Page 9 of Two Kinds of Stranger (Eddie Flynn #9)

‘His name is Arthur Cross. About two years ago, he began a relationship with one of my clients, Betty Le Saux. She was in her seventies, widowed, had a lot of cash and stocks and a big property portfolio. Cross is in his mid-thirties, ran pyramid schemes and sold shady bitcoin to the elderly, who all lost money – if it stank, he was into it. Did some time too.’

‘You know a lot about this guy,’ I said.

‘When Betty’s nieces and nephews met Arthur, they were suspicious, and rightly so.

I handled Betty’s will and estate planning.

They came to me to make sure she hadn’t changed her will, but when I told them a marriage can invalidate previous wills they told me about Cross.

I was concerned for Betty, so I got a PI to look into this guy.

That’s how I know so much. Three months ago, Betty died.

Fell over the rail on the second floor of her mansion and broke her neck.

Police carried out an investigation – accidental death.

Betty’s family were convinced Cross had arranged the accident.

She was no spring chicken, but Betty was solid on her feet. ’

‘Don’t tell me a new will appeared . . . ’ I said.

Kevin smiled, said, ‘Exactly. It was handed to me by Arthur the same day the police ruled Betty’s death as accidental.

The will he gave me left everything to him.

It was signed and witnessed by two people the family had never heard of.

One of them was called Bruno Mont – he did time with Cross.

Also, the private investigator couldn’t confirm it, but he was convinced Bruno Mont killed people for money.

And that Cross, who had a perfect alibi for the night of Betty’s accident, had paid Bruno Mont to kill Betty.

The family instructed me to contest the will and we got it thrown out in court, and her prior will upheld, which left Cross with nothing. ’

‘You shouldn’t have gotten involved,’ said Christine.

‘I had no choice. I had to do what was right for my client,’ said Kevin.

‘Where have I heard that before?’ said Christine, managing to land a blow on me and Kevin at the same time.

‘After the case, Cross started following me around the courts. Standing outside the office. Even our home. Then there was a letter yesterday – anonymous, of course, telling us to be careful. That our family was in danger. I got an emergency restraining order yesterday afternoon.’

‘You think the letter came from Cross?’

‘Had to be. The order says he is not to come within one hundred feet of my office, or our home. I saw him out there last night. He stood on the sidewalk across the street, exactly one hundred feet away . . . ’

‘Then he showed up at my school this morning,’ said Amy.

‘ What? ’ said Christine and I, simultaneously.

‘I didn’t want to worry you,’ said Kevin. ‘I’m on it already. I’ve petitioned the court to amend the restraining order to include Amy’s school too.’

‘What did he do at the school?’ I asked.

‘He just stared . . . ’ said Amy, and shivered at the memory.

I felt my fingers tightening into fists.

‘I was with her this morning. He wouldn’t try anything with me there. We’re making sure Amy is protected,’ said Kevin.

Reaching for the lid of the lockbox for the pistol, I saw Kevin’s fingers tremble as he closed it, picked up the box and put it up high on a kitchen shelf.

He turned and smiled. Kevin was trying to keep a calm facade.

He was scared, but there was no way he’d admit that.

Not to me. And especially not in front of Christine.

‘Amy, why didn’t you tell me this in the car?’ I asked.

‘I didn’t want you freaking out when you were driving,’ said Amy.

‘Was he stalking you during the case?’ I asked Kevin.

‘Yes, just outside the office, mostly. That’s when I got the pistol. I have a pal in City Hall who helped me get a permit.’

‘How long has this been going on?’

‘About six months. Low level at first. But things have gotten worse,’ said Kevin.

‘Can I see the letter?’ I asked.

‘The original is with the police,’ said Kevin as he took out his phone, brought up a screenshot and gave it to me.

YOU MADE A MISTAKE COMING AFTER ME. YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY . . .

‘How much was Betty Le Saux’s estate worth?’

‘Just shy of twenty million. She gave everything to her daughters, split down the middle. But she had already given Cross some cash for his businesses. He did alright out of his little con.’

‘But you got the fake will thrown out, so what does he want? Money?’

‘He just wants to make our life a living hell,’ said Kevin.

‘Maybe I should talk to this guy?’ I said.

‘No! Look, everything is under control,’ said Christine. ‘We don’t need you making things worse. We’ve got a restraining order, and Kevin has a gun.’

‘What happens if he busts through the front door when Kevin’s not at home?’ I asked.

‘Then I’ll put a bullet through his head. Kevin took me to the shooting range. I know how to use that thing,’ she said, pointing to the gun in the lockbox.

‘I get it,’ I said. ‘But Amy is scared. Hell, you’re all scared and I don’t blame you. This guy sounds dangerous. Maybe Amy should come stay with me for a while.’

‘No,’ said Christine. ‘I want her here where I can keep an eye on her.’

‘I haven’t spent a lot of time at Dad’s recently. I miss our nights together eating pizza and watching Detective Palumbo.’

‘Columbo,’ I said.

‘Right, it would be good for us to—’

As much as I loved hearing this, before Amy could finish her sentence, Christine had brought me down to earth.

