Chapter 44
Vee
“What did you learn about the roses?” I asked Virginia.
“They were ordered through the floral relay network, as your assistant said. We have people at Stephens who can dig deeper.”
I took a seat at the conference table and Virginia did the same. “Are we talking the roses that were sent here, sent to my home, or sent to Crystal Light?”
“All of them. Whoever is sending them thinks they know how to be untraceable. They tried, but they’re not.”
“Whoever,” I repeated. “You don’t know who?”
“We don’t, but we’re closer. I wanted to share what we’ve learned so far.”
“Okay.” My pulse kicked up.
Virginia inhaled. “Like I said, all the orders came through the floral relay network. The sender entered an email address on all the orders. That address led us to a service called Proton. It provides random email aliases.”
I shook my head. “This doesn’t mean much to me.” I thought of the keynote speech on the Innovative Summit I passed on to Grant. Maybe I should ask him to sit in on this.
“Basically, the sender did their best to hide their identity.”
“Isn’t there a way to track IP addresses?”
“Yes, but the IP address is a geolocator. It doesn’t identify the person, only where they are located. And to avoid that, people use a VPN. The sender had a VPN.”
I nodded. “I know what that is. Dad had one so he could record and watch other teams’ games that weren’t broadcast in this area.”
“Exactly. It tells others that you’re somewhere you aren’t. So, by using the VPN, the IP address is erroneous.”
“You don’t know where the person was sending them from.”
“We do,” she said. “Our people were able to crack the VPN. While the roses appeared to be sent from Bowling Green—”
“Bowling Green?” I interrupted, my stomach dropping. “The Clarks…” Preston and his father were in Bowling Green.
Virginia shook her head. “That’s where they want you to think they’re from. They weren’t. They were sent from Northern California, East Bay.”
My mind was rapidly searching. “I don’t know anyone from near San Francisco who would send me roses.”
“Our people are working to determine the internet provider. Once we do, we can work to discover the identity.”
“Internet providers don’t just give out that information.”
Virginia smiled. “Vee, you’re paying a great deal for our service. We have our ways.”
I remembered Fin encouraging me to contact the security company Uncle Darin used, saying that because they were paid, they’d work harder and faster than law enforcement.
Jen knocked on the door.
We both turned her direction as she entered.
“I have your salad.”
“Thank you.”
Jen brought it to the table with a napkin and silverware. I looked at the container and to Virginia. “Do you mind if I eat?”
“Not at all.”
Jen closed the door, leaving us alone.
“Vee, other than your ex-boyfriend, can you think of anyone who would want to scare you?”
“I don’t believe Preston would be trying to frighten me.” I went on to tell Virginia the story of the pillbox. “He was upset to think he was somehow involved in framing me for Dad’s accident.”
Virginia pressed her lips together. “He thought you were being framed?”
“I wasn’t. The detective asked me about the pillbox. It was Bre Stanton’s note that put her on their radar.”
“I’ve done some research on Mr. Hubbard’s accident and the subsequent charges filed against one Bre Stanton.”
Swallowing a forkful of salad greens, I nodded. “Bre was Dad’s personal assistant.” I was speaking to a woman who worked for a security/private investigation firm. There was no reason to keep secrets. “After Dad was gone, I learned he and Bre were having an affair.”
“The note?” Virginia nodded. “That explains why she was charged.”
“I don’t know that she’s guilty. Bre was heartbroken when Dad died.
And according to her, she saw Dad last on Saturday evening.
So, she didn’t have access to him before the accident.
” I shrugged. “The thing is, the detective in charge of the investigation showed me a photo of Dad eating dinner Saturday night with Ed Clark. He owns Meadow Farms, one of the largest thoroughbred farms in Kentucky.”
“Clark?” she asked. “Is he related to your ex?”
“His father. I called Preston a while ago. He didn’t know our fathers were meeting.
Detective Oldson said he believed the meeting was about Dad’s search for investors in Lexington’s infrastructure.
” I forked an artichoke from my salad. “Preston works closely with his father. It’s weird that he doesn’t know why they were meeting. ”
“Wait. You said Bre told you she saw your father on Saturday night, but the detective showed you a picture of your father with Mr. Clark on Saturday night.”
I nodded. “Bre didn’t tell me. My attorney discouraged me from being in contact with Bre. Fin called Bre in my stead. She told him.”
“And your mother said he was home Sunday evening.”
I scoffed. “My stepmother.”
“I’m sorry. I did know that.”
“That they were together was her original statement. It’s not fully true. They were together at the game. They went home and parted ways. She doesn’t know where Dad went Sunday after the game.”
“She told you this?”
“My cousin did.”
“There’s a lot of secondhand information.”
I sighed. “Believe me, Virginia, if I wasn’t living this life, I wouldn’t believe it. Not only did I learn after Dad’s accident that he was having an affair, I also learned that he and Daphne had an open marriage for…” I shrugged. “I don’t know how long.”
“Was she also involved with someone else?”
“My cousin Grant.”
“Grant Marsh, the vice president of the Coopers’ communications. The same cousin who told you about Mrs. Hubbard giving a false statement?”
“Same one.”
Virginia furrowed her brow. “Did you hear this secondhand?”
“No. Grant admitted it to me. He said Dad wasn’t home Sunday evening. He knows because he was with Daphne at Dad’s house.”
“Why would Mrs. Hubbard lie to the detective?”
“I’m assuming it was to keep the state of Dad and Daphne’s marriage from going public.”
“Vee,” she asked, “have you told this to Detective Oldson?”
I shook my head. “No. I told him that I thought he arrested the wrong person. I didn’t know about Dad being gone or Grant and Daphne. I told him there was no way Bre could have drugged him. She didn’t have access; Daphne did.”
“But now…?”
“Now, I don’t know,” I admitted. I remembered something. “Detective Oldson said he believes my father was targeted. I don’t know why anyone would target him.”
Virginia sat taller. “There’s a possibility all of these separate situations could be connected.”
I shook my head. “How could threatening notes be connected to Dad’s accident?”
“Each note mentions your father.” She looked down at her phone. “The first one said ‘the truth will come out. Daddy isn’t here to stop it.’ And the second said, ‘What will happen when the truth comes out? Even your daddy couldn’t stop it.’” She looked up at me. “What truth is coming?”
Shaking my head, I sighed. “I don’t know. Like I said, I’ve learned a lot about my dad and Daphne and Grant… the truth that my family is a Peyton Place? I mean the average person won’t care. I don’t want my dad’s image to be soiled, but it feels like it’s more than that.”
“You said the police found a note from Bre Stanton to your father and that’s why they believed she could be responsible?”
I nodded.
“What did the note say?”
I tried to remember. There were too many thoughts swirling through my head. “Something about being tired of waiting for Dad to divorce Daphne. Honestly, I don’t recall. You could talk to Bre.”
“I think I will.”
There was another knock on the door.
Jen peeked inside. “I’m sorry to interrupt you. Caleb is waiting for you, Vee.”
Nodding, I wiped my lips with the napkin. “I apologize, Virginia. We have a lot going on around here.”
She stood. “I understand. Stephens Security also provides security for Mrs. Hubbard. Would it be all right if we compared notes and followed up on some possibilities?”
“Yes, please. Do whatever you can.”
“Thank you, Vee.”