Settling an Old Score - Delores Fossen Page 0,43
easier for the contractor. And before you ask, there was nothing illegal about it.”
“You’ve got receipts?” Eli pressed.
“I can get them.” Dominick no longer smiled or looked smug. The anger was creeping back into his expression and tone.
While Eli continued to press him on that, Ashlyn took out her phone and called Sue Malloy, the nanny Dominick had hired for his visits with Cora. Even though Ashlyn had never left Cora with the woman, Sue had given Ashlyn her number.
“Ashlyn,” Sue said the moment she answered. “I was surprised when I saw your name on my phone screen. I heard about the attack. Are Cora and you okay?”
“Yes. We’re fine. But that’s not why I’m calling.” She paused, tried to figure out how to say this. She didn’t want to put the woman on defensive. “Have you recently been at Dominick’s house?”
“I have,” she readily admitted. “He converted one of the bedrooms to a nursery. You know, in case he got the overnight visits approved for Cora. He wanted her to have her own room, and he asked me to make sure it had everything she might need.”
Considering that Dominick was a suspect in attempted murders, that tightened Ashlyn’s stomach, but she reminded herself that he could be innocent. He hadn’t lied about the bank account, and while it still didn’t seem aboveboard, he had told the truth about the renovation.
“Is there a problem?” Sue asked.
“No. I was just checking. Thanks.” And she ended the call before Sue could press her for more info.
This time when Ashlyn looked at Dominick through the glass, she did so with less anger and nerves. Maybe he was innocent about everything other than wanting more time with his granddaughter. If so, she’d owe him an apology, but she wasn’t about to do that until the person who’d hired those gunmen had been caught.
She heard the footsteps in the hall and automatically tensed again. But it wasn’t a threat that her body was preparing for. It was Gunnar. He glanced through both observation windows. Kellan was still in interview with Oscar. Eli with Dominick.
“Any idea how close they are to wrapping things up?” Gunnar asked.
“It shouldn’t be long on Dominick. I’m not sure about Oscar.” She hadn’t been listening to that interrogation.
“Good. Because Eli’s going to want to hear this.” Gunnar went to the interview room door and knocked. “The tail we had on Remy just called, and he says something suspicious is going on and that Eli should get out there right away.”
Chapter Twelve
Eli took one look at Ashlyn and Gunnar, and he knew something was wrong. Something that was going to delay finishing his interview with Dominick. He stepped out into the hall with them, shutting the door in case this was news about that hidden bank account.
“The reserve deputy, Manuel Garcia, we had on Remy followed him to a small farmhouse about ten miles from here,” Gunnar explained. He glanced down and read from a note he was holding. “The place belonged to Remy’s grandmother. It’s in his name now, but it’s been empty for a couple of years since the grandmother got moved into a nursing home.”
Eli took a moment to process that but figured there had to be more or Gunnar wouldn’t have pulled him out of the interview. “What happened?”
“Garcia parked on a trail so he could keep watch, and he saw Remy go to the backyard. He says that Remy then dropped down and started crying in front of what Garcia thinks is maybe a headstone. You know, a grave.”
Beside him, Ashlyn made a sharp sound of surprise. “Are any of his relatives buried there?” she asked.
Gunnar shook his head. “There’s no burial record for anyone at that location, and Garcia figured the way that Remy was carrying on that it probably wasn’t a pet.” Gunnar paused. “I thought you’d want us to go there and check things out.”
“I do.” Eli had to give the logistics of that some thought. “Get the cruiser ready, and I’ll let Kellan know what’s going on.”
Eli was about to tell Ashlyn that she’d be staying there at the sheriff’s office, but then he considered that she would be there with two of their prime suspects. Of course, Kellan would protect her, but his brother already had his hands full with the interviews.
“You want to come with Gunnar and me?” Eli asked her.
She gave each of the interview doors a glimpse and then nodded.
Eli hoped like the devil that it wasn’t another mistake,