Tell Me Lies, page 16
Apparently, it caught Lexie’s as well. Her body leaned forward just a hair. If Rafe’s own body hadn’t been so aware of her sitting next to him he might not have noticed.
“Would you happen to know this private investor’s name?” Lexie jumped in and asked.
She had stayed quiet up until now, letting him lead the investigation, and he appreciated it, but being Smith’s daughter maybe she could get the two men to open up.
Richardson looked to his attorney, who in turned pursed his lips and gave a minor nod.
“Stephen Bolds.”
Rafe’s gut clenched and his pulse pounded in his ears.
Realization washed across Lexie’s face, her eyes wide and her mouth in the shape of a little round O. “Wait. You don’t mean the Stephen Bolds, the one who served time for drugs and running a prostitution ring, and had ties to the Colombo crime family in New York?” Lexie’s voice was edged with disbelief. “What’s Alan doing with someone like that?”
Smith scooted his chair back, crossed his legs, and twirled his pen on the wood table. Rafe watched his jaw muscles flex.
“Bolds paid his debt to society and lives within the law now. I personally reviewed the contracts Alan signed with him and everything is on the up and up.” Smith’s tone was gentle and admonishing at the same time.
Rafe reached under the table and gave Lexie’s leg a gentle squeeze. He could see the doubt in her clouded eyes, the firm set of her mouth, and the questioning angle of her head, yet she shut it down and let the subject rest.
“Mr. Richardson, we appreciate your help on this matter. I have just a couple more questions and we’ll be out of your way. In these weekly poker games, anyone lose a lot? Possibly have a bad string of luck?”
Smith again laid his hand on his client’s arm.
We’re back to covering our asses.
“Not at all, like I said, it’s just penny-ante stakes. Our wives wouldn’t be too happy with us if we blew their spending money, now would they?” He laughed alone at his own joke.
“One last question. Where were you Friday night from eight to ten p.m.?”
“I can answer that for you, Detective. Scott and his wife, Mary, were at my house for a dinner party along with the victims.”
Rafe and Lexie stood, said their thanks, and excused themselves. They were nearly out the door when Bill Smith called out to his daughter. She met him at the conference room door, and Rafe watched the dynamics between them. Smith’s face was drawn, the lines around his eyes more pronounced than he had noticed earlier, and with his slumped shoulders he looked twenty years older. Rafe couldn’t hear the conversation, but got a vibe it was personal rather than dealing with the case. A few minutes later Smith placed a soft kiss on Lexie’s forehead and walked back into the conference room.
The wind kicked up on the walk back to the office, pushing the smell of seafood across the road and causing Rafe’s stomach to growl.
“Let me buy you a bowl of chowder?” Rafe sensed her hesitation as she looked longingly toward her office. “We’ll call it a business meeting, if it makes you feel better. We need to talk about the case and figure out where to head next. Calico Jack’s will give us more privacy than Elsie’s, and we can check out if business is as good as Richardson said. Besides, I don’t know about you, but my body needs fuel.”
“Really? And here I thought men lived by football and beer alone.”
“Are you kidding? Not without the hot wings.”
The lunch crowd had come and gone, and at two in the afternoon the early birds hadn’t arrived yet, giving Lexie and Rafe the restaurant mostly to themselves. The usual seafaring theme decorated the interior with a few treasure chests thrown in for the kids’ delight. A picture of the nefarious Calico Jack himself graced the stone fireplace on the far wall. The hostess indicated they could pick their own spot, and they spent a few minutes chatting her up about business.
“This is our favorite time of the day, when we get to take a break between the crowds. It’s nice to catch up with our regular diners. From eleven thirty to one thirty the place is pretty busy, just enough to keep you moving steadily. Four o’clock brings all the seniors for dinner, and we barely get them served and out the door when happy hour hits and then dinnertime is packed in here. You guys picked the perfect time for a quiet, romantic lunch.”
