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Grant laughed. “Noble to think that, but it’s all a matter of who you go to and what cards you have to play. Franklin wanted information, either to prevent them from using it or to use it himself. I don’t know. But he understood the value of leverage.” He paused. “I suspect he had extensive files on BioRise, Brock Marsh, everyone. Franklin wouldn’t leave anything to chance.”
“Yet, the blackmail materials were there, and everyone who knew about the actual target—Hannigan and Becca—is dead, Chad and Bruce keep their respective businesses moving along.” But something didn’t quit fit. “If Legacy was keeping information about Archer clients—like BioRise—why would BioRise want you dead, Grant?”
He shrugged, rubbed his head.
Regan got up, grabbed two water bottles from the empty refrigerator—had Grant even eaten since he arrived here?—and put one in front of Grant. She drank half of hers, then switched back to coffee.
“So,” she said, “to get this straight, Franklin hired Hannigan to retrieve evidence that incriminatedhimand the law firm. But they’d already moved it. And you think, because of this evidence of Franklin’s wrongdoing that Legacy and Brock Marsh has, that he went along with the assassination attempt against you.”
It was wild but checked all the boxes.
“Franklin didn’t say anything. Not about the blackmail, not about BioRise, not about Brock Marsh. Even after Chase was killed, hedidn’t tell me he knew who hired Adam Hannigan!” Grant slammed his fist on the table, his face red, his eyes wet. “He commiserated with me, cried with me, sat with me at the funeral—he was my fuckingfriendand he told me your job was too dangerous, and this proved it. He helped sell my fears, by agreeing with me that it was your fault. God.Dammit.” He sobbed once, put his head in his hands. “Fuck,” he croaked.
Franklin was in over his head. He’d done something illegal—something that would put him in jail, cost him his law firm, his family, his freedom. Every step further into corruption took him deeper. Killing Grant...dear Lord, he had gone along with the plan to kill his best friend in order to protect himself and his clients...and when Chase ended up dead, Franklin remained silent.
Thebastard.
“Tommy was killed by a professional,” she said. “A sniper who went in and, even though Tommy was already dead, put a bullet in his head. His laptop, files, and cell phone were taken.”
Grant’s hands were trembling. He opened his water bottle, drank heavily.
“Tom had everything—our emails, messages, documents I sent him. If Franklin didn’t suspect I was helping Tom before, he knows now. And that’s why Madeline was killed.”
“Franklin had her killed?”
Grant shrugged. “He said no. He said it was BioRise, cleaning up after the mess that Tom Granger made. But he must have known.”
Unless Franklin was one of the messes that BioRise planned to clean up.
“Why Madeline and not you?” she asked bluntly. “You’re being framed for murder—but you can still speak to the truth.”
“I was late.”
“What do you mean, late?”
“I was supposed to pick up Madeline at six thirty, but I was late.”
“Why were you at her condo for ten minutes, Grant? They have you on surveillance.”
“I didn’t realize I was there so long. I couldn’t believe she was dead. I just stared at her—I almost called the police, but I knew how it would look.”
“It looks worse that youdidn’tcall the police. What did you do in her apartment? Do not lie to me, Grant. You didn’t just stare at her body for ten fucking minutes. If you didn’t kill her,what were you doing?”
“If? You don’t believe me?”
“Do not change the subject, Grant. Tell me the truth. Right now. If you lie to me, if you try to handle me, I will take you down and bring you to the closest police department and let them deal with you. I’m willing to help you, Grant, I’m trying to save your life. But not if you lie to me. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
He took a ragged breath, then said, “I did not kill Maddie. I walked in, called out for her, started down the hall toward her bedroom. She was there, in the kitchen, dead. So much blood...” He stared at the table, then shook his head and continued. “I stood in the hall a minute, two maybe, in shock. I didn’t think about an intruder right away, then I turned around, as if someone was behind me. No one was there. I realized that if I hadn’t been late, I also would have been dead. I don’t know if it was Franklin who ordered it or BioRise, but because Maddie helped me, she was killed.
“I didn’t know what to do. I had to think. You texted me, said you were at my place. I almost called you then, but...”
“But what?” She wasn’t in the mood for obfuscation.
“You never make mistakes. If I came to you and admitted all this, everything I’ve done, what I’ve allowed to happen, what I turned my back on, what I didn’t know but should have, I didn’t want you to look at me like I was...stupid.”
“I’ve never thought you were stupid, Grant. Until now. Until you fled a murder scene!”
“Not everyone is as calm, cool, and collected as you, Regan.” His voice was snide, snippy, mean. She ignored it.
