* * *
“No paparazzi,” Cassidy said as the Lamborghini turned into Beau’s driveway. “How does it feel to be yesterday’s news?”
“It isn’t the first time. I was dead to the press the minute I stopped racing, which was fine with me.”
Beau drove into the garage and turned off the engine, the Lamborghini’s doors slid up and they climbed out of the car.
Pausing in the kitchen to grab a couple of Diet Cokes, they headed down the hall to the study. Instead of sitting at the partners’ desk, Cassidy retrieved a yellow legal pad from her briefcase and grabbed a pen; then she and Beau sat down at a table in the corner.
She set the pad down in front of her. “Not exactly twenty-first century, but it’ll give us a chance to organize our thoughts.” They needed to go through the information they had come up with, look at it from different angles.
She picked up the pen. “Okay, let’s start with what we know—and keep in mind this is only a working theory. The more we find out, the more it’s likely to change.”
Beau took a long drink of his Coke. Cassidy watched the muscles in his throat move up and down and tried not to think how sexy he looked. God, she had it bad.
“All right,” Beau said. “We have two murder victims, but we can’t be sure the murders are connected. Briscoe could be right—someone could have set me up because I was already a suspect in my father’s death. Milford’s killer thought he could blame it on me and get away clean.”
“It’s a possibility. But in both cases, the killer was extremely efficient, leaving no fingerprints or DNA. In Milford’s case, the bullet to the head was neat and efficient. Whoever did it, had to know the police wouldn’t have enough to prosecute you for Milford. More likely, the killer or killers wanted you out of the way so you wouldn’t keep digging, trying to find out who murdered the senator.” Cassidy jotted down a few notes.
“So we’ll assume the murders are connected,” Beau said.
“For now. It makes the most sense. Your father and stepmother owned Alamo. Milford was a longtime employee. We know there was an arson fire that destroyed Alamo’s unfinished apartment project and that Milford was fired two days before it happened, probably to get him out of the way.”
“Charlotte was convinced my father was responsible for the fire. The real estate market changed, the project would have tanked, and my father would have lost a lot of money.”
“Instead, he made a profit,” Cassidy said.
“Money he used to pay off Vaughn’s Equity Advance construction loan.”
“Some of it, but not all.”
“Which gave Vaughn a motive for murder,” Beau finished.
Cassidy jotted down a few more notes, but she was still unconvinced. “Let’s back up a little. What about Milford? Vaughn wouldn’t have had a motive for killing Jess Milford.”
Beau rubbed the back of his neck as he pondered the thought. “Maybe he would have. Vaughn would have wanted his money back, right?”
“Absolutely. No way was he setting a bad precedent by letting your father skate.”
“So maybeVaughnarranged the arson. My dad would collect the insurance money and Vaughn would get paid. Maybe Jess Milford found out Vaughn was involved, tried to blackmail him, and Vaughn killed him. Or more likely, had someone else kill him.”
“What about your dad? You still think Vaughn is the man behind his murder?”
“My father used the money he borrowed to live the high life he was accustomed to. He didn’t pay it all back, so Vaughn took care of him, just like Milford.”
Cassidy tried to convince herself, but doubt must have shown in her face.
“You still don’t believe it.” Beau released a sigh of frustration.
Cassidy took a sip of her Coke and set it back down on the table. “Something’s off. I can feel it. I’m just not sure what it is.”
“Maybe, but I know one thing. Two men are dead. If Vaughn was behind the arson, there’s a good chance both of the murder victims had some kind of run-in with him.”
“You realize, if Vaughn’s behind the murders and you keep pursuing this, you’re taking a very big risk.”
“I’m going to find the man who killed my father. If it’s Vaughn—”
“I’m not suggesting we quit, just warning you of the danger.”
