Page 104 of Pretty Poison
Asher was home more than he was away during this stretch, which was the ultimate balm to Rocky’s soul as he worked through his frustrations and fears. Karen had recommended re-evaluating his diet and exercise regimen but cautioned him about making too many changes at once. He and Asher enjoyed cooking healthier meals together and taking their nightly walks with Fiona. He wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to caffeine and sugar altogether, but he noticed a significant improvement after cutting back on just those two things.
During lunchtime, Rocky took Fiona to the park to stretch her legs and get exercise. It cleared his head so he could analyze better and stay sharper. Unfortunately, it didn’t give him a solution to Tess Hamilton’s investigation. He’d started to think the case was a dead end until an unexpected clue landed on his desk one day after one of his outings with Fiona.
Lillian Travers was waiting in reception when he returned to the office. He was pleasantly surprised to see her. Rocky had expected to receive her list of candidates for the board position the previous week. When it didn’t arrive, he assumed Lillian’s account was a casualty of Duggins’s smear campaign.
“I probably should’ve called before stopping by,” she said after he greeted her. “Do you have a few minutes to meet with me?”
“Of course.” He gestured for Lillian to follow him to his office.
Once there, she spent a long time fussing over Fiona’s beauty before pulling several files from her briefcase. Lillian made no attempt to reach for his dog, and Rocky didn’t encourage it. “I had intended to provide these to you last week, but life got in the way.”
“It’s what life does best,” Rocky said. He accepted the stack and met her shrewd gaze. “I thought maybe you’d changed your mind about working with our agency.”
“Why? Because of the idiot who called the radio station and made baseless accusations? Surely you think I’m a better judge of character.” When put like that, Rocky felt kind of silly for doubting her. Before he could apologize, Lillian continued, “I have a better understanding of the pain I saw in your eyes during our first meeting. If anything, my respect for you has grown, not diminished.”
“Thank you.”
“I started listening to your podcast, and it’s riveting,” Lillian said. “Not just the stories, but the chemistry between you and your friends.”
Rocky smiled. “I’d hate to think where I’d be without their friendship.”
“And I pray you never have to find out.” Lillian tilted her head slightly. “You know, your show has opened my eyes a lot. Our system is more flawed than I realized. We have bad people being set free too soon and innocent people going to prison. You can be pissed about both those things at the same time. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.”
“Very true.”
“I’d like to ask a question, but please don’t feel obligated to say yes. And saying no won’t jeopardize my commitment to working with your agency,” Lillian added.
“Okay. You’ve got my attention.”
“Would you consider featuring my Halianna on your show? It would bring much-needed attention to my causes and help raise awareness among young women.”
“I think it sounds like a wonderful idea.” As their personal lives got busier, the guys would have less time for chasing down leads and investigating unsolved cases. Halianna’s tragedy and Lillian’s triumph was the kind of story they could feature in between those lengthier investigations. “I’ll absolutely bring it up to my partners to see how they feel.”
“Thank you so much,” she said. After checking her watch, Lillian rose to her feet. “I have another meeting in thirty minutes. I’d like to choose my board by the end of the month. Is that enough time?”
“Plenty,” Rocky assured her. “Thanks for sticking with me.”
“No thanks necessary,” she said as Rocky walked her back to reception. “Take care of yourself. Let me know what your friends think.”
“I’ll be in touch soon.”
Fiona was waiting for him in the doorway when he returned. Rocky scratched her ears and told her she was the best girl for at least the twentieth time that day. He sent a group message to Jonah and Felix and pitched Lillian’s idea to them. Their replies were enthusiastic and eager, so he sent an email to Lillian. The logistics could come later, but he didn’t want to keep her waiting for an answer.
Afterward, he immediately began looking through Lillian’s candidates and was surprised to see a file with Grant Duncan’s name on it. Rocky knew very little about the guy except he was protective of his mother, worked in management at Arnold Hamilton’s trucking company, and owned a spooky house. He’d called Grant a few times to interview him, but he’d always had an excuse for why they couldn’t meet. Rocky hadn’t expected a different reaction, so it hadn’t bothered him.
What skill set or quality would make him attractive to Lillian’s charity? There was only one way to find out, so Rocky opened the file and began looking through his dossier. Like a work resume, the profile separated the candidate’s information into categories: education, work history, and philanthropy experience. Rocky started at the top and read all the way through, then went back to the beginning and reviewed it again.
Everything about Grant aligned perfectly with Lillian’s mission. His education was in social work and philanthropy. He had professional and personal experience utilizing both skill sets that would help her succeed. His first job out of college was counseling abused children. During that time, he’d volunteered for several nonprofit organizations. Eventually, his career shifted away from social work and more toward his philanthropic endeavors. Grant’s current position was listed as Director of Gift Planning and Donor Services for Hamilton’s trucking company.
Still? If the Hamilton kids were so horrible, wouldn’t they have fired Grant? Or were they not involved in the daily operations of the corporation?
The trucking company was well known for the staggering amount of money they gifted to charities. Rocky pulled up their website and read through the annual donations list for the previous year and the one before that. A pattern began to emerge, and the hint of an epiphany tickled Rocky’s brain. Fiona raised her head and looked at him. She must’ve sensed his excitement.
“It’s all good, sweet girl.”
Fiona laid her head back down but watched him through curious eyes.
Rocky switched his attention back to Grant’s dossier, reading it from top to bottom again. Everything Grant Duncan did after high school, both professionally and personally, revolved around helping abused children and women. He’d volunteered at shelters, counseled kids, raised money for these causes, then later accepted a position which allowed him to funnel millions of corporate dollars to them too.