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Rachel perked up. “Your ex was into politics?”
“She donated to a few campaigns, but nothing out of the ordinary,” he replied, his voice tight with impatience. “I don’t see how that could possibly be related to her murder.”
“Did she ever mention any concerns or threats from these politicians? Or perhaps someone who was unhappy with her support?” Ethan interjected, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.
“No,” Grayson snapped, his cold demeanor beginning to crack under their relentless questioning. “And even if she did, we were no longer married. She had her own life, and I had mine.”
Rachel studied his face for any hint of deception, her thoughts racing as she considered their next move.
“Is there anyone else we should be aware of who might have had a motive to harm your ex-wife?” Rachel pressed, her determination to find answers shining through her unwavering gaze.
“Look, I’ve told you all I know,” Grayson said tersely, crossing his arms over his chest. “I didn’t have anything to do with her death.” His eyes darted to the ornate grandfather clock that stood against the far wall. “Now if you don’t mind, I have an important call to make.”
She thought of the victims. Her mind on Harley Reid, whose identity was just confirmed. On the others. She frowned.
“Do you know the name Harley Reid?” Rachel said before he could separate himself from the situation, her mind racing through a mental checklist of questions as she studied the wealthy oil baron’s face for any flicker of recognition.
He shook his head. “Who’s that?”
“What about Candy?”
“Just…Candy?”
“Yes.”
“No. Why?”
“Two other bodies were found buried near where your ex was discovered.”
He blinked, looking temporarily taken aback.
Now that the ID had come in on both of the new victims, Rachel still couldn’t find the pattern. Neither of the two other bodies belonged to anyone wealthy or connected. So what was going on here?
“Harley Reid was the waitress we found near your ex-wife’s body. Did you or your ex-wife know her? Any connection at all?”
Grayson’s eyebrows furrowed, his eyes searching hers for a moment before he shook his head. “I have never heard of that girl,” he said firmly. “As far as I know, neither did my ex-wife.”
“Who would have access to the oil fields where we found their bodies?” Rachel asked, her voice like steel. “Specifically, who has the clearance to bypass security measures there?”
“Only a select few have that kind of access,” Grayson admitted, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice. “Myself, my head of security, and a few trusted employees. Why are you asking?”
“Because someone with access must have been involved in hiding the bodies,” Ethan interjected, his piercing gaze fixed on Grayson.
“Or perhaps they simply knew how to avoid detection,” Rachel added, her thoughts whirring as she considered the implications of this information. “Do you have any reason to suspect any of them, Mr. Jefferson?”
“Of course not,” he snapped, his eyes dark with anger. “My people are loyal to me, and I trust them completely.”
“Then we’ll need their names and contact information,” Rachel said quietly, her mind already assembling a list of potential leads to pursue.
“Fine,” Grayson muttered, pulling out his phone to send the details to them. “But I assure you, none of them had anything to do with this.”
Rachel studied Grayson Jefferson’s face, searching for any flicker of recognition or guilt. But his countenance remained a carefully constructed mask, impenetrable and cold. He shifted in his seat, still looking down at his phone.
“Security cameras cover all known entrances to the oil fields,” Grayson said, his tone dismissive. “We have extensive footage, but I doubt you’ll find anything of value there.”
“Footage?” Ethan said, alert all of a sudden.
“Let us be the judge of that, Mr. Jefferson,” Rachel said, her voice firm. “We’d like to see the footage ourselves.”
