Chapter 83: Still searching

Dimitri.

“I found something else. Hernandez was being bankrolled by someone else. The transaction was not done for any of the other services that he provided and I was told that there were times when this other person would meet up with him and Vasquez.

It is someone you are familiar with." Trent hands a picture over to me. The picture is of a man entering into a car and Robert waving at him. Probably saying goodbye. I know that person all too well because he was a friend of my father. Michael Wesley.

“What has Wesley got to do with all these?"

“Wesley has been providing him with money. Funding a lot of things that he does. Two witnesses claim to have seen him. One is a lady I know who used to work for him," I glare at him when he mentions that the lady is someone he is familiar with. I thought he was with Alana.

“I thought you were with Alana." Voicing my exact thought.

“I still am and that is besides the point. She showed me to the person who was the bridge between them. Wesley did not want to be seen with him so they had a middle-man who helped make all the cash transactions. I was able to get his location."

“And where is he?"

“Not far away. She is distracting him right now so let's make our way over to them."

We get up and leave immediately he tells me. I wanna catch them. Want to know the reason why my father's friend would have any business with a former business partner of mine who tried to kill my wife. I cannot simply flip a coin to prove that the Warren guy does not work for them. They may just lead me to her.

“This is your last chance, Ross. Tell me what Michael Wesley made you pay Robert Hernandez for."

“I already told you everything!" He says through gritted teeth “I only made payments. I wasn't told anything. I only took things to him. I was not allowed to ask any questions! Please have mercy." Mercy! His blood is everywhere. Four of the give fingers on his left hand are gone. He probably peed himself because he stinks.

“But you didn't only transport money. You transported documents. Lots of them. You must have been tempted to peek even if just once. People like you want information on people that can be used to blackmail them. You have done it before. Just give him the answer so he wouldn't need to hurt the woman in the next room." Trent tells him.

“Or better yet," I use the tape on his mouth then drive the knife into his shoulder and pull it down “We don't have all day but be sure that I will take my time and be creative about what you're feeling right now." His muffled scream is the only thing bouncing on the walls and floor. No one would hear a thing outside. We give him the space to scream and when his scream reduces he nods his head and says something we don't understand.

“You will speak." He nods continuously and Carter rips it off his mouth.

“My hard drive. It's all in my hard drive. Every thing you need is there. Everything else was stolen when my house was robbed three days ago. It isn't a lot but it's there. Just please stop and have mercy on me!!!" He was robbed?

“Where is it?"

“Behind the forest painting on my room wall. It's the smallest painting." He nods his head in the direction of the room. The wonders that the fear of pain can cause. Weak!

Trent goes inside and comes back with the hard drive. “And what else is there?"

“I swear, I only used my phone to send him a message. Just once. The phone is in that table drawer." He is shaking.

“You should have told us all of these when he was still feeling merry and jolly." I was never feeling merry or jolly but he gets off on making fun of every situation.

“I guess that is all." I shoot him in the head before he gets the chance to beg again. Brian comes out with the unconscious girl.

“She didn't see us or anything so she wouldn't be able to say anything." He carries her outside while I kick the gasoline gallon to the floor causing it to spill everywhere. I walk to the front of the door and throw the lighter inside then I close the door. We drop her off a few blocks away from the house and drive off.

“There aren't a lot of things here. Just a few pictures of them together. One with them shaking hands so there's no denying it. There is one video." Trent says as he goes through the contents of the hard drive. He clicks on the video and it comes on.

It is a footage from the camera about twenty feet away from the house. I know because I fixed it there and some other places in the house. I wanted to use it to monitor my father but it was hard to keep anything from him. No one could outsmart him.

There are two men in black coats waiting in front of a car. One of them is Victor Herman and the face of the other is not clear. I can't make out anything. They are discussing then something catches their attention and they look up adjusting their position. The camera shows someone in a maid's uniform walking up to them. They speak for a minute before he hands her something. She looks into the small box and pulls out a wad of cash then puts it back and leaves. The two men get into the car and leave too.

“What the hell is that?" Trent asks.

“There is a message on the phone. I grabbed it before I left. It was sent from him to someone." Brian passes the phone to me. I go through the message.

I know where you were on the night of Marcus Ian's death. Follow my instructions or you'll end up in big trouble.

“Shit! This suggests that..."

“Victor Herman did it. And he is dead. But he also had help, especially from that woman in the video." I pick up my phone and call Stephan. He picks up in one ring.

“What do you want?" Straight to the point.

“I need the camera footage of the house—every corner of it— from the day Marcus passed."

“And what do you need it for?"

“Someone in that house is an accomplice to the murder of our father."“But the autopsy showed that it was a heart attack."

“It was made up. He did not die of a heart attack. He was murdered with the help of someone in the house. I need to know the person."

“I'm on it." He hangs up after his response.