Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Stone Ridge Mountain Lodge was nestled in the Hudson Valley between rolling hills covered in thick trees.
She only saw the lodge from a distance because Max turned off the highway into an empty, winding road that led to a parking lot at a trailhead.
There were two black vehicles in the lot, and two men waiting at the entrance to the trail.
They got out of Max's Jeep, and one of the men gave him a nod, while the other escorted them down a gravel trail toward a gazebo, which overlooked a small lake.
Another was standing in front of the gazebo where Dominic and Caroline Rowe were standing.
She was surprised to see Caroline. Although she was one of Dominic's top executives, it still felt a little odd.
Dominic was dressed casually but expensively in slacks and a sweater, topped with a warm coat.
Caroline wore black pants with a button-down blouse visible underneath a wool coat.
Her blonde hair was pulled up in a loose bun, and her made-up face was flawless.
They were a striking couple, even though they weren't really a couple.
Although she wondered if Caroline wanted to change that.
She certainly seemed very interested and protective of Dominic.
The man stepped to the side to allow them to pass.
Dominic gave Caroline a nod, and she turned to them with an expression of both irritation and concern.
As she moved down the two steps leading into the gazebo, she paused and said, "Make this quick.
Dominic has to be back in fifteen minutes.
He shouldn't have even agreed to this meeting. "
She didn't bother to reply to that, ignoring Caroline's very speculative look as she followed Max into the gazebo.
"I didn't know you were coming, Agent Reid," Dominic said.
"I wanted to make sure you were alerted to a possible threat," she replied. She glanced toward Caroline, who was clearly within hearing distance. "This conversation needs to be private."
"Caroline is a trusted employee."
"Tell her to go back to the car," Max said, a hard note in his voice.
Dominic looked at Max, weighing his words, then said, "Caroline, I'll meet you at the car."
She didn't look at all happy to hear that, but then she turned and walked away.
"Now talk," Dominic said. "What's happening?"
"We think we know who's behind the bombings," Max replied.
Dominic stiffened. "Who?"
"Kara," Max said, motioning to her.
She was surprised that he wanted her to take the lead, but she grabbed the opportunity, sensing they had little time.
She told Dominic about the Meridien Tower connection, about Hartford and Faulkner losing family members, about the suspected pattern of revenge targeting everyone involved in the case, and how he was connected to everyone.
"I can't believe David or Harry would do something like this," Dominic said in disbelief. "They're not killers."
"Revenge is a powerful motivation," Max said.
"But I wasn't involved in the tower being built," Dominic argued. "And neither was Samantha."
"She didn't prosecute the case," Kara put in. "She made plea deals."
"That had nothing to do with me. I didn't even know her then."
"But you are involved, Mr. Ashford. Your company invested in Redstone Technologies," she said. "You provided the funding that got them started."
"That was years before the fire. I'm not sure either of them would even know about my investment. And why would they wait so long? It's been what? Eight, nine years?"
"Seven," she said. "I'm not sure what the trigger was. That's why we wanted to talk to you. Have you had any conversations in the last several months with either of them that would lead you to believe they were worked up about something, upset, angry with you or anyone else?"
"David doesn't get angry. He's one of the calmest people I know. And Harry is the opposite. He's always blustering about something, but if you're asking me if anyone mentioned that fire or their lost loved ones, no, never."
"James Cooper was also named in the lawsuit against the city," Max said. "And he's dead now, while Samantha is still clinging to life, but barely."
"You don't have to remind me," Dominic said tersely. "But you're asking me to believe that two people I consider to be friends might want to kill me. That's difficult to believe."
"They may have already tried six months ago, when your team was attacked in Dushanbe," Max said.
"That's not related. That was about Tajikistan and my infrastructure project."
"Maybe," Max said. "But we can't discount anything. You need to increase your security, and you need to back out of the conference on Tuesday."
"I can't do that. I'm the keynote speaker."
"For a summit where a lot of the people involved in the Meridien Tower development will be present," she interjected. "Imagine what a bomb could do there."
"The building will be swept thoroughly. The security will be intense. No one will get into the venue," Dominic said. "And if you are so sure you know who's responsible for the attacks, Agent Reid, why haven't they been arrested?"
