Chapter Eleven Benson
After speaking with Gainey’s wife for over an hour, we discovered that she knew nothing about the case or what her husband had been up to. When we asked her about the extra money he was bringing in, she claimed his luck had turned around with his sports betting. That’s what he told her anyway.
I didn’t report it to the police. I can’t trust anyone at this point, and my gut is telling me this goes beyond the department.
I advised Haley to pick up her son from school as soon as possible and stay with her parents until we get back in touch.
Reid and I went back and forth while he and Oakley began digging through the Ring camera footage, but there wasn’t much to go on.
It had all been wiped clean. Oakley is scouring nearby street cams to see what he can find, but I’m not holding out hope.
If they can alter surveillance footage at the police department, they can manipulate anything in the city.
“What’s the next move?” Karmen asks.
The day has already been intense. From the conversation with my dad this morning to the moment Karmen and I shared in the truck earlier, to finding Haley. Now, Gainey, the one person who could potentially help us, is missing.
Tension radiates from every inch of my body. I feel like I’m spiraling, and, for once in my life, I don’t know what my next move is.
“Still trying to figure that out,” I reply, pulling into my apartment complex.
My phone vibrates on the console, Reid’s name lighting up the screen. I put the truck in park and answer. “Please tell me something good, brother.”
“I don’t know if it’s good, but we definitely found something.
” My pulse quickens. “We were able to locate the vehicle on a nearby street cam, but the plates were a dupe. Registered to a Virginia Moore, eighty-nine-year-old grandmother who lives in a retirement home and hasn’t driven in about twenty years. No connection to Parker or Gainey.”
Reid takes a breath.
“We also tracked Emily’s phone, but not much to go on there either. It was disconnected the day before yesterday. It last pinged a cell tower near her home. My guess is she’s using a burner phone.”
I blow out a frustrated breath. “Fuck, I thought you said you found something.”
“I’m getting there,” he says.
I grit my teeth, my patience wearing thin. “Get there faster, asshole.”
He chuckles. “We’ve been digging into Gainey’s finances and decided to do some forensic accounting on everyone in the department, and we discovered multiple donations to a charity called Haven of Hope.”
Why does that sound familiar?
“The most recent donation was for three hundred K. The donations are all anonymous, but the funds came from an account with the name Jane Roker. When we cross-referenced the Social Security number and date of birth on the account with everyone in the department, we didn’t get a hit, so we cross-referenced the name Jane Roker instead.
” Reid pauses. “Jane Roker is Emily’s mother, who passed away two years ago. ”
“That’s interesting.”
“Yeah, and it gets better. The charity is run by Senator Ashford.”
“You’re fucking kidding me?”
“Looks like we have more than a couple of dirty cops on our hands. We have a dirty senator too,” Reid says.
My gaze shifts to Karmen, her curious eyes fixed on me.
“He’s throwing a gala tomorrow night. I think you two should go. Scope it out. See who he’s talking to and shaking hands with.”
“Good idea.”
“Find out what you can on your end. In the meantime, we’ll keep digging.”
After ending the call, I relay everything to Karmen.
She sits in stunned silence for several minutes before she finally says, “I always knew the charity was a front, a way to make himself look good politically, but I never imagined he would do something like this.”
“He’s hiding something, and I plan to find out what it is. But he’s your father. I need to know where you stand on this. This could get ugly, Karmen.”
She doesn’t hesitate. “I stand with you.”
My heart jackhammers in my chest at the conviction in her soft voice. “Are you sure? Even if it means going up against your own blood?”
“I’m with you. I’ll do whatever it takes, Benson. Whatever you need me to do.”