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“No. I’m not. I checked the balance on that card. It’s a zero. It begins and ends each month at zero. Each month, the balance rolls to a second credit card. But this card isn’t in his name. It’s listed as a business card under Michelson Trucking.”
“What does that mean?” Viper asks. “Is that his company?”
“No. The owner of Michelson Trucking is a Gerald Michelson. I can’t find much on him. He doesn’t have a record. But that’s not all I’ve found on Traynor. The guy has a massive insurance policy for his home. We’re talking at least ten times the value of the home. The policy includes content insurance.”
“He has expensive items inside that he’s insured,” I supply, catching on a little to Spark’s implications.
“Yep. He’s definitely dirty. Taking bribes, but in such a way so as not to alert the authorities or the tax man. I bet if you got a peek inside his house, you’d find expensive artwork or something similar.”
“Wait, you said a name. Gerald Michelson. Traynor has a folder with that guy’s name on it on his desk. I saw it today when I was waiting for him to come back. Who is Gerald Michelson?”
“I don’t know yet. That’s my next task,” Spark says. “Here’s what he looks like.”
“That name sounds familiar, but I don’t recognize him,” Puma says, and I nod.
“Me either.” I look at Viper, who has gone pale. “Babe? What’s wrong?”
“I know him. Or I think I do. He looks familiar, but I can’t place him,” Viper says, studying the image. She shivers, so I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her closer to me.
“Does he have a connection to Traynor?” I ask.
Spark works his magic. We’re all silent as he mumbles to himself before finally sitting back with the answer. “They went to high school together.”
“This is probably a long shot but see if Michelson or Traynor have a connection to any of the five guys who attacked Viper. He pushed to have the charges dropped against those assholes. Maybe he has a personal reason. Could be why he’s out to get Viper now.”
Spark gets back to work while I enjoy having Viper in my arms. Kissing the top of her head, I run my hand up and down her back. “How did you hide Viper when Traynor showed up here?” I ask.
Puma and Viper give me a rundown, even showing me the footage of Traynor’s interaction with Puma. I chuckle at Traynor’s aggravation and his apparent fear. “I wonder how he knew about the panic room,” I ponder. “I didn’t tell him about it.”
Puma shrugs.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Spark mutters. “All three of them were in high school together. Traynor, Michelson, and Gary Mitchell.”
“Gary Mitchell, as in the idiot who attacked Viper that night?” I demand.
Spark nods as he clicks his mouse button to bring up an image. The photo is of three young men. Even though they’re younger, there is no mistaking Traynor and Mitchell.
“So, Gary goes after Viper when she was a showgirl. He ends up in prison. Their good friend, Traynor, is desperate to arrest Viper,” Puma says. “Why do I believe she wouldn’t have made it to the station? Or if she did, she wouldn’t have stayed there long?”
I pull Viper into my arms. “He won’t get to you. I won’t let him. I can take all of this to my captain, Traynor’s boss.”
Viper shakes her head. “You can’t. How would you explain where you got the information? You can’t implicate Spark or the club.”
I rub my jaw. “I’ll think of something. We need to knock him out of action.”
“We need to find who really killed Wayne,” Puma says. “That’s the only way to protect Viper. Did you see anything on the video feed?”
I shake my head. “The motel doesn’t have security cameras. I already checked.”
“What about the surrounding businesses or traffic cams?” Puma asks Spark.
Spark glances at me when I sputter. “You can get access to those?”
Puma stares at me and just waits. I can see the question in his eyes, even if he doesn’t ask it. It’s the same question I’ve been asking myself while sitting in Traynor’s office. What line am I willing to cross to protect Viper?
“What are you waiting for?” I ask Spark. “We have to do whatever we can to clear Viper.”
Turns out, I’m willing to cross all the lines for her.
