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“If they’re smart, they went back to Panama.” Sienna frowned. “Tony and Luis discussed a shipment coming in. Do we have any idea what they were referring to?”
“Drugs.” Cole leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen between his fingers like a baton. “We’ve long suspected the Greer brothers are responsible for much of the Oxycontin, heroine, and cocaine in this area. My guess is, they’re smuggling the drugs in from South America using The Trident IV. Then they have a system of dealers they use to distribute the goods across several counties.”
Eli nodded as some pieces of the puzzle started snapping into place. “If that’s so, they’re getting a lot of illegal funds and need to launder the money. Which is where Fresh Start comes in.”
“Yep.” Ryker selected another kolache from the box. “I checked out the invoices Ruby had saved in the secret file on her computer. Some of them are fake companies. Others are real, but they exist only on paper. We’re working on obtaining the real names of the shareholders, but it’ll take a bit more time.”
It was all making more sense. Eli leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Ruby was working for Fresh Start. She figures out the charity is laundering money and isn’t sure what to do about it. Ruby either confides in someone or her investigation is discovered. She’s kidnapped.” Eli remembered Tony and Luis talking on the ship. “I think the Greer brothers nabbed her. Why she wasn’t killed right away, I can’t say, but they kept her alive long enough Ruby was able to make a desperate call to her grandmother.”
“She was trying to tell her about the secret file on her computer,” Sienna filled in. “But her grandmother didn’t understand what Ruby was saying. That’s why we didn’t find the file until after Jesse broke in.”
Eli nodded. “Albert knew his cousins had kidnapped Ruby. He also knew who his cousins were working for. He needs cash, and in a desperate ploy to get some, blackmails his cousins’ boss. The move backfires, because the boss kills him, framing Sienna for the murder in the hopes it’ll get rid of two problems at the same time. Albert and Sienna.”
“Except it didn’t stop the investigation. So he switches to trying to kill me. He also hires Jesse to break into Ruby’s house to steal her computer.”
“Jesse.” Eli sat up straight in his chair. “He was either hired by the Greer brothers or hired by their boss. Either way, he could know more than we realize.”
“He’s in the wind.” Chief Ramirez scraped a hand through his hair. “Jesse made bond yesterday, and no one has seen him since. I’ve put out a be-on-the-lookout and named him as a person of interest, but so far, law enforcement hasn’t found him.”
Eli winced. “He may not be alive anymore.” It was a chilling thought but a realistic one. So far, the Greer brothers and their boss had kidnapped one woman, killed Albert, and attempted to murder Sienna and Eli several times. “The Greer brothers believe Sienna is responsible for Albert’s death. They said as much on the ship. So whoever their boss is, he’s not telling them the truth about their cousin’s death.”
“Smart.” Cole kept twirling his pen. “I’m sure the Greer brothers would turn on him if they knew he killed their cousin.”
“The real question is,” Sienna said. “Who are the Greer brothers working for? It has to be someone at Fresh Start. Everything keeps coming back to that place.”
“I’ve known Gideon Wade since he was a toddler.” Chief Ramirez’s mouth thinned into a flat line. “Several members of the Wade family have fallen into addiction. It’s affected him greatly. He’s dedicated to making Fresh Start a success and the work that charity has done for this community can’t be measured. He’s not laundering money for the Greer brothers. I can assure you of that.”
Eli appreciated the chief’s loyalty, but that wasn’t evidence. “Have we done a thorough background check on Gideon?”
“It’s in progress.” Ryker lifted a shoulder. “At this moment, everything appears to be on the up and up. Gideon’s never been arrested, and he’s living within his means.” He hesitated. “I interviewed several members of the Fresh Start staff. In order to launder the money, the individual would need access to the invoices, the donations that came in, and the business bank accounts. There are only three people with that kind of access. Gideon, Ruby, and…”
Ryker shifted uncomfortably.
Eli met his gaze. He already knew what his friend was about to say. The food and coffee congealed in his stomach, and for a moment, he was about to throw up. He swallowed hard. “The other person with access is my brother, Dalton, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
TWENTY-ONE
Sienna shut her hymnal as the Sunday afternoon service came to a close. The smell of fresh flowers decorating the main aisle and the altar were a stark contrast to the bitter weather outside. It was still raining with no sign of letting up. There were flash flood warnings for the county. Another thing working against law enforcement’s search for Ruby and Jesse. The weather also prevented the Coast Guard from scouring the nearby waters for the Trident IV.
Parishioners began leaving. Few people had braved the horrible weather to attend the service. Since Sienna and Eli were already in town for the meeting at the police station, it’d been a quick five-minute drive to the church. Prayer was all they could offer. Chief Ramirez and Lieutenant Rodriguez requested Sienna and Eli remove themselves from the investigation now that the rangers and the Sandalwood Police Department were working together.
Their request was logical, especially since Dalton was a suspect. It wasn’t easy for Sienna to take a step back, but she’d do whatever was necessary to help find Ruby.
She returned the hymnal to its place at the end of the pew before reclaiming her seat next to Eli. His head was bowed in prayer. Sienna’s heart cracked when he finished and the glitter of tears sparkled in his sky blue eyes. She threaded an arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder. “Are you thinking about canceling our dinner with Dalton tonight?”
He took her hand in both of his, his fingers absently playing with the cross bracelet dangling from her wrist. “No. I spoke with Ryker and Cole about it. We decided canceling might tip Dalton off. It’s better if he doesn’t know we’re investigating him.”
“Are you going to question him about the money laundering?”
“No. Again, we don’t want to tip him off.” He sighed. “It won’t be easy, but I’m determined to do what’s necessary to keep the case on track. Besides, there are things I need to say to Dalton and they’re true whether he’s involved in this mess or not.”
“Do you really believe he’s behind this?” Sienna frowned. “He ran out of Fresh Start carrying a bat, prepared to fight off the kidnappers. Why would he do that if he was the one who’d ordered it?”
“To make himself look innocent. There were cameras in the parking lot of Fresh Start. Dalton running to our rescue makes it less likely law enforcement would believe he’s involved in the criminal activity happening at the charity. It wouldn’t be the first time a criminal has done that. Murderers will often volunteer on search-and-rescue teams to help find their victims, for example. There’s something about being close to the investigation that feeds their arrogance.”
“Dalton never struck me as arrogant. Too smart for his own good, yes. Destructive, yes. But not arrogant.”
