Page 70 of Deserving Cora
“And what?”
“That’s it? What’s his background? Does he have any convictions on his record?”
“Normal background. Good childhood. Was a decent Marine. No convictions. He seems to be loyal, makes sure no one hassles Ridge, follows him where he wants to go and keeps his mouth shut.”
“Well, that seems like a dead end,” Cora sighed. “He has to know if Lara’s in the house, right? I mean, if he’s that close to Ridge, shouldn’t he know?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Owl said. “He doesn’t live at the estate. He shows up when requested and for his scheduled shifts, and that’s it.”
“Is he married? Have a girlfriend?” Stone asked.
“No and no.”
“Hmmmm. What about that guy who answered the door yesterday?” Pipe asked.
“Carter Grant,” Owl said, looking back down at his phone. “He’s also Michaels’s bodyguard. But he was hired by Ridge himself, not his father. From what Tex could find out, they met online. Carter was interested in bitcoin from Michaels’s company and they started talking. One thing led to another, and Michaels hired him to be a bodyguard when Arlo wasn’t on shift. Not married, no girlfriend, and his background is actually pretty boring. Thirty-five years old, a handful of not very interesting jobs, no college degree. And no, before you ask, no convictions of any kind.”
“Wait—Carter Grant?” Cora asked with a small grin.
“Yeah, why? You know him?” Owl asked, sitting up straighter on the bed.
“No, I don’t know him at all, but it’s just a little funny. I was calling him Creepy Guy in my head, because, well, he was creepy. It’s just a little ironic that his initials, CG, are the same as the initials for Creepy Guy.”
Pipe’s lips twitched. This wasn’t funny, not at all, but somehow Cora’s observation eased some of his tension. His friends also smiled and shook their heads.
“Anyway, sorry, go on. Arlo and CG are bodyguards. CG obviously knows about Lara because he didn’t seem confused when we asked to see her, and he had that excuse about her being sick ready to go. Does CG live on the estate?” Cora asked.
It was a good question. Pipe wanted to hear the answer too.
“I’m guessing so, yes, as there’s no address listed for Grant. And you’re right, after what you said about the encounter with him yesterday, he’s obviously in the know about Lara, or what might have happened to her.”
Pipe frowned. He’d avoided even thinking that Lara Osler might be deceased. He didn’t want Cora to dwell on that at all. He’d rather keep thinking that this was a rescue mission and not a body recovery.
“Yeah,” Cora said quietly, and Pipe tensed. It hadn’t escaped her notice what Owl meant.
“Anyway, there are others who live and work in the house. Sarah Latimer is the chef. She lives onsite, which makes sense, since she’s responsible for all the meals. Alice Green is the head housekeeper. She’s responsible for the other hourly employees who come in to clean and do laundry and anything else involved with keeping the place spotless. Steve Browning does maintenance. Neither he nor Alice live onsite, but they’re close by and their rents are paid by the estate. Nora Walker is in charge of the grounds, Joel Ackerson is both a driver and the pilot for the chopper. He flies Michaels, and his father when he’s in residence, to conferences in California and Vegas, or when they decide they want to go to dinner in Flagstaff or on other frivolous outings. And Benjamin Fox is the estate manager. He oversees all the employees and generally makes sure things run smoothly. He’s also responsible for mundane things like paying the utility bills and ensuring the trash people are picking up the garbage.”
“So once again, the question is…do any of these people know anything about Lara?” Stone asked.
“If you’re asking me, I don’t know. It looks like, other than Grant, they were all hired by Daddy. But if anyone knows, it would most likely be one of the live-in employees. Even when Ridge isn’t there, they retain their schedules and keep the place ready for members of the Michaels family to show up at a moment’s notice,” Owl said.
He looked up from the phone and said, “But you might be more interested in knowing that Michaels’s Bitcoin company…” He paused dramatically for effect.
“Spit it out,” Stone growled.
“It’s toast. Apparently, he’s a shit CEO and spent more money than he made. It’s hemorrhaging cash left and right. He’s managed to maintain his outward appearance of being loaded, but it’s pretty much bullshit.”
“Which explains why he needs Lara’s money,” Cora said.
“I think so,” Owl agreed with a nod.
“That, and the fact that his daddy cut the money he’s getting every month to almost nothing,” Pipe added.
“Since I’m on Lara’s account, do you think I’d be able to go in and cancel her cards? Make it harder for him to use her money? He might let her go if he can’t access her money.”
“Or he could decide that since she’s no use to him anymore, he needs to get rid of her,” Stone said bluntly.
Cora’s face turned white. It was obvious to Pipe that Stone’s suggestion was a surprise. He was kind of mad at his friend for not using more tact.
