“Wait,” I say, before he has the chance to call Eric, scanning another sheet. “There are two sets of the same financial document. One shows large payments to an investment company to the initials NR. That matches the ADA’s initials.” I pass Grayson at the desk and dial Blake. “I need you to hack for me.”
Grayson’s eyes meet mine, pride in their depths. “I’ll be in my office. Get him, baby.”
“I will,” I vow, and set out to do just that.
Blake agrees to hack for me, and when I can’t locate any note or card in the envelope, I call him back. “I’m fast, but not that fast.”
“I need you to text me the card for the reporter that cornered me this morning.”
“You think this is him?”
“I do.”
“I checked him out. He’s legit, but be careful. I haven’t had time to dig deeper. Check your messages now.” He hangs up and the text is almost instant. “Robert Hall.” My brows dip. Why does that name sound familiar? I google him and pull up his photo. He’s a tall man with dark hair and glasses. His resume with a national news station is impressive. That has to be why he’s familiar. Or rather, his name is familiar. His face is not.
I dial the cellphone on his card. He answers on the first ring. “Robert Hall.”
“This is Mia Cavanaugh.”
“You got it.”
“I did. How did you get this?”
“I hired a PI.”
“For a story? What’s in this for you?”
“Mitch’s first wife, his dead wife, was my sister.”
The room spins around me. Now I know how I know his last name. The first wife. “And?”
“And I believe she was murdered.”
“By who?”
“If you believe her journal. She feared him, but I found another journal recently. She was in an intimate relationship with Jim, Mitch’s brother.”
“You think he killed her?”
“I don’t know who killed her, but she didn’t fall down a cliff on her own. And I’m sure you know by now that Jim thought Mitch was dying at the time. And it sure seems like Jim is making a financial investment in Delaney being disinherited.”
“Can I see the journals?”
“I left them at the security desk. I didn’t want Kevin reading them.”
“How did you know Kevin worked with me?”
“The PI was following Delaney’s case. He told me where to find you and who to find you with.”
“Will you testify to help Delaney?”
“I’ll testify to help my sister, and if that means Delaney, yes. I will.”
We disconnect and I dial Nancy. “Please can you go to the security desk downstairs and see if there is a package for me? It’s urgent.”
“Of course.”
I stand up and start packing, thinking about my strategy, when an idea hits me. I return to my desk and dial Reese’s office, and ask his secretary to have Cat call me ASAP. Right about the time Nancy hands me the package, my cellphone rings. “Thank you, Nancy. So much. This was important.” I answer the line, “Cat?”
“Hi, Mia. I should have given you my number.”
“I need a favor.”
“Of course. I’m listening.”
I tell her everything and then pitch her. “Would you agree to out the ADA in your column if I can’t get the DA to drop the charges?”
“Heck yes. That’s a big scoop.”
“Thank you. Do you know the DA?”
“He’s new. None of us have really interacted with him, but the word is he’s not much better than his predecessor, who was shady. In other words, you were smart to use me. Do it. Use me and end this for that poor woman.”
“Thanks, Cat.” I have a thought.
I hang up and look up the DA’s number. I dial his office and get his secretary. “I need to speak with DA Hendrix.”
“He’s out of the office.”
“This is Mia Cavanaugh at the Bennett firm. I need to see him right away.”
“Oh ah, okay. I’ll let him know.” She hangs up. She doesn’t even get my number.
I dial Blake. He answers with, “Damn skippy, you’re right. Jim Wittmore paid off the ADA. I have the proof.”
My heart races. This is it. This is Delaney’s salvation. “Can you email it to me?”
“You betcha. What else?”
“I need to have someone hand something to the DA once our immunity deal is signed. As in at home, where it will be more impactful. I know that’s pushing limits but—can you make that happen?”
“Can we fucking make it happen? Are you serious? Ouch. Fuck. Kara, damn it. Okay. Mia. I meant, yes. I can.”
I laugh and we disconnect.
A few minutes later, I’ve made copies of what I need for this meeting, and step to Grayson’s door to find him behind his desk while Eric lounges on the edge. Eric stands up and crosses his arms. “I have to tell you,” I admit. “I missed seeing you two powwowing like you are right now.”
“Well then, you won’t mind that I just invited myself to Thanksgiving dinner, now will you?” Eric asks.
This makes me smile inside. A family Thanksgiving, because that’s what me, my father, Grayson, and Eric equal. And Delaney set free. Perfect.
“At the Hamptons house,” I say. “Bring the peanut butter pie.”
“I don’t do peanut butter pie.”
“You’d better start googling then.”
Everyone laughs now and Grayson’s eyes turn this wicked warm wonderful shade of green, a little bit lustful and a whole lot happy. “What’s happening with Delaney?” he asks.
“I have a plan. A good one.” And I realize then that I’m confident enough not to need to share it just yet. “Right now,” I say. “I need to call the wedding planner.” I grin, and with the satisfaction in Grayson’s eyes, I head back to my office. I belong here and it feels good.
CHAPTER FORTY
Mia
Before our dinner with Reese and Cat, we gather in their kitchen, where we are introduced to their beautiful daughter, Heather, who is a blonde doppelganger for Cat. She’s also a one-year-old daddy’s girl. In between all the cuteness, Reese and I talk about Delaney and my plan to pressure the DA to clear Delaney’s name. “I want to have the evidence delivered to him at his front door. That way it gets his attention. Blake said he’d make it happen. And Cat’s willingness to write a tell-all helps immensely.”
“Then let’s clear a path for pressure on the DA,” Reese says. He opens a drawer and slides a file onto the island. “I read the new agreement. The changes your team wanted are present, and honestly, they left me nothing to complain about. I’m feeling pretty overpriced right now, but bottom line, I’m going to advise you to sign it. Once you do, they have to clear any use of your business to catch the Dungeon through us. However, you do have to be reasonable, considering the full immunity clause.” He glances at me. “And you don’t need me after all. Go get the DA and make this right for Delaney. And now,” he picks up Heather, “we’re going to go put this little one to bed.” He grabs a fancy Mont Blanc pen and sets it next to the folder. “Ink that and I’ll scan that to the right people as soon as I get done reading Cinderella.”