Page 77 of Nash Falls

“But that smacks of money laundering right there,” said Braxton, looking at Morris.

“Right, but who’s going to go after a foreign-based PE firm with hundreds of billions in assets,andsomeone who had long been on theForbeslist, and their collective army of lawyers and accountants? The IRS?” Nash added skeptically. “That would truly be David and Goliath. That’s why rich people never get audited, or if they do they just run out the clock until the government gives up.”

“That all stinks to high heaven,” said Morris.

“And Barton had enormous loss carryforwards to lay against his profits, so he didn’t pay one dime of capital gains on his windfall. You see, the tax laws were written to benefit commercial real estate developers above all others. But the bottom line is that cash infusion saved him and his empire.”

“So is the Singapore money in bed with the Steers org?” asked Braxton.

Nash said, “Why else would they overpay so dramatically? And you said the Chinese are backing Steers, and China has enormous leverage in the Asian financial markets and local governments over there. They could have been the ones to really come up with the purchase price, which would have been chump change for them. What I can tell you for certain is that the quid always comes with a pro quo. So if the Steers org saved Barton’s ass, they own him lock, stock, and barrel.”

Morris sat back and wiped his brow. “This is even more complicated than we thought.” He eyed Nash. “I know our relationship didn’t get off to the best of starts, but you are the real deal, Mr. Nash.”

“I had the advantage of being able to get into certain financial records and understand what I was seeing. And it’s Walter, Agent Morris.”

“And I’m Reed.”

The two men shared a smile over this sudden change in their working relationship.

Morris said, “I don’t think Victoria was running the empire backthen, so it might have been her parents, more likely her mother, who put this all together with Barton Temple.”

Braxton added, “But Victoria would have known about it. She was right at her mother’s shoulder before the woman vanished. So the daughter now owns the Temples.”

“I need to make a call,” said Morris. “I’ll be back in a couple minutes.”

He went into the next room.

Nash took out the thumb drive and handed it to Braxton. “I have no idea if this is any good from an evidentiary point of view considering how I came by it. But I think it will be a valuable launch pad for the collection of more information.”

“Like Reed said, amazing work, Mr. Nash.”

“It’s Walter for you, too.”

“And I’m Amy.”

He noted her wedding band. “I’ve heard an FBI career is hard on a marriage, which isn’t easy under any circumstances.”

“You heard right. It’s not easy.”

“I got married early. We had our daughter while still in college. But my business is a meat grinder, too. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it. Like right now.”

“Well, if this all plays out the way we want, Walter, you can start over and find out.”

Nash smiled. “From your lips to God’s ears, Amy. Oh, there is one more thing.” He told her about Rhett’s injured arm and his explanation of falling on his jet.

Braxton nodded. “I think I can fill in that part for you, but I’m not sure it will make you feel better.”

“I’m data driven, so I think I need to know.”

“We’ve been tracking the comings and goings of Rhett Temple’s private jet. On the night Lombard disappeared, it landed about a hundred miles from where Lombard’s car was found the next day.”

“You think he was there when Lombard was taken and presumably killed?”

“We know that Steers likes her associates to have skin in the game, so him being forced to witness the murder would make sense. Legally it would make him an accomplice. We also have been tracking Steers’s various aircraft. One of them was in the same vicinity that night as Rhett Temple. They may very well have met up afterward.”

“And his injury?”

“If you had looked under his shirtsleeve you might have seen a cut starting here.” Braxton touched a spot near her wrist and then ran it up just above her bicep. “And ending there. No permanent injury, but it will leave a scar. A bad one.”