Mismatch - By Nana Malone Page 0,76
frowned but blinked at her rapidly. “I drive a Prius. It’s better for the environment.”
“Yeah, weird thing, someone tried to run me over the other day.”
“And you think I had something to do with that?”
“Yes, actually.” Jessica ground her teeth. Her mother wanted Michael, and she would stand by her mother, but one day the douchebag from hell would get what was coming to him.
“Then go to the police.” He scowled.
“I don’t want you in jail on some tiny charge. I want you to go away forever. So that might take some finagling.”
He was up on his feet so quickly Jessica stumbled back. “You know, you were lucky you weren't killed. Accidents seem to befall some people, especially when they won't mind their own business.”
“Michael, why would you say such a thing?”
His head snapped around to meet her mother's. “Mia, you misheard me. I don’t wish—”
A frown played on her mother’s delicate features. “No, I think I heard you fine. You lobbed a veiled threat at my daughter. I’m not going to bother to ask why. I may be naïve, but no one threatens my family. You can feel free to get lost.”
“You’re joking!”
Mia crossed her arms. “Shall I call security, or will you go on your own?”
He played visual ping pong between Jessica and her mother. “This is all your fucking fault,” he spat in Jessica’s face.
“Classic narcissist. You still think everything revolves around you. I wish I could say it's been a pleasure.” Jessica stood next to her mother and watched Michael Fenton exit out the door.
Chapter 24
Eli knocked on Vince’s door. “You got a minute?”
Vince frowned. “Yeah. What’s up? Why do you look like you’re about to give me bad news?”
Did he know? Had those records become unsealed? It had only been two days. Eli craned his neck. It was now or never. If he wanted to protect Samson, this was the only way to do it. “Yeah, you could say that.”
Vince narrowed his eyes. “Spit it out, Eli. We have work to do.”
“It's about the case.”
“You have another theory.”
“You could say that. Samson's involved.”
“Samson, as in your brother Samson?” Vince sat up straight. “Start talking.”
“Someone's trying to frame him for these forgeries.”
“I don't get it. How?”
Eli scrubbed a hand over his face. “Okay, so you remember how I said that Sam had a pretty rough time with drugs?”
“Yeah?”
“In high school, his drug use was maybe recreational, but after he went to jail, he became a full blown addict. First cocaine, then heroine.”
Vince's voice was cold and quiet. “What did he go to jail for?”
“Technically, grand larceny and conspiracy.”
“Fuck, Eli, are you serious?”
“He was a kid at the time. Got pulled in with some people way above his level. They took advantage of him. He served his time. Someone is trying to make it look like he's back to his old tricks.”
“And you want to tell me he's not?”
Eli shook his head. “He's not. I swear it.”
Vince crossed his arms. “You’re just now telling me this?”
“Look. Sam has had a hard go of it. And he's made his share of mistakes, but this isn't one of them. It looks like him. The signature matches, but it's not him.”
“You'll forgive me if I don't buy it, Eli. Fuck. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with this information.”
“Sam is willing to do anything he can to help, but this isn't him.”
“I don't know, Eli.”
“Look. I know how it looks. Sam has the skill. He's done it before. He's had a pretty shitty past with drugs. Someone is trying to make it look like he’s doing this again.”
“It is convenient. He was a very handy scapegoat.”
“Too handy.”
“But who? I mean, we've got our hooks in Michael Fenton. We're looking for his accomplice. But my case files don’t go back that far. They only go back six years. Six years ago, where was Samson? Would their paths have crossed?”
“Six years ago, Sam was doing a rehab stint in San Francisco when I was working for Banes up there.”
“Any chance they ran into each other there? Was Samson painting?”
Eli shook his head. “Not really. He was trying, but the drugs made it too hard to focus. The facility had an arts program though. Rehabilitation through art. They often showed the work of the attendants. Maybe Fenton went to one of the showings because Samson didn’t recognize his name.”
“You have to tie Fenton to Samson’s past, then maybe we have something.”
“So you believe me?”
Vince narrowed his eyes. “Want to explain why