Special Assignment Page 9

  Mike canted the gun’s barrel to the right side and down. But despite taking his aim off Durgin, Cassie could sense a tension in him ready to swing the gun back at any sudden movement. “Tell me about Kardascian. What did he say?”

  “He said a lot of things.” Now that Durgin was back in his familiar position of power, he’d apparently decided to milk it for all it was worth.

  Cassie thought back to his comments about hiring PPS for protection. “I will speak with Evangeline about arranging protection for you as soon as possible. But not before you answer our questions.”

  Durgin gave her another one of those dismissive looks that made her blood boil. He focused on Mike. “Kardascian was scared. He said someone was out to kill him.”

  “Who?”

  “He didn’t know. But it had something to do with an investment we both recently made.”

  Mike glanced at Cassie and then back to Durgin. “What kind of investment?”

  “I don’t really know. It’s a blind trust. You know, like the ones politicians are supposed to use to prevent conflicts of interest.” He spoke carefully, slowly, as if they couldn’t possibly understand. “I don’t know what stocks they buy or who makes the decisions, but it is supposed to bring in a great profit. It all goes through an investment company.”

  Cassie didn’t know much about investments, but the whole thing sounded pretty shady to her.

  “So you don’t know what you invested in or who controls it. Yet someone is trying to kill you?”

  “That’s what Kardascian said. And he said I’m next.”

  None of this added up, and Cassie got the impression he wasn’t being as forthcoming as he wanted them to believe. She glanced at Mike.

  He gave her a knowing nod. “Who else has invested in this blind trust?” Mike asked Durgin.

  Durgin nodded slightly. He rubbed his lips together before meeting her eyes. “I don’t know. That’s the blind part.”

  “Then how do you know Kardascian was an investor?”

  “He called me.”

  “Out of the blue?”

  “Kind of. I mean, I’ve met him before, but we never talked about the trust. He said he got a call that someone was trying to kill him and that I was next on the list. That’s it. I thought it was a joke until yesterday.”

  Cassie suppressed the memory of Kardascian lying on the floor of his workout room, blood soaking his sweatshirt and the carpet beneath. No joke. “Do you know anyone else who has invested in this blind trust?” Cassie added.

  He shifted his feet and glanced past Cassie, his gaze combing the surroundings.

  “Answer,” Mike said.

  Durgin pulled at his goatee. “When we made the investment, each of us was given a contact name.”

  “A contact name for what?” Mike asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  Cassie frowned. She couldn’t tell if he didn’t know or if he just didn’t want to tell them. “And you were Kardascian’s contact name?”

  “That’s what he said when he called.”

  Cassie glanced at Mike. If Kardascian had a contact name, Durgin must, too. “Who is your contact?”

  He shook his head. “I never really had one.”

  “But you just said you were given a name when you made the investment.”

  “I was. I tried to contact him that day only to find out he’d been killed in a car accident years ago.” He shook his head faster. “None of it made any sense.”

  Cassie had to agree there. Not that she was convinced Durgin really wanted to help them make sense out of anything. “So you’re the end of the list, at least as far as we can trace it.”

  “Yeah.” He glanced at the shadows around them, then focused on Mike. “I need protection. I need PPS. And if you don’t mind, I really don’t feel all that safe chatting out here in the middle of the road.”

  Cassie gnawed on the inside of her bottom lip. She didn’t like it. Durgin’s story didn’t add up, and the way his eyes and flushed skin looked made her feel even more uncomfortable. He had to be hiding something. Or maybe she felt this way because he only talked to Mike and dismissed her. But whatever it was, she had a bad feeling about James Durgin.

  She glanced at Mike. I don’t trust him.

  Mike nodded. Me, either. But he might have answers. Answers we need.

  Durgin looked at them through eyelids at half mast. “What are you saying?”

  Cassie focused back on Mike. There’s something not right about him.

  Mike’s chest shook in a laugh. There’s a lot that’s not right about him. But I assume you’re talking about the drugs.