He saw Lexie open her mouth to correct the young woman, but the hostess deposited their menus and walked away before she could. He found he didn’t mind the idea of a romantic meal with Lexie, although the vibe he’d been picking up from her all day to keep his distance said she felt otherwise. He’d have to see what he could do to change her mind.
“He was lying, you know.” Lexie’s comment pulled him out of his thoughts and back to business.
“About which part? My gut is telling me he lied about more than one thing.”
“The poker games, for one. We talked with Mark Lafontaine this morning. From what he said the games aren’t low stakes.”
“So that’s what caught your attention back there.” When she looked at him questioningly, he explained the odd feeling of being watched and her focused stare. “I thought you’d spotted something I hadn’t seen, but it was the lie.”
“I wish I could say he was lying about Bolds and Alan being involved. I saw the look on my father’s face—he was dead honest there.” She fiddled with the silverware, not meeting his gaze. “Do you believe them about Bolds being legit these days?”
“No.”
She looked into his eyes.
Shit. Tears.
He gave Lexie a few minutes to get her emotions under control before going on. The urge to pull her into his arms and wrap her in comfort was stifled by the subtle distance she put between them, the defiant tilt of her chin, and the knowledge she was one frayed thread from losing control. Lexie needed to steer clear of Bolds. Compared to his suspected activities now, drugs and prostitution were mere child’s play. If Bolds felt Lexie was a threat him, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill.
“Lexie, I can’t give you the full details, but let’s hope for Alan’s sake he’s still not involved with the man. And, you need to stay away from him, far away. I’ve got a friend in Providence I can ask to do some checking for us. Do you understand what I’m getting at?”
“I get it. Bolds is the Big Bad Wolf and I’m Little Red Riding Hood.” She shot him a cheesy grin, taking her sarcasm and turning it into a mood lifter.
“Did Lafontaine say anything else?”
“Not really. We got the list of poker buddies. Kat is talking to Judge Monroe now as he’s one of them and tomorrow we planned to talk to the others. Would you like to join us?”
The waitress interrupted the conversation to deliver drinks and take their orders.
“I wish I could. Tomorrow is the joint task force sweep.” At her quizzical look, Rafe explained. “There’s about twenty of us or so from different offices all over Connecticut who will work together to get unregistered sex offenders off the street. Once a month we come together and do a mass search of sex offenders’ homes, making sure they live where they say and are not in possession of any pornography or anything that could entice a child. If they’ve lied or have any banned items, they’ve violated their parole or probation, and we arrest them.”
“Wicked cool. How did you get involved? Can private investigators join? I could really get into a job that keeps pervs away from innocents.”
“A friend of mine out in California told me about it, and I suggested it to another friend here and now we’re putting it into place.”
Lexie gazed at him with something close to hero worship written across her face. He got it, had felt the same way when his buddy, Sgt. Kelly Challand, brought the program up. He was just one of many doing their jobs and what they’d sworn to do—protect and serve.
Luckily for him their waitress brought lunch right then, and they both dug into their Calico’s po’boys—shrimp grinders—and fries. Neither came up for air until their sandwiches were nearly gone, reminding him that Lexie wasn’t afraid to eat in front of him. He hated when women picked at their food.
“Have you had any more late-night visitors or signs of someone snooping around your place?”
“No, but then my mom stayed with me for the past two nights. She’s a better deterrent than my dog.”
He recalled a few past encounters with the mighty Susan Smith and had to agree. He’d rather take on a pack of hungry wolves than face Susan on her nicest days.
“Everything okay with your parents?”
She dropped her remaining sandwich on the plate, pushing it away. “It’s stupid. She’s convinced he’s cheating on her. He denies it. She’s got no proof, yet he has times in his schedule he can’t or won’t account for. I think he’s up to something, but I don’t think it’s another woman.”
Rafe reached over and stole a few fries from the plate she’d pushed away. “I’ve seen your dad look at your mom, and the man is completely in love with her. Is their anniversary or her birthday coming up?”
