Page 20 of Ghost of You (Haunted Souls #24)
Cope rolled his eyes. “Why the hell would I do that? If you pissed me off enough to divorce you, I’d tell the world you had a three-incher.
” Cope demonstrated with his thumb and first finger.
With a laugh, he got out of the SUV. As he walked toward Watson’s front door, he heard Jude’s outraged howl.
As Cope was approaching the front door, he heard shouting. It was Ambrose Watson and he was pissed off. He knocked on the door as Jude caught up with him.
Fitz opened the door. “Ronan’s nearly got him. I’m just standing by making sure Watson doesn’t try to charge at Ronan. Cope stayed with Fitz, while Jude walked into the living room to join Ronan.
“This is my partner, Jude Byrne,” Ronan said.
“Jesus, I know you!” Watson shouted. “You’re the asshole president of the Salem Elementary School’s PTA! The one who wants to indoctrinate our kids with Drag Queen Story Hour and wants to fly the pride flag on school grounds.”
“Councilman Watson,” Jude began sounding exhausted, “you have every right to disagree with my beliefs about LGBTQIA+ people, however, what you don’t have the right to do is steal a million dollars from the City of Salem and all of the taxpayers who live here.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Watson spat back.
“Miss Goodie Two Shoes Frankie Adams stole the money. There’s proof she stole it.
Just because your dumb asses couldn’t find it, doesn’t mean you can pass the blame onto someone else.
What’s next, you and the rest of the Keystone Cops accusing me of killing that bitch? ”
Jude’s hands curled into fists. Cope found himself torn between wanting to keep the peace and wanting to see Watson take a punch to the throat. “Keep talking asshole,” Jude urged.
Watson smirked. He looked like a deranged Disney villain. “I’ll tell you this, Oliver Adams was dicking half the women in this city. Ask me how I know?”
Ronan rolled his eyes. “How do you know that, Mr. Watson?”
“Because bitches talk. I can’t tell you how many women I’ve banged who tell me my dick is bigger than his and that Adams shoots his wad almost instantly. You want my two cents. Adams killed his wife so he could get her insurance money and bang all the stupid girls he could get his hands on.”
Jude pulled his phone out and started tapping it. “You want to talk about bitches? Tell me about this one.”
Cope knew Jude was showing the picture of Heidi Coombs with Watson at the bank.
“I have no idea who that woman is,” Watson said, as his hands started to shake.
“That’s interesting on two fronts,” Jude said with a self-satisfied grin. “One, you didn’t call her a bitch, and two, you’re standing beside her in the next picture.” Jude swiped his finger across the screen.
Watson visibly paled when he was shown the picture. “I-I don’t…”
“Cut the bullshit, Watson,” Jude shouted.
“These are still images the First Salem Bank sent to us from their security footage of the day Frankie Adams,” Jude made air quotes over her name, “opened the bank account that the embezzled city money was funneled into. The bank also sent us the scan of Frankie’s license, which, oddly enough, had been stolen the day before.
We have evidence that Frankie was working at Sea Witches Food Pantry during the time of this bank transaction.
This isn’t Frankie Adams. It’s Heidi Coombs, your lover and Parker’s soon-to-be former best friend. ”
Cope loved seeing his husband like this, angry and pushing for the truth. He’d never seen this side of his husband before and it was fucking hot. Maybe he’d ask Ten if he could take Lizbet and Wolfie for the night so he and Jude could get down to pound town.
“Frankie didn’t open this account and she didn’t steal the money. You did!” Jude accused.
“I didn’t steal anything you son-of-a bitch!” Watson whined.
“Once we get you arraigned for embezzlement, wire fraud, tax fraud, and half a dozen other counts, then we’ll move on to the first degree murder charge, which I’m sure you know comes with an automatic life sentence with no parole.
Guess you’re gonna have to kiss the bitches goodbye. ” Jude crossed his arms over his chest.
Cope got a front row seat to every thought rolling through Watson’s mind.
Not only did he steal the money from Salem’s city treasury, he’d also done something similar while he worked at two other companies in New Jersey.
“Anyone happen to know the statute of limitations on wire fraud in the state of New Jersey?” His eyes never left Watson’s.
“Five years!” Ronan called out. “Why?”
“You’ll want to get in touch with Brewster Financial and Ocean City Investment Brokers, both of which Watson worked at and embezzled from.
” Cope grinned. “Oh, and Parker is pregnant with a baby boy, but before you start picking out names you need to know the baby’s not yours, it’s Nathan Stanford’s.
I believe he’s one of your colleagues on the city council? ”
“Who the fuck are you?” Watson roared, bolting out of his seat toward Cope, who stood his ground. “Did that bitch Heidi rat me out?”
Ronan grabbed Watson’s arm and yanked him away from Cope, while Jude grabbed his left and wrestled both wrists into the cuffs.
“Ambrose Watson, you’re under arrest for embezzlement, wire fraud, and bank fraud.
You have the right to remain silent.” Ronan marched the screaming man out of the house with Fitzgibbon on his heels.
Jude wore a shit-eating grin. “I’m impressed, Mr. Forbes. It’s not your usual style to come at people like you did with Watson.”
“I swear, as the father of a daughter and the uncle to several nieces, if he called women bitches one more time, I’d be getting arrested for assault right now.”
Jude snorted. “No you wouldn’t. Ronan, Fitz, and I wouldn’t have seen a thing. Hell, I’m sure we all would have gotten a shot in ourselves.” He sobered. “Watson didn’t kill Frankie.”
“No, he didn’t,” Cope agreed. “I got to see all the rotten stuff Watson has done throughout his life, but killing Frankie wasn’t one of them, and before you ask, he didn’t pay anyone to kill her either.
When she disappeared, Watson saw it as the perfect opportunity to move the money offshore and blame Frankie for the theft.
He’s been loving every moment of the world thinking Frankie stole the money and ran off with it. ”
“If it wasn’t for those boy scouts finding Frankie’s remains he would have kept on getting away with it.”
“Exactly.” Cope sighed. “Can we go home now? I want to order pizza and cuddle our kids while we watch Finding Nemo for the millionth time.”
Jude nodded. “I know how hard this case has been on you. If anyone deserves pizza and cuddles, it’s you.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not done yet. We still don’t know who killed Frankie. I want one more shot at Oliver Adams.”
“Hold on there, tiger,” Jude chuckled. “Let’s get a good night’s sleep and then we’ll figure out how to come at Oliver Adams.”
“He’s not going to know what hit him.” Cope was filled, not with revenge, but with hope that he and the detectives would find Frankie’s killer so she and everyone who loved her could find some peace.