  Drugs?

  Heroin is my guess.

  She’d never considered he was a druggie, but it made sense. There was a whole lot Mr. I’m An Important Man wasn’t telling them. A prickle of unease rose up Cassie’s spine and centered at her nape. And they had to get to the bottom of it. “I’ll get my car. You can crouch down on the floor while Mike keeps his gun handy. It might not be your idea of the ‘respect you deserve,’ but it’s the only way you’re getting to PPS without being spotted.”

  MIKE STEPPED into the PPS office where Evangeline had ushered Durgin when they arrived. His body felt charged with an intoxicating rush of adrenaline. Interviewing subjects had always been his favorite part of police work. And with a self-important junkie scumbag like Durgin, cutting to the truth would be even more fun. Since the mess with the Dirty Three had begun, he’d almost forgotten how much he loved being on the job. Or at least as close as he could get at the moment. His blood was buzzing with it.

  He let his gaze skim over the rich gold walls and spare, Western-inspired furnishings. Evangeline promised there would be a camera in this office to record the interview, but he sure couldn’t see one.

  From a chair positioned at the side of the large oak desk, James Durgin looked up at him with half-hooded eyes. If Mike hadn’t had experience dealing with people under the influence of drugs, he might not have recognized Durgin’s impairment. But the signs were there.

  This would be a piece of cake.

  Mike pulled out the desk chair and folded himself into it, his knees separated from Durgin’s by the corner of the desk.

  “You filled out the paperwork?”

  “Enough of it.” Durgin darted his eyes away, his pupils looking more constricted than Mike had noticed out on the dark mountain road. He tossed the form on the desk.

  Mike glanced at it. Durgin had printed his name, address and all the other relevant information in a precise if slightly shaking hand. There was only one section left blank. “You didn’t fill out your financial information.”

  “Trust me. I have the money to cover PPS’s fees.”

  “Where? In that blind trust of yours?”

  “Some of it. Also in various other accounts and assets. Money is not a problem for a man like me.”

  Right. Mike almost smiled. Whenever someone like Durgin answered questions in such an absolute way yet refused to give details, Mike could bet he was lying. “You and Kardascian. Claypool and Vasco Pharmaeceuticals. Wealthy pillars of the community. I forgot.”

  Durgin snickered.

  “Care to share what’s so amusing?”

  “You didn’t know?”

  “Know what?”

  “Kardascian doesn’t own controlling shares in Vasco Pharm anymore.”

  This was easier than Mike dreamed. “He sold his stock in his company? Why? Was Vasco in some sort of financial crisis?”

  “Not that I know of. But Kardascian is…was.”

  Mike shook his head. “I’ve been to his so-called cabin. He didn’t look like he was hurting too badly.”

  “In debt to the top of his balding dome.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  Durgin drew back, as if offended. “He’s been spending most of his time in the best private gambling clubs all around Denver. And some of the limited-stakes ones, too. I know a girl, a blackjack dealer.”

  G
ambling. Interesting. “So is gambling something you and Kardascian also have in common?”

  Durgin glared as if it was blasphemy to suggest such a thing. “No.”

  “So how does someone like you get to know a blackjack dealer?”

  “I met her at a society party. One of those casino night shindigs that raise money for charity. That’s all.” He stroked his goatee, a self-grooming tick that almost always accompanied a lie. “That’s the only time I’ve seen her.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “Maybe I saw her a different time. Another charity event. I don’t keep track of staff at parties.”

  “Let me guess. You needed something to take the edge off giving money to the needy, and she said she could get her hands on a little smack.”

  Durgin shifted in his chair. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “And she not only came through, she knew where she could get more. As much as you wanted.”

  “I don’t do drugs.”

  “Really?” Mike reached out and caught the CEO’s hand. He flattened the man’s palm to the desk and spread his fingers. Needle tracks packed the webs between the digits. “What are those, Jimmy? Bug bites?”

