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Carver’s brows arched. “You have a creative way with words. You forgot to mention the part where your sons killed almost twenty people, including a pregnant woman who was three weeks away from giving birth. Not to mention the fact that they broke into federal property, armed, and planned to steal millions of dollars. They also fired on the SWAT team that came in to neutralize them.”
“It’s in the past, Agent Carver. We’d like to get on with our lives.” Harold Lieber scooted his chair back and moved to stand.
“Sit down, Mr. Lieber. We’re not finished.You listed in your original statement that your sons’ closest friends were Jordan Parker and Peter Anderson. They all grew up together, despite Peter being from London.”
“They all attended the same boarding school together,” Mrs. Lieber said, her composure slipping for the first time and the grief of a mother showing through.“The other boys, Jordan and Peter, would sometimes spend holidays at our house or our boys would spend time at theirs. They were all very close. We don’t see the Andersons or the Parkers anymore. It’s too painful for all of us.”
“Were there other friends your boys spent as much time with as Jordan and Peter?”
“Just Paris Spencer,” Mr. Lieber said. “She was like a kid sister to them all. She attended the same schools. She was devastated when they were killed.”
“Was she romantically linked with any of them?”
“No, of course not. Why must you make things so sordid?”
“Just call me curious,” Carver countered. He opened a thin file folder and pulled out a single sheet of paper. “Since your sons were killed it looks like your finances have suffered quite the setback.”
“How dare you!” Lieber said, pushing back from the table. His chair hit the wall and toppled over onto its side. “How dare you look into our personal finances like we were nothing more than common criminals.”
“It makes sense considering you raised common criminals.”
Lieber’s face turned an unhealthy shade of red. “Jesus,” I said. “He’s going to have a heart attack. I really don’t want to have to give mouth to mouth to that man.”
“He’s got a hair triggertemper though. And a lot of pent up anger.” Jack pulled me so I stood in front of him and then he wrapped his arms around my middle and rested his chin on the top of my head.
“Calm down, Harold,” Mrs. Lieber said, patting him again, tears coursing down her cheeks. “Please.”
“I only bring up your financials because you haven’t adjusted your way of living and the debt is eating you alive. A new home, new cars, household staff. More than a hundred thousand dollars a year to something called WMF.”
“It’s a charitable organization,” Mrs. Lieber said, sniffing delicately. “It stands for Wives and Mothers of the Fallen. I—” she paused and tried to compose herself, but she wasn’t having much luck. “After the boys were killed they reached out to me. It’s a support group as well. Widows and other mothers like me who have lost their children. And we raise money to help those who are like us and are struggling. It’s a very worthy cause.” She straightened her shoulders with dignity.
“What about you, Mr. Lieber? Any worthy causes you’ve been funding lately?”
“I don’t have anything else to say to you. We’re finished here.” He held his hand out to his wife and helped her to stand.
“What if I told you the men who killed your sons in the line of duty were dead?”
“I’d say good riddance. It was no more than they deserved.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Do you think he’s responsible for this?” I asked a couple of hours later.
Carver had checked us all in to the hotel closest to the federal building, and I wondered if the bureau owned it considering the décor was very similar—meaning everything was industrial grade and the people behind the counters looked and acted like off duty cops. We’d dropped our luggage in the room and had come down to the restaurant to get some dinner. The food was mediocre at best, but at least my stomach wasn’t rumbling anymore.
“I don’t know,” Jack said.“But he certainly has motive. And he has the temper. But I’m not sure he has the organizational and leadership skills it would take to plan a hit like this. The financial trouble is worrisome.”
“Or maybe he’s just putting everything he’s got behind hiring out these hits. How much do you think he’d be paying the Vagos for that many kills?”
“Millions. And it would be a beneficial arrangement for both sides. Lieber gets his revenge and the Vagos pad their coffers to take over more territory.”
“Have you told Carver anything about my dad?”
“About him being alive you mean? Because I’m pretty sure everyone in the FBI knows about your dad otherwise.”
I rolled my eyes and tore off a hunk of bread. “Yes, I mean about him being alive.”
“I told you I wouldn’t until you were ready. A little trust would be nice, Doctor Graves.”
