Chapter 25
On Saturday, Rebekah had to work, so Stan was stuck with the kids all day. In the morning, he played games with them, and in the afternoon he tried to study while Marcia and Peter were napping and Mark and Reggie played in the back yard. By the time Rebekah got home at three, Stan had developed cabin fever and wanted to get out. He’d been thinking a lot about Carlos Morales’ arrest and his profession of innocence in Brad Thornton’s murder. During the day, he got the idea that perhaps he should go see Brad’s ex-bodyguard, Todd Watson, to see if he could shed any light on the subject. Now that Brad was dead, he figured Watson might be more inclined to talk, particularly since Stan had tried to rescue his boss. He didn’t have Todd’s telephone number, but he did have his girlfriend’s, so he called it. Tina answered on the second ring.
“Hi, Tina. This is Stan Turner.”
There was no response for a moment, and then she finally replied, “Yeah, what do you want?”
“I’m looking for Todd. Do you know how I could reach him?”
“He’s right here. Hold on.”
A minute later, Todd came on the line. “What do you want, Turner? I thought I told you I have nothing to say.”
“Right, but a lot has changed since then with Brad’s death and all. What are you doing now that you don’t have a body to guard?”
“Working security at the mall until I can find something better.”
“I see. Listen, since Brad is dead, I thought maybe you might talk to me now. There are a lot of unanswered questions you might be able to enlighten me on.”
“I’ve already talked to the FBI.”
“Good, but they have a different agenda. I’m still trying to figure out who killed Brad and tried to kill me. I’m sure you’d like to find out who killed your old boss.”
“I thought the FBI was looking at Carlos Morales for that?”
“They are, but he denies having anything to do with it, so I need to try to keep looking for answers in case he’s telling the truth. I promise not to take too much of your time.”
“Alright. I guess it can’t hurt. You want to meet over at the mall where you tried to seduce my girlfriend?”
Stan felt a rush of guilt at the memory of his encounter with Tina Small. “Seducing her wasn’t really my intention. Sorry.”
Watson laughed. “Just pulling your chain. Tina told me you turned down a romp in the hay with her. I gotta thank you for that.”
“Right. Okay. I’ll see you in about an hour then,” Stan confirmed.
“We’ll be there,” Watson said and hung up.
Stan told Rebekah he had to go to Republican headquarters for a few hours not wanting her to know he was still investigating the case. On the way to Northpark, he did stop there to check on a phone bank that was in full operation. It was the traditional get-out-the-vote drive that began on Friday night before the election and lasted until the polls closed on Tuesday. He talked to a few of the workers and made sure everything was going smoothly and then continued on to Northpark. Todd and Tina were sitting on a bench outside the restaurant when Stan walked up.
“Hi, Todd, Tina. Thanks for meeting me.”
“No problem. Just make it fast. We’ve got plans for the evening.”
Stan took a seat next to Todd and took out a sheet full of notes he’d made for the interview. “Alright. I was curious why you didn’t go to Mexico with Brad, being his bodyguard and all.”
“Morales told him he didn’t need me in Mexico. He’d have all the protection he needed.”
“So, what were you supposed to do while he was gone?”
“I was supposed to keep an eye on Melissa—make sure she was okay—but as soon as Brad was gone, she told me my services were no longer required.”
“She fired you?”
“Pretty much.”
“Huh. But Brad led you to believe you’d still be his bodyguard when he got back?”
“Yes. When he came back, everything was supposed to go back to how it had been before.”
“You’d get your job back?” Stan asked.
“Yes. That’s what I understood.”
“Did you suspect Brad was laundering money?”
“No, not until the FBI started their investigation, and then I realized that was a possibility. It certainly did explain a lot of things.”
“Did he ever acknowledge to you that he was doing anything illegal, or do you think he was just an unwitting accomplice?”
“He knew Morales and Rubio were connected with some powerful people in Mexico, but I don’t think he appreciated the full extent of what he was involved in. He was in desperate need of money and simply did what he was told, so the cash he needed would keep coming in.”
“So, he wouldn’t have hired someone to kill me and his wife?”
