Chapter Eleven

After the women switched topics to a less incriminating one, Minka finished her fake call, telling her sitter she’d hurry right home to discipline her wayward child. Only the woman who’d stood behind her in line observed her leave, a peeved scowl on her face. Minka realized the rudeness of it, but she didn’t want to risk Hamilton’s mother recognizing her now that she’d netted what she wanted to—and more. Plus, she couldn’t imagine that the woman would tip her off about any of her precious son’s misdeeds. The whole time she was waiting, the woman’s expressions of gratitude for “the wonderful blessing he was” resonated through the building.

The instant she sat down in her car, she grasped her phone to call Cael but stopped short. She assumed he was spending the day with Autumn, and after the mess she’d made that week, she didn’t want to cause more trouble. She considered this a serious lead, but in all likelihood, nothing could be done about it. Other than her word, they had no evidence Loraine and Beth were involved, and in fact, she believed they were just bystanders.

Desperate to pass on what she’d learned, she chose to call Gus. Like her and Wes, he and Lola had aged out of the honeymoon phase, so they wouldn’t mind their day together being interrupted. When he answered, she briefed him on her sleuthing.

He released a cackle. “I’d say your husband’s kooky thinking is finally rubbing off on you.”

She couldn’t dispute it. “At least it’s taken this long. What are your thoughts on Loraine and Beth?”

“Well, it sounds like they genuinely didn’t play a part in this. If they had, they could’ve admitted it between themselves. Of course, they could be charged with aiding and abetting because they didn’t report it and took a bribe. Since we don’t have any solid evidence, though, we can’t get a warrant for their arrests or even to look into their financials. I’ll have Cael and Declan make a call to the detectives working on Rissdale’s case in Quebec tomorrow. They can share what you heard and ask if Beth has given them any cooperation.”

She’d expected his logic, but it still disappointed her that her findings couldn’t help them more. “Maybe they could search through Rissdale’s financial records and track the bribes he’s paid to Beth. If they land that, it would give them reason to question her again. Cael and Declan ought to do the same with Hamilton’s.”

“That’s not bad thinking, Minks.”

“Thanks. If nothing else, today gives us the origin story of the whole mess. Two rich guys get their hands on bill plates and use them to get wealthier yet. Go figure.”

“And at best, it’ll end with them both in prison, living off our money. Figure that.” Minka could picture him shaking his head. “I’m surprised you didn’t call Cael in the first place.”

It wasn’t her intent, but her voice devolved into a sarcastic tone. “I almost did, but you know, he’s in love right now and needs his day off.”

“Yeah, and I gather you’ve been frequenting the doghouse lately.”

“Sure have, with him and Robin both.” She proceeded to give him a summary of her recent arguments with her brother.

“Well, I hope this is resolved soon so you can get some relief. But stay out of your brother-in-law’s relationship.”

“Yes, Lieutenant.” She smirked before concluding the call.

She wasn’t sure how to obey his command when she found Autumn’s hybrid car in her and Wes’s driveway. Cael’s marching out to greet her didn’t comfort her, either.

“I heard about your shenanigans today. You’ve been hanging out with Wes too much,” Cael said.

Minka smiled, tickled her husband kept taking the blame for her wiliness. “Who told you? I just finished talking to Gus.”

“Wes did when we arrived. Autumn wanted to talk to you about wedding plans.”

His statement complimented her, but she didn’t appreciate his accusatory undertone. “I wouldn’t have gone if you’d given me a heads-up. I figured you would have all kinds of plans for just the two of you. That’s why I called Gus to discuss my lead.”

He took her bait. “What lead?”

She squinted toward the garage to make sure the doors were shut, not wanting her brother to overhear her. Even though they were closed, she still took a few steps away and kept her voice down as she recounted what her spying exposed. After he acknowledged the same obstacles Gus had, he gave her a commendatory nudge.

“All in all, I’d call it a payday, Minks.” His grin told her the pun was intentional. “The frustrating part is we can’t cash it in until we figure out where Hamilton’s hiding with his stash.”

The caveat had already occurred to Minka, and it deflated her spirits. All of a sudden, she made a connection. “When he booked the hotel room after his ‘fatal’ accident, whose name did he use?”

“Rissdale’s.”

