Chapter Eleven #2
Hallie then spoke to the EMS worker who had officially pronounced Zapponi as deceased, before she headed over to Cooper Reid. He was standing next to his SUV with an attractive Hispanic woman.
“Hey,” Hallie said in a muted tone to the special agent, and then eyed the female beside him.
“Hey,” Cooper responded flatly. “This is Lexi De La Garza.”
“Detective Flores,” she introduced herself.
Lexi said to her uneasily, “Hi.”
Cooper said, “Lexi’s an architect. She’s the one who discovered Zapponi’s body.”
“Oh?” Hallie met her gaze with curiosity, while assuming that she was at the site to survey and perhaps meet with the decedent. “Did you come here to see him?”
“Yes,” Lexi answered. “We were going to go over the progress of the project. I thought I would get here early to look around myself.” She frowned. “But then… I saw Neal…and called 911—”
While Hallie considered this, Cooper told her informatively, “Zapponi was my CI. Or at least he was during the investigation of Horace Eckhart. After Eckhart’s death, Zapponi wanted out of it, and it stayed that way—till he asked me to meet him here today regarding some new intel he had.”
“Did he say what it was?” Hallie gazed at the special agent while pondering his association with Zapponi as a confidential human source.
“Afraid not,” Cooper replied. “He didn’t want to talk about it over the phone. Before I could get to him, someone took out Zapponi—apparently just before Lexi arrived.”
“Hmm.” Hallie regarded her, feeling thankful that she, too, hadn’t been killed. “Did you see anything…or anyone?”
Lexi glanced at Cooper and back, then answered bluntly, “I saw a gray Lexus TX 350 drive away from the scene.”
“Really?” Hallie raised a brow. “Did the driver see you?”
“I’m not sure,” Lexi indicated in an unsteady voice. “I don’t think so. He seemed in too much of a hurry to get away.”
“He?” Hallie peered at her. “So it was a male? What else can you tell me about the driver?”
Lexi faced Cooper, who regarded Hallie and said straightforwardly, “Lexi thinks the SUV was driven by Terry Morikawa, the Kenniston Group project manager for this shopping center development.”
“Interesting…” Hallie had to say, as she digested this possible break she had been looking for in her investigation.
At the very least, the identification of an alleged suspect was more than enough to bring in Terry Morikawa for questioning in the death of Neal Zapponi.
And it also made Morikawa a prime suspect in Horace Eckhart’s murder.
LEXI WAS STILL rattled by the murder of yet another person in the real estate development sphere.
First Horace Eckhart.
Now Neal Zapponi.
Just as unsettling was the fear that someone Reese trusted—Terry Morikawa—may be the killer. Or at least where it concerned Neal, as Lexi was all but certain that she saw Terry hurriedly vacating the grounds.
What reason would he have for killing Neal? Or even Horace, for that matter?
Had Terry actually been bribing Horace to get—and stay ahead of—other project managers and developers?
Had Terry taken this too far—killing both men to maintain their silence when the going got tough?
Is this what Neal discovered and wanted to warn Cooper about? Lexi wondered. Worried, she drove away from the construction site that had turned into a murder crime scene.
Cooper was certainly perturbed that he hadn’t gotten there soon enough to perhaps prevent the tragedy.
In Lexi’s mind, she, too, might have been able to delay—if not avert—Neal being shot to death had she arrived there a little sooner.
Maybe she could have talked Terry out of doing something he would regret—only landing him in even hotter water.
Assuming he was responsible as well for Horace’s murder.
And if so, was he actually one of the deadly carjackers still at large? Or the one who hired them—but decided to go after Neal himself?
By the time Lexi got to the East Jefferson Street offices of the Kenniston Group, wanting Reese to hear it from her first that she was the one who spotted Terry leaving the scene and had no choice but to inform Cooper and Detective Hallie Flores of such—it was apparent from the commotion that Terry had already been taken into custody by the FBI or police.
In the lobby, Lexi was approached by Jessalyn Cordero, who wrinkled her nose and uttered miserably, “I suppose you’ve heard about Terry being arrested?”
Lexi nodded. “I heard.” She gazed at the development associate and wondered if Jessalyn could have been in on any wrongdoing as someone wanting to get ahead. But at what cost? “Actually, that’s why I’m here,” she told her. “I need to see Reese.”
“Not sure she’s in the mood.” Jessalyn pursed her lips. “Terry’s been accused of some terrible things,” she said, as if unable to be specific about it. “Reese is understandably stunned about this—”
How could she not be, if Terry is guilty of bribery and murder, Lexi told herself. “I want to speak with her anyway,” she insisted, not willing to take no for an answer.
“All right.” Jessalyn didn’t attempt to stand in the way. “She’s in her office.”
Lexi nodded and made her way there. When she stepped inside, she found Reese pacing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, clearly troubled with the unexpected turn of events.
“Reese…” Lexi got her attention.
Reese turned to her and stared, as if in a daze, before saying back, “Lexi—”
“I’m sorry about Terry,” she told her sincerely.
“So am I.” Reese knit her thin brows. “There must be some mistake…or misunderstanding… Terry is not a murderer. Why would he shoot Neal Zapponi?”
I hate this part, Lexi told herself, but knew she had no other choice than to put it all on the table. “I was at the construction site—and the one who found Neal dead.”
Reese’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“I saw Terry’s gray Lexus leaving the scene,” Lexi told her.
“He was driving the car.” She had reached this conclusion with more certainty as she replayed the moment over and over again in her head.
“I had to report it to the authorities.” Though Cooper was thrown for a loop with the information, he also had no reason to doubt her till proven otherwise.
Same was true for the detective who was investigating Neal’s murder and seeking answers to possibly tie it to Horace’s death.
Reese angled her face. “You did the right thing, Lexi.” She spoke softly. There was a long pause. “Does the FBI think that Terry was involved in bribery…murder on behalf of the Kenniston Group?”
Lexi wasn’t sure how to respond, but she had to say something.
After a moment or two, she spoke. “If Terry truly did shoot Neal—who was apparently about to give intel to the FBI related to their public corruption investigation—then he would have some major explaining to do when it comes to motive.” Lexi drew a breath.
“At this point, all we can do is wait and see how it goes.”
Reese peered at her. “Just so you know, Lexi, I would never have sanctioned any attempt to bribe a building inspector, contractor—or even an architect—to receive preferential treatment for my development company. If Terry is guilty of committing bribery—much less, murder or murders, to cover it up—he should pay the price, even if it blows back on the company…and any damage this does to it in moving forward.”
Lexi closed the gap between them and put her hand on Reese’s shoulder, believing in her integrity. “I know none of this is your doing. Whatever happens with Terry, you shouldn’t have to suffer. Neither should I, in my architectural work with the Kenniston Group.”
“Thank you.” Reese put her hand on Lexi’s, and then the two women embraced as Lexi wondered just what Cooper would get out of Terry. And what the repercussions would be for the developments they were involved in.