ask him to come in,’ Hyatt said. ‘They have the viewing today, but it doesn’t start for a few hours.’
Everyone started to move, but Frederick and Jamie both lifted their hands. ‘Excuse us,’ Frederick said. ‘But as Thorne’s attorneys, we want to clearly state that we expect a statement from the BPD and the FBI formally clearing him of any and all suspicion. Dr Colt wouldn’t be here today were it not for Thorne’s request. His businesses and his integrity have been hit hard by these blatant attempts to frame him.’
Thorne had to swallow again, this time out of gratitude. His guys had his back.
‘We also expect this statement to be made in a press conference dedicated to this purpose,’ Jamie continued. ‘It will not be buried in the verbiage of statements on other topics, nor will it be attached at the end of another press conference like an afterthought.’
Jamie wasn’t asking. He was telling. And both Hyatt and Joseph were nodding. ‘We can do that,’ Joseph said.
‘Excuse me,’ Colt’s sister cut in. ‘But what about Colt? The other two in Richard’s circle of friends are dead. Will you protect my brother?’
Joseph stood. ‘We can do that too. Come with me, Dr Colt. We’ll get you situated in a temporary safe house.’ He turned to Thorne. ‘I want the rest of you to go home. Lay low. Let Hyatt and me do our jobs.’
Thorne nodded. ‘Of course.’ But he had no intention of hiding in Clay’s house. He had to find leads on locations for Anne Poulin and Laura, because they would lead him to Tavilla. The wheels of justice moved too slowly and he wanted his friends – his family – out of danger.
Twenty-six
Baltimore, Maryland,
Thursday 16 June, 12.15 P.M.
He looked away from his risotto when Patton leaned down to murmur in his ear. ‘Sir? A word, please?’
‘Of course.’ He offered his lunch companions a quick apology before following Patton to Bruno’s kitchen. Kathryn would tend to them for a few minutes. She was good with his clients and customers. Most of the men simply liked stealing glances at her cleavage. As long as they never touched, he could live with that. ‘What’s wrong?’
Because anyone who worked for him knew not to disturb him in business meetings. He was five minutes from landing a lucrative shipping contract that would enable him to expand his control of the docks. Whoever controlled the docks controlled the flow of . . . well, everything. And he wanted to control everything.
‘The police are searching Linden’s home.’
His jaw tightened. He’d expected that to take a good while longer. ‘How did they get a warrant?’
‘A man came into the police station to meet with Lieutenant Hyatt and Agent Carter this morning. Thorne and his group were also there.’ Patton hesitated. ‘His name is Brandon Colt now. It was—’
‘Colton Brandenberg.’ He slid his hand into the pocket of his trousers to hide the fact that he’d clenched it into an angry fist. ‘That’s impossible. He’s dead.’
Again Patton hesitated. ‘No, sir, he’s not.’
He was already dialing Margo’s number. ‘Why is Colton Brandenberg alive?’ he asked acidly when she answered, bypassing any greeting. It had been her responsibility to ensure that the man and his conscience wouldn’t become a problem.
‘He’s not,’ Margo said. In the background he could hear the baby crying. A door closed and the sound became muffled.
‘What’s wrong with Benny?’
‘More teething. He’s got one cutting through.’ She sighed wearily. ‘What is this about, Papa? I’ve had very little sleep.’
He pushed away any feelings of compassion. In this, she was not his daughter-in-law, the mother of his grandson. She was his employee and she had royally erred. ‘Colton Brandenberg met with law enforcement this morning.’
She gasped. ‘That’s not possible. Ramirez killed him. I saw the body.’
‘Did you do a positive identification?’
A beat of silence, then two. ‘No,’ she admitted. ‘Ramirez forced Brandenberg’s truck off a mountain road. It rolled into a ravine and there was a fire. His face was ruined.’ More silence. ‘What did Brandenberg tell them?’ she asked timidly.
‘Enough for them to get a warrant to search Linden’s house.’
‘Well, we knew that was a possibility when we chose Patricia as Thorne’s “victim”. All of this was done to discredit Thorne, remember? Not to actually have him imprisoned. A prison sentence would have been like hitting the Powerball.’
Her logical tone grated on him. He was spared what would have been an angry retort when Patton lifted a reluctant finger. ‘There’s more,’ he whispered.
‘Wait,’ he barked at Margo before muting the call. ‘Why didn’t you say something?’