“Why change his M.O., then? Wouldn’t it make sense for him to use it wherever he goes?”

Cael tucked his hands in his pockets, his skepticism clear. “Not if he doesn’t want to leave a trail. When you have that kind of money, you can use whatever name you want. I’d hope he’d have some originality in him.”

“He must. It takes a creative mind to convert a storage room in a dirty bowling alley into a business opportunity.”

****

Cael’s thoughts remained on Minka’s break in the investigation throughout his and Autumn’s visit. As a law enforcer, it frustrated him to learn Rissdale and Hamilton’s exes were across town, grieving a criminal’s supposed death, when they could’ve prevented all this simply by speaking up. He’d witnessed it unfold many times before, but regardless, he always failed to understand why someone would ignore the consequences of keeping silent.

Despite his bafflement, it delighted him that Minka and Autumn interacted better than they ever had. His fiancée had put together a three-inch binder full of fabric swatches for the bridesmaids’ dresses, which he feared would garner countless sarcastic remarks from Minka. To his satisfaction, his sister-in-law studied each one with respect and offered kind suggestions.

After they’d leafed through half of the samples, Cael could tell they wouldn’t be leaving for at least another hour, so he helped himself to a drink. He was twisting off the cap of a bottle of beer when Robin stepped into the house from the garage. He stood in place the instant he spotted Cael.

“Hey, man,” Cael greeted him.

“What are you doing here?”

“My fiancée wanted to run some of our wedding plans by Minka, so at present, I’m on a break to recapture some of my masculinity.”

Robin’s lips creased upward, but he didn’t say a word.

Sensing that he wasn’t wanted, Cael figured he’d better take his leave and let Robin retrieve whatever snack he was after. “I guess I should get back in there.”

Robin stayed put when he started to swing open the door but suddenly stopped him. “Why do you two get along so well?”

Cael didn’t foresee the personal question. “What’s that?”

“I mean, sure, you were partners, but what’s so special about Minka? Don’t you ever get tired of her?”

Cael grinned. “We’ve had our moments. Everyone does. For the most part, I guess our personalities are just a good match. No rhyme or reason.”

Robin didn’t hide his sorrow. “Then, I guess ours just aren’t.”

Picking up on the siblings’ woes, Cael tried to help without being too obvious. “Something I’ve always appreciated about your sister is her drive. Whatever she’s doing, she goes at it with more dedication than most people will ever muster. That’s why she’s succeeded so much in her life. It’s even the reason we’ve managed to make this much headway in our investigation into Hamilton.”

“She’s still helping you guys?”

“Night and day. She nearly broke up my engagement with that no-quit attitude of hers. She’s just never been convinced you were guilty, and it’s a good thing because we’ve stumbled across a lot we wouldn’t have otherwise.”

His face lit up but not for very long. “I take it you must not have found enough to take this ankle monitor off me.”

“Not quite yet.” Cael winked and left the room, unable to reveal any more.

****

Cael and Declan started the week with a call to the Canadian detectives to consult with them about the admissions Loraine and Beth had made. They reported that Beth hadn’t given them any more cooperation than Loraine offered, playing naïve to her ex-husband’s illegal side business. She’d simply stated that if he was bold enough to cheat on his wife, it wasn’t a surprise he’d cheat on his company, too.

The four detectives parted with the same resolve to probe through the men’s financial in an effort to trace their hush money payments, like Minka suggested to Gus. Cael and Declan didn’t find out what success the other partners had, but they only unearthed Hamilton’s donations to Loraine’s charity. They suspected that was his way of buying her silence, but couldn’t prove it.

Right when they began to despair, the forensics department did them the favor of calling them to report their findings from the counterfeiting room before they contacted Agent Nichols. They’d detected three sets of fingerprints—that of Hamilton, Frasier, and Maxwell. They may not have a pulse on where the uncle and nephew were, but they could now obtain a warrant for Bryant Maxwell’s arrest.

The accountant was detained in the middle of his day at Stags and of course, refused to talk until accompanied by his lawyer, Chet Jenkins. Because of the attorney’s reputation, they didn’t anticipate the interview would be easy. In the world of crime, interrogations weren’t always two-sided conversations.