“Her birthday is in a month and a half. I thought the same thing, but he won’t confide in me either, which makes me wonder.”
“What’s next?” Rafe didn’t like talking about the subject, felt like he was sticking his nose where it didn’t belong, yet he’d sensed Lexie needed to talk it out. “They’re not filing for divorce, are they?”
“Thank goodness, no. Dad’s agreed to go to counseling, if only to prove to my mom how much he loves her. Thankfully, she moved back home, which surprised me since both are acting like brick walls. Neither wants to give an inch right now on who’s right and who’s wrong.”
Rafe laid his credit card on the table to pay the bill and Lexie laid her hand on top of his.
“You said this was business. I’ll pay for mine.”
“Yes, it’s a business lunch, but I invited you.”
“Hello? How’s that different from a date?”
“A date doesn’t involve discussions about criminals. This simply means my måe brought me up with manners and if she found out I’d let you pay, she’d have me by the ear along with an hour-long lecture.”
Laughing, Lexie asked, “She doesn’t still grab you by the ear, does she?”
“Oh yes, she does. The woman stands five three but has a vise-grip belonging to John Cena. Trust me when I say I’d just as soon keep my ears attached.”
Thankfully for his ears and hearing, Lexie allowed him to pay. The walk back to her office and his SUV went too fast for Rafe’s taste. She made a good partner, one he could trust. Not to mention she was a hell of lot better to look at than his former partner.
“I need to get over to the office and take care of a few things for tomorrow. Promise me you won’t go see Stephen Bolds, Lexie. Let me put the call in to my friend and get the information through him. You do not want to come to Bolds’ attention.”
“Rafe, if that’s where the investigation is leading, I have to follow it. I promise I won’t go alone.”
“Lexie, this guy is way out of your league. Hell, he’s out of mine. Give me two days?”
“Go, work. Catch the bad guys and make us safer. I’ll be fine.”
“How about I take you on a real date, tonight? Dinner, the movies, maybe followed by a moonlit stroll on the beach?”
“Tempting, however, I think we need to keep our relationship focused on business.” She held up her hand and cut him off. “I know, not the tune I was singing the other night, but you were right. The adrenaline was pumping through me and with the light of day I’m sorry. I should never have put you in that position.”
“Honey, we’ve had our first date now, you can put me in that position or any other of your choosing at any time.”
Chapter 16
Lexie arrived at the office the next morning early, very early. Not able to sleep any longer, she’d rolled out of bed at five a.m., taken Bear for a run on the beach and, still feeling restless, opted to head in to the office barely past the crack of dawn. Taking advantage of the solitude, Lexie kicked off her sneakers and propped her feet on the side drawer. Sipping her French vanilla tea, she reviewed the interviews from the day before.
Each, Richardson and Lafontaine, supplied pieces of the puzzle. Unfortunately, the pieces only formed a partial picture—one which didn’t paint Alan in the most flattering light. All the important pieces were still missing. Tilting her head back, she pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling slow and deep.
One half of her brain nagged at her to talk over Alan’s losing streak with Rafe, while the other half demanded she wait until there was proof.
Glancing at her watch, she noted the time and pulled up Jorgensen Construction on the Internet. Builders started work notoriously early. Hopefully she could reach the owner before he headed out to whichever site was slated for today. Lexie calculated the time they’d need to finish up interviews with the poker players. If they left as soon as Kat arrived, they had enough time to fit them all in today.
She replayed the conversation with Richardson. It hadn’t been sitting well with her since they walked out of his office. Looking back, the slight hesitation at disclosing Bolds’s name appeared calculated and the look on his face, smug.
Vinnie had popped into Richardson’s office yesterday after snooping around, which he’d told her while she’d tried to focus on the interview. He’d said the guy was clean but lying about the poker games, which she already knew. Vin had crossed him off the list and popped out before Bolds’s name was brought up. She wondered what Vinnie would have to say about Alan’s relationship with the man and made a point to ask him later.
