Chapter Twelve #2
A few minutes ago, she’d drifted off to sleep.
Owen hadn’t left her side since he’d found her, other than the time it took for the scan of her brain.
And then he’d paced the corridor right outside the room.
He just kept thinking of what could have happened if he had not rushed into that room when he did.
A tap on the door preceded Detective Lambert’s entrance. He’d been at the hospital when they arrived. As soon as he was satisfied that Leah was okay, he’d returned to the library to oversee the activities there.
“She’s asleep,” Owen warned, meeting him near the door so as not to disturb Leah. The doctor had said she could sleep as long as she was watched carefully and roused occasionally.
The older man nodded. “No one we interviewed saw a man wearing a ski mask. We’re viewing the security video, but we’ve found nothing on that footage so far.”
“He was wearing black,” Owen said. “I think the shirt was a button-up, not a tee or sweatshirt. Nothing so casual.”
“A lot of people in Chicago wear black, apparently.”
If the detective hadn’t looked so exhausted, Owen might have snapped at his response, but he cut the man some slack. “Yeah, he probably pulled the ski mask off as soon as he exited the room.”
“Strangely enough, the library doesn’t have video surveillance on all floors. Just on the main floor and the tenth.”
Owen heaved a weary sigh. “Which means we aren’t likely to find anything. By the time he got to the first floor, he could have been wearing a different shirt and trousers, for that matter.”
“That’s exactly what he did,” Lambert confirmed. “We found a black shirt and black trousers in a trash bin on the second floor. We’ve sent both to the lab for analysis.”
Which would only help if the guy was in some database. Great.
“This is feeling more and more like a particularly well thought out plan from the beginning.” Owen bit his tongue to prevent himself from revealing the details Alyssa had provided that morning.
“My money is on the roommate,” Lambert said. “She still hasn’t surfaced. She’s either dead or is in on it. Maybe both.”
“Leah doesn’t believe she would kill anyone, but we’re both confident she was in on it from the beginning.”
“She has had trouble staying within the law off and on for the better part of her life,” Lambert explained.
“I’ve gotten access to more records, and it seems her legal issues started early with petty stuff.
A woman who would assume someone else’s life for three-plus years…
” He shrugged. “I don’t know. She might be capable of anything.
” He leaned closer as if to ensure Leah didn’t hear this part, although she was asleep.
“On the other hand, her GPA is at the top of her class. Keep in mind that she didn’t do premed.
She took up Isla’s life in the first year of medical school.
Comments in her file suggest she’s some sort of genius.
Anyway, there is no doubt in my mind she could pull off this whole scheme.
Most of her adult life has been one scheme or the other. ”
Owen couldn’t deny that Lambert had a valid point. The agency had discovered the same about Alyssa Jones. “But we can’t be certain about anything. What about the ex-wife? She’s the other beneficiary on the insurance policy. Or the investors who may lose money in all this?”
Lambert turned his hands up. “No issues with any investors that we’ve found so far, and the ex-wife has a firm alibi.
Granted, she could have hired someone, but we haven’t found the first indication that’s the case.
She hasn’t dated in ages. According to her friends and neighbors, she is completely focused on the kids since Douglas isn’t around much. ”
“Still,” Owen argued, “she has the most to gain.”
“About the same as Leah, based on the policy,” Lambert pointed out.
Another thought occurred to Owen. After the brief meeting with Alyssa, it made the most sense—if anything the woman said was to be believed.
“Maybe it is the ex-wife,” he suggested.
“Maybe she killed him—or hired someone to kill him —for the insurance payoff. And maybe that’s why someone has been following Leah and has now officially attempted to kill her. ”
Realization dawned in the detective’s expression. “Because if there are two beneficiaries and one is dead or is convicted in the murder of the insured, the other beneficiary would in all likelihood end up with all the proceeds.”
“Leah has already been considered a suspect. It doesn’t matter that she was cleared, there have been no other suspects or arrests.
The ex-wife would have some legal standing, I imagine, to use that as leverage.
” Owen considered another thought. “Even if she didn’t get the whole payout, maybe it was worth half the policy value to have a scapegoat.
Particularly if the goal was to get him out of her life and the lives of her children. ”
That last part he’d taken from Alyssa’s insistence that Douglas wanted his wife out of his life. The feeling was likely mutual.
“I see where you’re going. And if the other beneficiary is dead—” Lambert looked to the hospital bed and Leah lying there “—all the better. She gets ten mil. Either way, the ex can walk away clean with five mil. The kids would get anything else he had left.”
A sinking feeling tugged at Owen’s chest. “Even if the full amount of money doesn’t come for years because of the legal issues, it’s like money in a trust for the kids. While the ex enjoys the five mil she will get any day now.”
