Page 88 of Fatal Strike
“To the hospital?” She appeared to roll the thought around in her head. “Interesting. His conscience must be bothering him.”
He studied her as she seemed to grimace in pain.
“Don’t frown, Agent Colbert. I’m okay. I remembered I was supposed to call a social worker about Will Rawlyns’s son. Would you hand me my phone?”
“Is that necessary?”
She glared, and he reached for her device. The call lasted all of two minutes. The social worker would do all she could to expedite the situation with Will Rawlyns Jr.
An hour and ten minutes later, Ross Kempler arrived at the hospital. Jon met him in the foyer and escorted him to Leah’s room. Once inside, Jon closed the door.
“I’m grateful you were willing to see me tonight.” Kempler walked to Leah’s bedside. “I’m sorry to hear about your unfortunate encounter with a rattler.”
“Let’s just say this case got a whole lot more personal now.”
Kempler nodded, then got quickly to the point of his visit. “As you two remember, I claimed ignorance of information about Judge Mendez’s death. I’ve discussed things with my family, and we’ve decided I should share what I know about the private investigation that Judge Mendez, Ian Greer, andMarcia Trevelle were conducting. Since the judge’s funeral, I’ve wrestled with bringing criminals to justice and gut-wrenching fear for my family. This morning in church I was convicted to help you.”
Jon pointed to a lone chair. “Would you like to sit down?”
“I’m a lawyer. Do my best work on my feet.”
Jon chuckled to rid the room of stress. “Can I record our conversation?”
“No. This information is a means to run with the investigation. When it comes to a court of law, I’ll be the first witness.” He rubbed his face, lined with wisdom and experience. “If the Venenos have any indication of what I’m about to say, I’ll be the next victim.”
“Your family’s safety is a priority. Should you require protection, don’t hesitate to inform either of us,” Jon said.
“Appreciate it. Last month, Officer Ian Greer stopped a man for running a red light. He discovered a stash of OxyContin, Percocet, and Ambien in the front seat. Real stupid. The man confessed to dealing but didn’t know the name of the guy who supplied the drugs. Communication went through texts on a burner phone that he didn’t have with him. Greer arrested the man. Next day he paid bail and a day later, he was found dead. By the time Greer gained access to the man’s apartment, it had been ransacked. But Greer was able to trace the drugs he confiscated to a warehouse near Dallas. They’d been stolen nine months before the arrest.”
“Molston Pharmaceuticals in Beyero, Texas?”
“The same.”
“We have a man in custody under similar charges, only we weren’t able to confiscate any drugs, and none were found in his apartment. He claims to be a Veneno.”
“The one you arrested at Judge Mendez’s funeral?” When Jon nodded in confirmation, Kempler sighed. “He didn’t look familiar to me. Anyway, Greer discussed the situation with Judge Mendez and Marcia Trevelle. Both men were determined to get to the bottom of the murder. Trust me, the judge received his reputation honestly. When he chased a criminal or a situation, he stayed on the path until he resolved it. And Trevelle had the same dogged personality as Greer and the judge. But they came up essentially empty. The three learned Galveston was the second place the confiscated drugs had shown up, and a lot more were missing—to the tune of several million dollars on the street.”
That lined up with what Jon had learned.
Kempler paced the floor. “After Officer Greer’s body was found, the judge got worried. He told me Chief Everson had contacted the FBI for assistance, and the judge supported the decision. He said he had evidence in a safe place but not enough for law enforcement to make arrests.”
“Do you have the evidence? Know where it is?”
He shook his head. “I’ve looked.”
The FBI had swept Judge Mendez’s home and office. “Was Judge Mendez a paper kind of guy or flash drive?”
“Both.”
“If you haven’t found the proof, it’s unlikely the killers have either.”
“Whatever those three discovered went to their graves.”
Jon needed to think through this. “Why keep the details between the three of them? The stolen drugs had been reported to law enforcement. Everson would have known about them.”
Kempler maintained an impassive look.
A thought punched Jon in the gut. “There’s a dirty cop on the force.”
