Threads of Suspicion(85)
“Real estate. That’s interesting.”
Ben smiled. “Either someone like Caleb keeps the buildings together and in good repair or they end up needing to be rehabbed like what’s happening in Englewood right now. I wouldn’t be surprised if the size of Caleb’s world isn’t larger than his father’s by now,” the detective added. “The two are careful to keep the peace, staying out of each other’s geography. They’re still on good terms, but the brothers—to say there’s tension between Caleb and Blake would be a major understatement. The eldest brother left and still gets dad’s approval, while the middle son is too wild to ever get his dad’s admiration, and knows it. Chicago crime’s problem is liable to get even more dicey when Henry retires or dies.”
David smiled. “I should have stayed in New York a few more years, as we just got done with a similar shakeout there.”
“We’re not looking forward to the inevitable transition,” Ben said. “The hope is that the control passes on to the cousin, who can hold things together until Blake here gets himself arrested and jailed, removed from the equation. But so far we haven’t put together a case that can hold up in court.”
“You’ll eventually build your case. Maybe this one with Saul is it—if these photos let you pry up some people to testify about what happened that night.”
“We’ll push hard,” Ben said.
Evie found the story of the Grayson brothers fascinating. “That’s rare, that someone leaves a crime family and is still alive.”
“The eldest son has talent and a good business sense. He’s the sort of man who, were he born into a different family, you’d think would make a good federal judge or an honest governor. There’s got to be some deep-rooted ethics in him to have walked away from the money and power of his family in order to build something legal and free of that influence.” Ben looked across the images spread out on the table. “David, the photos from the concert and the guy Saul was focused on, why don’t you take those and see what you can find out? It might help you with that other disappearance—Tammy Preston, was it? I’ll start working IDs for the people gambling that Saturday night. We’ll meet up at the office where you’re working in, say, three hours? I’ll bring my team with me, and you can bring us up to date on the Saul Morris case.”
“Sounds like a plan,” David agreed, gathering up the concert photos of Lucas.
“So do we tell local cops our suspicions about Lori?” Evie asked David as they rode down in the elevator. “Someone tied to the organized crime family in Chicago is involved in Saul’s murder? If Lori knew a body was in that wall, it’s no longer a casual matter . . . or how she came to know it. And if one of her Houston clients told her about the remains, it’s likely she might be able to identify that person as someone in those photos.”
“We ask her ourselves first,” David replied after considering the question. “If she was acting on information someone told her who’s now dead, that’s different from if he were still alive. We don’t want to lose sight of what she’s potentially doing for Ann—solving who killed Nathan’s wife. The cops start looking at why she’s in Chicago, how she had info about the body, then suspicions overshadow what she’s doing at The Lewis Group, and whatever she has found to date there grinds to a halt.”
Evie went quiet as they walked out of the building, waited until they were in the car. “We’ve got time to swing by The Lewis Group offices. Why don’t I give Ann a call now, ask her to have Lori come down and meet us? That way we have it settled before you talk to the Englewood detectives. If we want Lori to speak with them directly, we can make arrangements for her to come talk with them tonight, maybe keep Nathan in the dark about Lori’s real reason for working for him.”
“All of this presupposes that Lori Nesbitt is in fact working for Ann and did know a body was there. We may be totally off, Evie.”
“I don’t mind looking like I stepped in scrambled eggs.”
David laughed at the image. “Call Ann. We’ve got time to make a stop.” He put the address for The Lewis Group in the GPS and pulled out into traffic.
Evie made the call, closed her phone with satisfaction three minutes later. “Ann didn’t seem surprised at the request. I’m going to take that as confirmation Lori and Ann have talked since the body was found this morning. Go around to the staff entrance on the south side of the building. Ann will have Lori meet us there.”