“I’ve heard of him,” Atticus said.“Up in Dallas.”
“Correct.Back in 2012, Stewart’s legitimate son, Stephen, was arrested for blackmailing government officials in order to protect his father’s company.They were racking up a lot of violations for illegal drilling and whatnot.”
“What’d he blackmail them with?”
“There’s not much to go on, but I found this.”He tapped the screen to bring up an article written by McKenna Thorne.“Allegedly, he had a list of people who were members of a private fetish club.They called it The Club at Club Destiny.”
“Not very creative.”
Archer laughed.
“Was there a list?”
“Not that I can find.Coincidentally—or maybe not—Luke McCoy, the owner of the club, shut it down right around that time.”
“Sounds suspicious, but okay.How does Alison play into this?”
“Like Decker said, Martin’s an equal-opportunity blackmailer.It looks like he threatened to prove that Allison’s mother and father played a part in Stephen’s crimes.”
“I thought you said Big Oil Daddy didn’t claim her.”
“He didn’t.But he set her up financially.My guess is, Martin followed the money and latched onto the opportunity.”
“I thought Martin was responsible for organized crime.How’d he go down this path?”
“Unknown at this time.”
Atticus nodded, staring at the screen.Archer gave him a moment to let it all sink in.
“What about this?”Atticus pointed to a name on the screen.“It says Allison’s father worked in construction.Why do you have a star by this?”
“That just happens to be owned by one of many shell companies tied to the Adorites.”
“So her dad worked for the Adorites?”
“I don’t think that was how it started.I figure Calloway forced him into the business.Another way to get dirt on the Adorites.”
“Ah.Okay.But if he’s got his claws in her dad, why bring her in?Was it a convenient career path?”
“Not exactly.”Archer turned to face Atticus.“Allison Bogart was on a path to Juilliard.”
“That’s the music school, right?”
“Performing arts, yes.”
He walked over to his computer and pressed play.Music came from the speakers, filling the room.
“Is that her?”Atticus asked, coming to stand beside him.
Archer turned the laptop so Atticus had a better view of the young girl sitting at the piano, her fingers working magic on the keys.“From what I’ve read, she was a child prodigy.”
“Wow.She’s impressive.I mean, I don’t know the first damn thing about the piano, but it sounds like she knows what she’s doing..”
Archer chuckled.
Atticus’s eyebrows darted down as he stared up at the case board.“How does a pianist go from that”—he pointed at the computer, still playing one of her performances—“to criminal justice?”
“With the help of one Martin Calloway.It’s all speculation at this point, but it looks like he wasn’t satisfied with simply getting his hands on the mom and dad.”
