The Price of Greed

CHAPTER 38

"We agreed it was only a good theory; we never said it was a slam dunk." Jarlayne plumped the pillow behind her and rested the phone on her cheek.

"For sure Haggard didn't. But he removed my deadline... sort of."

"I'm glad, Hood. You deserved better." He felt his chest fill at her statement of faith. "So now what?"

"Don't laugh but after interviewing Charlotte my theory changed again. If what she said proves true it places Gloria smack in the centre of the spotlight."

"Desperation." Jarlayne observed.

"No, I think I have a good—"

"I meant her. Her only hope was the disc and, short of Cutter, whom I doubt got anywhere, Grover and Milo were the only ones who would have it."

"Yeah, but obviously they didn't. At least if she did get it she hasn't made a move to use it."

"Don't be too sure that Charlotte didn't get it. She might just be holding on to it as insurance for herself."

"But I don't think she killed anyone."

"Maybe she didn't have to; Milo was a client of Lady Nightwalk after all."

Hood shoved his upper lip with his tongue and cursed inwardly. It made perfect sense now. Charlotte just beat Gloria to the punch.

"I gotta go; Haggart is priming the oven for my roasting if I don't produce pronto."

"Good luck, Hood..."

"Maybe after...?"

"Call me, we'll see." She replaced the receiver slowly and let her head fall back on the pillow. "We'll see..." She said aloud to her empty bedroom. Her heart was confused but her mind was forming a clear picture. Relationship, particularly with another cop was a bad idea; there was never good outcomes when every day was a worry about safety. "We'll see," she said again, turning over and closing her eyes.

Thursday

Victor Enland answered his own front door and gave Hood a scalding look.

"You are in for a world of hurt, Detective. Miss d'Bouvier has worked for me for many years and I will not have her harassed by the likes of you."

"Miss d'Bouvier will be released sometime this morning, after being most cooperative, and right now the 'likes of me' would like to speak with your wife."

"What about?"

"Police business, Mr. Enland, and this time I'll be speaking to her alone."

"Over my dead—"

""I'll see the detective, Victor." Gloria appeared behind him, her face dull and expressionless, a cursory attempt at makeup looked like an unfinished number painting. She pulled her dressing gown tighter and turned away.

Hood stepped past a livid Victor and followed her into the same room they had sat in before. The brilliant cushions and flower patterns only served to deaden her appearance. He suspected she was becoming resigned to whatever her future held.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush, Mrs. Enland. I came here to arrest you for the murders of your brother and Milo French."

She sat slowly and sighed, plucking at the leaf of a brilliant, red carnation in a pot next to her chair.

"I know how it all started with you and Milo. How you used him to steal a copy of the codes and then had him deliver them to Grover, keeping you at arms length. I know about Cutter and all the extortion attempts, including Victor's, and how they all failed. When Victor started divorce proceedings, you knew you were finished and had only one way to salvage any kind of financial security. You needed the codes. Whether Victor got them or not, it didn't matter. Someone, somewhere would pay plenty to have them. The technology in the data was invaluable."