Page 38 of The Fragile Truth
Disappointment trickled through Ian.“This is all Brent could come up with?”
Sadie bristled. “That’s more than you’ve been able to learn.”
“No offense to Brent. I was just hoping that he had something more concrete. You can take Talon Chasing off the list. If there had been any dirt on him, I would’ve found it a long time ago.”
“What about Banks and Madeline Chasing?” she asked.
“Wait a minute. You pretended not to know who they were.”
She gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I was just gathering as much information as I could.”
He turned his attention back to the screen. “You can take Douglas Fielding off the list. He went bankrupt and lost everything. If Doug were the thief, then he could’ve used his loot to pay off his gambling debts.”
“I guess that’s true,” she conceded. “What about Carter and Lizette Laramie?”
He thought for a minute. “I don’t know them as well as I do Banks and Madeline. However, they’re filthy rich. Carter is a silent partner in Banks’s hedge fund. He doesn’t need the money.”
“Who says he’s stealing for money? Maybe it’s for the thrill of it.”
“Why would a man who has everything put himself at risk?”
She pursed her lips. “Good point.”
A new thought struck him. “There is one person not on this list who should’ve been. Someone who was close to Lina.”
“Who?” Sadie asked eagerly.
“Wesley Laramie.”
“Carter and Lizette’s son?”
He nodded. “Wesley was having an affair with Lina while she was married to Talon.”
Sadie’s face crinkled in disgust. “Lina really got around.” She looked him in the eye. “I’m sorry for what she did to you.”
“It’s over,” he grumbled. His phone buzzed. He fished it out of his pocket, his eyes bugging. “Crap!”
“What is it?” Sadie asked with concern.
“I was supposed to meet with Talon Chasing to go over my plan for keeping Effie safe. I forgot all about it. He’s wondering where I am.” He moved to stand, but she caught hold of his arm.
“About that. I wanna help.”
He barked out a laugh. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” she demanded. “If it weren’t for me, Effie would be dead right now.”
His blood ran cold. “Please tell me that you didn’t have anything to do with that car trying to run her over.”
Her jaw dropped. “Do you actually think I would do something like that?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure what to think. Saving Effie would be a great way to ingratiate yourself into her life.”
Red streaks rose over her cheeks as her eyes blazed with wrath. “That is absurd!”
“Almost as absurd as someone faking a blind date gone bad.”
“That’s different,” she mumbled. “I had good reason. For all I knew, you were the perp.” Persuasion slipped into her voice. “Think about it. If you send one of your deputies to guard Effie, he’ll stick out like a sore thumb. Your deputies aren’t investigators. You need someone on the inside. Someone who can not only keep Effie safe but who can gain the trust of the Chasings and Laramies. If I were a betting girl, I’d say that Brent’s death is connected to that treasure.”