Without another word, he grabbed the computer and jumped in the truck. The others started to fall in line but stopped when York hollered at them.
“Wait!”
All eyes fell on her.
“How do we know for sure Porter was the one who bought this place? He’s a lawyer, right? Couldn’t this just be a contract he oversaw for a client?”
Derek shook his head. “I can’t take that chance.”
“Look, Derek. I know you want to find your girlfriend, and so do I, but we can’t just go barging into someone’s home without being certain it’s his. It’s bad enough we’re doing all this off the books. I can’t protect you.” Her eyes skimmed the others before landing on Eric. “I can’t protect any of you if it turns out you’re wrong and you get caught.”
Taking precious seconds, Derek went back to the computer and began another search. This time, he looked for files containing financial records.
It wasn’t long before he found records from a savings account listed under the same name as the corporation. The only other name on the account was none other than Caleb Porter.
“Here. There’s your evidence.” Derek turned the screen toward York. “The guy’s the sole signatory for an account with the same company’s name. Look.” He pointed to a line on the spreadsheet. “A withdrawal in the amount of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars was dated the same date the deed was signed. After that”—he pointed to the following transactions—“there are three transfers from this account to another one. One on the day my car was trashed; the next one on the day Charlie discovered someone had been inside her apartment. The last one is dated the day of the fire.”
“Payoffs,” York mumbled as she studied the screen.
Eric looked at her. “We find out who that other account belongs to, we’ll find the bastard Porter paid to do all that shit.”
“Since then”—Derek continued—“there’s only been one other transaction. A withdrawal of the remaining balance, which was more than enough for Porter to live comfortably for the rest of his life.”
Mac looked York in the eyes. “Still think that farmhouse belongs to someone other than Porter?”
The detective shook her head. “No.” To Derek, she said, “We’ll do this your way, as long as you swear you’ll try to take him alive.”
“Scout’s honor.” Derek held up two fingers.
York gave him a tip of her head, and in less than a minute, they were back on the highway.
“I didn’t know you were a Boy Scout.” Trevor glanced at Derek from the back seat.
With a smirk, he turned to his friend and said, “I wasn’t.”
****
