Brynnon’s mouth turned up in a slight smile. “Thank you.” After he gave her another nod, she said, “Your PI didn’t show up, but you must have other information you’ve gathered over the years.”
“I do,” Wright confirmed her thoughts.
“May we see it?” When he hesitated, she added, “We’re not going to take it and run, Mr. Wright. I promise. I just want to see what has you so convinced my father’s actions caused Jordan and those other brave men and women to lose their lives.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Wright turned away from her and gave his daughter a look. “Come help me get the files.” To Brynnon, he said, “I’ll be right back.”
Brynnon drew in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “Well, at least he didn’t outright refuse.”
“You know, you’re pretty good at this,” Derek commented with a crooked smile. “You and Hill are like the perfect good cop, bad cop duo.”
She grinned, but Grant simply grunted and walked over to the small end table near the couch. Picking up one of several prescription bottles, he studied the label before holding it up.
“He’s telling the truth. About having cancer, at least. My mom used to take this same medicine when she was going through treatments. Supposed to help boost the immune system.”
Brynnon’s heart ached as she watched him set the bottle back down. It was hard to imagine the strong, formidable man before her as a broken, grieving teenager.
“Here.” Wright came back into the room. He and Jessica each handed her a bulging folder. “This is everything I've found over the last six years.”
Grant and Derek both stood over her shoulder as she began to look over the folders’ contents. Some of what she saw made sense, like the copies of the purchase orders Cantrell Construction had used. Others, such as the topographical map with scribbled notes, would take more time to go over.
When Brynnon got to a picture of the bridge post-collapse, her chest tightened. “I can’t imagine how scared they must have been,” she spoke absentmindedly.
“It’s all I think about,” Jordan’s father stared at the photo. “What must’ve gone through my boy’s mind as he fell to his death. He had to have known he wouldn’t survive a fall like that. That he’d never see his wife again or meet his baby boy. Jordan had no idea he had a sister ...”
The older man’s voice cracked. He blinked a few times before clearing his throat and looking back up at her. “It’s not right. It’s not right that your father continued on with his life as if nothing ever happened. Not when so many others lost theirs.”
“Mr. Wright,” Brynnon addressed him as she closed the folder. “Obviously I can’t begin to imagine the pain Jordan’s death caused you—”
“No,” he shot back. “You can’t.”
Giving him a sad smile, she did her best to empathize. “But I do know what it’s like to lose someone you loved so dearly.” She took a step closer. “With your permission, I’d like to take this folder home and look through it. See if there’s anything there you may have missed.”
“Why? So you can cover it up like your old man has?”
Brynnon shook her head, hating that life had taught this man to be so untrusting. “No. I want to help you get to the truth, so you can find the peace you’re searching for. And these two men are going to help me. They’re both former military, so they understand better than most the sacrifice your son gave that day. What every soldier on that bridge gave. They have resources beyond yours and mine that can help us find out if there is any truth to your suspicions.”
With a leery glance, Wright asked, “What branch?”
“Navy,” Derek answered for both men.
He eyed Grant more closely. “SEALs?”
Grant nodded. “We were both with the Teams.”
A smidge of respect replaced some of Wright’s animosity. “Then I hope what she’s saying is true.”
“We will find out what happened to your son and the others,” Grant promised. Turning his voice deadly, he warned the older man, “But the threats and the violence toward Miss Cantrell ends now.”
Silver brows bunched together as he looked back at Brynnon. “I’ve harbored a lot of hate toward your father for quite some time, but I would never threaten or harm a woman.” He shook his head. “That’s not how I was raised.”
“Do you know anyone who drives a maroon sedan?” Derek asked.
Wright blinked quickly before stammering, “I...um, no. I don’t...”
“It was you, wasn’t it?” Grant growled. “You were pissed off because Brynnon didn’t give you the answers you were looking for, so you waited until we left the hospital and followed us to her house.”
“No.” Wright shook his head. “You’re wrong.”
