Final Deposit (10 page)

“In other words she's a knockout.”

Kyle hesitated. Oh, yeah. Lindsey was a knockout. But the truth was, his reason for getting involved with her father's case went far beyond her looks.

“Actually,” Kyle began, “she's an old friend from college I want to help.”

“An old friend? Right. Tell me more.”

“All I'm going to say is that she's smart and nice—”

“Smart and nice? How many years have I known you? I can read between the lines.”

Kyle combed his fingers through his hair and smiled. Man. Matt knew him too well. And how did he always manage to box himself into a corner? “Save it for another day. That's not why I called.”

Matt chuckled. “I'll back off for now, but it's about time you found someone. She's interested, right? I bet she is. Even I know you're not a completely bad catch.”

“Thanks a lot. How's Megan?”

Matt laughed at Kyle's change of subject. “I'm afraid she's too perfect for me. It's never going to work. Okay, back to the case. Give me the details.”

“We've got a 419 scammer that's taken close to two hundred thousand dollars from Lindsey's father. And what's really interesting is, I'm seeing a lot of similarities between the scammer's signature and the guys we've been after. I'm still waiting for the preliminary feedback, but there definitely seems to be a connection.”

Matt let out a low whistle. “Bringing down that ring would be worth any pro bono fees. Forward what you've got and I'll do some digging. We're going to get this guy.”

“You got it.” Kyle flipped his phone shut as Lindsey came out of the hospital. “That was my partner, Matt. He's going to do what he can on his side.”

“Thanks.”

“You're welcome.” He tried to read her expression. “How's your father?”

“Stubborn. He refuses to give me any more information. He insists that he doesn't want me involved.”

“I told you how common his reaction is. Admitting the truth means admitting that he's just fallen victim to one of the worst scams of the century.”

Lindsey's head jerked up as a blue van approached.

“Kyle.” Almost dropping her purse, she dug quickly for a pen. Repeating the license-plate number out loud, she scribbled it on the palm of her hand.

Kyle studied the man's profile as he passed. Dark, long hair and a sharp nose. The driver pulled out of the parking lot onto the main road and sped away.

Lindsey's fingers gripped his arm. “That's the same guy, Kyle. He
is
following us.”

L
indsey nursed a mug of coffee at the kitchen table, hoping the caffeine would help wake her up. Despite the comfortable bed in Simon and Kerrie's extra room, she'd slept horribly, disturbed by a recurring dream of running down a dimly lit street, away from the man in the blue van. She'd finally gotten out of bed to pray and think more about her father—sleep clearly not in the cards.

Kerrie, in cropped pants and a tank top, pulled a dozen blueberry muffins from the oven, their tangy fragrance spilling into the room. Lindsey marveled at how Kerrie had managed to make her feel completely at home, which was no small feat after everything that Lindsey had been through.

“You must have worn the girls out last night.” Kerrie's bubbly laugh filled the room as she set the hot pan on the stove. “They rarely sleep past seven.”

Lindsey yawned, wishing she'd been able to sleep in like the twins. She forced a smile. “I don't have any nieces or nephews, so I enjoyed playing with them. They're sweet girls.”

Kerrie put the muffins on a plate and set them on the table in front of Lindsey. “You know you're welcome to hang around here as long as you need to.”

“I appreciate that.” Lindsey glanced at her watch. “As soon as the bank opens in a few minutes, I need to call them. I've got to see if they have any record of that insurance check.”

“Scary, isn't it?”

“It is. Especially considering my father won't talk, and I'm not sure how much more I can do without his help. He thinks he's trying to protect me, but I feel like there's a noose tightening around my neck.”

Kerrie slid the butter across the table. “I guess Kyle told you what happened to our brother, Michael.”

“He did, and I'm so sorry.” Lindsey stared at the muffins, trying to decide if she could eat. The past couple days had pretty much doused her appetite. “He was always so sweet.”

“We all felt guilty after he died, but I learned one thing I'll never forget.” Kerrie turned around and caught Lindsey's gaze. “‘If onlys' eat you up inside and destroy you.”

Lindsey frowned. Hadn't she been playing that very same game the past few days? If only she'd taken her father's withdrawal from life more seriously. If only she'd noticed what he'd been doing on the computer. If only she'd asked more questions.

