Chapter 30: Payoffs

I SWAM UP OUT OF MY SLEEP more easily this morning. Either the painkillers they had me on were working or I was feeling better. I opened my eyes and they focused slowly on the red hair and freckled face of Jordan Grant.

“Damn,” I said. “I was getting used to beautiful women waking me up.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “I assume that was a thank you for saving your wretched hide Sunday.”

“It was,” I moaned. “And for saving Riley.”

“That was an unexpected bonus. She is one hot...” he broke off. “Sorry. Strictly business. I thought you’d like to know what was in the truck.”

“Do tell,” I said. “We had theories.”

“Well did any of them have to do with the upcoming release of a major computer operating system?” he asked. We’d definitely been a little slow on that one. “There was, at first calculation, twenty-two million dollars worth of counterfeit software in that truck. It became obvious that they weren’t taking it anywhere. They just drove back and forth from Seattle to Spokane. The one time they actually unloaded, it was at an interstate rest area where they transferred goods from one truck to another. We finally pulled both trucks over because if they kept splitting it up, we’d never have enough people to follow all of them. The drivers were very cooperative. They hadn’t received orders yet as to where to take the stuff. Apparently they were intending to keep it moving until just before stores got the official software in, and then start delivering theirs.”

“The joys of never knowing when a product is going to ship,” I said. “Bradley’s timing sucked on everything.”

“Well it would have been enough to convict him if he wasn’t dead already. We’ve moved on BKL to confiscate everything in the offices. Everyone at headquarters is a little ticked that there’s no one to convict.”

Thoughts started rolling around in my head faster than lightning. No one to convict. Bradley was just as scared of Oksamma as Simon was. Oksamma didn’t work for him, he was there representing someone else’s interest. Someone who was still in the shadows.

“What about Davy Jones?” I asked.

“Hired help. He was security chief for the condo, he says. He thought Deb was being held because she had tried to steal something. That’s what they told him. Said as soon as they knew who she was working for, they were going to turn her over to the police.” Jordan sighed. “He was a Marine. He’s used to following orders, and having served in Iraq, he’s used to some of them not sounding entirely legal when they are given. I think he really thought he was acting in the best interests of his employer. What did you hit him with, by the way? He was out most of Sunday afternoon.”

“A bottle of champagne,” I said. That means I’d wasted precious minutes tying up a non-threat. When I got out of the hospital, I was through with being a detective. Riley was much better suited to the business than I was.

“He thought you’d hit him with your fist,” Jordan laughed. “He has a tremendous amount of respect for you now.”

“Well, don’t tell him otherwise, will you?” I chuckled. A true pack animal. You respect the one who is more powerful. I decked him, I’m the alpha male. How simple. “By the way, did you find out exactly who he worked for? The condo isn’t a business in and of itself is it?”

“No. His payment, he says, always came from BKL. Apparently it was one of the businesses they were in. We hope that the records will show a flow of money from certain high profile men in this city in the form of bribes and blackmail.” Jordan broke off when his phone rang. He snapped it open and listened quietly. “Thanks,” he said and broke off the call.

“It appears that I should make myself scarce,” he said to me. “That was Deb in the lobby. She says that Brenda Barnett just asked for your room number at the front desk.” My hand moved of its own volition and grabbed Jordan’s arm. BKL. It wasn’t Barnett, Keane, and Lamb. It was Brenda Katherine Lamb. Chances are that Bradley didn’t even know he was being manipulated by the silent partner of the firm, his erstwhile lover, Brenda Barnett. Riley told me that she had found records indicating that it was Brenda who owned the condo.

“I hate to put you in the closet, Jordan,” I said. “But I’d like you to stay close and out of sight for this.”

“You think she’s... ?” he questioned. I nodded. Without another word, Jordan stepped into the closet and pulled the door closed. I didn’t think she was personally dangerous, but it crossed my mind that she might be coming to close my final chapter. I breathed out to relax my suddenly tensing muscles and struggled to prop myself more upright in bed. This was not a good meeting ground for an encounter with Brenda. I heard her heels in the hallway long before she got to my door. The waft of her lilac perfume preceded her through the door.

“Dagget, sweety,” she said, coming through the door. “I think I owe you hazard pay. I had no idea this little job would be so dangerous for you.” She swept across the room and bent to kiss my forehead.

I sneezed.

“You never could stand my perfume,” she said jumping back and grabbing a tissue to mop herself off.

