“Yes, and claiming he wanted to be there for the press op.”
“Or to be there as Vaughn’s eyes and ears.”
“He wanted to interfere.One way or the other.”Aidan paced the narrow strip of space between the table and boxes, absently twirling a pen.“I’m tired of this shit.Hisshit.”
“Talley,” Moore cautioned.
“Oh, come on, El.”Aidan chucked his pen at the table, clearly frustrated.“He’s been up our asses for years now.You have the complaints to prove it.”
Cam tried not to show his surprise, Lauren’s gasp loud enough for the both of them.“You filed formal complaints?”she asked.
“Why didn’t I know about this?”Nic interjected.
“Because he’s your boss.”Moore’s raised voice brooked no argument.He was the highest-ranking LEO in the room, even if he wasn’t always there to flex his considerable muscle, physical and political.“I’ve been conducting that investigation, and I’ve got enough for professional misconduct.But if you can give me enough for criminal charges...”
Aidan was vibrating with anticipation, a lion ready to roar, while the spark in Nic’s eyes grew brighter.Cam was surprised the two didn’t high-five right there.They could scent the kill.
“He’s insisting he be present at Vaughn’s questioning,” Nic said.
“Let him,” Aidan replied.“Won’t affect our strategy.”
Nic looked down the table to him.“Anything else from the raids?”Cam gestured at the boxes, then at the mess covering the table.“There’s a metric ton of shit here, Boston.Give me the high points.”
“Box ten,” Lauren said without looking up from her screen.
Cam shifted over to the boxes, uncovering the one with the ten sticker on the end.He lifted the lid and pulled out two evidence bags.He placed the bags on the table in front of Nic, the heavy metal inside making a loudthunkas they hit the wood.
“Desert Eagles,” Cam said, as Nic picked up one, then the other, running his thumb over the scuffed serial numbers.“Weapon of choice for Vaughn’s goons.”
“Same as the ones I lifted off them earlier this year.”Nic laid each bag back on the table.“Was there enough for Mel to run?”
“She’s trying,” Lauren answered.“Box five for the mortgages.”
“Mortgages?”Nic said, tensing.
This was the part Cam had been dreading.It was good evidence—would help Nic’s case—but it would not help his peace of mind.
Box five was on Aidan’s side of the table, and he came up with a thick bucket folder, handing it to Nic.“Unrecorded deeds of trust.”
“He files them when he needs the extra leverage,” Cam added as Nic riffled through the documents.
He got toward the back, forehead creasing, and Cam held his breath.“There are reconveyances in here too, dated last week, and another deed of trust for...”His eyes fluttered shut and he dropped the folder on the table.
Cam stepped toward him—no need to keep up appearances for the others here—but Nic held up a hand, keeping him at bay.Two deep breaths and he opened his eyes, looking at Lauren, who’d stopped her manic typing.“Have you confirmed the other lenders have all been paid off?”
“Last payment cleared Friday,” she answered quietly.
The whole room went quiet, the implications impossible to ignore, especially to a group of trained investigators.
Nic pulled out the chair closest to him and collapsed.“So, two days after Vaughn pays off all his other lenders, my father signs over everything to him, then dies.”His voice dropped into an octave Cam had never heard before.“Is murdered.”
Cam sank into the chair beside him, laying a hand on his arm.“We’ll get him, Dominic.This helps your case, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, but...”
“We’ll get extra security up everywhere.”
Elbows on the table, Nic put his face in his hands, scrubbing up into his hair, tired and frustrated, ten times worse than Cam probably felt.Cam wanted to pull him into his arms, chase the day and awfulness away at least for the span of an embrace, but that would be too much, even for those in the know here.
