Trusting Danger (Danger, #2)(64)
The path to justice was a slow one.
Over the past few weeks, the team had been working their way through the lists, performing cursory background checks since the list was long and resources were limited. With Claire and her parents in the center of a circle of influence, the team first focused on those closest to the Parkers and worked their way outward, leaving casual acquaintances for last since they were less likely to have a reason to want to cause harm to Claire or her family.
Even though the background checks weren’t extensive, the process was still time-consuming. The team had started with Claire’s list, and so far, none of the people they’d checked had a criminal record worth examining closer—traffic tickets and the like didn’t count, and none of them were known to associate with criminals. Everyone’s identities checked out; no one was masquerading as someone they weren’t. None had a history of violence.
Grayson went through the stack of files that had been compiled thus far, committing each name and face to memory, as well as their relationship to Claire and her family.
While he was at it, he went over their files on the men who’d invaded the safe house again, Jack Lawson and Roy King, looking for a link to the Parkers. But once again, he came up empty.
After another dinner alone in his apartment, Grayson put his dishes in the dishwasher and settled in on the couch for some TV. Since Camden and Autumn had left to return to Virginia a few days ago, the apartment had been quiet in the evenings when he was home. Too quiet.
The truth was, he missed having people around, something he never thought would happen. He’d ostracized himself his entire life, keeping co-workers and acquaintances at arm’s length with a surly demeanor, a strategy he was now second-guessing. The only person who’d pushed past his unfriendliness and breached his emotional walls in years was Camden.
And now Claire.
Grayson picked up the remote to turn on the TV and flipped to the news, surprised when Claire’s heart-shaped face filled the screen. He sat up and leaned forward, his heart pounding.
A young network reporter with silky black hair wore a serious expression as she interviewed Claire, her tone matter-of-fact but kind. She led Claire through an accounting of her relationship with Gabe Rogers, and asked if Claire knew that Gabe was rumored to be planning to propose.
“I had no idea,” Claire said after glancing up to the right for a second.
Lie. Every investigator knew that was a sure tell that what came next wasn’t true. It surprised Grayson that the thought of Gabe proposing to Claire bothered him, but it did.
“And where does your relationship stand now?” the reporter asked.
Without hesitation, Claire looked the woman squarely in the eye and said, “It’s over. After our last trip together a couple of weeks ago, I’d already decided to break things off when I saw him again. I didn’t want to do it on the phone.”
True. Thank God.
Grayson had wondered if Claire had harbored any feelings for Gabe, even after learning that he was probably behind the kidnapping plot. If anything, knowing that her boyfriend had been running a Ponzi scheme and had tricked her into helping him recruit should have turned her against him, but in Grayson’s experience, people weren’t always rational.
Turning to Thomas Parker, who sat to his daughter’s right, the reporter asked about his relationship with Gabe. The senator looked sheepish as he admitted that he and members of his staff had been duped by Gabe, but insisted that he’d known nothing about the Ponzi scheme.
“I’m as much a victim as the others,” he said, spreading his hands wide, palms up.
True.
The reporter shifted in her seat, focusing on Claire again. “We understand you’ve been through a harrowing experience lately. Can you tell us a little about that?”
Claire pulled her shoulders back, visibly stiffening as she recounted learning about the kidnapping plot and being taken into protective custody. She glossed over the days spent in the safe house, simply saying that it was hard being cut off from the world with no contact with friends or family. When she talked about the night of the attack and Jeremy’s death, her voice broke. Her father reached over and took her hand, obviously trying to comfort her.
“I’m so sorry. That must have been horrible,” the reporter said, her sympathy seeming genuine. “Have any arrests been made?”
Claire opened her mouth to answer but her father squeezed her hand.
“We’ve been advised not to speak about the ongoing investigation,” Thomas said, his stern expression a clear indication that the subject was well and truly closed.
“I see.” The reporter gave him a closed-lipped smile and went for the kill. “Senator, do you feel that the threat against your daughter and her involvement with a disgraced fund manager will have any effect on your campaign?” Her smile widening, she said, “After all, Election Day is only two weeks away.”
Turning to look directly at the camera, Senator Thomas Parker said, “I have every confidence that the voters in Massachusetts will vote for who will represent them best. For the past eight years, I’ve been proud to have that honor, and I’m looking forward to another four years.”
Chapter Fifty-Four
Claire hit Save on her laptop, relieved that she was close to completing what she’d missed during her time away from school. All her assignments were turned in, and she was nearly caught up on her reading.