For emphasis and intimidation, the detectives carried in pictures from the room and displayed them in front of Maxwell. Both he and his representative stayed stone-faced while being shown the photos of the bills and printers. To Cael, that was a challenge to persuade them to crack.

“This is quite the operation, wouldn’t you say?” he prodded. “And rumor has it you had your hands all over it, Mr. Maxwell.”

“Just because his fingerprints are there doesn’t mean he was involved in producing the money,” Jenkins defended his client.

Declan didn’t take any time to contemplate a follow-up. “But it means he was aware of it. Since he didn’t report it, he’s liable to be charged with aiding and abetting. Now, if you can prove otherwise, we suggest you do so.”

They exchanged a frown Cael had observed before, one that meant Jenkins was aware Maxwell’s hands weren’t all that clean.

Cael leaned back in his chair. “As it stands, we can charge you with criminal intent, at least. We can’t speak for our friends at the Secret Service, though. I don’t imagine they’ll take it too lightly.”

“Who’s to say this wasn’t a joke?” Maxwell remarked.

“The people we’ve found around town who’ve received fraudulent bills matching the ones made here aren’t laughing,” Declan retorted. “We might let you go, but they could still press charges.”

His threat visibly dampened the men’s conviction, and to the detectives’ surprise, Jenkins inquired, “Is a deal in the offing?”

“We could put in a good word for him, contingent on what he has to say.”

The lawyer started to demand a firmer assurance, but his client interrupted him. “I’ve had suspicions about my boss, but I didn’t learn the specifics of what was going on until last week. I’ve noticed an occasional discrepancy in the accounts through the years and have approached him about them. He always had an excuse, and although some were hard to believe, I didn’t press the issue because I needed the job. That said, I was disturbed when, every time I confronted him, an unexpected bonus showed up in my paycheck afterward.

“My silence also earned me more responsibilities, but even the errands I often ran for him became puzzling. He’d ask me to drop off boxes but wouldn’t say what was in them. Or, more often, he’d send me to pick up his nephew from work or home, so I wasn’t surprised to get a text from Tad last week for a lift. I couldn’t believe how bad they looked, especially the wife, and didn’t understand why they weren’t staying in the hospital. Then, he told me he’d helped Perry stage his death but that he was upset they’d been admitted. They’d planned to all go off the grid.”

“Where did you take him?” Cael asked.

“To the bowling alley, where I discovered the printers. Tad wanted some extra ‘cash’ to take with him. I was appalled.”

“Not appalled enough to report it,” he reminded him.

Maxwell’s eyes dropped. “After that, I took them to a dumpy hotel outside of town, and we haven’t been in touch since. I’m sorry, detectives. I’ve avoided questioning Hamilton for so long that it’s become my standard. The advantages I’ve received in return have made it easy to rationalize away my frequent misgivings.”

Cael accepted his reasoning but, of course, didn’t condone it. “You were spotted at the alley last Friday night. Why did you return?”

“Perry called and asked me to meet him there. Tad told him he looped me in on their schemes, so he offered me a share in their profits in exchange for my silence. I wouldn’t accept it…but my loyalty to him still restrained me from speaking up. I just figured with him gone, the company would recover from the marks he made on its finances, and there was no need to blacken his name now.”

The misplaced allegiance baffled Cael, but he didn’t waste time criticizing it. “A while back, we heard you bought a pocket watch from Robin Parker. We even have a witness who says you paid him to claim to have recovered it from the scene of your boss’s assault. Can you enlighten us on that?”

“Maybe after we hammer out an immunity deal,” Jenkins intercepted the question and concluded the interrogation.

****

Minka negotiated her way through the front door, despite having Caela in one arm and a bag of groceries in the other. Once inside, she put her daughter down on her play mat before dropping off the bag in the kitchen. By the time she relayed out for the rest, Caela was already lying down, asleep, tuckered out from her active morning.

Before they’d gone shopping, she visited Lola, with her in need of a friend and Caela in need of a playmate. They’d all enjoyed the hour, since the kids didn’t have play dates with the frequency their mothers had first intended. When they were infants, it was easy to imagine getting them together on a regular basis, but the daily demands of life tended to limit their stopovers.

The time there freed Minka to be able to chat without wondering if her brother would interrupt. Even so, he dominated the subject of their conversation. Through it all, Lola kept reassuring her that she’d done the best she could for Robin and that, if in the same predicament, she couldn’t have managed the way Minka had.

