“I’ll do that. Here’s my card. Call me if you remember anything that can help us solve her death.” I held out my card for her, seeing a quick look of panic.
If she knew something about Maria that she wasn’t telling, she should fucking panic.
Chapter Seventeen
Bailey
My rental was packed with the few personal items I’d accumulated over my life, which wasn’t much, but it was all mine. I was ready to go back to Vegas, desperate to get back to the man I fell in love with more every day. We needed to shore up our future because I was going to be a crazy mess until we did.
I had a hell of a drive ahead of me—more than six hours—but I decided to make another run at Lindsey as I attempted to figure out what the fuck was happening between her and Thomas. If I were there in person, I didn’t think she’d lie to me. Or if she did, I’d be able to pick it up by studying her body language.
After calling Thomas’s office to make sure he was there, I drove toward the governor’s mansion.
Lt. Rupert wouldn’t be at the house because Thomas was at the office, which worked well for me. There was still a protectionteam on the property, but with the governor gone, they’d be less attentive to what was happening inside the mansion.
I gave my name to the guard at the gate, whom I’d seen several times when I dropped in to see Thomas after resigning from the Army. “I’m not sure if you remember me. Bailey Gregory, the governor’s brother. I’m here to surprise the First Lady.”
He nodded. “Of course, Mr. Gregory. You look exactly like the governor, sir, and I happen to know he’s in his office.” The gate slid open, and I drove through, no problem.
It was a no-brainer that he’d call the house to alert Lindsey’s staff that I was on my way, but that was fine. I suspected it would rattle her, which was exactly what I wanted. Putting her on an unsure footing was my goal. Interrogation 101. Surprise was the most effective way to get the truth. Much better than beating the hell out of someone if you didn’t have to.
Once I parked in the circle drive, I hopped out, waving to the guards walking the perimeter. They knew me, so they only waved in return. As the gate guard said, I looked just like the governor, and they all knew where Thomas was at the moment.
I climbed the staircase and checked the door to find it unlocked, so I went inside without knocking. “Lindsey!”
“Hello?” Lindsey.
“It’s me! Where’s Thomas?”
She came down the stairs, pasting on a fake smile. “Oh, hi, Bailey. I didn’t know you were coming by.”
“I came by to say goodbye. I thought Thomas would come home for lunch. I picked up the rest of my stuff at the apartment, and I’m moving south to Vegas. Where’s Boyd? Is he here with you?”
Lindsey froze at the bottom of the stairs, her face forming into a scowl for a moment. She composed herself and stared at me. “Boyd? Who’s Boyd?”
I chuckled. “Come on, Lindsey. You had a threesome with Thomas and Boyd the night my brother won the election. You know Boyd Newton very well. You also know his body double, don’t you? Danny Bolls?”
She glowered at me. “Who?”
I chuckled. “Danny Bolls, Lindsey. The guy you hired to send the blackmail threat to Thomas and pick up the million dollars you asked Beatrice to send. Why? Why would you do that to my brother?”
She began to cry, just as I expected. “Bailey, why would you say I did something so horrible? I love Thomas. He’s my world.”
I pulled my phone from my back pocket and dialed my mother, putting it on speaker. “Hello, son. How are you?”
“Hi, Mom. Quick question. Did Lindsey ask you to send Thomas a million dollars before he filed for reelection?”
“Bailey, that’s an odd question. You know we don’t—”
“Mom, stop. Did Lindsey ask you to send a million dollars in cash to Thomas for his reelection campaign?”
Mom sighed. “Lindsey didn’t ask directly. She mentioned the filing deadline and how much it would help if Thomas had already built a war chest. There was something about Thomas not being able to accept donations over a certain amount after he filed to run, and she said she could slowly deposit cash without it being traced. Of course I’d do anything to help your brother with his campaign, as I’m sure you would.”
“Did you ever imagine Lindsey might try to blackmail Thomas and steal that money, Mom?” I couldn’t hold back. That bitch thought she was smarter than all of us, but she’d never stepped toe-to-toe with Beatrice Dawson Gregory.
“Bailey, honey, what are you talking about?”
“Hang on, Mom.” I muted my phone and turned to Lindsey, who had paled considerably.
