Gage (Texas Boudreau Brotherhood #16)

Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

G age decided to meet Chance at his office, which was in the court house building on the second floor. As the district attorney for Shiloh Springs county, the man spent far too much of his time in his office—at least according to Ms. Patti and his fiancée, Tina. Ranger was with him, leaving Bas to babysit Suzanna back at the Big House.

Since it was a Saturday, Chance’s assistant wasn’t at her desk, so Gage and Ranger walked straight back into his office with a perfunctory knock on the doorjamb, since the door stood ajar. Chance looked up and motioned them forward, pointing at the chairs. His landline phone held to his ear, he frowned, like whatever he was hearing wasn’t good news. Within a few seconds, he hung up.

“Morning, guys. Thanks for meeting me here. I swear I spend more time in this office than I do at my own place. Tina’s always ragging on me, wondering why I’m paying for a mortgage when I spend all my time stuck here. Sometimes I question my sanity and wonder why I ran for the position of district attorney in the first place.”

“Maybe because you like helping people, and putting away the bad guys?” Ranger’s quip pretty much summed up Gage’s opinion too. Chance was a good guy, one of the best. And he had the typical Boy Scout mentality all the Boudreaus seemed to carry.

“Anyway, I got the death certificate and autopsy report you asked for on Steven Dawkins, although I understand you’ve already seen them.” Chance shot him a look, and Gage shrugged.

“Carpenter Security’s computer guy got me a copy after I had talked to you. You have a chance to look at the autopsy yet?”

“Yes. As a prosecutor, I have to say I would never go to trial with that for evidence. I checked and the chief medical examiner for Dallas County was out of the state at a conference at the time of Steven Dawkins autopsy. He’d normally be the one to perform an autopsy on a high profile case like Dawkins. But going by this report, I’m seeing red flags almost immediately.” Chance tapped the stack of papers on his desk. “First, the cause of death is listed as a homicide. I think that’s probably the only thing they got right. Look at the date and time of death. Those are incorrect. They’ve listed them as when the body was found, not giving an actual or accurate time of death. Then you’ve got the amount of time it took to perform the autopsy.”

“We all noticed that right away. Thirty-five minutes? I understand the cause of death seems obvious, but somebody fell down on the job. This is either rushed or botched or maybe both. Is it a deliberate mishandling of the reporting? I don’t know. Then there’s no record of a tox screen being done, though I bet if you check into it, there was one. As far as I know, isn’t that routine on any possible homicide case?” Gage leaned forward in his chair. “I also spoke with Suzanna. She said her husband wasn’t taking any medications other than a prescribed inhaler for his asthma, which was well controlled and he rarely had to take the inhaler. He’d just gotten a clean bill of health from his physician, too, so it’s pretty easy to take the leap and say the multiple stab wounds and slit throat were the cause of death.”

“I’m surprised Suzanna didn’t wake up while all this was happening. Doesn’t it seem odd she’d sleep through the whole thing? I mean, her husband had to be thrashing around, possibly fighting with his assailant.” Ranger ran a hand across his jaw, before taking a deep breath. “Even sound asleep, if somebody started stabbing me, pretty sure I’d wake up and start fighting back, trying to stop them. Unless Dawkins wasn’t able to fight back. If he’d been incapacitated with something like Rohypnol or GHB, he might not have been able to move, much less put up a struggle.”

“That makes sense. Somebody slips him the drug, waits until he and Suzanna are asleep, and makes his move, killing Dawkins and getting away without being caught.” Gage nodded, the theory making sense.

Chance raised his hand, and laid it on his heart. “I’m going to play devil’s advocate here, so don’t bite my head off, okay? You’re all assuming Suzanna is innocent. But, what if she is the one who drugged her husband and stabbed him? That’s the track the police are taking. She’s the primary suspect, and they are building a case as her being the person who killed her husband. Being alone with him, in the same bed, gives her the perfect opportunity to end his life. She stabs him multiple times, cuts his throat, and before she can raise an alarm or try to leave, she’s found by the maid, still covered in Dawkins’ blood. She plays the perfect victim. Maybe she could say somebody killed her husband and they were going to kill her too, but something spooked them and they ran, leaving her to take the blame.”

“But that’s not what she’s claiming,” Gage broke into Chance’s theory, unable to sit still while thinking about Suzanna being accused. “She says she was asleep when the maid screamed. Until that moment, she had no idea anything had happened. Not until she saw all the blood and realized Dawkins was dead.”

“Again, we only have her word for things,” Chance tapped the edge of the autopsy report. “Trust me, I’m going to be all over this. I’ve already sent a notification to the chief coroner, asking for clarification of the things we just discussed. But, we have to be ready for pushback from the Dallas police. They are running with the theory she murdered her husband for his money. There isn’t any evidence pointing to another suspect. Suzanna is at the top of the list.”

Gage leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling, drawing a deep breath. He understood where Chance was coming from. He was a prosecutor, he looked at the facts of a case, what it would take to convince a jury of guilt. On paper, Suzanna looked like the perfect perpetrator. She was married to an older man. Lots of people suspected their marriage was about money.