She agreed with what Lola had expressed that morning, that Robin’s apathy also contributed to their troubles, but she still wished she’d taken the lead. She debated apologizing to him for it but feared it would just make him less motivated to do his share to improve their relationship. Every time someone else took responsibility for a matter, he deemed himself innocent and hid from his own failings.

She was pondering the conundrum as she fetched the last bag out of her car, and the sound of the opening garage door alarmed her. When her brother appeared behind it, she struggled not to display her guilt on her face due to her conversation with Lola along with her current thoughts. Once she surveyed the inside, her astonishment triumphed over her shame. Last time she talked to him in there, she wouldn’t have even stored a dead body in it, but now, it was almost cleaner than when he’d taken it over.

“Well, this is an unexpected sight.”

He continued with his dusting. “There’s a domestic side in all of us if we search hard enough for it.”

“Yours must’ve been hidden under one of your piles of junk,” she teased.

“Yeah, well, I figured I’d better pick up a few things, in case Cael can prove that I’m innocent and get me out of here.”

“If you keep this up, I may just want you to stay and clean the rest of the house.”

His glower at her showed he wouldn’t be a willing participant, but he still offered her a hand. “Do you need some help carrying that?”

“No, it’s my last one, but I’d better get it in the freezer. It’s peanut butter ice cream. Would you like a bowl after you finish?”

“Sure. Thanks,” he replied.

A sudden sense of ease fell upon her, prompting her to take a step forward. “Mind if I cut through? It’d save me some hassle and the risk of waking Caela.”

He motioned for her to enter. As she grabbed the doorknob, he admitted to her, “I talked to Cael yesterday. I guess I understand why you like him so much.”

She smiled at him. “Yeah, but he’ll never be my real brother.”

His face remained to the back wall, but she snuck a glimpse of his grin. While she put away her groceries, the air around her seemed to lighten, and so did the tension in her shoulders. Making room for the ice cream in the freezer, she was happy she’d decided to buy Robin’s favorite treat, even if neither she nor Wes would eat any. She didn’t expect to receive even a word of appreciation, so the fact that he gave her that and a clean garage made her wish she’d bought the gallon tub.

Still, she had to wonder the reason for the turnaround in his attitude. She suspected Cael must’ve said something, but she couldn’t imagine what would’ve triggered this kind of transformation. As loving and patient as her parents were, their counsel rarely stirred him to change his ways, least of all when it concerned cleaning. Whatever he’d shared with him clearly touched his heart.

She wanted nothing more than to call Cael and ask, but she restrained herself. He’d be speaking with Quebec and handling any possible leads on that or other cases, so she couldn’t trouble him for a trivial matter like this. Nonetheless, she couldn’t resist the impulse when he called her half an hour later.

“What did you do to my brother?” she greeted him.

“What do you mean?”

She struggled to find the appropriate words. “He’s acting…nice. He cleaned up the garage and even thanked me for a snack. He said you talked to him. Did you use a new kind of mind-control technique to alter his personality or something?”

Cael chuckled. “I’d say I gave him a new perspective. I couldn’t go into details, but I told him how much you’ve assisted us with the investigation.”

She smiled. “Thank you. It’s made a huge difference.”

“Well, I guess I’ve developed a skill in reasoning with Parkers,” he playfully boasted. “I’m glad you two are on better terms, but I wanted to update you on the case. It’s been quite a day over here.”

Minka listened as he related his and Declan’s conversation with Quebec and the developments with regard Maxwell, who was now in the Secret Service’s custody. After his general synopsis concluded, she filled in the gaps.

“Did you mention the pocket watch to Maxwell?” she inquired.

“Of course, but his lawyer wouldn’t let him answer the question without a deal in place.”

“Rightfully so. He may be able to wiggle him out of the counterfeiting charges, but he’d have much more difficulty if he adds fabrication of evidence. Have you spoken to the D.A.’s office about a deal?”

Cael sighed. “Yes, but unfortunately, they have to follow the Secret Service’s lead on it. Even now, they deem an accessory to counterfeiting charge too major to repeal.”

