Karen swiped a hand under her eyes then sniffed. “I doubt it. Gilbert isn’t a nice man, and he’s a shrewd businessman. He might cheat someone or swindle them, but he wouldn’t kill anyone.” She suddenly broke into hysterical laughing. “He probably would’ve said that about me a few days ago too.”
“Was there anything unusual about that house?” Ian asked.
She tilted her head. “After we moved out, Gilbert spent some time remodeling the place. He didn’t do as much remodeling with all of our houses, but he always had some work done to get top dollar for the property. Guess then he must’ve sold it to your friend’s parents, but there was no other connection to us that I know of and nothing odd about the house itself.”
“Would Junior have known that Malone’s parents moved into this house?”
“He was so little—preschool age—so I doubt it.”
Ian was disappointed, especially since it was Junior who led them to the fact that the crash wasn’t an accident. “Can you think about it, and let us know if you remember anything?”
“Sure,” she said, looking at her hands again. “It’s not like I have anything else to do.”
Londyn stood and called in the deputy.
“Thank you, Karen,” Ian said as the deputy took her to the door. “Again, I’m sorry for your loss.”
She gave a sad nod, her head hanging as she walked away.
Londyn took her seat again. “The deputy will bring Snipes in next.”
“Hopefully, he’ll be more helpful.”
“Karen was sincere enough.”
“I don’t expect Snipes to be genuine unless there’s something in it for him.”
“I wish his computer had given us some evidence, but he’s just like Olivo and Junior. Hiding his work elsewhere. But we’ll keep digging until we find where.”
The guard brought Snipes in, and he tried to shrug free of the guard’s hands. His face was haggard, and dark circles hung under his eyes. Obviously, jail wasn’t agreeing with him.
“You don’t look so good,” Ian said. “Not liking the accommodations?”
“Not so bad,” he said as the guard urged him to sit, cuffed him to the table, and left the room. “You’re wasting your time. I still won’t say anything without my attorney present.”
“You sure your attorney is still representing you now that he doesn’t have anyone footing the bill?” Ian asked.
Snipes’s cocky smile slipped, and a flash of unease darkened his eyes. “No reason he’d stop representing me.”
“Maybe you haven’t heard the big news,” Londyn said.
He eyed her. “Not sure what you mean.”
“Your boss was gunned down outside his house,” Ian said. “He didn’t survive.”
A muscle twitched in Snipes’s jaw, but that was his only reaction. So maybe his attorney had told him about the shooting, or maybe word had gotten around the prison.
Snipes tried to cross his arms, but the cuffs stopped him. He leaned back in his seat. “I don’t have a boss, so not sure who you’re talking about.”
“Come on, now. We all know you’re one of Olivo’s lieutenants. Junior was the other.” Ian leaned forward. “Or should I say you guyswerehis lieutenants? He doesn’t need one anymore. And Junior? Seeing as you’re the one who shot him, you know what happened to him.”
Snipes shook his head. “You’ve got some imagination, man.”
“I do, but this is fact.” Ian tapped a finger on the table. “One we will prove in court, and if you want things to go easier for you, you’ll start talking.”
“You might as well,” Londyn said softly, drawing the man’s attention. “Olivo can’t hurt you anymore. And with Junior gone and you inside, Olivo’s organization is collapsing as we speak. Do yourself a favor and admit that Olivo ordered you to kill Junior in retribution for abducting his kid and cutting off his finger.”
A flicker of unease flashed in Snipes’s eyes.
