“He provided DNA,” Molson shrugged. “Nothin’ else.”
“Then what is your motive for being involved with the case?” Holly wanted to know.
“I accidently gave David the idea to frame Michael,” Molson admitted softly. “Remember when I told you to roll on them before they rolled on you up in that office when Bethany was ill? He took the idea and ran with it, pinning his crime on Michael. Michael is in jail because of what I said.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re responsible for David’s actions,” Holly responded. The professional in Holly knew that he had internalized David’s actions as a result of what he had said. She had done much the same when she found out that someone had forged her prescription pad to get more drugs to try to overdose Bethany on. “He chose his path. It’s not your fault.”
“Maybe it’s not. Yet that don’t matter since it still feels like my fault,” Molson ran a hand over his face with a sigh. “I’m going to figure out how to end this mess and put people where they belong. David in jail and Michael back with his family.”
“How?” Holly wanted to know.
“I’m not sure yet,” Molson prevaricated.
“How?” Holly demanded this time. “Don’t try to lie or evade.”
“Ain’t nobody slip much by you, do they?” he grimaced. “I got friends who know people who know the people who are witnesses, able to testify against David Ramesly. They might just prove that he’s the one running the drugs, not Michael. Then it would naturally come out that David was the one laundering the cash through the company, Ramesly Pharmaceuticals.”
“Then I’ll go with you to talk to these potential witnesses,” Holly decided.
“Whoa!” Molson put his hands on her arms. “No way. These aren’t nice people. They ain’t gonna be partial to me talking to them, let alone an outsider. There’s a hierarchy involved. I don’t even know if they’ll let me talk to them.”
Holly frowned as she looked up at him. She brushed off his hands as she looked at his tattoos. “Are they gang members?”
“Yeah,” Molson nodded, grimacing as he reluctantly admitted the fact. “They ain’t gonna say anything in front of you.”
“Will you tell me what they tell you?” she asked.
A slow grin crept across his lips. “That sounds like another favor.”
She rolled her eyes and huffed. “Fine. Another favor. What is Detective Colborne doing in the meanwhile? You said he wasn’t supposed to investigate. That implies that he still is.”
“Smart and beautiful,” Molson complimented her. “He’s going over whatever he can manage to get out of his sources at the FBI and going over all aspects of the case. We got a friend who has sources that might give us more information on a couple of different fronts. Nothing concrete yet. Whatever we do find and bring forward, it’s got to be solid. Hopefully before Michael’s trial starts.”
“How long until the trial?” she wondered.
“They want to bump it forward,” Molson scowled. “The justice system wants to make an example out of Michael. They’re already vilifying him in the papers as some rich guy who thinks he can do whatever he wants and get away with it.”
“Is he? I heard he’s a billionaire,” Holly commented.
“I ain’t met him,” he had to admit. Molson didn’t really know the legitimate children of David Ramesly. It wasn’t like he’d been invited to visit for the holidays. “Drew likes him.”
“Am I to understand that’s a high recommendation?” Holly raised an eyebrow.
“It is. Drew don’t like many people. He really hates anything, or anyone tied to our Pop,” Molson took a small sense of satisfaction of referring to David as Pop. It was a distinctive insolence on his part. “Probably because Drew has childhood memories of the man before he decided to abandon our family.”
“He blames his dad for the family dynamic,” Holly knew the type from her case files.
“He’s motivated,” Molson affirmed.
“As long as he’s not going to try to get him convicted at any cost,” Holly didn’t want any case against David to fall apart on technicalities.
“If anything, he’s the one being the stickler for following the rules of the law,” Molson admitted. “Drew is insisting that everything be done right. If we can get rock solid proof, he wants it to stick. David has money and connections. Whatever we put up against him has to be airtight.”
“I want to know what you find. What Drew finds,” Holly unconsciously moved closer to Molson as she insisted on her position. “I want to be a part of this investigation wherever I can. If you need me to do anything that will help, tell me. Bethany was a client of mine. It’s important that I help solve this for her and for myself.”
“She doesn’t blame you,” he told Holly.
“Excuse me?” she frowned at the turn of conversation. “What do you mean?”
