Ellie Ashe - Miranda Vaughn 02 - Dropping the Dime (20 page)

"Sure, that's fine." I wasn't in the mood to eat, which was a sure-fire sign that I was upset. "Rob's going to fire me."

"No, he's not going to fire you," Sarah said.

"He's going to fire
us
," I clarified, resting my head on the kitchen table.

"Probably not," she said. "I've done worse."

I looked up. "Not possible."

She shrugged and gave me a crooked grin. "You probably don't want to know."

I trusted her on that. "Did anyone call while I was asleep?"

She pointed at my phone, turned off and plugged into the charger. Oh, right.

Sarah's phone rang, and she answered it then handed it to me. "It's Kathryn."

"Miranda! I've been trying to reach you all day! Are you okay?" she asked.

"Well…"
Where to start?

Sarah held up her keys and pointed to her open mouth and then at the door. I waved a hand. I got it—she was starving, as usual.

As Sarah let herself out to get us dinner, I told Kathryn everything I could remember about the previous night, the contract with Jimmy DeLaurentis, that the FBI now knew the payments were legitimate.

"So they're going to stop their investigation?" Kathryn asked, with a sigh of relief.

"Um, I think so. Unless I accidentally turned them in a different direction. What do you know about the Bishop Ranch Water District?"

Kathryn was silent for a moment. "Nothing. I've never heard of it."

I heard her repeat the question to Alexi. "Neither of us know anything about that. The Bishop Valley subdivision is on municipal water with the town of Newbury. Do you want me to look into that?"

"Maybe," I said. "But it can wait until after the weekend."

"Okay," Kathryn said. "Oh, and you heard about the burglar who the police arrested at the party?"

"I did hear about that. Did they identify him yet?"

"No, not that I've heard," she said.

The doorknob rattled, and I leapt out of my chair, but it was Sarah returning with the bag of Chinese take-out. The scent of spicy Hunan chicken wafted out of the bag, and suddenly my appetite reappeared. I ended my call with Kathryn after agreeing to talk tomorrow about the water district.

"Mmmm, I guess I am sort of hungry," I said, leaning over the bag and inhaling the fragrance of all my favorite foods from the Tea Garden restaurant.

Sarah grabbed plates, and I took my phone from the charger and turned it on.

No messages.

"He'll call you," Sarah said.

She knew me pretty well.

"I really think the universe is trying to tell me something," I said. "I don't think I'm good for Jake."

"Don't make decisions like this when you're upset. Or on an empty stomach." Sarah walked over and patted my head, then sat down next to me.

"You know he was renovating that house himself. He's been there five years, and the work he did was just beautiful."

Sarah grimaced. "Oh, that's a shame. But remember, you didn't blow up the house. If the bomb hadn't fallen off your car, it would have been worse. I'm sure Jake would rather that half his house burned to the ground than have you killed."

She was probably right, but I couldn't help but think that I'd been nothing but trouble to Jake since this case had started. Possibly even earlier. Historically, every time he had gotten close to me, it had resulted in physical harm or property damage. I wasn't sure I was willing to risk his safety to satisfy my feelings. No matter how much that would hurt me.

The annoying ring of my alarm clock tugged me reluctantly out of a deep sleep, and I slapped at the clock to turn it off. How was it I had to go to work on Monday after a weekend like this? When the ringing continued, I opened one eye and saw that it wasn't my clock, it was my phone that was bleating incessantly.

"Hello." With my throat still raw from inhaling smoke and then crying most of the day, I sounded like a grizzled barfly.

"Miranda?" Kathryn's quavering voice didn't sound confident that she had dialed correctly.

I cleared my throat and tried again. "Sorry. Yeah, it's me. What's up?"

I fumbled for the clock and saw that it was an hour before my alarm was set to wake me. I tried not to groan at Kathryn's intrusion that robbed me of sixty blessed minutes of unconsciousness.

"Oh, I woke you. I'm so sorry. But it's important," she said.

"Sure, no problem. I was getting up anyway." I closed my eyes and sank into my pillow.

"Oh, good. I looked into that water district you mentioned last night and you're right. It doesn't exist."

"Mmm, yeah. Okay." Even if I could get another thirty minutes of sleep that would help me get through the day. "I'm going to talk to Rob later, and I'll let him know."

"No, that's not the problem. I went back and found when the payments started flowing to the Bishop Ranch Water District. It was five years ago. Right when Milo started handling the company finances."

