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“Maybe.” But that logic didn’t hold. If someone knew enough to sabotage the car then they knew enough about racing to know Hughes Racing would supply Moore with another car. Still more info he wasn’t going to share. Mario wasn’t on the same page at the moment and maybe that was better. The fewer people who knew the better to keep it a secret. His stomach churned. He hated himself for thinking that way. Moore had been murdered. He couldn’t let someone get away with that, nor could he let this take his team down in flames. There had to be another way.
Mario shook his head. “Maybe the wing doesn’t matter. Moore had a heart attack. That’s what killed him. Maybe the wing was a coincidence.”
Dalton didn’t share that level of confidence. “Either way, the result is the same. The car crashed probably because of the wing, and now Moore is dead.”
“Are you going to tell Detective Haas?”
Dalton leaned back in his chair and closed the laptop. “I don’t know, and I hate that I don’t know. It makes me a horrible person. But, if I point all this out, suspicion will fall on James or someone in the garage because it’s our team and our car, so it had to be one of us being negligent. That suspicion would kill any chance we have of filling the seat and quite possibly keeping the other drivers.”
Mario argued, “If someone did something to the car, it doesn’t have to be us. The paddock is open. You and I know twenty different people walked through that garage this morning. The driver’s families, including Moore’s, by the way.”
“Seriously? They were in the garage?”
“Your sister brought them and gave them a tour while you were in the trailer with Moore. Then she took them over for some coffee and snacks. And they weren’t the only ones. The whole entourage was there along with members of other teams. You know Kendra keeps the fridge stocked with the best stuff, and the coffee maker is the top of the line. Everyone comes to see us just for that. I spoke to five different guys myself. It could have been anyone. It was busy. No one would’ve noticed.”
The door opened. “Mr. Bauer.” Officer Moser stood in the doorway.
Mario straightened and started toward the door. “Could you bring the laptop? I assume you have video of the event on it from Mr. Hughes’s car, yes?”
Dalton stood. “Why don’t you two come back in here? It will be more private. Not sure showing the video out there would be the best idea.”
Moser paused for a second and then nodded. He stuck his head out and called to Detective Haas.
Dalton moved to lean on the wall as Detective Haas entered. He nodded to the detective and then waited for him and Officer Moser to get settled, taking up their previous positions. Mario took the seat beside Detective Haas. Dalton wanted to stay to gauge Detective Haas’s reaction to the video, but he wasn’t sure the other man would let him.
Detective Haas didn’t say anything to Dalton, merely started questioning Mario about what he saw and heard. The questions about Moore being angry came up again. Mario was much more forthcoming than Dalton had been. “Yes, Mr. Moore did seem angry. He seemed…frustrated with something or someone.”
“I see,” said Detective Haas as Officer Moser scribbled furiously. “Did you happen to hear any of his conversation on the phone while”—he gestured toward Dalton—“he was in the car, waiting for Moore?”
So Detective Haas hadn’t forgotten him and was letting him stay and listen. That was interesting. Dalton wasn’t sure what it meant, but it made his shoulders tighten painfully.
“I was closer to Dalton’s car and had headphones on so I could hear what was going on out on the track and with Dalton, so I didn’t really hear much.”
“But you heard something,” Detective Haas pushed.
Mario nodded somewhat reluctantly. “He said something like, ‘I don’t care what you think. I’m not paying you to think. You do what I say, and I said no.’ Then he took the phone away from his ear and slammed it down into his cubby. That’s all I heard.”
“Any idea at all who he could’ve been speaking with?”
Mario shook his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know the man at all. I have no clue who he was talking to.”
Detective Haas let out a sigh. “Right. Let’s see the video then.”
Mario opened his laptop. “Do you want to see the whole session?”
Dalton’s stomach dropped. That would be excruciating. A long twenty-seven minutes since they’d missed the first laps.
“No, just the last lap. I assume you have that cued up?” He gave Mario a hard stare.
“Yes, we were just reviewing it.” Mario kept his gaze steady on Detective Haas.
Dalton felt like cheering. Mario was open about it, so it seemed less ominous, less like they were doing something wrong.
Detective Haas went on to say, “My understanding is you have it from both Mr. Moore’s car and Mr. Dalton’s car. May we see Mr. Moore’s car first?”
Mario did as he was asked, and Dalton found himself leaning over Mario’s shoulder. “It’s the last two laps if that’s okay?”
“Yes,” Detective Haas agreed.
