Shadow Of Greed (Margot Harris 1)

Chapter 10

“Detective Gomes, fraud. How can I help you?”

“Hey, Doreen, this is Margot. You have a second?”

“I do, but you don’t. You are in some serious shit right now.”

“I noticed.”

“No, I don’t think you did. Otherwise, you’d get your pretty lawyer to arrange for your surrender. This has the potential to get ugly.”

“You think my lawyer’s pretty?”

“Of course I do, but look, I’m not kidding.”

“I know, I’m working on it. As soon as I have something to tell Ames, I’ll set it up.”

“It’s not just Ames you have to worry about. In fact, he’s the least of your worries.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the feds. The F.B.I.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, that’s not the kind of thing they share with fraud. All I know is they’re here asking about you and they looked pissed off.”

“They always look that way.”

“Maybe because they always are. Whatever you’re setting up, you’d better set it up quick. They don’t play around.”

“That’s why I’m calling. Could you run a license plate for me?”

“Is it part of this mess you’re in?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t hold out on me, Margot. I’m putting myself on the line.”

“It’s just a plate.”

“Yeah, for a federal fugitive.”

“Okay, I’m sure Katrina Stone was the victim of a professional hit…”

“Everyone else is too. They have the hitters' names too. You may have heard of him.”

“It wasn’t Mal.”

“Are you sure?”

Margot remembered the way he looked in the motel room. Only minutes ago she’d been wondering the same thing, but she told Doreen, “Yeah, I’m sure. The license plate belongs to the car the actual hitter was driving.”

“Okay, I’ll do it, but I still think you should consider turning yourself in. If you didn’t have anything to do with it, you’ve got nothing to worry about it.”

“I’ll consider it, but I’d rather come in with something to give them. Something other than a declaration of innocence they won’t believe.”

“Give me the number.”