Zack groaned. “You two are a couple of assholes.”
“It’s why you love us,” Ryan said, voice dry. “C’mon, let’s get food. Kara has a bunch of shit to fill us in on.”
We found a booth that was well away from any other customers. As soon as the waitress had taken our orders I filled them both in on the findings from the computer examinations, what I’d gleaned from Roger’s murder scene, and the interview with Lida.
Zack frowned and pulled a small notebook out of his pocket. “So, with Roger’s murder, we still have the possibility that Vic really was killed by mistake.”
I grimaced. “No, I’m having a hard time buying that. Vic Kerry is still linked to both Adam and Roger financially. I just have to pin down how. Besides, if the thing was going after Roger, why go to the City Towers where there was no guarantee that Roger would even be there?” I shrugged. “And for that matter, why go to City Towers if it was after Vic? Seems that there’d be more risk of it being seen.”
Ryan tapped the table absently. “Where did Vic live?”
“Emerald Heights condominiums.” I paused. “Which is gated and has security. Gold star to Ryan!”
He gave me a pleased nod. “Harder to get in, and surveillance video keeps track of cars coming and going.”
Zack exhaled. “Which brings up back to believing that Vic truly was the intended target of that attack.”
“I have all of Roger’s financial information. I sent off subpoenas for Vic’s and Adam’s but it’ll take weeks to get any returns from those. But I do have the info from Vic’s computer and the books we seized at the crime scene.” I tugged a hand through my hair, grimacing. “What I can’t figure out is how the attack on Lida figures into any of this. If the intent had been to kill her, why do it in such a public way?”
We paused while the waitress delivered our food. Ryan looked askance at my entrée. “You’re really having fries for lunch?”
“It’s not just fries,” I said. “It’s cheese and gravy on top of fries. Three of the four food groups!”
He stared at me. “What the hell is your cholesterol level?”
“It’s one!” I said, showing him my middle finger.
Zack grinned. “Don’t get between a woman and her comfort food, Ryan.”
I glared at him as I dug into my healthy repast. Was it that obvious I was in need of comfort food?
“Well, it looks like I’m in for an exciting evening of looking at financial information,” I said after a few minutes of lubricating my arteries. “And I think that the rest of the Financial Crimes Task Force really needs to be helping me out with this!” I gave them both a hopeful grin.>“Sometimes the punishment fits the crime far too well,” he said, then closed his eyes. An instant later he staggered, eyes flying open as he put a hand out to steady himself against his car.
His gaze snapped up to me, horror and shame warring in his features. “Kara ... I ...” He swallowed harshly. “I’m sorry if I said anything to—”
“What punishment?” I asked, blood pounding in my ears. “What did you mean? What was the crime?”
Agony rippled across his face. “I don’t know. Kara, I don’t even know what I said, I swear. I’m sorry. Please, believe me.”
I wanted to grab him and shake the answers out of him. He had to have been talking about Ryan. What the fuck had all that meant? His words were seared into my mind. Even the most powerful get screwed. Ryan?
But Knight looked like he was a hairbreadth away from a complete freak-out. It was such a divergence from his usual calm that it pulled me out of my own shock. “It’s all right,” I made myself say. “It didn’t really mean anything. It’s all right.”
Doubt shadowed his eyes, but the horror faded from his expression. He gave an uncertain nod. “I’m sorry. That hasn’t happened in a long time.”
“You okay now?”
He took a deep breath. “Yeah. I’m cool.” He opened his car door and I could see him pulling his mask on, the lazy smile slipping into place, though not fitting quite as perfectly as before. “Y’all be sure to keep me posted on the case, all right?”
I gave him the relaxed smile he needed to see. “You got it. Be careful driving back to New Orleans.”
He winked, then climbed into his car and drove off.
I waited a few seconds, then followed suit, his strange pronouncements still echoing in my head.
What the hell had all of that meant?
Chapter 25