Minka frowned, her hope of freeing Robin vanishing away. Maxwell wouldn’t dare admit to have planted the watch with all the other implications that hung over him. It didn’t have his fingerprints on it, so it was his word against Robin’s and Jevon Hinckley’s.

Grasping for some trace of promise, she shifted topics. “You don’t suppose Tad’s still at the hotel?”

“We’ve determined he isn’t. We drove over there, but the manager says he never pays much attention to his customers, unless they give him trouble. He also can’t afford surveillance cameras, so we couldn’t check that, either. Before we left, we scoped out every room for him, too, but didn’t find anything,” he reported.

Out of options, Minka breached another subject despite Cael’s apathy to it the previous day. “Did you search for any properties listed in Rissdale’s name?”

“Nah, but I don’t think…”

“I’ll do it now,” Declan agreed in the background. His fingers typed away. “He bought a condo downtown last year but sold it a few months ago. He also owns a unit of storage lockers on Bruton Boulevard.”

“I remember that place. It’s been deserted for years.” Minka recalled asking someone about it when she and Wes rented their first apartment as newlyweds, but it was already abandoned.

“And yet he just purchased it last summer,” Cael reported. “What interest would he have in it?”

“Probably the same interest he had in a spare room of a grungy, old bowling alley,” Minka theorized aloud.

****

On their drive to the storage facility, Cael and Declan discussed why a tech mogul like Rissdale would buy such a place. As they speculated, Cael remembered Minka’s mention of Rissdale’s plans to build a branch for his company in Orlando and voiced that he could’ve purchased it with that intent. They both reasoned the project would be funded by a business account, and its small size wouldn’t accommodate such a facility. When they coasted into the driveway and viewed its lack of amenities, they began to suspect Minka’s idea was right. With weeds grown up around its rusted metal siding and a driveway riddled with potholes, the property screamed illegal activity.

“Stop here,” Declan instructed once they approached the first building. “That air conditioning unit looks new.”

Getting out of the car, the pair trotted over for a closer examination. Sure enough, it was recently installed with a gate around it. Not a single copper fitting had been stolen by scrappers, which would’ve been a miracle had the unit sat there all along.

“Why invest in a new HVAC system when you’re clearly not reopening?” Cael had a theory on the answer to his own question.

Declan pointed to the overhead light. “The electric’s hooked up, too.”

Both continued to quest out any signs of life before Cael noticed that one of the units’ doors was slightly opened and drew Declan’s attention to it. Without saying a word in case they weren’t alone, the two headed that way. While Declan kept his eyes peeled and his hand on his holster, Cael lifted up the door. Inside were, yet again, stacks of cash, from floor to ceiling.

Just like they’d done in the hotel room and the locker, they each picked up a stack, but this time, no discrepancy tainted them whatsoever. The bills mirrored the ones produced by the Mint’s press, sure to go undetected by even the most scrupulous of eyes.

“They didn’t waste any time in hiring new help,” Cael whispered.

“This wasn’t just a side job. This was an empire. No wonder Hamilton had no problem leaving Stags. This is what would give him his fortune.”

“Wrong, Detective,” Hamilton’s voice rang from behind him, and a knife was held up to his neck. “It will give me my fortune.”

Cael drew his gun, only to end up with a revolver to his neck.

“You two aren’t going anywhere until we clear out this loot,” Tad Frasier said.

****

The entire hour after she hung up with the guys, Minka waited in anxious suspense about what the two might discover. She pictured the area and calculated that it wouldn’t take long for them to scout out the premises if it’d remained the same. Thus, the passing minutes indicated they must’ve stumbled onto something.

Then again, she realized, maybe they’d had to tend to another case once they finished up there and had forgotten to give her an update. The notion frustrated her, but having experienced the chaos of a detective’s day, she understood. Even so, she picked up her phone multiple times to give Cael a quick call, until she decided to text him, instead. He didn’t reply, so she tried twice more.

When the two-hour-mark ticked away, she called Gus to discern if he had an inkling of their whereabouts. She was forwarded straight to his voicemail, making her want to scream. Just then, Wes swung open the door and greeted her. She started to fill him in on the latest, but her mind began to devise a plan that she decided to keep to herself. Implicating him would lead to nothing but grief…and probably a decent dose of heckling.

“I have to run an errand with Robin. Would you mind keeping an ear tuned for Caela?”

