Double Cross Read Free Page B

how many clients had been affected.
    Marsha Leonard, the director, greeted him in the foyer. The cavernous pits beneath her eyes told of sleepless nights. No one wanted to believe such an atrocity had happened. Since the clients suffered from dementia, asking them questions when they didn’t know if a crime had even been committed made the going tough. The one reliable source was his grandmother   —a mentally healthy woman. She’d witnessed a man persuading a client to purchase alife insurance policy, not knowing Gramps had given the salesman access to their own financials.
    “Daniel, I really appreciate your expertise in conducting these interviews.” Perspiration beaded around Miss Leonard’s mouth. “Notifying the caregivers and guardians of these precious people makes me ill.”
    Did she have reason to be nervous other than her job being at stake? “I want the situation rectified as badly as you do,” he said. “We need to make an official announcement once the interviews are conducted. We have nearly twenty-five people to question. What we don’t finish today, we’ll continue tomorrow afternoon.”
    She drew in a deep breath. “I don’t know what I’d do without your guidance. If this is true, our reputation is ruined.” She hesitated. “That’s callous. A crime might have been committed, and I’m worried about my job.”
    “A crime has been committed. The question is the source.”
    The lines between her brows deepened. “Let’s get started.”
    “I’d like to speak to my grandparents first. Won’t be long.”
    Daniel signed in and made his way to the recreation room, where Gran and Gramps spent most of their daytime hours. Gran had her nose in a Kindle, while Gramps played dominoes with a couple of other men. Daniel kissed the top of Gran’s head.
    Her gaze flew to his. “Hi, Daniel. You surprised me.”
    He chuckled. “What adventure are you in today?”
    “Third novel in George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire saga, A Storm of Swords .”
    “Hope it’s a good one.” He glanced at Gramps. “How is he?”
    She tilted her head. “Slipping.”
    “I’ll say hello before talking to the staff.”
    “I don’t want to think any of them are guilty, but there’s no way that man got inside here without help.”
    “Right.” He greeted Gramps, who paid no attention, and hurried to Marsha Leonard’s office, where he’d be busy for a while.
    For the next two hours, he talked to people who worked at thefacility. Though he wasn’t here in an official police capacity, he requested written permission to record the interview as a representative of Silver Hospitality and to verify the validity of their statements. The questions were the same. Were they satisfied with their position? How long had they been employed at Silver Hospitality? Had they allowed anyone to enter the premises without appropriate security measures? Had they ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony? All had undergone background checks prior to employment, but he repeated the questions in case their status had changed.
    At seven o’clock, Liz Austin slid into a chair across from him. She’d applied a fresh coat of bright-red lipstick, and she’d pulled out her ponytail, allowing her blonde hair to fall in waves. Yep, a beauty right down to her light-blue eyes. No, he wasn’t interested, no matter how many times she threw herself at him. Women who flaunted the obvious spelled trouble.
    “Miss Austin, I see you’ve been with the facility for nearly ten months.”
    “Please, call me Liz. We’re friends.” She crossed her legs and leaned forward. Cleavage was her specialty. “Ten months is correct.”
    “Are you satisfied with your position?”
    She laughed. “I’m in the kitchen with Chef Steven. I do grunt work. Seeing you is the highlight of my day.”
    He printed her response minus the personal comment. “Have you been arrested for anything since you began working here?”
    “Not unless my thoughts