Playing Dead_ A Novel of Suspense - Allison Brennan [137]
They walked over to the covered garage. The sheriff’s deputy was guarding the car; the trunk had been popped. Inside were dozens of shoeboxes. “Lora Lane’s shoebox collection,” Mitch said. Stuffed behind the boxes were clothes stained with what Mitch knew was blood. Lora Lane’s blood.
Grant reached down and took the lid off one box. Inside were several journals. He handed Mitch the one on top.
Mitch opened it. In perfect, frilly script:
December 10, 2007.
I arrived at the Rabbit Hole at 6:07 pm. I was late because Daddy had a special order for lures for his friend John Deynor, who likes sturgeon. I made two of my best lures, and they took me time because I wanted to make sure they were perfect.
Tip was behind the bar. He wore a white shirt and black jeans. He got a haircut today. Also in the bar were . . .
“What’s this? Her diaries? Why would someone kill her for her diaries?”
“I haven’t looked at them all, but they’re not diaries. They are notes on Tip Barney, but she also adds in her random thoughts and observations. They appear to go all the way back to when he first opened the bar in Isleton. The sheriff is letting us have the boxes, and I’m waiting for a team to transport them to the lab. We’ll work on it until we have an answer.”
Mitch glanced toward the house. “Why did Harper have them in his car? Why was Lora Lane . . . stalking Frank Lowe? Why would Harper care?”
“All good questions. I have no answers yet—”
Mitch shook his head. “Sorry. I was just thinking out loud.”
Mitch looked around. This felt odd. There was obviously a connection, but it eluded him.
His first reaction had been that a distraught Police Chief Lane had learned who had killed his daughter and came here for vengeance. But Mitch knew Chief Lane hadn’t left Isleton. Two agents were down there watching him and the Rabbit Hole.
Mancini. Developer. “Grant, do you know if Mancini was involved at all with Waterstone?”
“No idea. Meg was researching that.”
Mitch called Meg. “Who are the principals of Waterstone Development, other than Judge Drake?”
“Hold a sec.” A moment later, she said, “Jeffrey Riordan and Richard Mancini. Riordan is a congressman,” she added. “He’s running for Senate.”
“And Mancini is dead. What if Judge Drake didn’t fall or jump?”
“The Sac PD is all over the scene. I’ve spoken to the chief of police. He’s treating this as a possible homicide and has pulled the security tapes. His people are canvassing the building and immediate area.”
“If Drake was murdered, someone could be after Riordan now.”
“I’ll put an APB out on him. He shouldn’t be hard to find. But why?”
“I wish I knew. The only thing that connects all the dead is Rose Van Alden.”
“Van Alden? From Maddox’s flash drive?”
“Yes. Van Alden was Frank Lowe’s great-aunt. Van Alden’s will instructed the sale of her property to Waterstone, which resulted in a huge planned community. Drake, Mancini, and Riordan were all principals in Waterstone. Now Lowe, Drake, and Mancini are dead. Assassinated?” Mitch ran through everything he knew. “What if that’s what this was all about? What if Lowe tipped off Taverton about something to do with that original sale?”
“Big enough to kill a prosecutor to keep it a secret?”
“I’m not a finance guy, Meg. Can you put someone on it? Someone who understands land deals. And definitely get a warning to Riordan. He might want to come in for protective custody.”
“Unless,” Meg said, “he’s somehow a part of this. Do we want to tip him off?”
“So don’t. He’s a sitting congressman, we’re concerned about his safety and want him in protective custody until we find this assassin. I’m sure you’ll come up with something good. Maybe just put a couple agents on him at his house. But if he’s not involved, and he ends up dead, there’ll be hell to pay from Washington.”
“You got that right. I’ll take care of it.”
Mitch hung up. He’d brought Hans Vigo with him to the Mancini triple homicide. It was time for a fresh pair of eyes