Dead Cold Mysteries Box Set #2: Books 5-8 (A Dead Cold Box Set) Blake Banner (read out loud books txt) 📖

believe that a professional with David’s reputation and experience could delude himself to that degree.”

He answered quickly. “And I would have to agree with you. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it myself. But there he was…” He spread his hands and looked apologetically at Dehan. “I don’t mean to sound sexist, but the fact is that when people fall in love they can become…”

Dehan supplied the word, “Stupid.”

He laughed. “Well, yes. Stupid is as good a word as any. And the impression I had was that he was besotted with Katie, and she was driving him on this, frankly, pointless crusade.”

She smiled and gave her head a little twitch to the side. “Wouldn’t be the first time a woman drove a guy crazy, that’s for sure.” Then she became more serious. “So you think she had some kind of axe to grind?”

“It’s possible, but I don’t honestly know. I never met her in person. But when I spoke to Dave, he just wouldn’t shut up about her. I know this, he involved her in his investigation a damned sight more than anybody before—including myself. She was privy to stuff he wouldn’t share with me.”

“Like what?”

He made a ‘really?’ face. “I don’t know because he didn’t make me privy to it. But he repeated several times that ‘he and Katie’ had unearthed information that was dynamite. More than dynamite. But when I asked him what it was, he refused to tell me and made excuses. In the end, I came to the conclusion there was no actual information. It was all the product of late-night drinking, smoking dope, and getting paranoid.”

I said, “You think he was paranoid? Actually paranoid?”

He made a face. “I don’t know. I’m not a psychologist. But from what I know as an informed layman, he certainly had started to display a lot of the behavior patterns associated with paranoia.”

I studied his face for a few moments.

“How close are you to the Hennessys, Mr. Lee?”

“You asked me that yesterday, detective, and the answer is the same today as it was then. I am not close to them. We have barely a passing acquaintance.” He sighed. “I am not trying to protect Senator Hennessy, if that is what you are implying. I have no love for her or her politics.”

“Here is what I don’t understand, Mr. Lee…” I frowned and scratched my head. “What is there in what you have told me today, that you could not have told me yesterday?”

He nodded several times like he understood my question perfectly, but the answer was plain to see.

“You must remember, Detective Stone, that David and I were friends for a long time. As I told you yesterday, I was also very fond of his wife, Samantha. We moved, and to some extent still move, in a fairly small social circle. In a small circle like that, reputation counts for a lot. David had, and still has, a very good reputation, and believe it or not, Samantha still benefits from that reputation. She is an editor, her late husband was a well respected journalist. They are both part of, if you like, the ‘clan’. If it gets out that he was not only being unfaithful to her, but also that he had lost it and become delusional, that would be humiliating and even damaging to Samantha. I am sure you can see that.”

“So why the change of heart?”

He took a deep breath. “This is a murder investigation. I believe that David’s state of mind, and Katie’s, at the time of his death, could be significant factors. I don’t pretend to know who killed him, detective, but I do believe it’s important that, at least from my point of view as a lawyer, he was not at any time a significant threat to Carol Hennessy.” He gave a sudden laugh. “My God! The internet is rife with wild and outrageous allegations against her, and frankly what David was presenting as earth-shattering proof, was no better than what is on the ’net.”

I nodded. “I see.” I paused a moment to think. “Mr. Lee, did David ever mention a source? A particular source that could provide him with conclusive evidence, proof, of the allegations he planned to make in his article?”

He narrowed his eyes and stared at my face, as though he was trying to read what was behind it.

“A source, like who?”

I smiled. “Well, that’s what I am asking you, Mr. Lee. Did he ever mention such a source?”

He shook his head. “Not in so many words, no. Nothing specific. He rambled about having sources, in the plural, but he never mentioned a particular person. I mean, who…?”

I waited for him to finish his question, but he didn’t. Finally, I said, “So if I said to you that David had made contact with the hit man who had carried out Carol Hennessy’s last ten contracts, you could not relate that to anything that David had told you in your last meetings with him?”

He stared at me fixedly. After a bit, he gave his head a few short, quick shakes. “No, no, that doesn’t sound like anything he said to me. I wouldn’t give any credence to that.”

“You wouldn’t?”

“No.” He laughed without much humor. “No, I wouldn’t.”

“Based on what, Mr. Lee?”

He licked his lips and swallowed. “Based…” He laughed again. “Based on the fact that he never said anything of the sort to me. I mean, God! Don’t get me wrong! Like I said, I am no fan of hers, and there is no question that the people who cross her do tend to drop like flies! But that does not by any stretch of the imagination constitute evidence!”

Dehan sat forward and placed her elbows on the table. Her expression was more curious than challenging. “Let