Southern Fraud 03 At Fault by J W Becton

Author:J W Becton [Becton, J W]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: female lead, fraud investigator, danger
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

I met back up with Vincent at the DOI, where I found him pacing the parking lot with his hands clasped behind his back.

I buttoned my overcoat and joined him in the misty afternoon.

“What’s up?” I asked, striding alongside him.

When he didn’t respond, I asked, “Something wrong?”

“Not sure,” he muttered.

I grabbed his arm, and he stopped pacing at least.

“That Honda Civic you parked next to at Allred,” he said. “It’s Justin’s.”

I blinked at him as a thousand different thoughts went through my mind.

“Does that mean anything other than the fact that he took it there to be repaired?” I asked, and then, recalling the flames that emblazoned the side of the car, I added, “Or that he has really poor taste in automotive paint?”

“I don’t know what it means, but some of the options aren’t all that attractive.”

“And I haven’t even told you about the drag racing yet,” I added quietly, not wanting to bring up the possibility. “Mike said that the garage specializes in it, and he hinted that there were some ‘informal clubs’ that get together to race. He said most of their clients are racers.”

Vincent shook his head but said nothing, and I was left wondering how to fill the strained silence. I could imagine his thoughts. Didn’t parents always think the worst first? He was probably imagining Justin throwing in with the fraud ring, acting as a runner or crash dummy maybe, getting paid under the table and twisting the knife in his father’s back a bit in the process. Or maybe he was a budding drag racer, which really wasn’t the smartest idea either.

Honestly, I couldn’t imagine Justin becoming involved in this sort of organized, criminal fraud, even if he wanted to get back at Vincent in some adolescent fashion, but I could believe he had stolen some college tests and was a wannabe drag racer.

“It’s probably completely innocent,” I offered, trying to be honest and yet equivocating at the same time, but Vincent didn’t appear assuaged. “He’s probably in it for the cars. There’s likely nothing to worry about.”

“Given his recent history of poor decision-making, I wouldn’t put much past him,” Vincent finally managed to say.

I knew he was talking more to himself than to me, but I answered anyway.

“Yeah, there is that,” I agreed, thinking of my own sister and her disastrous choices since she became an adult.

Vincent shook his head but again remained silent, and I got the feeling that he was doing some heavy mental gymnastics, calculating how worried he ought to be about Justin. Wondering if he were making too much of the situation.

“I’m going to have to talk to him….”

His voice trailed off, and he ruffled his hair in no particular pattern, causing the close-cropped strands to curl slightly at the ends. He turned and paced in the opposite direction before I could respond. I knew he was wrung out about his son, but I couldn’t help finding him just the slightest bit adorable.

His vulnerability always softened me up.

I trotted after him as he continued to speak.

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