Dead Wrong (A Cal Murphy Thriller Book 7) Jack Patterson (good beach reads .txt) 📖

nail Kelvin Jameson’s killer, but it’s also going to help us figure out who is trying to stop us. Are you with me?”

She nodded. “But if things go sideways, I’m relying on you to have a way out.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already been thinking about that.”

“This situation requires more than simply thinking about it. We need a concrete, resolute way to escape in case they come after us.”

“Not if, Kelly. It’s when.” He walked toward the window and gazed out over the city. “It’s only a matter of time.”

CHAPTER 29

SCOTT PERRY DECIDED to go into the office late after drinking six too many glasses of Scotch the night before. It was nearly ten o’clock by the time he stumbled out of the guest bedroom where he’d been sleeping. Scarlett’s incessant whining pushed him to the edge of his sanity. Short of staying in a hotel, Perry decided the best option would be to sleep somewhere else in the house and avoid her altogether.

“Scott! What are you doing?” she said as he wandered into the hallway in his robe.

He rubbed his face with both hands and shook his head slowly. “Do we have to do this so early in the morning?”

“With all the clients you’re losing, I assumed you’d be in at the office early, not late.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Scott. I figured out what was going on here. Our depleted bank account, your avoidance of me, the certified letter we received at the house this morning—”

“Certified letter? What certified letter?”

“Oh, don’t worry. I opened it and read it. Gordon Thompson is dumping you too—you know, that NBA All-Star who plays for the Suns?”

“What do you mean ‘too’?”

“I called the office, Scott,” she said as she slapped him on the shoulder. “I had to check up on you and find out what was really going on. Rumor has it plenty of players have been kicking you to the curb faster than a mold-infested sofa. That’s when it all made sense to me. We’re going down in flames.”

Perry hung his head and sighed. “It’s not like that.”

“Then tell me what it’s like. It’s not like we’re behind on all our payments? It’s not like your business is disappearing? It’s not like you haven’t made a mortgage payment in two months?”

Perry let out a guttural scream before spinning on his heels and returning to the guest bedroom.

Scarlett followed him to the door, which he shut in her face. “Don’t think you can run away from this,” she said as she yelled on the other side of the door. “You’re gonna have to face this at some point. You’re gonna have to face me.”

I’d rather gouge my eyes out with a spoon.

He turned on his phone and scrolled through his emails. None of them looked enticing to read. He read the subject line from his assistant: “Thompson’s notice.”

No need to look at that one.

And then one from his lawyer: “SuperSport Case.”

On Feb 16 at 2:30 PM, Clive Scott <CScott@ScottAndAssoc.com> wrote:

Scott,

I was writing you about your request to review the SuperSport contract and your potential case against them for refusing to complete the contract regarding the Kelvin Jameson commercial ad when I read an article from blogger Will Simon that changed everything. I was going to tell you that it looked bleak and you’d save yourself plenty of money by letting this one go. However, if what Simon is reporting is true, you have a strong case that would force them to pay if they continue to refuse in light of this new information.

Let me know how you want to proceed.

Regards,

Clive Scott, Esq.

Perry grinned as he re-read the email.

Could I get this lucky?

He knew that it wouldn’t save his business, his home, or—least of all—his marriage. But it might be enough to make SuperSport reconsider their position on refusing to pay up on the Kelvin Jameson commercial spot. Not to mention get him the money he needed to move forward with his next plan.

Perry switched over to the browser on his phone to search for the Will Simon story. It didn’t take him long to find it.

JAMESON MURDERED?

By Will Simon

Sources close to the Metropolitan Police Department indicated Wednesday night that a full-scale investigation is being opened into the death of popular Washington Wizards basketball player Kelvin Jameson.

The autopsy report—which has yet to be released to the public—revealed that the popular “date rape” drug, Zolpidem, was found in Jameson’s system. Based on the circumstances under which Jameson’s body was discovered, sources say police believe it is unlikely that he would’ve taken the drug himself. Sources also added that police are finding it hard to fathom that the amount of Zolpidem in his bloodstream would have remained behind if he’d taken it over a day before.

These details emerged less than 24 hours after Wizards’ owner Nikolay Gavin allegedly attempted to pay off Jameson’s widow, Tonya Jameson, who was denied the remainder of his salary and insurance payout due to the nature of his death. Recreational drug use precludes Tonya Jameson from collecting on either of the amount due to her late husband.

The story went on but Perry had read enough.

So, Gavin murdered Jameson? This might shape up better than I thought.

***

PERRY STORMED INTO HIS OFFICE just before noon. Unshaven, with matted hair, he drew several stunned looks from his employees.

“Larissa! Chelsea! Get in here now,” he barked before lumbering toward his desk.

He slumped into his chair and propped his feet up on his desk while waiting on the two women.

Moments later, they entered the room together.

“I appreciate your service here. However, I can’t sustain your salaries with all the hits we’ve taken lately at this agency. So, I’m going to have to let both of you go. You’ll receive two weeks’ severance. Any questions?”

The two women stared at him, mouths agape.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no,’ ” he quipped. “Best of luck, ladies.” He sat properly at his desk and made