“It’s been a month!” I barked as I charged into Rick’s office, slamming his door behind me when his secretary tried to intervene.
“It’s alright, Terri!” he called through the door to his secretary before turning back to me. “She has strict instructions to call either my guys or the police when clients come barging in. She got worried after another client shot me.” He waved his hand in the air dismissively, as if it was more of a nuisance than attempted murder.
“I wouldn’t use a gun,” I growled.
He nodded. “I know. You’d be the type to get up close and personal with your prey. Trust, I know the type of man you are.” He sat back down before extending his hand for me to take a seat in the wooden chair opposite him.
I moved slowly toward the chair, placing my hands on the back, leaning in. “I’d rather stand.”
“I figured.” He sighed. “Believe it or not, I was just looking over your file.” He held up the case file folder with my name on it as proof.
“And?”
“And … as it turns out, you’re right. Deborah didn’t have anything to do with this.”
I pushed out a breath I didn’t even know I’d been holding. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“They were using Deborah to make it look like she was involved. Her ex, Cohen …” He held up a picture of the prick. “Turns out he wasn’t particularly happy about the break up. Also, he’s broke. It seems mommy and daddy cut him off months ago because he was taking so long to complete his PhD program.”
“What the fuck does this have to do with Deborah or Townsend Industries?”
Rick waited to answer while I rounded the wooden chairs to finally take a seat facing him.
“Provides motive. A scorned lover and a spoiled, hippie wannabe who couldn’t get mom and dad to support his lifestyle any longer. He needed the money. So when John Lassiter approached him to help him to leak information on Townsend and set Deborah up as the fall guy, or in this case gal, Cohen was in a position where he couldn’t turn the offer down. He’d kill two birds with one stone.”
“If the stones don’t fucking kill him first,” I mumbled.
“John used his knowledge of Townsend Industries and his closeness with your father to try and take apart your company from the inside out. And he recruited his nephew to do it.”
“Why?”
As far as I knew, my father and John were friends, at least close business associates. I often recalled John over at Townsend Manor while I was growing up. He and my father had a rapport. John worked hard for Townsend and he continued to reap the financial benefits as a current board member.
“Is John broke?” I questioned, my brow furrowed.
“He doesn’t have Townsend money, but he doesn’t have to lose a wink of sleep over not being able to pay his bills either. He’s doing well financially.”
“Then what is his motive?”
Rick blew out a breath through his mouth, making a whistling noise. “The oldest reason in the world for a man to take on another man.”
I glared at Rick.
“The reason you are ready to tear down anything and anyone who stood in the way of you practically breaking my door down a few minutes ago.” He leaned forward. “A woman.”
“What woman?”
“Your mother.”
I stared at Rick.
“John is in love with your mother. Has been for years.”
“They’re having an affair.”
He shook his head. “Far as I can tell, it’s been one-sided. Your mother, as crazy as this may sound, loves your father. Only has eyes for him. But John Lassiter had eyes for her. My guess is after years of pining over a woman he couldn’t have, John got tired of being second in line. Maybe he thought he’d topple Townsend and your mother would leave Robert Senior and end up with him. Who knows? Love makes a fucker do some strange shit. Glad I’ve never been bitten by the love bug.” A cynical look crossed his face.
I wouldn’t bother taking the time to explain to a man like Rick the pleasures of falling in love with the right woman. He’d learn himself or he’d go to his grave holding on to his current beliefs. Either way, it wasn’t my business.