Todd laughed. “No way. He was a businessman and wouldn’t have resorted to something like that. Carlos assured him there was no danger that the FBI would come up with anything. Apparently, he thought they’d covered their tracks pretty carefully.”
“So why the trip to Mexico?”
“Brad was pretty shaken by the Shepard murders, as he knew everyone would assume he was responsible. He assumed Carlos was behind it, but Carlos wouldn’t confirm or deny that it was his doing. He finally convinced himself that the Medical Examiner was right and it was a murder-suicide. Then you came along and started your investigation, tried to talk to me, and then went on TV. He was so spooked by all of your high-profile maneuvering that Carlos suggested he take a vacation to Mexico where he could relax and let Carlos deal with you and feds.”
“So, you think Carlos had Melissa and I kidnapped?” Stan asked.
“I don’t know if it was his call or Rubio’s but one of them made the decision.”
“What about Melissa? Was she threatening to go to the FBI?”
“No. I think Brad was worried about her loyalty though. They were getting into arguments a lot there at the end.”
“What do you mean?”
“Their financial problems were destroying their marriage. They argued all the time, and Melissa blamed everything on Brad’s incompetence.”
“I see. What about Ron Wells? He claims he didn’t know he had invested in the Silver Springs Ventures—that the investment was made by a money manager and he knew nothing about it.”
“That’s bullshit. He called and talked to Brad personally on more than one occasion.”
“Really? How do you know it was him?”
“I used to answer the phone for Brad when he was busy. Brad bragged about all the bigwigs he had lured into his venture as insurance. He figured they’d protect him if anyone ever came after him. He didn’t figure on the FBI coming down on him though. They don’t care who’s involved. In fact, they get real excited if they can nail a politician or two.”
Stan nodded in agreement. “What triggered the FBI investigation, do you think?”
“I don’t know. I heard something about a tax audit, but I don’t have the particulars.”
“Alright. Thanks for talking to me. You’ve clarified a lot of things for me, and I appreciate it.”
“Well, I hope you nail Brad’s killer. Brad wasn’t a bad guy really. His wife really pushed him into bed with Carlos. He’d have just filed bankruptcy and started over had she not threatened to divorce him.”
“Well, a lot of people think it’s all over if you file bankruptcy, but that’s not true at all. A lot of millionaires go broke before they finally discover the road to great wealth.”
Stan thanked Todd again, walked to his car, and drove home. On the way, he tried to sort out in his head what he’d learned. He’d definitely gotten a different perspective on things that made him re-think some of his prior beliefs and conclusions. It was all very complicated, and by the time he got home, he’d developed a headache.
On Sunday, Rebekah had to work again, so Stan took the kids to the park in the morning and to McDonald’s for lunch. Since it w
as Sunday, after Rebekah got home, they went to six-o’clock mass and then picked up Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner. When they got home, there was an urgent message from Kristina. While the family was eating chicken, Stan called her back.
“Ron Wells has called a news conference for tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. In his notification to the media, he says he’ll have proof that he had no knowledge of the Silver Springs investment.”
“He’s a lying piece of slime,” Stan spat.
“What are we going to do?”
“Don’t worry about the news conference. I’ll take care of it. If anyone asks you about it, just say ‘The Silver Springs Ventures investment is between him and the FBI. I have no comment’.”
“Okay.”
“We’re all going out to breakfast after we vote on Tuesday, right?”
“Uh huh.”
“Is Lamar coming with us?”
“Yes. He said he is.”
“Good. We should go over to the phone bank after breakfast and thank all the workers.”
“Sure.”
“I thought you could make an appearance at the Community Center to thank all the workers who are getting ready for your victory celebration.”
“Uh huh. Don’t forget, I’ve got a media luncheon at noon.”
“Right. We don’t want to miss that.”
“No.”
“So, I guess it’s up to the voters now,” Stan said. “We’ve done all that can be done.”
“Thanks, Stan. No matter how it turns out, you’ve been great.”
“Me? You’ve been the one who has dazzled everyone. You’re going to make a fine state representative.”
