Page 102 of Lost Lake
“If it has nothing to do with our investigation, I’ll try to keep it quiet.” El turned and marched out the door, with Gabe following. She looked at him. “Bonnie sure doesn’t seem the type to have an affair.”
He shook his head. “But if she was inebriated, anything was possible. And she sounds like she regrets it.”
“She did seem like she was telling the truth.”
“But if she’s somehow involved with fraud at Safe Harbor and desperate to keep that and her affair quiet,” Gabe paused, as if for effect. “Then she might’ve gotten Acosta to take action for her.”
“Run Kenna off the road and kill her,” El said. “So, the guy remains a suspect until we locate him, and he provides an alibi for the time of Kenna’s murder.”
Gabe hoped Acosta would answer El’s phone call she made in the daycare parking lot, but she had to leave a message. Another roadblock that put a damper on his conversation with El as they drove back to the inn to review Kenna’s journal.
They hurried inside, and at the conference room, Gabe got a good look at Hayden. His expression burned with excitement, bringing Gabe’s feet to a stop.
Gabe poked his head in the door. “Looks like you might’ve found a lead.”
“Good. You’re back.” Hayden looked up from behind his computer. “I was just going to text you.”
Gabe gestured for El to join him. “Is it about Ward?”
“No, that algorithm is still running, but you’ll never guess what I located on New Tide and Safe Harbor.”
Gabe stepped into the room. “Spit it out.”
“Please,” El said, firing a corrective look at him as she entered the room.
“Sorry, man,” Gabe said to Hayden. “I’m just tired of people wanting to give us the runaround and am desperate for good news.”
“No problem.” Hayden leaned his chair back. “I’m only at the tip of the iceberg right now. I need to go deeper to find proof, but rumors on the dark web say Jonas Trent is stealing donation money from New Tide.”
El clicked her tongue against her teeth in disapproval. “I can’t say I’m surprised. He’s apparently devoted himself full-time to this organization, but shouldn’t he be managing his business projects? After all, that’s where his money comes from.”
Hayden nodded. “Apparently, he’s turned most responsibilities over to project managers. He only handles PR and finances. Which, according to comments, includes setting up bogus companies. Then he bills Safe Harbor under renovation costs, maintenance contracts, facility upgrades, etcetera. The projects never occur, and the payments go to a shell company he controls.”
Gabe’s anger rose. “What a scumbag.”
She gripped the back of a chair, her eyes narrowed. “The kids are the ones who suffer. They have to live in conditions that barely meet licensing requirements. You only have to visit, and it’s clear very little money is spent on upgrades and maintenance.”
“I take it to mean Tinsley’s in on it,” Gabe said. “Trent probably pays him off to keep his mouth shut.”
She shoved the chair and moved her hands to her waist. “Could also be true of the accountant. And it explains why they were able to pass audits.”
“Probably the thing Kenna stumbled on,” Gabe said. “She might’ve written about it in her journal.”
“I’ll look into this accountant and Tinsley, but I’m also just getting a picture of Trent’s finances. He took a hit on some business investments, and he’s living larger than he can afford. Could be his reason for stealing from Safe Harbor.”
“New Tide’s accountant, Patrick Sloan, seems to be living large, too,” Gabe said. “Even Tinsley. Probably those payoffs from Trent.”
“I’ll get back to you on all of that.” Hayden held up his hand. “Before you go, I have something else for you. Apparently, word on the street is that Safe Harbor is linked to multiple missing children cases.”
El sucked in a sharp breath, and her eyes blazed with fire. “On our visit, one of the residents said as much to me. I didn’t know whether to believe her or not, but looks like I should.”
“Or the kids might have a beef against Tinsley or the center, and they started a false rumor,” Gabe said.
“Or it could be true.” El continued to burn with anger. “At this point, we need to at least consider it, and as an officer, I’m legally bound to contact social services. Which I’ll do before we start on that journal.”
Hayden’s expression turned dark. “Sounds like the journal is your best lead. Let me know if you find anything else needing my help, and I’ll keep digging here.”
“Thanks, man.” Gabe bumped fists with Hayden, then looked at El. “How about some coffee to go?” He nodded at the pot on the food table.