  “So I tried it. That doesn’t mean I use.”

  “No, it probably means you’ve already used the veins between your toes so you’ve had to resort to your hands. And it looks like it won’t be long until you’re going to run out of hidden places to stick your needle.”

  “Okay. I’m trying to kick the stuff. I’m checking into rehab next week. You can verify that.”

  Mike didn’t really care about Durgin’s plans for rehabilitation. In his experience, junkies always intended to check into rehab next week. Problem was, next week never became now. He was more interested in the things Durgin had in common with Kardascian. “What’s the name of this blackjack dealer and where can I find her?”

  Durgin stared at Mike with his pinprick pupils. “I…I don’t remember.”

  Mike pulled his cell phone from his belt. He didn’t have time for this garbage. “Well, then, you might want to cancel those reservations at your cushy rehab center. I’m sure my partner, Detective Tim Grady, wouldn’t mind making some arrangements for you at the county jail. I hear cold turkey is the way to go anyway.”

  “Lila.”

  “Last name?”

  “Starts with an S.”

  “Where can I find her?”

  “She works up in Central City now. She deals at one of those Old West casinos. Until the last few weeks, she worked in a private club for high rollers. Said Milo lost more in that club than most people make in their lifetime.” He sat up, his lids opening fully, as if he’d suddenly found the answer. “Her last name is Strotsky, or something like that.”

  Russian? Mike’s gut clenched. In Denver, a Russian name mixed with gambling and drugs added up to bad news. “Some of those private gambling clubs have ties to the Russian Mafiya. Did you know that?”

  Durgin glanced around the room as if looking for a way out. Apparently not finding one, he slumped in his chair. “No. I wasn’t aware. I don’t know anything about that stuff.”

  “They are big players in the drug trade, too. Especially heroin from Afghanistan.”

  Durgin paled.

  Mike didn’t blame him. If the Russian mob was part of this mess, Durgin was facing serious danger…and until that disk was decrypted, so was Cassie.

  Chapter Ten

  Mike stepped from the office turned interview room and into the adjoining suite. Gathered around an oversized flat screen monitor sat Cassie, Evangeline, the black-taloned receptionist who’d ushered him into the offices yesterday, and an agent he recognized from the news coverage of movie star Nick Warner’s ill-fated visit to Denver. Jack Sanders, if memory served.

  Evangeline greeted him with a smile. “Now that was an interrogation. Remind me never to lie to you, Detective Lawson.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Angel?”

  The receptionist stopped chewing her gum. She whipped her head around to face Evangeline, her spiked black hair sharp enough to cut someone. “Yeah?”

  “Would you please escort Mr. Durgin to the office living quarters and fix him up with clean linens and toiletries?”

  Apparently Evangeline trusted Durgin a hell of a lot more than Mike did. “You’re letting him stay here?”

  “For tonight. That way we can keep an eye on him.”

  Angel shuffled past Mike. Her black lipsticked lips curved into a shy yet flirty smile as she passed him and let herself into the office where Durgin waited. After the door closed, her image appeared on the monitor, talking to Durgin, metal flashing from her pierced tongue each time she opened her mouth.

  Mike pulled his eyes from the strange sight and moved into the room to take the seat next to Cassie.

  Before they could start, the red-haired tech guy Mike had also met yesterday popped his head in from the outer office. “The new cameras work?”

  “Beautifully, Lenny.” Evangeline gave him a warm smile. “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

  Lenny blushed a little, mumbled something and wandered away, as if his mind had already jumped to the next technological challenge on his agenda.

  Evangeline cleared her throat and turned to the three of them remaining in the room. She looked past Mike and Cassie and focused on Sanders. “Jack? Thanks for postponing your trip to L.A. I know I promised to give you some time off with Kelly and Alexandra.”

  “They understand. Well, Kelly does. Alexandra is a different story. You know four-year-olds.”

  Evangeline gave Jack a warm smile. “We won’t keep you from them too long. I hope.”