“I hope I get that opportunity, but, like you say, it’s up to the voters now.”
“Exactly. There’s nothing you can do now but wait. So go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep. You’ve got a hectic forty-eight hours coming up.”
“Okay. Good night, Stan.”
Stan said good night, hung up, and then searched for Veronica Brooks’ telephone number. When he’d found it, he called but got an answering machine. The message on the machine gave an emergency number, so Stan called it. A woman from an answering service picked up.
“Veronica Brooks, please,” Stan said.
“She doesn’t work on Sundays.”
“I didn’t figure she did, but this is her emergency number.”
“Is this an emergency?”
“Well, it’s a matter of great urgency, and I’m sure Veronica would want to talk to me. I’ve got a scoop for her that she’d be very heartbroken if she missed.
“Alright. I’ll put you through.”
“Hello,” Veronica said.
“Veronica? Stan Turner.
“Oh, hi, Stan. How did you get this number?”
“From your answering service. I told them it was urgent.”
“Really? What’s up?”
“Are you going to Ron Wells’ news conference tomorrow morning?”
“I don’t know. I just heard about it. Should I go?”
“Yes, you should go. I don’t know what kind of evidence he’s going to produce, but I just talked to Todd Watson, Brad Thornton’s bodyguard, and he says Ron Wells called Brad on several occasions about the Silver Springs investment.”
Veronica laughed. “Well, that’s very interesting. I’d need to confirm it with Todd. Do you think that will be a problem?”
“No. Can you do a conference call on your phone? We can call him now.”
“Sure. What’s the number?”
Stan gave her the number and got Todd on the line. He confirmed to Veronica that he’d personally taken phone calls from Ron Wells and overheard them discussing the Silver Springs investment. Once Veronica had that confirmation, she promised she’d ask Wells about it at the news conference.
The following morning, Stan dropped by Kristina’s house to watch the press conference with her and Lamar. They turned on the TV just as Ron Wells escorted a tall, distinguished looking man up in front of the cameras set up just outside his campaign headquarters. He introduced the man as Wallace Witherspoon, a money manager who’d handled Wells’ investments. After he made the introduction, Wells then stepped back and disappeared behind several campaign workers. Witherspoon smiled at the crowd of reporters.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Wells asked me to explain how it was that Silver Springs Ventures ended up in his investment portfolio. As you know, I handle all of Mr. Wells’ investments since he is so busy representing his district and has no time for such matters. Over the years, I have done pretty well for Mr. Wells, so he trusts me to buy and sell as I deem prudent.
“About a year ago, a man I’d known and respected for many years, Brad Thornton, came to me and pitched Silver Springs Ventures as a potentially lucrative investment opportunity. I listened to him, studied the proposal, and made a determination that it would be a good deal.
“Regrettably, I did not look too closely into the venture, as I trusted my old friend, and I can assure you Ron Wells knew nothing about the Silver Springs Ventures until recently when the FBI investigation was announced.
“As soon as Mr. Wells heard about the investment and the possibility of illegal activities being involved, he instructed me to divest him of it immediately. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible with the FBI investigation already underway.”
“Mr. Witherspoon,” a reporter said, “how much did you invest in Silver Springs Ventures?”
“I’m not going to go into the details of the investment since Mr. Wells knew nothing about it.”
“Mr. Witherspoon,” Veronica said. “Veronica Brooks from NBC 5. You said Mr. Wells didn’t know anything about the investment, yet last night I interviewed an employee of Brad Thornton, and he claims Ron Wells called Brad Thornton on several occasions specifically to discuss Silver Springs Ventures. Do you deny that?”
Mr. Witherspoon looked around for Ron Wells, but he had slipped away. “Um, I don’t have any knowledge of that, so I couldn’t comment other than it was my understanding that there had been no contact between them. I’m sorry. That’s all I have. Thank you.”
Mr. Witherspoon turned to leave. “Mr. Witherspoon!” Veronica persisted. “Isn’t it true that you purchased a $100,000 interest in the Silver Springs Ventures and were repaid over $250,000 after only one year?”