I opened my eyes. Milo? He hadn't been on my radar.

"You think Milo did this?" I sat up in bed. Sarah poked her head in the room and then came and sat on the bed.

"The money's going to an account that's not related to the Leonidis Company or to any water district. Alexi thinks his brother is stealing it. I mean, it sort of makes sense. Milo's smart, but he's not good with money. He spends like Ana. Alexi thinks that's subsidizing Milo's lifestyle."

"Did he tell his father?"

"No. Not yet. Alexi is so angry. I've never seen him like this. He says Milo is stealing from the family, and he's on his way to confront him. I didn't know who to call. But I'm afraid he's going to do something…something bad."

Kathryn was openly crying now. "Kathryn, just calm down," I said.

"You have to help me!"

"I'm sure Rob will know what—"

"Nooooooo!"

I held the phone away from ear at the sound of Kathryn's wail. Sarah's eyes widened at the sound. "Is she okay?"

I shook my head.

"You don't understand. He's going to kill Milo!"

Sarah jumped off the bed at Kathryn's shriek and ran toward the living room.

I stumbled out from under the covers and pulled on clothes, as I tried to calm Kathryn at the same time.

"Okay, okay, I'll help. What do you want me to do?"

"He's on his way to Milo's house. Meet me there."

The phone went dead, and I shoved my feet into a pair of running shoes.

"Where are we going?" Sarah asked, appearing in my doorway fully dressed.

"To Milo's house. Alexi's on his way to kill him."

We ran down the stairs and into the alley, and I came to a stop, staring at the empty parking space where the Golf Ball would normally be. But the Golf Ball was off at an ATF garage being probed for explosives residue and other evidence.

"Here—" Sarah threw me a helmet that I caught awkwardly.

"Oh, no." I hated motorcycles and only rode under extreme duress.

"We're trying to stop a murder."

"Damn it," I said, putting it on and sliding behind Sarah on her sleek black BMW.

Sarah piloted the bike through nearly empty streets. It was too early for the Monday morning commuters so we had the fog-shrouded streets to ourselves, and we made good time racing toward the Garden of the Gods community.

The row of mini-mansions was quiet except for a few joggers on the park trail that ran along the main drag through the development. I scanned the empty streets for any sign of trouble as we neared the block where the Leonidis family occupied four houses in a row on Zeus Drive. I wasn't sure which was Milo's, but that mystery was solved when I saw two grown men shoving each other on the manicured lawn in front of a house that looked like a tiered wedding cake. Kathryn's car was parked at an angle on the drive, and the driver's door was hanging open.

I leapt off the bike as soon as Sarah pulled up to the sidewalk and yanked off the helmet, leaving it on the lawn as I ran toward the Leonidis brothers who were squaring off and yelling at each other. Milo looked as fit and as athletic as his younger brother, but I'd seen Alexi without his shirt and would put my money on him if the two actually came to blows. Milo had a desk job, while Alexi spent his day with the construction crews. Even if he wasn't swinging a hammer, he looked like he was the more physical of the two.

"You son of a bitch! How much did you steal from the family?" Alexi yelled, as Kathryn inserted herself between him and his brother, trying to keep them separated.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Milo yelled back, giving Alexi another shove. "You're the one stealing floor-plans and design elements! If you think you're going to compete with us, you're crazy!"

"What, your salary wasn't enough for you? You had to get greedy."

"I know what you're up to, Alexi. I know all about you and Kathryn!"

I hung back on the edge of the yard, unsure what I could do to help while Kathryn struggled with the two men. Sarah joined me, and we exchanged helpless glances.

"I've got a stun gun in my glove box," she said, turning back to the bike.

"That may come in handy," I said, inching closer, but reluctant to get between the siblings.

A few lights flickered on in the houses across the street, and I imagined that the neighbors would start coming out to see what was happening with the Leonidis clan. A door slammed behind me, and I turned to see Ana Leonidis storming down the front steps of her Mediterranean-style house. She looked like she was dressed for the gym in a stylish black and pink tracksuit. Or maybe to model clothing designed to be worn at a gym, because no one should look that gorgeous when they work out.

"Hey, idiots!" She stalked across the grass toward her brothers, her screeching voice ringing out across the empty streets like a car alarm. "Stop screaming! You're embarrassing me in front of the neighbors!"

She joined the two brothers on the lawn, her hands on her hips.

"Go home, Ana! This isn't about you," Milo said, focusing on Alexi. "What do you think dad's going to say when he finds out you're betraying him?"

