Cut and Run (Lucy Kincaid #16) - Allison Brennan Page 0,127
today. We have the information we need, he can talk to the damn judge on Monday.” Nate was heated, but he stood firm. “Let me tell the kid what we’re doing.”
While Nate went back inside the house, Lucy returned Max’s call. She’d left her three messages that morning.
“Hello,” Max said. “Busy, I see.”
“I’ve been working this case since dawn. We have some new intel and are acting on it.”
“Good. I met with Grover and Judith an hour ago. I’m up at the Kerr County Recorder’s Office going over some land deeds.”
“Tread carefully, Max. You heard that Detective Chavez shot his partner and is now on the run.”
“Yes, I know, so I’m not worried about him showing up here.”
“We don’t know who works for him—or if there are other cops involved. Be extra cautious.”
“I found something.”
“What?”
“The motive for shutting down the Kiefer operation three years ago. Albright’s embezzlement destroyed him, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“So I started looking at Harrison Monroe’s land purchases from three years ago and Simon Mills’s land purchases, which—surprisingly—ended three years ago.”
“You’ve already lost me.”
“Simon basically operated for the last ten years like Monroe has operated for the last three. Buying and selling property. So I’m thinking, Why did he stop buying and selling land? Simon’s operation was a bit different in that he generally improved the land and sold it for a profit. What changed three years ago? Denise Albright was murdered. Grover confirmed that she did a lot of work for Victoria back then, and I surmised she may have also done a lot of work for Simon Mills.”
“I have her client list and neither of them is on it.”
“Victoria was pro bono. But if I were you, I’d review any small businesses again.”
“The FBI talked to every business owner. They are all legitimate businesses.”
“Look at them again.”
Lucy really didn’t like Max telling her how to do her job—it was the tone, which was clearly not a suggestion. “The White Collar Crimes unit is already doing it, but—”
“We believe that there is a larger conspiracy, right?” Max interrupted. “That Denise’s murder was because she knew something or was going to turn in someone or maybe uncovered an illegal operation she wasn’t comfortable with or saw something she wasn’t supposed to see.”
“All theories with no substance.”
“Earlier that year, Harrison Monroe moved to Texas. After that, Simon didn’t buy or sell any more land—he had three properties at the time, other than his house, and he kept them, leased them out. Harrison started buying and selling through HFM.”
“Nothing on the surface is illegal.”
“Kiefer was working on a federal project, right? Well, what was that project and who would it have helped or hurt? What if Denise, who was helping Simon and Victoria on the side with their accounting issues—maybe she even knew they were doing something illegal but was willing to look the other way—maybe she was asked to do something against her biggest client? What if she said no? And then they held these other illegal things she did over her head and she felt she had to leave or be prosecuted. Maybe she did plan to run, but they caught up with her. I know it’s just a theory right now, but it’s something we can prove or disprove. So I’m here looking at the public works project that would have happened and who that impacted. If it had gone through, Monroe would have lost millions. And get this: The parcel was sold to him by Simon Mills.”
Lucy saw where Max was going with this, but she still warned her to be careful.
“Get what you can, but this isn’t proof that either Monroe or Mills was behind the murders.”
“But it’s motive.”
“I’ll take it to my people, Max, but watch your back. Why didn’t you bring Sean up there with you?”
“Sean’s pursuing his own lead. I’m fine, Lucy. I’m making copies of everything and will be back in San Antonio as soon as possible.”
Max ended the call, but Lucy couldn’t help but worry about the reporter.
Nate exited St. Catherine’s and said, “Ricky’s going to be okay, I think. Father Mateo showed him his room, and Mateo and JJ are both with him.”
“I have a lot to tell you.” She looked at her phone. “This is Detective Reed. I hope it’s good news.”
* * *
Robert Clemson was at his office in a building not far from the warehouse where his company sold remainders, on Guadalupe. It was a simple building, clean but old, and Clemson’s office was crowded with file