on what she was telling him but hated that she’d moved farther away. Trying to soften his voice, he prodded, “Please, you were saying?”
“Oh… um… well, when I called two of the other companies on the list, the phone numbers were different, but I could’ve sworn the same person answered the phone. When I identified myself and told them what I was doing, they hung up. When I tried to call again, it went straight to voicemail.”
“You think it was the same person, don’t you?”
“Absolutely. The more I thought about it, the more I’m sure. And that’s when I knew I’d stumbled onto something that wasn’t right. I have no idea what they’re doing, but I’m sure somebody was using the clinic as a way to hide or move money around.”
He leaned back against the cushions, a long, slow exhalation leaving his lungs. He had no doubt she was right. Whatever those companies were doing, either Caesar was part of it, or he had stumbled upon it. “Okay, Josie, you’re doing really well. So, what happened next?”
She pulled her lips in and pressed down, her brow lowered. “I saw Caesar the following day. I told him what I’d done, and he looked like he was going to be sick. He left early and then didn’t show up last week at all. When he didn’t come in again this Monday, I tried calling his cell phone but there was no answer. When he didn’t come in on Wednesday, I tried calling again and got no answer. Then I drove to his apartment. He didn’t answer the door. One of his neighbors came out and said that she hadn’t seen Caesar since the previous weekend and that his car hadn’t been in the parking lot. That evening, I found a note on my car. It was a folded piece of paper that said, Just do your job.”
“I saw copies that had been provided by your father.”
“All left on my car. The first two came while I was at work, and then the next one when I was in the grocery store. That scared me because I realized someone was following me. I called Dad immediately. I didn’t know what else to do. Just do your job. Stay quiet and tell no one. Curiosity killed the cat.”
Tears pricked the back of her eyes, and her nose tingled over the last one.
“Fucking hell, Josie!”
Swallowing deeply, she continued, “I know you’re going to wonder why I didn't go to the police at first, but that note wasn’t threatening. I actually thought it was left on my car by mistake. Then, with the second one, I felt sure it was tied into what I was discovering with the books, but I had no evidence. It was just a note that the police wouldn’t have even looked at. And just because Caesar left, the police don’t consider him to be missing. By the time I got the last one, Dad said he’d contacted an investigation company, and someone was coming.” Her hands clasped tightly together. “You surely must understand. Being the child of a politician, you know that scandal, even the hint of it, is to be avoided. I wasn’t about to call the police for something that wasn’t an immediate emergency without giving my dad a chance to decide how to handle it.”
He nodded. “I don’t doubt what you’ve done at all, Josie, and you’re right, I do understand. I’m just glad I’m here now. My people are working with an FBI liaison and I’ll be in contact with them.”
Tilting her head slightly to the side, she held his gaze. “Thank you.”
“That’s not all, right?”
“No. I’ve had phone calls on my cell phone and at work where someone just hung up. Someone in a vehicle following too closely. I was afraid things were going to escalate.” She rolled her eyes and a little snort slipped out. “Dad wanted me to immediately come to Albuquerque to stay with him and Mom. Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen. Dad told me that Governor Cobb’s son did investigations, so I figured someone would get in contact with me before things got worse.”
“You just didn’t expect the investigator to walk through your front door. Or for it to be me.”
By now, the brilliantly painted sunset that had surrounded them while they talked had settled into the deep blue of the night sky. Stars twinkled overhead, but there was a slight chill from the desert around them.
She shivered and stood after