"Well what do you think he's going to say when he finds out you've stolen a few million bucks from him?"

"Stop it, both of you!" Ana screamed.

"Shut up, Ana," Alexi yelled.

"What the hell is going on? It's my company, too. I deserve to know what's going on! I demand to know!"

"Oh, you
demand
to know? Why don't you show up for work once in a while, and maybe you'd learn what's going on!" Milo yelled.

Ana's indignant gasp was followed by a fast right hook that caught Milo in the nose.
Damn, girl had game.

"What the hell, Ana!" Milo said, staggering backward and holding his face.

"I work! I work just as hard as you two do, but I don't get any credit for all that I do!"

"Oh, give me a break!" Milo said. "You show up enough to get your paycheck and throw a party on occasion. You think the company would grind to a halt if you quit?"

"Yeah, and you're terrible at naming streets!" Alexi threw in then ducked when his sister's small fist sailed toward his face.

Ana's attack seemed to open the floodgates, and the fight between the brothers escalated from words to punches. Neighbors were now standing on their lawns, openly gawking at the middle-aged men businessmen brawling.

"Stop it!" A booming voice echoed out of the fog, and Simon Leonidis strode from the other side of the house, wearing a burgundy robe and matching slippers. "Stop it right now!"

His orders fell on deaf ears, the brothers grappling and rolling around on the damp grass. I grabbed Kathryn and pulled her out of the way. Ana and Simon stood over the brothers yelling at them to stop fighting. And behind me, I heard the sound of tires screeching.

I turned to see a black SUV in the street rock to a stop at the curb, followed by a black sedan. Jake and Finn jumped out of the SUV, followed by Bethany Boylan from the sedan. They ran toward the brothers, but instead of pulling them apart, Finn grabbed Ana and pulled her arms behind her. He snapped the handcuffs closed as she stood in shocked silence, her perfect pink mouth in a perfect O.

"Ana Leonidis, you're under arrest for wire fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement," he said, turning her toward the SUV.

This stopped the fight, and the brothers jumped to their feet, exchanging confused looks. Kathryn and I did the same.
Ana
? She wasn't smart enough to craft a scheme like this.

"That's crazy!" Ana said. "What are you talking about?"

Jake glanced at me. "I looked into that water district you mentioned," he said then turned to Ana. "You've been funneling between one and two million dollars each year into an account for a fictitious water district, the bulk of which then gets transferred to your bank account. And you've been doing it for five years."

Ana shook her head, bewildered. "No, I haven't done that. I swear!"

"Are you saying you haven't received a million dollars each year into your bank account?" Jake asked.

She shook her head again. "Yes, but that's my alimony payment. I can show you the divorce settlement. Mark pays me a million a year."

Simon ran to Ana's side. "She's telling the truth. She's not a thief!"

"Sorry, Mr. Leonidis, but we traced the funds," Finn said. "Your daughter is the person receiving most of the funds from this scheme."

He motioned to Bethany, and she started to lead Ana toward the SUV. Simon stepped in and tried to stop the agent.

"No, not my little girl!" he said.

"I didn't do it!" Ana sobbed, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Please, Mr. Leonidis," Bethany said, trying to keep a grip on Ana while Simon pawed at her, trying to get to Ana.

Finn stood between Milo and Alexi, both hands raised as if he expected them to try and physically stop the arrest. Jake stepped in and tried to pull Simon away, but the older man proved determined to keep his daughter from being put in the agents' SUV.

"Could use some help here," Jake said, wrestling with Simon.

Sarah ran up, and an instant later I heard the loud snapping of the stun gun. Simon yelped in pain and his legs collapsed.

"I meant Finn," Jake gasped, trying to maneuver Simon's dead weight to the ground.

"You're welcome," Sarah said. She nodded toward the brothers and narrowed her eyes, challenging them to try and interfere with the arrest, but they each backed up a half step.

Ana must have seen the distraction as an opening because she twisted away from Bethany. The agent lunged forward, trying to regain her grip, at the same time that Ana reared back, head-butting Bethany in the face. Bethany gasped and reached up, blood seeping between her fingers.

"Son of a—" Bethany muttered, reaching for Ana.

The agent was angry, but the handcuffed socialite was 120-pounds of pure fury, and she kicked and twisted and then freed herself from Bethany's grip.

And then she took off running down the middle of the street, hands still cuffed behind her.