The Empire (Filthy Trilogy 3)

“She says one of the nurses from the hospital in Germany where the treatment was denied will confirm you went there, and you met with them.”

Irritation ticks through me. “I did. What else?”

“You did?”

“You want to know why,” I say, my hands settling on my hips.

“Yes, I need to know why. I’m part of your defense if the press goes after you with the police.”

“Okay. Fine. Fuck.” I shove fingers through my hair. “I battled with why my mother killed herself. Some part of me needed to hear she probably would have died anyway. And you know what? If her mother wants to come at me. Let her come. I didn’t put him in the hospital.”

“You said that Harper told you about this. Did she set you up in some way? Are she and her mother—”

“No,” I say with no hesitation. “Harper did not set me up. The blood tests are not going to show poison. This is a non-issue, just a crazy woman talking. Move on. What else?”

“You’re pretty damn certain about those tests,” he says.

“And that makes me guilty?”

“No, but it makes you a hell of a lot more confident than I am. I believe you didn’t do it, Eric. I don’t trust the person who did was as smart as you and I. My job is to protect you if this goes south.”

“What else, Blake?” I press, sensing there’s more.

“Your father met with the new head of the mob a few weeks ago, and Harper’s mother was with him. Does that mean that she’s involved in all of this? No, but I don’t see how she’s blind as a bat either. You have to see where that leads.”

I push off the desk and straighten. “Speak frankly, Blake. I enjoy a puzzle, but I have a meeting to attend. Where are you going with this?”

“Harper—”

“Did not know about the mob. She’s not involved. And you’re about to piss me the fuck off.”

“Her mother is all she has,” he counters, still pushing. “How far would she go to protect her?”

He’s doing his job, which, unfortunately, makes me punching him inappropriate. But then, Isaac has a way of making me want to punch someone I never get to fucking punch. I change the subject. “What about the birth certificates?”

“We found Isaac’s and it looks fine, but I did some digging. There was an amendment to it filed several years back and I can’t get to the original. All versions were destroyed. The other birth certificate is a man named Ryan Kensey. Does he sound familiar to you?”

“Not at all. I need an address. I want to go see him. Now. Tonight. I’ll charter a plane.”

“Impossible. He died a few years ago. We’re looking for a connection between him and the family. More soon.”

“How did he die?”

“A car accident.”

Alarms go off in my head. “Find out the details on that accident. Compare them to the accident Isaac’s mother had years back.”

His eyes go wide. “You think Isaac killed his mother and Kensey?”

“Look closer. Answer that question with facts.”

“All right then, back to Harper’s mother. I can’t hold her prisoner. That’s kidnapping. If she wants to use her phone, I have to let her use her phone.”

I pull out my cellphone and dial Grayson. “Is Harper standing there with you?”

“We’re taking a tour.”

“I need her. Now.”