“What about Dawkins’ will? Who stands to inherit his fortune, the business, his estate?” Ranger leaned forward, his gaze going between Gage and Chance. “I know cops, they are going to be looking at the money trail. Who stands to benefit the most from Dawkins death? Usually it’s the widow, i.e. Suzanna, but is she the sole beneficiary? Is there an insurance policy that would up the ante?”

“This is a bit of a tricky situation. I need to talk with Mrs. Dawkins, but the will hasn’t finishing going through the probate court yet. The courts are going to appoint an executor of the estate, which will deal with making sure everything Mr. Dawkins wanted and that is outlined in his will is handled promptly. Unless it’s contested. Gage, you have any idea if somebody is going to fight her for Dawkins’ estate?”

Gage shook his head. “No clue. I only met her a couple days ago, so I’m as in the dark as you are. Maybe we should have included her in this meeting, but I wanted to hear what you had to say, what you found out regarding the autopsy and death certificate. Honestly, there’s something about this whole case that stinks like two day old fish. Feels off, and I’m not just talking about the screw up with the mistakes on the autopsy. But that could just be me, reacting to Brandon McKinney swearing she’s innocent.”

Chance turned to Ranger. “You haven’t said much. What’s your gut telling you?”

Ranger looked down at his feet for a beat, then two, before looking up and meeting Chance’s gaze. “I don’t think she killed her husband. I don’t have enough facts to say that she didn’t have a hand in it somehow, but she didn’t hold the knife and plunge it into her husband’s chest, or slit his throat. Whether she hired somebody else to do the deed, I can’t say.”

“What’s your gut say?”

“I don’t think she did it. There’s a whole lot more going on that we don’t know about. Whether it’s related to money, power, jealousy, or greed, I don’t know, but if I was leading this investigation, I’d say we need to look into who else stands to gain from Dawkins’ death besides his lovely wife.”

“When I talked to her, Suzanna mentioned her husband’s business partner, Donald Blackthorn. The day before he died, Dawkins and Blackthorn had spent the day in talks with a potential partner, Sandoval Enterprises.” Ugh, even saying the company’s name left a bad taste in Gage’s mouth. He’d dealt with Sandoval Enterprises in the past, coming out on the losing end of that encounter. Their owner, Gustavo Sandoval, purported to be a successful businessman, with offices and employees around the globe, and was a respected businessman. He’d even made magazine covers, proclaiming him the new up and coming business leader whose generosity was helping to reinvigorate and reenergize flagging cities and communities.

Gage knew the truth though. He’d encountered Gustavo Sandoval more than once. Had watched him go from a poor street kid to one of the richest men on the planet. While everyone lauded him for his charitable works and business acumen, they didn’t know about his dirty back room deals or the fact that he was one of the most corrupt people Gage had ever encountered.

If Suzanna’s husband had planned to work with Sandoval, it made him question Dawkins own integrity. He also wondered what type of project Blackthorn and Dawkins planned, because Sandoval didn’t do anything that didn’t put large amounts of money into his bank accounts.

“Sandoval Enterprises, huh? All I know about them is what I read in the papers. Of course, I don’t trust anything I read from mainstream press and even less of what I see online.”

“Well, Chance, I can tell you that my dad refuses to have anything to do with anything Sandoval Enterprises is associated with, if that gives you a clue.”

“Tells me all I need to know. If Uncle Gator doesn’t trust them, I’d steer clear. You dad knows more about all the movers and shakers than I’ll ever know, especially all the dirt. I wonder how much Mrs. Dawkins knew about her husband’s dealings with Sandoval?”

“From what little she said, I’d wager she doesn’t know a lot. She said Blackthorn and his wife came by for dinner after her husband and his partner spent the day in talks with Sandoval Enterprises. She entertained the wife after dinner, while Dawkins and Blackthorn went into the study. Apparently she tended to keep the wives happy, while he talked with the husbands.”

“Gage, have you talked with the detective in charge of the Dawkins’ case?”

“Not yet. I’ve called a couple of times and he’s not responding. I heard he’s playing his cards close to the vest, because he’s planning on using this case as a career builder, and a stepping stone to move up the chain at DPD. I’m going to drive to Dallas and talk to him face-to-face. I’ll go over his head if necessary.”

Chance grinned and Ranger chuckled. “I have no doubt you’ve got the clout to open a few doors if need be. I do think it’s a good idea to talk with Suzanna. Gage, you know I can’t do anything officially on her case. It’s not in my jurisdiction, plus she needs a good defense attorney, not a prosecutor. I’ll help off the record in any way I can, but I’m afraid my hands are tied otherwise.”

“I understand. I don’t know if she’s got an attorney yet, but if not I’m going to suggest she hire Alexander Tedesco. He’s a shark and I bet he’ll be chomping at the bit to take on Suzanna’s case. Plus he owes me a favor.” And Gage had no trouble calling in that marker, because Suzanna needed to have somebody on her side that would pull out all the stops to defend her.

