Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“He didn’t.”
“I say he did.”
She looks at the floor. “You can say whatever you want, Mr. Ramsey, but you’ll never prove anything like that.”
“Maybe I won’t. But I will do everything I can to protect Kelly. I’m in love with your daughter, and I will protect her. With my life if I have to.”
Racine turns on her heel with a huff. “You tell Kelly she can find me at the Countess Regalia if she decides she wants the money from her father.”
“The Countess Regalia?” I raise my eyebrows. “The Waldorf wasn’t good enough for you?”
She doesn’t reply.
“I’m not done talking to you,” I say.
“Well I’m done listening.” She pushes the button for the elevator.
It comes, and I get into it with her.
“Where did that two million come from five years ago, Racine?”
“What two million dollars?”
“Don’t treat me like an idiot. You know damned well we had you checked out. Where did that money come from?”
She crosses her arms, taps her foot on the elevator floor. “I don’t have to tell you anything.”
“Then I’m going to venture a guess. Kelly’s father—whoever he is—came to you then and gave you the money.”
“You’re full of it.”
“Am I?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact you are. But so what if he did? It’s no less than he owed me.”
My guts twist into knots. I’ve seen the worst side of humanity, and now I’m understanding better why Kelly got so angry when I said there are no absolutes. I still believe that—and in a way, it helped me heal—but I also believe evil can cloud everything, take over everything.
Evil.
The evil of my own tormentors overseas.
The evil of Derek Wolfe and every man who went to that fucking island.
And the evil of the man who fathered Kelly.
It was him. And Racine, just as evil, took his money.
It’s a theory, of course. Only a theory.
But it rings true.
It rings fucking true.
And I’d like to strangle the woman before me.
I grit my teeth.
“This isn’t the first time you’ve had contact with him, is it? I’d be willing to bet you had contact with him over the years, starting before that first half a mill landed in your account.”
She reddens. Tensing.
“You better tell me now. Because if you don’t? I’m going to make your life fucking miserable. I will go to the authorities, and I will give them my theory about what I think happened to Kelly. Do you want me to do that?”
“Suit yourself.”
The elevator doors open. But Racine makes no move to get out.
Interesting.
“After you,” I say.
Still she doesn’t move, and the doors close, the two of us still in the elevator.
“You have something you want to say to me?” I ask.
She tightens her lips. “I want your assurances of complete immunity.”
“Immunity for what? You say you haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Damn it, Mr. Ramsey.” She narrows her eyes. “It’s clear that you care for my daughter. We have that in common.”
“We don’t have that in common, Racine. I know exactly how you treated your daughter.”
“I’ve told you before how imaginative my daughter is. She was trapped on that island for five years, Mr. Ramsey. That messed her up. She probably created false memories.”
I tamp down the rage. I won’t get anywhere if I let it get the best of me. “Do you know that Kelly has a tattoo on her shoulder, Racine?”
“No.”
“Tell me if this means anything to you. Kelly’s tattoo is a picture of a volleyball surrounded by wilted black roses. Do you see any meaning there?”
Racine casts her gaze to the floor.
“I figured you would.”
She looks up. “I was a single parent. I did the best I could.”
“You keep telling yourself that. Tell it to yourself day in and day out. That won’t make it true, but go ahead and do that.”
“What do you want from me?”
“You stayed in the elevator,” I say.
She twists her lips, says nothing.
“Tell me where the five hundred thou came from.”
“It came after Kelly was taken.”
“Yes, Racine, I know that.”
“So if you’re suggesting—”
“I’m not suggesting anything. But I’ll be happy to tell you my theory if you want to hear it.”
Racine taps one of her platform-heeled feet. “Please. I need immunity.”
“Do I look like a district attorney to you? That’s the only person who can grant you immunity. And quite frankly, if you did what I think you did?” I take one step closer to her. “You’re never going to get immunity. Besides, you’re forgetting one thing.”
Her eyes widen slightly. “What’s that?”
“You haven’t been charged with anything yet.”
“You’re damned right I haven’t.” The door opens again, and Racine pushes out, her platforms tapping on the tiled floor of the lobby of the Wolfe building.
I pull out my phone, call Reid. “She’s leaving the building now. Have her watched.”
“I’m already on it.” Reid says.
I end the call and return to the elevator. Time to go back to Kelly.