Cut and Run (Lucy Kincaid #16) - Allison Brennan Page 0,91

cash, show that you’re lucky, they’d invite you to a high-end game.”

“Yes, though I have to find someone else.”

“Hmm. Well, it’s interesting. Maybe. But again, that’s a long-tail game.”

Max said, “What do I need to find? Don’t think like a cop, think like a reporter. The evidence is out there—land transactions generate a ton of paperwork.”

“Yes. And eventually, someone in authority may ask Monroe where he got the money. But the guy is a successful financial planner. He pays his taxes on time. He is married to a lawyer—and I don’t want to spar with a guy who has his own in-house counsel, so to speak. You need to tread carefully. And you could be wrong.”

“I’m not wrong,” she said.

Ryan smiled. “Ever confident.”

“Stanley Grant was gunned down in broad daylight in front of the courthouse because he knew something. He mentioned Harrison Monroe—it was the only substantive thing he gave us. And the guy with the scar. We saw him, he followed us from Monroe’s building.”

Ryan leaned forward. “You didn’t tell me that,” he said, angry. “They don’t know that he didn’t tell you. Going face-to-face with Monroe was dangerous.”

She chose to ignore his comment. “Someone has the evidence. I’m betting I can get Simon to talk.”

“Mitch,” Sean said.

Max resisted rolling her eyes. She and Sean had a serious disagreement about who was more likely to spill information—Victoria’s brother or her ex-husband.

“We’re going to talk about your safety later, Maxine,” Ryan said.

“I’ve talked to hotel security,” Sean said, trying to mediate.

“You shouldn’t let her out of your sight.”

“Do not ever talk about me as if I’m not here,” Max said. “I’m taking precautions, but if they thought I knew the truth they would have already gone after me.”

“You’re asking questions—why can’t you see the obvious?”

“Let’s move on. Do you have anything else for us?” Max said. She didn’t want to be angry with Ryan, but she didn’t need coddling.

It was clear he didn’t want to, but he looked at his notes and a moment later said, “One thing you haven’t explained is how this possible gambling-land scheme led to murder. If Victoria Mills’s company was involved with the land transactions, that doesn’t de facto make her guilty of anything illegal. Money launderers use law-abiding citizens all the time to move money.”

“Victoria’s best friend was Denise Albright,” Max said. “They were friends in college. Victoria was killed the night after Denise’s bones were found. Everyone believed Albright left the country to avoid prosecution because she embezzled three million from her employer. I think she was killed because she found out what was going on with Monroe. She was an accountant. Maybe she found evidence of the illegal acts. Maybe she wanted to do the right thing and was killed for it.”

“You’re stretching. And even if it’s true, no judge is going to give you a warrant because of a coincidence.”

“Lucy said the same thing.”

“Smart woman. I see what you’re getting at, Max—I love the way your mind works. But there’s just not enough to go on.” Ryan paused, then said, “If you are right—”

“I am right.”

“—then you have to be doubly careful. Because you’re investigating something no one else is investigating. If these people are as ruthless as they appear, then they’re not going to think twice about going after a reporter.”

“I have Sean.”

“And I respect Sean’s skills, but he could end up dead, too. Don’t do anything to get dead, Max.”

“I am being cautious, Ryan, but this is what I do. I’m not going to back down just because there’s a little heat.”

“I know, and I love you for it, but I still worry.” He paused, then said, “Remember Al Capone?”

“I didn’t know him personally,” Max said snidely.

Ryan smiled. “He was guilty of a multitude of crimes, but we couldn’t get him because either he killed witnesses or they were too scared to talk. He killed or had killed dozens of people, no evidence.”

“And Eliot Ness got him on tax evasion.”

“This might be a reverse situation. In the twenty-first century, law enforcement is much better at evidence collection and criminals are much better at hiding white collar crimes. We have DNA, we have security cameras, we have modern technology. Following the paper trail and proving that Monroe and his cohorts are not only running an illegal gambling operation but laundering their illegal profits through land transactions is possible, but it’s not likely and would take months, if not years. It’s in fact extremely difficult, not just because of the statute