Trusting You (Second Chances #2)(42)
“Thank you for coming,” I said to him. I introduced him to everyone, and after he shook everyone’s hands I gazed at him expectantly and asked, “So what do you have for us?”
He took a seat in one of the chairs and removed his cap. “All I have to say is that you owe me, Mel. I had to sit through the most boring ass dates with Daniel’s receptionist to get some inside information I needed and believe me that wasn’t easy. But it did have some perks,” he said, waggling his eyebrows up and down.
Rolling my eyes, I groaned and held up my hands to stop him from going further. “Okay, we don’t need those sordid details, Mase. The last thing I want to hear is how you got her to speak. You didn’t tell her who you were did you?”
Mason scoffed. “Of course not. What kind of detective do you think I’d be if I did that? Seriously, Mel, you have to give me more credit than that. Anyway, I was given a few names and I did some digging. It appears Daniel’s reach is farther than I imagined. He has a lot of people in his circle, and I’ll bet everything I own that he has them in his pocket. But what I can’t gather is how he has the money to do everything he does and buys. He makes a lot of money, but he spends out more than he makes. Unless he’s embezzling it from his investors, which is something I have my people looking into. That would explain why he wants the properties on the vineyard to be built quickly so he could sell his portion and get the money back into his clients’ accounts.”
Galen leaned forward in his chair and cut in, “So what should we do? If we put off the project then it might draw suspicions, but I don’t want to waste resources by starting early. Do you have any concrete evidence that could put him away?”
Mason shook his head. “Not yet. The only way we can get that is to openly bring out this case and bring in more people. What we really need to do is get in touch with Daniel’s sister and find the real copy to his mother’s will. I also wouldn’t mind finding the lawyer that helped him in this scheme to interrogate him. That is if he even had a lawyer help him like he said he did. If we can just find the real will and have Daniel’s sister cooperate then we can definitely bust his ass.”
Korinne spoke up, directing her question to me. “Have you been able to talk to her yet?” she inquired.
“I’ve tried calling her, but she hasn’t picked up her phone. I don’t know how else to get in touch with her other than show up at her doorstep,” I remarked, glancing from her to everyone else.
Mason shrugged and closed the folder on his lap. “Well, it looks like we’re going to California to hunt her down.”
“And I’ll be going, too,” Brett acknowledged. “I can make it look like I’m starting early.”
Reluctantly, Korinne cast Brett a sympathetic smile and recommended, “Well … If you’re going to go out there, Brett, then you need to give Daniel a heads up if you’re supposedly going to be on his land. If not, it’ll look suspicious and we don’t want that.”
Brett gritted his teeth and scowled. I knew it was too soon for him to be able to put on a front with Daniel but he had to. “Fine, I’ll handle it,” he said heatedly. “Apparently, the bastard has been calling nonstop.”
“There is one thing …” Mason began, averting his attention to me and Brett. Hesitantly, he moved forward in his chair and leaned his elbows on his thighs. He sighed before adding, “And I know you’re not going to like it.”
Brett and I exchanged wary glances before turning our gazes back to my cousin. “What is it?” I asked skeptically. Brett wrapped his arms around my shoulders and held me tight while we waited on Mason to continue.
He explained, “We’re close to figuring out the shady dealings with Daniel, but it still doesn’t keep you out of his sights, Mel. Maybe if you and Brett…” He paused, releasing a heavy sigh, “… separated for a while it would make Daniel cockier if he doesn’t have to worry about you spilling the secrets to him. Mistakes happen when the culprit thinks he’s invincible.”
Brett’s grip on me tightened and his voice was laced with anger when he spat, “I refuse to leave her alone when that f*cker can get to her anytime he pleases. What all of you don’t know is that Daniel broke into her house and violated her. He’s lucky I haven’t killed his sorry ass for what he did.”
Korinne and Galen gasped while Mason stormed to his feet. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” he shouted. “Did he rape you?”
“No,” I shrieked, holding up my hands. “He didn’t and I know for a fact he would never try to do that to me anyway. Just let me explain,” I pleaded.
Fuming, Mason sat back down and I took a deep breath before telling the story. I didn’t go into full details, but I did tell them about Daniel tricking me and left off the sexual parts. I wasn’t about to say that out loud. I felt like the hugest fool for falling for it.
“So now you understand why I won’t leave her by herself, right?” Brett argued.
Regretfully, Mason nodded but didn’t relent. “Yeah, I understand that, but if she stays somewhere else or has someone staying with her it’s going to draw suspicion. Melissa can take care of herself, and she knows how to use a gun; I taught her how myself.”
“He’s right,” I agreed, glancing at Brett. “We’ll never pull this off if I’m seen with you. As much as I hate this we have to make him believe that I’m not a threat anymore. And I know you’re not going to like this, but if I pretend to get back together with him it could possibly give us some information we need.”