AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The woman had to do better at acting to convince anyone she was there to have fun.
Which led Lucas to believe Felina’s claim.Trish couldn’t be the person who’d killed Thomas Crabtree.
The killer was still out there.Now, whether the killer was the same person or people who were blackmailing Trish was another question.
They really needed a breakthrough in the case.Until then, a murderer was loose and could strike again.
Felina and Trish grabbed a table in a dark corner.
Lucas headed for a corner of the bar and ordered a beer he had no intention of drinking.
Remy arrived as Rene set the bottle of beer in front of him.With him was former Army Ranger Beau Boyette.
Good.Beau had been a huge asset to their team when they’d worked together as mercenaries.He was an excellent marksman on a variety of weapons, highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat and a black belt in Tai Kwon Do.He’d keep Trish safe should the people blackmailing her decide to employ more physical encouragement to get their money.
Remy and Beau slipped onto stools near Lucas and ordered beers.After Rene delivered their drinks, Remy lifted his.“To keeping it real.”
They touched bottles and drank.
Lucas only let the beer touch his lips before he put the bottle on the bar.“Good to see you two.”
“Yeah, same.I mean, it’s been what...since earlier today?”Remy grinned.“What’s up?”
Keeping his face neutral, Lucas told Remy what he’d learned from Felina and Trish.
Remy slowly glanced toward the table where Felina and Trish sat.“Shelby will want to know all this.She should be here about…now.”
Shelby stepped through the entrance, dressed in jeans and a white button-down blouse, tucked neatly into her waistband.Over the shirt, she wore a black leather jacket that effectively concealed the weapon Lucas was sure she had tucked into a shoulder holster.
The sheriff’s deputy lifted her chin toward Remy and headed straight for the table where Danny, the waitress, was taking Felina and Trish’s orders.
“Felina said Shelby had some news.”Lucas lifted his beer for another fake swallow.“Did she relay it to you?”
Remy nodded.“Facial recognition finally hit a match on the big guy who shoved Gaither into the black SUV.Johnny Lansky, also known as Big John.He’s connected with the casino mafia in New Orleans.He’s a prime suspect in a number of murders in and around the Big Easy.The detectives following those cases can’t get enough evidence to charge the man.Witnesses disappear or end up in the morgue.”
Lucas’s gut clenched.“Felina witnessed him throwing Gaither into that SUV.”
“All the more reason to keep her close,” Remy said.“He’s also suspected in a number of extortion cases.Again, no witnesses will come forward.The people they’re leaning on end up in the Mississippi or a trash bin in a dark alley.”
“I’m feeling better already.”Lucas stared at that bottle of beer, feeling the need to down it, but knowing he couldn’t.With guys like Big John too close for comfort, Lucas had to keep his wits about him.“Got anygoodnews?”
“Swede looked into Thomas Crabtree’s credit cards and bank accounts.He was taking out large amounts of cash and putting rooms in Baton Rouge and New Orleans on his credit cards at least once a month going back a number of years.”
“Trish was a paid companion to him for only a couple of months,” Lucas said.
“He was probably having affairs with other women before Trish,” Remy said.“Swede also said that since Crabtree’s death, there have been more large cash withdrawals from his bank accounts.”
“Since he’s dead, it has to be his wife removing the funds,” Lucas said.“Is she the lady in green?”
Remy’s brow furrowed.“Mrs.Crabtree had the motive to kill her husband.Whoever recorded that video could’ve been blackmailing her as well as Trish.”
“She had an alibi.”Lucas shook his head.“Could she have paid her gardener to say she was home at the time of the murder?That would explain the large sums of cash being siphoned out of her bank accounts.Has Swede checked into the gardener’s background and bank accounts?”
Remy nodded.“He checked that first.The gardener’s bank account reflects living from paycheck to paycheck.He sends money home to El Salvador every month.”
“He could be hiding the cash in a jar,” Beau suggested.
“He could,” Remy nodded.“Or the same people who are blackmailing Trish could be blackmailing Mrs.Crabtree.”
