AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I rubbed my hands together. “See? My bad influence is totally rubbing off on you!”
He reached over as he drove out of the parking lot and gave my thigh a possessive squeeze. “You’re welcome to rub off on me anytime.”
Chapter17
Pascal
“This is your first stakeout. There are a few rules.”
Parker was zipping up a large black backpack and wearing an annoyed scowl. “It will be long and boring. Minutes will feel like hours. You have absolutely no control, and your only job is to observe. For a type-A control freak like you, it will be torture.”
“Wow, how fun.”
“Stay home, Gagnon.”
She wasn’t getting away that easily. Not only did I have an all-consuming need to make sure she was safe, but I was curious. Her digging had uncovered so many interesting tidbits, and I wanted to be a part of it.
“Nope. Coming with you. I’m curious. When will I ever have another opportunity to participate in a stakeout?”
She let out a deep sigh. “Fine. But don’t make noise and do not draw attention to yourself. We leave in five minutes.”
“Okay, I’ll go get changed.”
I ran upstairs, stripping off my dress shirt as I went. Once I’d deposited it in the hamper, I went to my closet in search of stakeout clothes, feeling oddly excited and nervous. Maybe it was the desire for information and justice, or maybe it was the thrill of spending time in an enclosed space with Parker that was making my pulse race. Either way, I was in this now.
Downstairs, she had her long hair tied back in its usual ponytail, and she was zipping up her coat.
“Why are you dressed like a cat burglar?” she asked, stifling a laugh.
I looked down at my black sweats, hoodie, and sneakers. “I wanted to look inconspicuous.” My gut sank.I was an idiot.
“You’re one ski mask away from knocking over a liquor store. Get in the car.”
It was late, and there were few cars on the road as we headed toward Mountain Meadows.
“To keep this stakeout from being totally miserable, we need to set some goals.” Parker looked over at me. “We need to know, up front, what we’re seeking to achieve so it’s not a waste of four to six hours.”
Shit. I hadn’t signed up to be here all night. “That long?”
She shrugged. “It takes what it takes.”
“Our primary goal,” she continued, “is to get eyes on Mitch Hebert and figure out what he’s doing. There is no way Pattes Holdings is legit. And I want to see what’s going on there.”
“Remind me again why you’re so obsessed with his random corporate filings?”
I had learned the hard way never to question Parker’s methods or process, but I was getting restless. She’d dug into all our employees, inspected the trucks, interviewed the safety inspectors, and reviewed the reports. Hell, Adele had spent the better part of a week teaching her about brake systems. And now we were spending valuable time staking out a trailer park.
“I have eliminated so many potential suspects. And, I’ve spent days running financials on everyone connected to see if there’s any possible connection. Chief Souza, while old and a bit lazy, has no link to any of this. He’s got no investments, no expensive real estate. I even checked in the Cayman Islands for potential accounts. He’s not dirty. He’s not on the take.”
That was no surprise. The chief was devoted to this town, and while it was comforting to know he wasn’t dirty, it also opened up a lot more questions.
“Your father knew something. His notes and papers sent Hazel directly to the drug and weapons stash house. And all the work I’ve done to date indicates that there is way more to this story.”
I held my breath. Every time we talked about this, the sadness flooded my senses, bringing in a fresh wave of grief I put up shields to keep from feeling.
“I’ve dug up every ounce of dirt I can find on every person in the operation. The Heberts have a lot of wealth, complicated finances, offshore accounts, and a lumber business that’s been declining every year for the past decade. There is more here. And I think it begins with a bogus dog walking business.”
“I still don’t understand. Dog walking? Of all the fake businesses?”