“I’ll interview her again tomorrow.” Lambert pursed his lips for a moment. “If I can get a judge to sign off on it, I’ll try for a search warrant of her home. I’ll let you know how it goes. Keep me posted on how she’s doing.” He nodded toward Leah.
Owen assured him he would.
Lambert hesitated before walking out the door. “I’ve got a uniform outside the door. I’ll have another one at her apartment.”
Owen nodded. “Thanks.”
The detective hesitated once more. “You know, I did finally get Douglas’s cell phone records. There were some interesting text exchanges between him and someone using a burner phone. You haven’t noticed one of those lying around, have you?”
“Maybe you should check the ex-wife’s phone records,” Owen suggested, rather than give him a direct answer.
The older man nodded. “On it already.”
For a moment after the detective left, Owen stood by the door, staring at Leah in that hospital bed. She looked so pale, so fragile. The IV tube running down to her left arm made his gut clench. He crossed the room, took his place next to her bedside.
He wondered how he could have met her only a few days ago and already feel so close to her…so desperate to know her better, to spend more time with her. To protect her.
Her eyes fluttered open. She frowned, then dredged up a smile. “You look tired.”
“Not so much,” he lied. “Detective Lambert stopped by again.”
“Did they find him?” The fear that lurked in her eyes twisted his insides into knots.
“They’re still working on it.” But he had a feeling they weren’t going to find the guy who had attacked her in the library. Not unless he made one hell of a misstep they didn’t know about yet.
“This is just completely out of control.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “I do not see how all of this could have evolved from Raymond wanting to make his ex-wife think he was dead.”
Owen had been mulling over that scenario as well. He was beating around another theory, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to bring it up right now. Leah needed to rest.
“What?” she demanded, then grimaced as if she’d hurt her head by speaking so forcefully.
“You need to rest.” The doctor had been clear on how important it was that she rest for a few days.
“Tell me what you know or what you’re thinking. I will not rest until you do.”
“Alyssa is apparently an expert at assuming identities. She’s made up more than one in her life. Have you considered that her knowledge and experience may have been why Raymond asked her for help? If that’s the case, then I’m thinking their relationship was something more than she has shared.”
Leah appeared to consider the scenario. “It is a big risk, sharing that sort of self-incriminating plan with someone unless you really, really trust them.”
“She said she didn’t know about the blood or the life insurance policy. But what if she did? What if she killed him for real so she could claim the money?”
Leah’s brow furrowed. “How would she claim any of the money?”
“By presenting herself as you.”
“Except I was a murder suspect—my photo was on the news.”
He shrugged. “Granted, that plan backfired, but I’m guessing if it was her, there was a plan B. She’s way too smart not to have a plan B.”
Leah’s expression suggested she was possibly buying into the scenario. “So she would need a way to get the money once it was paid out to me.”
The fire in his gut had his instincts on point. This was a very plausible scenario. “I need you to think, Leah. Did you and Alyssa ever discuss your financial situation? Your bank account or savings? Anything along those lines?”
She nodded, her expression clouding with worry. “We talked about everything. She knows where I keep all my passwords, where I bank, how much money I have. Which is why we changed all those passwords,” she reminded him.
“Did you ever add her to one of your accounts? You would have to go into the bank, the two of you, to do that.”
Leah shook her head. “No. But I do my banking online. She could go on my account from my laptop and transfer money.” She groaned. “Because even my new password is saved there.”
“Then we can’t be sure she isn’t waiting around to do that,” Owen suggested. “Think about it, she could have disappeared already. The woman pretending to be her mother is long gone. Why is Alyssa hanging around? Why does she care if you believe her? Or if you’re still friends?”
Leah moistened her lips. “She wants that five million dollars. At this point, the only way to get it is for her to stay on my good side so I don’t change anything that possibly gives her access to it.”
“There are things we can do,” Owen said gently. “Adding facial recognition to your laptop, for one.”
Leah nodded. “Maybe I just need to start over in a new place.”
Owen touched her cheek, noted the new bruise there. He winced. “We’ll find you a new place where you’ll be safe, if that’s what you want.” Only this time he wasn’t thinking of his friend who owned apartment buildings.
“I’ll feel a lot safer—” she scooted over to her left a little, then patted the bed on her right side “—if you’re next to me.”
“I think I can do that.” He lowered the side rail. “At least until a nurse comes in and tells me different.”
He stretched out on the bed next to her. Kissed her forehead. “Close your eyes,” he murmured. “Rest.”
She closed her eyes and snuggled against him. He closed his and considered again how grateful he was that she was okay.
He’d let her down tonight, but that would never happen again.