Unfortunately, Walter went the opposite route.“Again, I’m sorry.I don’t recognize the name.”
Baz stood and walked to the door.He leaned out, projecting his voice down the hall.“Lacey!Could you please come in here?”
“What are you doing?”Walter asked as he got to his feet.
He moved much faster than he had when Baz walked in.
“Since you don’t remember, I figure I’ll ask Lacey.I’m sure she can look at the books, can’t she?”
“Of course not.She handles sales.”
“Did you need me, Mr.Gallagher?”Lacey asked when she came to the door.
Baz watched the interaction.Lacey definitely wasn’t the future Mrs.Gallagher.For one, there wasn’t a ring on her finger, and two, she looked terrified to talk to Walter.
“Never mind.”Walter waved her off.“Go back to your desk.”
“Yes, sir.”She backed out, her gaze darting to Baz briefly before she looked down and hurried back down the hall.
“Close the door,” Walter insisted.
Baz stepped back into the office and closed the door.
“I just remembered who you’re talking about.She was a special project that I dealt with.No one else on staff was aware.I was working with the FBI and was ordered not to share any information with anyone.”
“And they paid you?”
“Yes.A very small, reasonable amount to handle the appropriate paperwork.Five thousand, if I recall correctly.”
Baz sighed.“Try seventy-five thousand.And you didn’t handle paperwork, you faked a funeral.”
For the first time since Baz walked in, Walter was speechless.
“Tell me this: how did you manage to convince the family to keep the casket closed?”
Walter pursed his lips for a second.“I informed them the family would likely be upset by the condition of the body.There were small children, I believe.They would’ve likely been distraught if they saw her.”
“Is that what you were told to say?”
“Yes.”
“Is there a body in the coffin that your crew lowered into the ground?”
He shook his head as he opened the top drawer of his desk.He rummaged for a moment, then produced a card.“This is the man you need to speak with.He informed me this was a matter of national security.”
Baz took the card, but he didn’t bother to look at it.He already knew Martin Calloway’s name was on it.
He was the bastard responsible for all of this.
Martin Calloway was sitting at his deskin his home office when his phone rang.When he wasn’t at the FBI field office, he had the calls rerouted to his private line or his cell phone, depending on where he was.Since the private line was ringing, he knew the call wasn’t personal business.
“What?”he barked.
“Mr.Calloway?”
Forcing calm into his tone, he said, “Who is this?”
“Walter Gallagher.I’m with Gallagher-Hightower Funeral Home.”