Kerrie sat down at the table beside her. “The bottom line is that this is your father's life. I know how important you feel it is for him to tell you what's going on, but don't let his actions destroy you. Love him and help him all you can, but in the end, you can't change the past. And you can't force him to cooperate with you. Michael became just as stubborn about guarding his life. I think the embarrassment of what had happened turned out to be more than he could handle.”

Lindsey mulled over the advice. “But my dad's life could be at stake. I can't just sit back and do nothing.”

“Of course not, and that's not what I'm saying.” Kerrie rested her elbows on the table. “Just do what you can, but don't beat yourself up in the process.”

Lindsey combed both hands through her hair and tried to shake the wave of frustration threatening to pull her under. “I just wish it wasn't so complicated. I don't know what I'd be doing right now without Kyle.”

Kerrie's face brightened and she leaned forward. “He's a great guy.”

Lindsey smiled. Any guy who would jump headfirst into a situation like this had a heart of gold. That definitely described Kyle. She took another sip of coffee. Even though a long-distance relationship wasn't an ideal situation, it was becoming far too easy to picture herself and Kyle living in some quiet suburb with two kids in tow.

She grabbed the knife and buttered one of the muffins, popping a bite into her mouth. Kerrie slid back into the chair across from her, looking as if she was waiting for a response.

“So?”

“Kyle
is
a great guy.” She took another bite of her muffin. That was easy enough for her to admit.

“And?

Boy, the woman just didn't give up. Lindsey searched for what to say. “I guess it's another thing I'm trying to take one day at a time. I certainly didn't expect him to come back into my life like he did, but now that he's in it…I don't know.”

Maybe when things with her father were ironed out she could contemplate the two of them together. In the meantime, her father required all her focus.

Carly and Caileigh bounced into the room with more energy than Tigger, saving her from having to say any more. If only she could harness some of their energy, she'd be good to go. Lindsey greeted the girls with big hugs and kisses, thankful that they'd welcomed her into the family so joyfully.

Kerrie settled the girls in at the table with muffins and juice, and then nodded toward the glass French doors at the front of the house. “The bank's probably open now if you want to call. You're welcome to use Simon's office.”

Lindsey promised the girls that she'd be back in a few minutes and slipped out of the room. Inside the orderly office, she sat at the wide mahogany table, tapping her fingers as she waited for the bank manager to pick up his phone.

“Eugene Watson speaking.”

“Mr. Watson, this is Lindsey Taylor calling in regards to my father, George Taylor.”

“Miss Taylor, I'm glad you called.” There was a pause on the line. She could tell something wasn't right. “Since you've got power of attorney, there are some things I need to discuss with you regarding your father,” he continued. “If you could come down to the branch this morning, I'd prefer to talk to you in person.”

Lindsey glanced at her watch, uneasiness growing in the pit of her stomach. “I'll be there in twenty minutes.”

 

Lindsey pulled her car into an empty parking spot in front of the bank, shut off the motor, then glanced at Kyle. Fear of discovering what her father had done was overshadowed by the fact that the sooner she found out the truth, the sooner she could put all this behind her.

Kyle touched her shoulder. “You ready to go in?”

She nodded. Sitting in the parking lot wouldn't get them the answers they needed.

Eugene Watson met them in the plush lobby, then quickly escorted them to his cluttered office. Lindsey took the offered chair beside Kyle and clasped her hands tightly around the strap of her purse.

Mr. Watson sat across from them with steepled hands, his expression serious. He seemed as nervous as she was. She swallowed hard.

“I'm not sure how to handle this situation, Miss Taylor, but I feel an obligation to let you know what happened.” Lines creased his forehead. “Your father's been a client of ours for over twenty years, and I'm very worried that he's fallen into something…unscrupulous.”

“What happened?” she asked.

Mr. Watson set his glasses on the table in front of him and rubbed his eyes. “Your father came in last Wednesday with a check from his insurance agency that he wanted to cash. Not an entirely unusual transaction, but I've known your father for so many years that it struck me as odd that he wanted such a large amount of money. He told me it was for a yacht, but your father has always been a bit…well…”

“Miserly?” Lindsey threw out. There was no use mincing words at this point in the game.

“Exactly. So you can understand how his cashing a check for over sixty-five thousand dollars to buy a luxury item stood out as anything but ordinary.”