&nbs
p; Patton looked away. ‘You were already dialing her.’
He’d sought to teach Patton manners, not to beat him down. It appeared he’d be searching for a new right-hand man very soon. Margo was clearly not up to the task either. At least not now. Her attention was too fragmented.
‘Well? What is it?’
Patton looked green. ‘They’ve brought Judge Segal in for questioning.’
He literally felt the blood drain from his head and swayed on his feet for a second before gathering his composure. ‘When?’
‘I got the notification just as I was coming into the restaurant. He’s been at BPD for about ten minutes by now.’
He gritted his teeth. The judge would talk. He’d break. Because he’s weak. ‘Go to his home. Do what you have to in order to make his son come to the door. Then take him. Do not kill him. Do you understand me?’
‘Yes. Sir,’ Patton added quickly.
‘Take Kathryn with you. She can lure him out. Send me a photograph of him once you’ve taken him.’
‘Yes, sir.’ He started to turn, then paused. ‘Is that all?’
‘Where is the other boy? The son of Gwyn Weaver?’
‘I dropped him off, just like Margo told me to. She has the photos you asked for.’
‘Good. Go.’ He unmuted his call. ‘Are you still there?’
‘Yes,’ Margo said, sounding worried. ‘What’s going on?’
‘They’ve brought the judge in for questioning.’
‘What? No. That’s not possible.’
‘You didn’t hear any of this with your hidden microphone?’
‘No.’ A long pause. ‘It’s gone quiet.’
‘In other words, they found it.’
‘I . . . I think so, yes. Perhaps.’
He drew in a breath. ‘Send me the photos of the boy.’
‘Gwyn Weaver’s son?’
‘Yes. Do it now. Then call your mother to take Benny. Your distraction could have ruined all my plans.’
‘I’m sorry, Papa.’
‘Sir,’ he corrected. ‘In this, I am “sir”.’
Another beat of silence. ‘I’m sorry, sir.’ There was anger in her voice and he didn’t care. She’d fucked this up. Badly. ‘What can I do to help?’ she added, and it sounded like she was speaking through clenched teeth.
‘Come to the boat. Immediately. Wait in my office.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Less than a minute later, Margo’s email with the photos of Gwyn Weaver’s son appeared in his inbox. He flicked through them until he found one that would work. It was a photo of the Weaver kid in the back of Patton’s SUV. It had been taken in the darkness of a windowless garage, the only illumination the dome light in the hatch. Just bright enough to see the lump of a figure covered in an old blanket.
Not enough light to see a face. The blanket covered his clothing, and a cap, slightly askew, covered his hair. It was a generic enough photo. It could have been nearly anyone’s son.
He froze for a moment as a sudden harsh pain of longing swept through him, compressing his chest and making it hard to breathe. Colin. He missed his son. But he forced his lungs to function and pushed the grief to the side. He’d grieve later, when he was alone. Right now, silencing Judge Gil Segal was his key priority.
He attached the photo to a text and added: Be smart. Be silent. Then he hit SEND. That was the best he could do until Patton and Kathryn retrieved Segal’s son. Then he’d send more texts showing the boy’s face. The judge was weak, but he wasn’t stupid. And even if the boy was Richard’s spawn, the judge loved him like he was his own flesh and blood. He’d make the right choice.
And if the judge didn’t make the right choice?
He could make life difficult. But ultimately there would be nothing he could say to the police that wouldn’t incriminate him even more.
Yes, I approached Segal. Because his obsessive research into Thomas Thorne had yielded a better result than he’d ever imagined possible. That the man had been acquitted of murder was a matter of public record. But someone had murdered Richard Linden nineteen years ago, and he’d continued asking questions until he’d dug the truth out of Darian Hinman and Chandler Nystrom. It hadn’t been cheap, but he’d considered it one of the best deals he’d ever made.
He’d considered killing them at the time, but feared it would warn Thorne as to what was coming. And he’d wanted Thorne caught completely unaware.
Yes, I threatened Segal with exposure. But not for money. He didn’t need money for one, nor did the judge have any to spare. He and his wife had spent their fortunes. Segal was a financially desperate man.
He was also very afraid of Thomas Thorne, having lived in fear for all these years that Thorne would discover his secret. Segal had never expected the boy he’d known as Thomas White to simply walk away. He had expected Thorne to avenge his Sherri.
