Reckoning (Wolfes of Manhattan 5)

“Start talking, then,” I said.

“I’ll give you what you need to implicate us, but you have to help us disappear.”

“What makes you think I know how to do that?”

“Your husband does.”

“My husband’s a biker from Montana.”

“Your brother-in-law, then. Reid. He can do it.”

“What makes you think that?”

“He learned at my father’s side. He can make anything happen that he wants. Get Morgan in on it, and it will happen.”

“Morgan’s a tired old detective who wants money to disappear on his own.”

“He is that, but he’s also part of a syndicate inside the NYPD that was on my father’s payroll. I can get you those names. In fact, we can implic—”

“No. No more implicating someone who’s innocent. We’re done with that.”

“Hey, those guys may not have pulled the trigger, but they’re far from innocent.”

His idea was tempting, but, “No. Only the guilty party goes down for this murder. If that’s you and your girlfriend, so be it.”

“You have nothing without the evidence tying it to us. If you had anything, Fonda would have been hauled in before now.”

I couldn’t fault his statement. He was right. We had nothing.

“What about your mother?” I asked. “You’re just going to leave her?”

“My mother wrote me off long ago.”

“Why?”

“She thinks my father corrupted me.”

“Didn’t he?”

“In some ways, yes.” He suppressed a shudder. “When he first introduced me to what he had planned for the island, I was sickened. Really disgusted. I wanted no part of it.”

“But…”

“But…I got seduced by the money. Seduced by everything about it. My father was…hypnotic, almost. As icy as they came, and I swear to God he could make anyone believe the most heinous thing in the world was for the common good.”

“How in the hell did he make you believe any of this was for the common good?”

“Honestly, looking back, I have no idea. But once you start doing something bad, it becomes easier and easier. I know you won’t believe this, but I wish I could take it all back.”

“Some things can’t be taken back.”

“Don’t I know it. The whole thing was supposed to be his legacy, and my future. And I was okay with that…until Fonda.”

“You fell in love.”

“Yeah. He brought her to the island. Not the hunting ground, but to the other side of the island, and the two of us… We just clicked.”

“She wasn’t in love with Derek?”

“Hell, no. She was with him for the same reason any model dates a billionaire. He was a sugar daddy and she was his arm candy.”

“How do you know she loves you, then?”

“Because she committed murder with me. I knew I’d never be free to be with her until my father was gone, and there aren’t a lot of people in the world who wouldn’t say the world is a better place without him.”

The gun was growing heavy in my hand. “I don’t disagree, but that doesn’t give you the right to play God with someone else’s life.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve been through every moral argument, believe me. I’ve done a hell of a lot of shit I regret. It’s because of Fonda that I’ve regained my conscience.”

“People with a conscience don’t kill their fathers.”

“They do if it’s the only way they’ll be free. The only way the woman they love will be free.”

“How were you planning to get out of all this?”

“Fonda and I were leaving after today. She arranged to get paid in cash for today’s shoot, and we’ve got cash stashed here and there. But now, with my half-brothers’ help, we can truly disappear.”

“Wait, wait, wait. There are still unanswered questions. Father Jim? Did you kill him?”

“No.”

“Do you know who did?”

No response.

I shoved the gun into his temple, making a dent.

“I don’t know, but my guess is someone at the NYPD.”

“Part of the Wolfe brigade.”

“It’s a guess, but it makes a lot of sense. I had no beef with Jim. I thought he was a psycho, but so was my father.”

“Still, you let it all happen.”

“I did.”

I shook my head and groaned. “You’re as sick as the rest of them. I should just end this now.”

“You can. I can’t stop you. But if you get Fonda and me off the grid, I’ll give you all you need to close this case. For good.”

“Reid isn’t around,” I said, “and I have no idea how to do any of that.”

“Not my problem.”

“Well, yeah, it kind of is. You just confessed to me.”

“You know as well as I do that it’s hearsay.”

“Sure, I do, but it’s more than they’ve got on me, and somehow I got arrested.”

He went rigid for a second before resuming his cool stance. Yup, that had scared him.

“I doubt you’re wired,” he said. “And even if you are, it’s not admissible.”

“That’s where you wrong.” I smile. “I am wired. And you’re going down now. Both you and Fonda.”