The timeline was beginning to come together. Her father had raised money from a source to pay Abraham. The deal didn't go through, which meant he couldn't pay back the lender. Thus the cashed life insurance.

“So he came in and cashed the check on Wednesday?” Lindsey continued her questions.

Mr. Watson nodded. “Originally that was his plan, I believe.”

“Originally?” Lindsey shook her head. “I don't understand.”

“As a longtime friend, I felt obligated to advise your father on the risks of carrying around such a large amount of cash. I suggested we transfer the money into his account instead of letting him leave the building with a briefcase full of cash.”

“But he didn't go for that?”

“No. And something else bothered me as well. It might be nothing, but there was a man loitering in the lobby that morning. I eventually had one of our security guards ask him to leave when it became clear he wasn't here on bank business.”

“He was following Mr. Taylor?” Kyle asked.

“I don't know for certain. But I decided to tell your father that the bank needed forty-eight hours to put the papers into order for such a large cash transaction. He wasn't happy, but he agreed to come back when the money was ready. I had hoped that this would give him time to reconsider, but two days later, he walked out of the building with the money.”

Sixty-five thousand dollars in cash.

But where was the money now?

“The man you noticed the first time my father came in—did he return the second time?” Lindsey asked.

“I never saw him again.”

Kyle leaned forward. “Have you got surveillance tapes? There's always the chance that Lindsey might recognize the man.”

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and pinched the bridge of her nose. This whole thing was crazy. She was contemplating going through the bank's surveillance tapes in hopes of tracking down a criminal? She was a caseworker at an adoption agency, not a detective.

Mr. Watson tapped his glasses against the desk. “Our tech man is out today, but I could arrange for you to see the tape tomorrow, if you like. Anytime after, say, eleven o'clock.”

“Lindsey?”

She nodded at Kyle. Wishing she could make it all go away wouldn't change anything. “That'll be fine. Thank you for your time, Mr. Watson.”

“I wish there was more I could do.” He stood to shake their hands. “I always liked your father and hated to think that someone might be taking advantage of him.”

“Unfortunately, Mr. Watson, that's exactly what has happened, so I appreciate your help.” Lindsey slung her purse over her shoulder.

“I'm sorry to hear that. If there is anything I can do, please don't hesitate to call.”

 

Kyle stood in front of his sister's house, wishing he were coming to pick up Lindsey for a date. At least he'd managed to scrounge up a bit of good news for her along with a bag of tacos for dinner. In the space of the few hours that had passed since their meeting with Mr. Watson, he'd managed to have a meeting with clients, ensure everything was going smoothly on the first official day at the Dallas office and run those license-plate numbers. They still had a long way to go, but it was a step in the right direction.

“Hey.” She stood in the doorway, smiling at him and making him wish he were spending his time getting to know exactly what he'd missed over the last thirteen years or so.

“Hey, yourself.”

“Something smells wonderful.” She looked rested and almost relaxed. Apparently she'd taken his advice and slept for a bit after spending the afternoon cleaning up her father's house with friends from church.

He held up the bag and waved it in front of her. “Mexican.”

“How'd you know that's my very favorite?”

“I seem to remember a girl who could never turn down a trip to the local Tex-Mex diner.”

“You're good if you can remember that.” She laughed as he followed her into the house.

It was quiet, a rare occurrence at his sister's home.

“Where is everybody?”

“Kerrie took the twins to the mall for new shoes and pizza, since you said you were bringing me dinner. They'll be back in a little while.”

He set the food on the kitchen table then grabbed a couple plates, smiling at his sister's obvious attempt to make this somewhat of a date. Lindsey pulled out two cans of soda from the fridge and handed him one.

“I ran the plates on the blue van and came up with a name.”

Her eyes widened. “What's the name?”

“Do you know a Jamie McDonald?”

She popped open the can and shook her head. “Doesn't sound familiar at all. Does he have a record?”

“Nothing more than a few misdemeanors and speeding tickets.”

“Can we find him?”

He took a swig of his soda. “I'll see if I can figure out who he works for and what he does. Maybe we can connect him to your father.”

He'd wanted to have more for her. But any lead they came up with was a victory.

Her cell phone rang, and she flipped it open to take the call. Kyle watched as her brow furrowed. After a brief conversation, she hung up the phone and grabbed her purse.

“What's wrong, Lindsey?”

“That was the hospital. Someone phoned my father, and now they can't calm him down.”