Chapter Ten Margo Angelhart #3
STOP HER.
I slid the folder over to Jack. My emotions were a mess. I understood, I really did, and I felt for my parents. The photo
and threat weren’t obvious, nothing easily tracible, but still, if we’d known, if we had this information three years ago,
we could have done something.
These people were terrorists, and giving in to terrorists was never the answer.
“I told Georgia after she left Phoenix that if you ever found her, to give you some story that would take up your time, and then she had to disappear again,” Mom said. “I helped with that. I helped her change her name and found her a job out of state. I don’t regret it.”
“Nadine,” I said. “She told me I should find Klein’s ex-wife, Nadine, who might have answers. Klein was never married to a
woman named Nadine. No sister, no girlfriend, no one I could find in his sphere with that name.”
“I never heard about a Nadine,” Mom said.
Tess said, “Here, in the visitor logs, a Nadine Pierce visited Dad three weeks ago.”
I glanced at Mom. “Maybe that’s the person who upset Dad, the visit his cellmate mentioned.”
The quizzical faces around the table had Mom explaining. “Cooper’s cellmate told us that a recent visitor had Cooper acting
out of sorts. And he called someone before he called me last night.
“Wait,” Jack said. “Dad called you?”
Mom nodded. “It was Ken’s cell phone. I convinced him to give it to me, hoping we can trace the other number. But we don’t
know that it’s the same person who visited him.”
Luisa held out her hand. “Give me the phone. I’ll find out exactly who Dad talked to and where she is.”
Mom hesitated, so I pulled the cell phone from the envelope and slid it down to Luisa.
“If we pursue this, we’re all in danger,” Mom said.
“If we don’t pursue this, will we ever get Dad back?” I asked.
Tess asked, “Have you talked to him since the transfer? Can we see him?”
Mom shook her head. “Rita is working on it.”
Nico cleared his throat. “Quincy can help.”
While I didn’t like Nico’s arrogant boyfriend, FBI Agent Quincy Truman, Nico was right—he was in a unique position to get answers.
“I’m not bringing anyone else into this,” Mom said. “The more people who are involved, the more people at risk.”
“We bring in the cavalry,” Jack said. “Everyone who can help, including the FBI. Quincy can and will help.”
“Liz and Josh Swanson were killed outside their home,” Mom said.
“Liz was a nurse and Josh a tax attorney,” I said. “They weren’t prepared. We are.”
Jack said, “I’m going to talk to Laura and ask if she can take her kids and Austin to visit her parents for a few days.”
“We can’t send everyone away,” Tess said. “Gabriel isn’t going to leave, he has patients. And what about Pop and Abuela? Uncle
Rafe? And if they are truly in danger, would sending them away even work?”
“Pop and Abuela should go to the cabin,” Luisa said.
“Alone?” I shook my head. “I agree with Tess. We need family close by, so if there is a threat, we’re all here to cover. Maybe
Josie can do a security assessment, and we can plug holes quickly.”
Jack said, “I’m not leaving anything to chance. They threatened my son.”
Mom nodded, looking miserable. And scared.
“What about Logan?” I asked Jack. Logan Monroe was a wealthy entrepreneur who we had helped out of a major jam several months
ago, and now Jack was dating his sister. More, Logan had become a good friend of the family.
He considered. “Good idea, I’ll call him.
He has the resources to help. But truthfully, we need to get people together if possible.
Maybe Pops and Abuela can go to his resort.
There’s cameras everywhere and I’ll get a bodyguard on them.
And Austin can stay with Laura and the kids at Logan’s house, which has a state-of-the-art security system.
He can miss school for a couple of days. ”
“I like it,” I said. “And we warn everyone else.”
Mom looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “I don’t know where to start.”
“I do,” I said. “Give me Georgia’s new name and number. I need to talk to her.”
“She said—” Mom began.
“I don’t care what she said, she must have some information, she worked with Devin for a year. Even if she doesn’t know what’s important, if I ask the right questions, I
might get answers. At a minimum, she can explain how the trial worked, what drug company ran it, if there are any names she
can remember from that time, people we can talk to, follow up with. Investigate. We find this Nadine Pierce who visited dad,
figure out why Georgia told me to find Devin’s ex-wife, Nadine, when he had never been married to a woman of that name. We use Rita and Quincy to find out why dad was transferred,
who authorized it, what’s in the sealed order, and how you can visit him. At a minimum they have to let his attorney talk
to him, right?”
Mom nodded slowly.
“He has some of the answers we need,” I said. “He might not know who pulled the trigger, but he knows why Devin was killed.
That’s where we start.”
I looked around the table, daring anyone to contradict me.
No one did.