  “Whatever it takes.”

  “Glad to hear it. I need you to see what you can find out about Kardascian’s finances and the sale of his business. And see what you can find out about Durgin, too.”

  Jack nodded and turned to Mike and Cassie. “So let me make sure I have all this straight. Milo Kardascian had money problems due to a gambling habit, so he sold his business to Tri Corp Media, right?”

  Mike nodded. “I’m assuming the sale to TCM gave him the money to invest in this blind trust, but you might want to check that.”

  “And Durgin?”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if you find he also had a debt problem. Heroin can get expensive. And who knows what else that guy is into.”

  “So what is with this blind trust?” Cassie asked. “Why would Kardascian and Durgin sink their money into something they didn’t have control over and didn’t know who did?”

  “Several possibilities. Money laundering for one.”

  Cassie’s eyes widened. “For the Russian mob?”

  “If they were in deep from their gambling and drug habits, the mob might have used the debt to leverage a little assistance cleaning dirty money.”

  “And if the mob isn’t involved?”

  The option Mike was hoping for. “If the mob isn’t involved, a blind trust would still give them plausible deniability.”

  Cassie arched her eyebrows in question.

  “If the trust dabbles in investments that cross the line of the law, Kardascian and Durgin can say they didn’t know anything about it.”

  “And get away with it.”

  Mike nodded. “The rich operate under different laws than the rest of us.”

  Jack’s jaw hardened. He looked back to Evangeline. “Do you want me to check out this Lila Strotsky, too?”

  “No. You have enough to follow up on. I’ll have Sara do it. She’s on the surveillance team at Cassie’s apartment right now, but she can get on it first thing tomorrow.”

  Mike shifted in his chair. If he remembered correctly who Sara was, she’d struck him as being a bit young for the job. “Why Sara?”

  Evangeline smiled, as if she found the question amusing. “Sara might look like she’s about sixteen years old, but she’s not. She’s former FBI. She has contacts in the Organized Crime Division that
will give her a lot more information than we can get on our own.”

  “I see.” Sara’s contacts probably could shed some much needed light, but he still didn’t like waiting. He wanted to know exactly what kind of danger Cassie was facing. He resisted the urge to glance in Cassie’s direction. With her ability to read him, she’d probably recognize the protectiveness he felt right off…and get mad at him for coddling her all over again.

  “Jack?” Evangeline said, bringing the conversation back to the track she’d been on when Mike interrupted. “If you need help, see if John Pinto can spare a moment. He and Ethan are setting up the security cameras for Congressman Tracker’s fund-raiser tomorrow.”

  “Will do.” Jack thrust himself up from his chair. He stood so straight, Mike half expected him to salute. Had to be ex-military.

  “What about Mike and me?” Cassie said.

  A wave of concern passed over Evangeline’s face. She took a breath, quickly hiding the emotion, but Mike was sure Cassie had seen it. He could feel her tense beside him.

  “We can’t just sit around and do nothing,” Cassie prodded.

  “That’s exactly what you need to do. Go to Mike’s ranch. Rest. I need your mind to be fresh.”

  “I don’t need rest. I need to work on the disk. I need to find answers.”

  “You said you’d deciphered the disk, that you just don’t know what the numbers mean.”

  Cassie nodded. “That’s why I should be here, working on it.”

  “No. That’s why you need some rest. Tomorrow you might be able to see it in a whole new light. Besides, our minds solve some of our toughest problems while we’re sleeping.”

  Mike didn’t think Cassie bought Evangeline’s theory. But then, he’d learned that Cassie didn’t believe anything just happened. Not without her making it happen. It was part of what he found so refreshing about her, if frustrating at times.

  “All right then, we’re done.” Evangeline stood. She and Jack filed out of the room quickly, leaving Cassie and Mike alone. Cassie pursed her lips together and skewed them to the side.

  An uneasy feeling pinched Mike’s gut. “You’re planning something, aren’t you?”