"We don't have evidence," she admitted.
"Exactly. You just have theories," Dominic snapped. "I don't make decisions based on theories or on fear. If you want to warn someone, talk to Mason Redstone, and whoever else is on the hit list."
"We are talking to everyone," she assured him. "But you are the biggest public figure. We need to make sure you understand the risks. We also wanted to speak to you because you know David and Harry. Have they ever spoken to you about the fire? About the loss of their loved ones?"
"No. I wasn't in the country at the time of the fire.
I was in London. I sent condolences, of course.
But we never discussed the losses beyond that.
" His lips tightened. "David has always been a big supporter of mine.
He's investing in my project in Tajikistan.
Why would he do that if he blames me for the death of his wife and child? "
"What about Mr. Faulkner?" she asked. "When did you last talk to him?"
"A few weeks ago. He's attending the conference on Tuesday; they both are."
"Which means they'll have access that someone from the outside would not," Max suggested.
"They would also be there," Dominic said. "You think they're going to blow themselves up?"
She actually wasn't positive that wasn't part of the plan. "Hopefully, we'll have answers before Tuesday," she said. "But until then, you need to be on your guard."
"As you can see, I'm always on my guard," Dominic said, waving toward his security guy. "Look, I appreciate the heads-up. But I have to go. The people I'm meeting with can't be kept waiting."
"Who are you meeting with?" Max asked curiously.
"I can't tell you that," Dominic replied in a voice that didn't waver. "Do you want me to reach out to David or Harry?"
"That's a possibility," Kara replied. "But not yet. Right now, we would prefer that you keep this conversation private. That includes not discussing any of this with Caroline or anyone else on your team."
"Fine. I need to return to the lodge. I'll be in the city tomorrow if you need to speak to me again."
As Dominic left the gazebo and hurried down the path with his bodyguard, she said, "He's a stubborn man."
"Used to getting what he wants."
"Well, hopefully he'll at least consider David Hartford and/or Harry Faulkner to be threats."
"Dominic made a good point. It has been a long time since the fire. He's seen David and Harry many times since then. If he was a target, why would they be so close to him? Why would they be giving him money? We could be on the wrong track," he said.
"Really? I thought you were pretty convinced about the track we're on."
"Well, you're very convincing," he said with a smile.
"I wasn't trying to persuade you. I was just following facts, making connections. And I still think the case against one or both of them is strong. They have money, access, and motive."
"They do."
"But?"
"I don't know. I keep thinking about what happened to Dominic's security team six months ago. Maybe there are other reasons someone would want him dead."
"But what would Samantha and Cooper have to do with any of Dominic's overseas projects? That sounds like a completely separate thing."
"They wouldn't. You're right. Let's take a walk. I'm not ready to get back in the car yet."
As they wandered down the path and through the trees, Max seemed quiet and introspective, and she wondered about that.
It felt like he was gathering his thoughts, that he wanted to tell her something but wasn't completely sure he should.
She didn't like that he had some secret in his head.
Whoever he'd spoken to this morning had obviously suggested some other theory to him, one he didn't want to share.
As they neared the lakeshore, she couldn't stand the silence anymore. It was also getting cold, and the afternoon shadows were lengthening. She wasn't going to find any answers here in the woods. Max could wrestle with his thoughts on the way back.
"I want to drive home," she said.
He gave her a surprised look, almost as if he'd forgotten she was there. "What?"
"I feel restless and frustrated, and I'd prefer to drive than sit in the passenger seat. You seem in a more reflective mood, so how about I take the keys?"
He hesitated, then reached into his pocket and handed her the keys. "Fine."
"You can talk to me, Max. It seems like you have something to say."
Max opened his mouth to speak, then froze, his gaze fixed on something in the woods to their left.
Before she could turn her head to see what he was staring at, he shouted, "Gun!"
He grabbed her hand and shoved her toward the trees as the sharp crack of a rifle split the air. Max cried out as the bullet caught him in the left shoulder. He stumbled but stayed on his feet, one hand pressed against the wound, crimson seeping between his fingers.