True Shot by Lamb Joyce

Author:Lamb, Joyce
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: PENGUIN group
Published: 2011-10-17T04:00:00+00:00

Mac found Sam sitting on the top step of Baldwin’s porch, arms wrapped tightly around her middle, her stare vacant. The sight made his heart jump with dread.

He trailed a light hand over her shoulder. “Ready to go?”

She rose without answering, and they walked together to the car and got in.

He said nothing as he started the car and backed out of the driveway. He could tell from her utter stillness that she wasn’t ready to share what she’d seen in Baldwin’s head when she’d touched him. Or what Baldwin had been screaming about. You killed him, you fucking bitch! You killed my brother!

The silence took them to Highway 17. Mac estimated they could be in Lake Avalon sometime the next day, depending on stop-and-go traffic and the winding, indirect back roads with varying speed limits. Taking the interstates would have been so much faster, but he didn’t dare. Too many police, and who knew how deep Ford’s connections went.

“His brother was a serial rapist, the one I told you about from my flashback.”

The dead quality to her voice startled him. Not that he could do anything about it. Except listen. “You saw that when you touched him?”

“When I met his brother Jake at a fund-raiser, I . . . mined his memories to get information Flinn Ford could use against Arthur to blackmail him.”

“Blackmail him for what?”

“Money. Some kind of research. I targeted Arthur, too. Sorted through his memories to find out if he knew about his brother’s vice. He did.” She pressed the tips of her fingers to the center of her forehead. “God.”

“Head hurting again?” Wasn’t it obvious? Jesus, he felt inadequate.

She nodded without looking at him or letting up with the pressure of her fingers. “I can’t imagine how I did this all the time as part of my job without wanting to blow my own head off.”

“Maybe you took something for the pain.”

She didn’t respond, just sat with her eyes closed and head down, barely breathing.

“Did you find out from Baldwin what kind of research Ford was doing?” Mac asked. Maybe distracting her would help. Or maybe it would make the pain worse. Damn it, he hated not knowing what to do for her.

“I don’t think Baldwin knew. He set up the pyramid scheme to keep money flowing to Flinn. In return, Flinn kept his secret that Baldwin knew about his brother’s crimes but hid that from law enforcement while he was governor. When the pyramid scheme collapsed and the spotlight landed on the Baldwins, rumors began to fly that Arthur knew what Jake had done. Flinn didn’t do anything to try to shield Arthur. He let him go down in flames. In fact, Arthur suspects that Flinn’s the one who tipped off the press to his knowledge of Jake’s crimes.”

“Jesus,” Mac said. Tangled webs indeed.

“Arthur thought I came today to finish him off because the flow of funds had stopped.”

“But according to the news reports, the scam collapsed months ago.”

“He was scared. Logic doesn’t play a part when you’re that scared.

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