Cut and Run (Lucy Kincaid #16) - Allison Brennan Page 0,131
Denise Albright. Were they all involved?”
“In some fashion. Victoria handled all Harrison’s land transactions. She had him set up the LLC, and he opened it with legitimate money but funneled the gambling money into it, calling the income ‘consulting fees,’ but the people paying were fictitious. Victoria made one big mistake, she asked Denise to help with the LLC tax forms. Denise figured out the people were fake, and Victoria wanted her to just go along with it. Denise did … but she was upset when she saw some sale near where she lived. She went to Victoria, who went to Monroe and asked him to leave that project alone. Monroe wouldn’t and paid Denise to leave the country.”
“Except she allegedly embezzled three million dollars.”
“Monroe said that was to keep her from coming back. Victoria hated the plan, but she also didn’t want to be caught. She convinced Denise to leave.”
“Except Harrison killed her instead. He didn’t trust her not to talk, so he killed her.”
“Harrison is a lot of things, I just don’t think he could kill her. Or anyone.”
“Someone killed Victoria, and even you don’t think it was Stan.”
“I don’t know! I don’t know anymore.”
“Was Stan gambling again?”
“He had it under control.”
Sean couldn’t believe that Mitch was lying to himself, after all this time. “Addicts never have their addiction under control unless they’re not participating.”
Mitch didn’t say anything.
“Look—you have two options: go to the FBI and give them everything you have and beg for their mercy, or don’t. And if you don’t, the FBI will figure this out and they will come after you. You’ll be an accessory after the fact to murdering the woman you love.”
“I loved Victoria, that’s true, but I loved Stan more.”
It took Sean half a second to realize what Mitch was telling him.
“You’re gay. And Stan—”
“I never came out. Stan was, sort of. I loved Victoria, but … the more time I spent with Stan, the more I knew who I was. Victoria figured it out when we were married and we agreed to get a divorce, but she was actually really cool about it. At least that’s what I thought at the time. But I think she was cool about it because she and Harrison had rekindled their relationship as soon as he moved to San Antonio.”
“Victoria and Harrison were having an affair.”
Mitch nodded. “I regret more than anything that I didn’t come clean with everyone about who I am so Stan and I could live the way we wanted.”
“That’s why you visited him in prison, why you called Marie and told her that Stan was innocent. You never thought he killed Victoria.”
“Stan didn’t kill her. He told me the first time I saw him in prison. Broke down completely but said he had no choice, that Marie and the boys would be dead. And he said something that has haunted me for the last two months.”
“What?”
“He said, ‘They’ve killed an entire family before, they’ll do it again. They have no remorse.’”
“The Albrights.”
“I honestly believed that Denise had left the country, so did Victoria. She even looked for them once, a year after they left, couldn’t find them, but didn’t think too much of it. She was Victoria’s best friend. Victoria loved those kids, she would never have allowed anyone to hurt them. If she knew—she would be a force. She had everything about the operation, from the very beginning. Scorched earth. Victoria did nothing subtle.”
“Where is everything now?”
“They’ve got it.”
“Who are they?”
“Harrison and Faith. And—and I hate to say it, I don’t want to believe it, but I think Simon knew. If he didn’t know, he was lying to himself. He and Harrison were close, they used to make every decision together … though when Denise left, something changed with them. I think it was because of the way Harrison was managing the gambling operation. But now…”
“Maybe guilt over killing an entire family.”
“I can’t see Simon being part of that. And there was no reason to kill Victoria.”
“Except that the Albrights’ bodies were found. She would have known. If she knew that Harrison had them killed, would she have gone to the authorities?”
He nodded. “No doubt in my mind.”
“Who else knew about Victoria and Harrison’s affair?”
“I don’t think anyone knew. They were discreet. I knew only because I walked in on them once. It was when we were separated, she was living in the house, but we were friendly. I came by without calling because I needed some files, and I