“What brings you up on this visit, Brenda?” I asked. “I can hardly believe you were concerned about my health.”

“Dag, we’ve always been concerned about you, Simon and me.” She sat in the chair beside my bed, where so recently I’d seen Riley sitting. “Simon pushed me toward you in college. He always said you needed someone to look out for you. And now you’ve caught his killer. How can I say thank you Dag?” She pulled out a checkbook. I let her write the check. She handed it over to me and I counted the zeros.

“It’s a little more than we agreed to,” I said.

“Just a small token of my appreciation for all you’ve done and all you’ve been through, Dag,” she said.

“Yes. Let’s see, what did I accomplish? I tracked down your husband for you so you could send a hired thug to wire the plane and kill him. I’ll bet you were even mad that Oksamma tried to kill me before I found Simon—doubly so when you found there was nothing on my computer. Then Riley acquired the backup disks for Simon’s computer that you made before you erased his files. Since she already knew you owned the condo, you knew she couldn’t resist an invitation to see it. You arranged to have a party for the girls and get her invited up. You kidnapped her and called Bradley in to recover the property. But it was you who hit her. It’s your office, after all. Riley saw the lilacs there. You sent Oksamma to see that Bradley stayed motivated. It was all a convenience to you that both Bradley and Oksamma got killed in the process. Now there are no witnesses that can tie you to your part in blackmailing area businessmen and laundering the money through cash card sales at a franchise you had Simon create.” I’d spilled everything. It was all conjecture, but I knew that Jordan had heard it all.

“Simon always said you were the best,” Brenda said. “I never particularly believed him. I always thought Simon was the best. But he turned out to be such a disappointment. He could never make the really hard calls. He had a juvenile sense of ethics. He even felt guilty about sleeping with me when you and I were married. And here you are, with such a fabulous theory and no proof. And there is none on those backup disks, either. Nothing that will tie me to anything that has happened. Good theory though, smarty.”

“Why, Brenda?” I asked. “Why did you kill Simon? You had everything.”

“I have everything, Dag,” she said standing up. It was going to fail. “I was married to Simon for thirty years. I loved him to death.” Her smile reminded me of a predator’s open mouth after a kill. She leaned in close to me. The scent of lilacs was bringing tears to my eyes and I thought I might sneeze on her again. But what she said chilled me to the bone.

“I didn’t kill Simon, Dag,” she whispered. “You did. You with the help of that stupid blonde twit he thought the world of. I told you where the trigger was for the explosives on his plane. She spelled it out for you. F-8-e-d-2-d-1-e. When you sent the signal, the plane went poof.” She stood and turned to leave, then turned back to me.

“Spend your money fast, Dag,” she said. “I hear you’re not long for this world.” I saw Jordan slip out of the closet behind her and when she turned he had his ID out and his sidearm drawn. She screamed and I saw Riley fill the door blocking any entrance or exit to the room.

“Brenda Barnett,” Jordan intoned. “You are under arrest on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, racketeering, embezzlement, money laundering, blackmail, and running a house of prostitution.” He snapped handcuffs onto her wrists, perhaps more tightly than was strictly necessary.

“You have no proof of any of that,” she spat. “Do you think that I will sit for a day in any prison? When my lawyers get finished with you, you won’t even have a badge left.”

“Then let’s add this one,” I said from the bed. “As sole surviving partner and majority holder of Barnett, Keane, and Lamb Ltd., you can also be charged for counterfeiting of computer software and smuggling it into the country for illegal gain.” The instant look of loathing on her face was not directed at me.

“That idiot!” she exclaimed. It seemed she didn’t know about Bradley’s own endeavor to make money in the black market. Jordan turned Brenda and headed for the door. Riley stepped in. I couldn’t resist one last dig at Brenda.

“Brenda,” I called after her. Jordan stopped and turned her to face me. “How does it feel to get rid of two lovers in a week?” She paused and snarled at me.

“I’m hoping for a hat-trick, Dag,” she said and jerked forward out of the room with Jordan holding her arm.

I hate hockey.

Riley came to me and hugged me.

“That was brilliant,” she said.

“You only heard the end,” I answered.

“Oh, I heard it all,” she responded. I looked up at her she pulled back the hair from her ear and I saw a tiny earbud inserted there. She pointed to the lamp beside my bed. Tucked up under the shade was a tiny transmitter. I knew that someplace nearby she had also concealed an amplifier for the low-wattage signal that the little device would put out.