“Of course not. Did you tell Cael you two are headed out so he won’t worry when Robin’s monitor alerts them?”

She hid her smile, tickled by the irony of his advice. “Good thinking, honey.”

****

“I was just about to dish out my ice cream when you shanghaied me,” Robin complained from the passenger seat. “What kind of appointment did you say I have?”

“We’re on a rescue mission. Cael and his partner hunted down a lead, and something tells me they met with trouble.”

He crossed his arms. “You two telepathically connected, huh?”

“Don’t be jealous. I’m sure you don’t want to be in my head.”

“Why not just let your cop friends take care of this?”

She considered his query for a moment. True, her pride and love of her former career factored into it, but her motive stretched farther than that. “Because all of this hurt you, and I want to carry it through to the end.”

Minka could perceive his satisfaction over her resolve and was glad to reaffirm her love for him. She couldn’t concentrate on the bonding moment, however, having arrived at their destination. At first glance, the worn-down complex appeared to be just as empty as ever, and her cheeks began to flush at the idea of this dwarfing into a disaster of her own imagination. When she spotted Cael’s car, relief washed over her, before a new wave of anxiety followed.

She slowed her speed to a crawl, going around the car while she focused on the building. A second later, she stepped on the brake when she caught a glimpse of a black cargo van. Noting that the back door stood open, she gathered it was being loaded, and she could surmise its contents as soon as the couriers emerged.

“Is that Hamilton?” Robin exclaimed. “I thought he died!”

“Jerks like him never go down that easily.” She took off her seatbelt and gripped the door handle. “Now, your ankle monitor should be alerting the police, and they should be headed here within minutes. If I’m not back when they show, send them in my direction, and stay in the car. Understood?”

He nodded, his eyes wide. Drawing her gun from its holster, she leapt out and advanced toward the felons.

“I’m glad you guys worked out your family feud,” she remarked once she neared them, weapon in hand. “Although it does make me question your business skills, Mr. Hamilton. I inspected his work and wasn’t impressed.”

The ex-CEO didn’t manifest any fear. “No worries, Detective. That’s been resolved.”

“The printers were to blame, not me,” his nephew added.

“Don’t you love nepotism?” Minka stated. “On top of that, I’m sure ‘the kid’ here has a lot to report to authorities if you decided to terminate his services—and his share.”

The uncle and nephew’s matching expression revealed the truth in her assumption.

“Can you really do this without Rissdale? He was the one with the plates.”

“Not anymore. Rissdale’s better at throwing a punch than he is running a business.” Hamilton revealed the identity of his attacker.

“So your best bud’s the one who beat you. Why’d you cover for him?”

He held up the stacks in his hand. “Isn’t it obvious? Plus, I was happy to get that brother of yours out of my hair.”

“And you put him in mine, which gives me a month’s worth of reasons to use this, so I suggest you don’t give me another. Put down the cash.”

Unalarmed, Hamilton kept loading the van while Tad returned to the unit for more, making Minka shoot into the air.

“I won’t miss next time,” she warned.

Frasier marched out of the unit with Cael and Declan at his side and a gun in his hand. “Are you sure about that? Because neither will I.”

“I have the upmost respect for you, Detective, but you have to admit they’re the only ones here with jurisdiction, and neither of them is saying anything.” Hamilton grinned, pointing at the men’s taped mouths.

She lowered her weapon. “You know, you’re right. What was I thinking, parading over here without a badge?”

He snickered and carried the last remaining handful of bills into the vehicle. Minka remained in her spot, evoking perplexed expressions in both Cael’s and Declan’s eyes. As Hamilton hopped into the vehicle, they made desperate but muffled pleas for her to detain them somehow, until a siren blared through the area. They and the con-artists alike whipped their heads around, stunned, making Minka grin. The squad car soon barreled into view, accompanied by Robin in triumph. His sister was rather perturbed by his defying her orders to stay put, but the bafflement on Hamilton’s and Frasier’s faces made it worth it.

“Well done, boss,” Robin sneered, as the officers arrested Hamilton and his suddenly skittish accomplice.

Once they were being escorted to the car, Minka and Robin sprinted over to untie the ropes around Cael’s and Declan’s wrists.

Robin beamed at his sister. “Guess I earned my ice cream!”