It’s what I would have done. I never would have walked away. He’d known that Thorne was weak, but the discovery of his cowardice had cemented his opinion.
As a young man Thorne had been broken by the trial, by the loss of his Sherri, and by the betrayal of his family. That fracture in his character still existed, but he had covered it by changing his name, reshaping his life so that it wasn’t visible. Nevertheless, underneath it all was a broken man, afraid that all he’d built could be taken away.
So on that knowledge he’d made his plans. On that knowledge he’d offered Segal the opportunity to make his fear of Thorne go away forever.
The judge had accepted his offer. Had provided him with everything he’d needed to set up the crime. Except, of course, the victim who’d been found in Thorne’s bed.
Killing Patricia’s young lover would have been the most stupid thing he could have done. And unfair. Patricia hadn’t deserved to be spared. And the discovery of her body in Thorne’s bed had kicked off his plan so much more effectively.
But the judge wasn’t supposed to have been suspected of murder. That was never part of the plan. He wouldn’t have been either, not if Colton Brandenberg had been killed the way he was meant to have been. Now that the truth had come out, Segal might try to sacrifice him to make a deal.
In the end, whatever Segal told the police would be the judge’s word against his own. Anything he said would be viewed through the lens of a man accused of Richard’s murder. Even the boy with whom Patricia had been having her affair would come forward to say that Segal had threatened him.
The trouble was Thomas Thorne. Thorne would keep pushing the investigation. That was a certainty. Any charges brought against the judge would remove the spotlight from Thorne. He might even be cleared. And he had the feeling that Thorne would push to uncover how the judge connected to everything that had happened to his businesses and his friends. How the judge connects to me.
For the first time, he had doubts about his ability to achieve his plans. Killing Thorne was now an option he had to consider.
The return of Colton Brandenberg was a game-changer. Margo’s misstep had tipped the balance precariously. Perhaps he’d assumed too quickly that she’d be an adequate successor. She’d always seemed so together. Always so intelligent and cool-headed. But when the pressure got too high, she’d screwed up.
He had expected too much of her, he knew that now. She was grieving Colin and caring for the baby, all at the same time. She’d be punished for her mistakes, but he had to admit he’d made mistakes too.
Grief would do that to a person. But now he had some difficult decisions to make. He dialed Kathryn.
‘I’m with Patton,’ she said after answering. ‘We’re on our way to pick up the judge’s kid. We had to lose our tail. Looked like Feds this time.’ She hesitated. ‘I can’t lie, Cesar. This situation is bad. Brandenberg showing up like that . . . alive? He was the block that could bring down the whole tower. Margo promised us that he’d
been taken care of.’
‘I know,’ he said grimly. ‘The judge will take the fall for Richard’s murder and will not attempt to implicate me. Especially once we have his son.’
‘What about Thorne? He’s not gonna back down. You have to know that.’
‘I know,’ he said again, even more grimly.
She sighed. ‘Hate to be the one to tell you this, but all that time we thought you had? It just got shortened dramatically. Thorne will not give up investigating you until he finds something that sticks. And in the meantime, he and his people will be a pain in the ass. They’ve already located the Poulins.’
He shrugged. ‘I covered that eventuality a year ago, when I sent Margo to work for him.’ They’d eliminated the Poulins. But he frowned, because they were supposed to have eliminated Colton Brandenberg too.
‘I know, but I’m saying that they are digging and will continue to do so. Eventually they will uncover something we haven’t planned for.’
She was saying what he was thinking, even though he did not want to be thinking it. ‘You’re saying I should just end him, rather than watching him suffer.’
‘I’m saying you might not have the luxury of choice.’
‘Kathryn,’ he growled.
‘You think you should end him, don’t you?’
He found himself pouting like Benny. ‘Yes. He is no longer worth the trouble. I agree.’
‘Then that’s what you should do. But be aware that bringing him in will not be easy. You can’t just send Patton after him. He and his friends will be on their guard. Whatever you do, it will have to be quick, surgical and overpowering.’
‘Such as?’ He already knew how he’d play it, but he wanted her take. And as he listened to her plan, he realized once again how much he trusted her judgment. ‘Can you make it happen?’
‘Of course,’ she said confidently. ‘I’ll have to pull some of your men away from their normal responsibilities. I won’t touch your bodyguards, but I need your highest-ranked men on the street.’