“Sorry. Like I said. I’m not going into the details of the investment. Thank you.”
When the press conference was over, Stan looked over at Kristina and smiled. She sighed. “Well, that wasn’t so bad,” she said.
“I told you not to worry about it,” Stan reminded her. “Wells should have just let it alone. Now he’s opened up a can of worms. That little press conference might be enough to put you over the top.”
“Yeah, but how many people will see it?”
“It will be on the news at six and ten. A lot of people will see it and have second thoughts about returning Ron Wells to Austin.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I agree,” Lamar said. “The press conference was a mistake. I don’t know how Veronica Brooks got Todd Watson to talk to her, but that was brilliant.”
Kristina looked at Stan. He smiled. “Todd’s a nice guy once you get to know him,” Stan confessed.
Kristina shook her head. “I should have known,” she said.
Lamar laughed.
“Okay, I’ve got to go. Lots to do before the election tomorrow. I’ll see you two for breakfast.”
Stan gave Kristina a hug and then left to go back to Republican headquarters where his staff was monitoring the final hours of campaigning and dozens of volunteers were manning the phone banks. Inside, he saw some of his staff members crowded around a TV set.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“The latest polls show Carter leading Ford 51 percent to 48 percent in Texas,” Glenda Green said. “If that holds up, we’re in deep trouble. All our candidates will be buried in the landslide.”
> Stan sighed. “That’s the problem with politics. Events you have no control over often determine your fate.”
“If Reagan had been our candidate, things would have been different,” she argued.
When Stan was satisfied everything was running smoothly, he went to see Melissa Thornton. Her life insurance policy had come back from underwriting, and he needed to deliver it to her. She seemed a bit nervous when she showed him into the den.
“Have a seat,” she said. “Thank you for taking the time to bring this to me. I know how busy you must be with the election tomorrow.”
“Yes, fortunately I just have to supervise, so it was no problem slipping away for a few minutes.”
He opened his briefcase, pushed the button that started taping the meeting, and pulled out the policy. “It came back standard rate with no problems.”
“Good.”
He handed it to her. “So, how have you been holding up after Brad’s death?”
“Oh, it’s been difficult, obviously, with all our assets tied up.”
“I bet. Did you have any life insurance on Brad?”
“Yes, but it’s being held up pending his murder investigation.”
“Hmm. Are you off the hook now with the FBI?”
“Yes, I think so. I signed a deal to testify against Carlos Morales and Tony Rubio in exchange for immunity on any money laundering charges.”
“Good. You’ve been through enough,” Stan said. “Do you think you’ll ever get any of your assets back?”
“Actually, as part of the deal, I will get back anything I can prove we owned prior to the establishment of Silver Springs Ventures. It won’t be a lot, but it’s something.”
“What about your Maui property?”
“We owned that before Silver Springs, so it will be released, however, there’s a mortgage and taxes owed which I doubt I’ll be able to swing unless the insurance proceeds come through in time.”
“Hmm. That’s too bad. I heard the Maui property was quite exquisite.”
“Yes. It’s right on the beach. I love it there. I’d hate to lose it.”
“Any word on what’s happening with our kidnappers?” Stan asked.
“No. I haven’t heard a word.”
“Well, I guess Carlos Morales and Tony Rubio are higher priorities for them now.”
“Yes. I’m sure they are.”
“Well, I should go. Oh, I saw you the other day at Cheddars. Who was the man you were with?”
“Oh, just an old friend who came to the funeral. He stayed a couple of days to make sure I was okay.”
“Oh, right,” Stan said, standing. “Well, if you need anything, just let me know.”
“Thanks, Stan, for all you have done. I’m in your debt.”
They embraced, and Stan left, pondering the conversation. He wondered how much insurance Melissa had carried on her husband, and he guessed it was at least a million. The way things stood, he figured, the insurance company couldn’t hold it for long since she’d been half a continent away from where the murder took place. If she got the insurance and was able to keep the Maui property, Stan estimated she’d have over two million in assets—not a bad recovery from being on the verge of bankruptcy.