“I think rather than bringing her here for a formal interview, since I really can’t be seen to be officially involved in her case, Gage, there are a couple of questions you need to ask her.”

“I can do that. What are they?”

“Number one, she claims to have slept through her husband’s attack, even though she was in the bed with him when it happened. Did she take any sleeping medication or any other type of drug? Is it possible that she was drugged without her knowledge? That might account for her sleeping through his murder without hearing or seeing anything. Number two, is it possible somebody else was in the room besides her and her dead husband, before the maid arrived. I know she said she was awakened by the maid’s scream, but have her really think about it. Could she have heard or seen something and not realized what it was? Number three, does she have any idea about her husband’s dealings with Sandoval Enterprises? If her husband was planning on working with Sandoval, did she know in what respect that might be? We all know Sandoval is dirty, even if we can’t prove it. Does that mean her husband wasn’t as squeaky clean as she’d have us believe?”

“Those are a lot of questions, and I planned on asking some of them anyway. I’ll talk with Suzanna when I get back from Dallas. I’m heading up there as soon as I leave here, to talk with Detective Jansen. If I’m there in person, he can’t keep avoiding me.” Gage wanted to rub his hands together like a cartoon villain at the thought of confronting the detective. He hated cops like Jansen, the ones who laser focused in on one suspect and refused to look at any other evidence or person who didn’t fit their preconceived scenario, which felt like what he was doing to Suzanna.

Ranger stood, stretching his tall lean body, the joints actively popping and cracking. He dropped a hand on Gage’s shoulder, squeezing tight. “Why don’t we stop by the ranch long enough to let me switch out with Bas? You should take him with you. He’s good at getting people to open up. Something about his sarcastic wit either makes them want to talk willingly, or they’ll talk just to get him to shut up and leave. Either way, it’s a win-win. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt for you to have backup.”

Gage shook his head. “I’m better working alone.”

“It’s either take Bas or me. Dad said he didn’t think it was a good idea for you to work the case alone. And that was before we heard about the whole Sandoval angle. Want me to put him onto finding out what the connection is between Sandoval and Dawkins?”

“No,” said Gage.

“Yes,” Chance added, talking over Gage’s objection.

“Goodie, I get to be the tiebreaker,” Ranger smiled. “I vote yes. I’ll call my dad and put a bug in his ear. He’ll love getting to officially look into Sandoval.”

Gage sighed and stood. “How did one simple favor for a buddy I owed turn into an in-depth murder investigation?”

Chance grinned. “That’s what happens when you’re one of the good guys.”

“We better hope I can get Detective Jansen to spill his guts, because this case is more twisted than a basket of snakes.”

“I have no doubt you’ll figure it out. Now get out of my office, I’ve got work to do.” Chance made a shooing motion, grinning when Ranger made a bee line for the door. Gage followed more slowly, his mind already focused on dropping Ranger at the Big House and picking up Bas Boudreau. He fought the urge to skip out without taking the other man, but he had the feeling he’d have a tail following him straight to Dallas if he tried.

“Don’t bother trying to skip out on us,” Ranger seemed to read his mind, and Gage studied the man as they walked to his car. A few years older than himself, he still carried himself with a military air, even though Gage knew he’d left the service behind years prior. A former Navy SEAL, he’d been well respected by his teammates. He knew because after meeting with Gator in New Orleans, he’d done a little digging into the Cajun branch of the Boudreau family. While they were different than the Boudreaus he was used to, Douglas’ brother seemed to have instilled the same characteristics of honor, loyalty and family into the New Orleans Boudreaus.

“I’m not, I’ll take Bas with me. Wish I had time to ask Suzanna those questions Chance wants answers to, but if I’m going to get to Dallas while Detective Jansen’s on duty, I’ll need to book it.”

“Want me to ask her?”

Gage shook his head, climbing behind the wheel. “Thanks, but I think it’s better I do it. She came to me for help, there’s a better chance she’ll open up to me.

Pulling away from the court house, Gage thought about Suzanna, and about the connections to Sandoval Enterprises. He couldn’t picture somebody like Suzanna, a person full of sunshine and light, dealing with a monster like Sandoval. When he thought about the devil, Gustavo Sandoval was the picture that popped into his head. They’d crossed paths on more than one occasion, with Sandoval walking away clean as a whistle. Somebody always took the fall for the man who stood at the top of the pile, because he was smart enough to keep his hands clean. Sandoval was Gage’s elusive white whale, his Moby Dick, and he was determined to make sure Gustavo Sandoval eventually paid for his treachery.

Gage couldn’t let him take Suzanna down, and something deep in his gut told him Sandoval was setting her up to take the fall for Dawkins murder. Yet Gage believed she was an innocent who had gotten caught up in something bigger than she realized, and he wasn’t about to let Gustavo Sandoval to pull her into his sadistic games.

In his head he heard the sound of a clock with its eerie tick, tick, tick, slowly counting down, and he realized he needed to prove Suzanna didn’t kill Steven Dawkins, before Gustavo Sandoval managed to frame her for the crime.

The big question was how could he prove she hadn’t killed her husband when all the evidence pointed to her as the only suspect?