Rafe hadn’t missed much during the interview. He must be sensitive, since most people didn’t register Vinnie at all. But the minute Vinnie joined them, Rafe had picked up the change in the room. He also didn’t miss her shift in moods. She’d gone from cool and professional to tense in seconds. Rafe’s warm, strong fingers on her thigh offered comfort and support. A sweet sensation filled her at his touch. It also brought her strength as she faced the shocking news and disappointment.
Last night she would have loved nothing more than going on a real date with the man. What female alive wouldn’t? One he’d cheated on, that’s who. Yesterday she’d allowed herself to be caught up in his charm and professionalism. To allow his compassion to dig in under her skin and mess with her brain. To enjoy the easy companionship, they’d always had in the past.
Today, she wasn’t so sure.
Yeah, it was stupid to judge the Rafe of today based on the Rafe of the past, but it was her heart she would be playing with. One that had been broken into a hundred thousand pieces. One that had never fully mended.
The back door clicked open bringing in a breeze of cold, fresh air. Lexie dropped her feet to the floor and pushed the drawer shut before Kat, the neat freak, caught her. She swiveled around in her chair and greeted her partner as she came down the short hallway.
As usual Kat looked more like she belonged running a corporate office in her heels, slacks, and tailored blouse. Although today she’d dressed down and worn low-heeled black boots, she still made Lexie’s choice of sneakers, jeans, a silk tee, and cotton jacket look like dress-down Friday.
“I’m surprised you’re in so early. I thought you might have had a late night.”
She followed Kat’s gaze to her bare feet, then toward the now-closed desk drawer and grinned at her friend’s one raised eyebrow and stern mouth.
“Nope. Slept like the dead in my own bed . . . alone. Anyway, I was just going to give Jorgensen a call, see if we can catch him before he heads out to the work site.” Lexie rose and walked to the teapot in the kitchenette.
“Too late, he’s already out at the property where they’re building the new movie theater. I could hear the equipment start up at seven this morning from my place. Totally wrecked my morning meditation on the patio.”
Kat joined her in the kitchen area, pulled her mug with the polar bears on it off the hook, and started her chai.
“Did you get anything out of Judge Monroe yesterday?” Lexie leaned against the counter sipping her drink.
“Pretty much the same thing we got from Lafontaine.” Kat faced the counter, tapping her long, red nails on the surface. She fiddled with the tea bag string, not making eye contact. “He did mention Alan asked him to join him in another real estate deal, some condo thing over in Narragansett. Judge Monroe turned him down because of a third partner.”
“Let me guess, Stephen Bolds?”
Lexie signaled for Kat to follow her out to the office and settled in one of the leather chairs. She filled her in on the interview with her father and Richardson, along with Rafe’s comments on Bolds’s current activities.
“Providence and its citizens are out of Rafe’s jurisdiction,” Kat noted.
“But not out of ours.” Lexie slipped her sneakers on, set her cup on her desk, and grabbed her purse. “Let’s start with Jorgensen, then Sterling and Dorsett right after lunch. If they all point in the same direction, we’ll head there and if not, we’ll pursue other leads and give Rafe’s guy a chance to dig into Bolds.”
They locked up the office and climbed into Lexie’s car to drive the two blocks over to the new movie theater. From there they’d head to Mystic and then back into town.
“Hey, where’s Vinnie this morning? It’s not like him to miss interviews,” Kat asked as she locked her seat belt into place.
“Haven’t seen him since yesterday. He popped in during the interview, but didn’t stick around for very long. I think he didn’t stop by last night because he was afraid my mom might have returned. Apparently, there are some things that even scare ghostly mobsters.”
“Can’t say I blame him.” She held her hands up in defense. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Aunt Susan, however the woman is a force to be reckoned with when she’s on a rant. Kind of like a Category 5 hurricane.”
“Tell me about it.”
A black Altima passed them as they turned onto 1st Avenue. Kat waved to Paul, but the driver didn’t return the gesture. Lexie caught the frown on her friend’s face along with the glisten of tears in her eyes.