‘What you really want is to spend more time in the city. I don’t want you running around Manhattan on your own,’ she said to Amy, and then, as an afterthought, ‘No offense, Eddie. But she’s sixteen and she’s not responsible yet.’

‘But, Mom—’

‘I don’t need to fight with you too,’ said Christine.

Backing away, her hands raised in surrender, Amy left the kitchen and pounded upstairs.

‘Teenagers . . . ’ said Kevin.

I wanted to say a lot more. That I could keep Amy safe better than anyone, but I held my tongue.

There was an atmosphere in the house now.

I wasn’t welcome. It was emasculating for Kevin, having his wife’s ex-husband come in as the protector, and as for Christine – there was too much history there.

Too many old wounds and broken promises between us.

And there was no doubt that my presence brought danger to those around me. It was just a fact.

Silence filled the kitchen. Hard as concrete. Freezing everyone on the spot.

‘I should go,’ I said. ‘But, look, if this guy comes around again, I would appreciate a call. Maybe there’s something I can do. If you want, I can get Bloch to come and check up on you. I know Amy likes her.’

My investigator, Bloch, pronounced Block , had met Amy a few times when she visited me on weekends.

I was always working on something and that meant Bloch was too.

It’s funny how some people just take to Bloch.

She doesn’t say very much, but when she does, people listen.

Not good with people, but brilliant with logic, science and deductive reasoning.

Somehow, she got on well with Amy. Maybe young people have an honesty that Bloch appreciated.

She didn’t have to decipher intentions and emotions through subtext.

‘Thank you, that would be fine. But there’s really no need.

We’re okay,’ said Kevin, before Christine could object.

I felt for Kevin. He was a good man, way out of his depth.

No point in me making him or anyone else feel worse about that.

The fact that he’d gotten himself a gun showed me just how afraid Kevin was feeling.

‘I can see you got this covered, Kevin. I feel better knowing you’re looking after Christine and Amy. I’ll take off – sorry to intrude,’ I said.

Kevin and I shook hands at the front door.

Here was a regular, straight-up guy who loved Christine and had grown to love Amy like she was his own daughter.

It had taken me a while, but I was glad.

Christine was happy. Amy was happy. They were well looked after and cared for in every way that I couldn’t quite manage.

And, more than anything, they were safe.

Until now.

I had almost reached the Mustang when I heard Christine’s boots on the gravel again.

‘Eddie, I’m sorry,’ she said.

I stopped at the car, turned around.

‘It’s okay. I know it’s a stressful time. Kevin is doing his best. You’re lucky, you know? He’s a good guy.’

She stepped closer, put her hands on my shoulders. I felt that warmth from her touch the way I did when we’d first met.

‘Thank you for saying that. I know this hasn’t been easy for you. Thanks for coming over. Amy shouldn’t have called. I guess she got scared. She admires you, you know? She follows your cases, you know that?’

I didn’t.

‘Look, if this gets any worse, then maybe she should come and stay with you. Thanks for the offer. But don’t go doing anything about this man Cross.

Just leave it alone. Okay? I’m sorry for how I was in there.

We split up because I couldn’t live that life.

I couldn’t spend my days looking over my shoulder, worried about you pissing off some crook who would come after us.

I thought I’d left that life behind. I thought I was doing the right thing . . . ’

I got the impression she wanted to say more, that part of her still loved me, that maybe she had made a mistake getting divorced. Or maybe that was all in my head.

She leaned in, kissed me on the cheek, then turned and left.

With my cheek and my heart burning, I reversed out of the driveway and headed back to the city.

I called Bloch on my cell phone.

‘I need you to look into someone for me. Guy named Arthur Cross.’

‘Who is he?’

‘He lost a lot of money in an inheritance dispute. Looks like he shacked up with a little old lady who mysteriously fell to her death leaving him everything in her will. Turns out the will was no good and the family took the money. He’s stalking the lawyer who acted against him.’

‘Who’s the lawyer?’

‘It’s Kevin Pollock.’

‘Christine’s Kevin?’

‘The same. This guy Cross even made an appearance at Amy’s school this morning.’

There was silence on the other end of the line. I guessed Bloch was getting her anger under control.

‘Any explicit threats?’

‘A veiled threat in a letter left at the house. Kevin has got himself a revolver for personal protection. This guy Cross has a record. Did some time with a guy named Bruno Mont. There’s a suspicion Cross paid Mont to kill the old lady while Cross had an alibi. He’s a real piece of work, this guy.’

‘I’ll look into Cross.’

‘I wonder if you paid him a visit, if it might help cool things off. Stalkers work well when their targets are isolated. It would be good to let this guy know there are people looking after the family. Take Gabriel Lake with you. Just make sure Lake doesn’t shoot him.’

‘I’ll try. Kate’s looking for you, by the way.’

‘I’ll call her later. Thanks, Bloch.’

She hung up. I called Gabriel Lake. Ex-FBI Behavioral Analyst. Works with me and Bloch from time to time. When he’s not working cases for me, he catches serial killers.

He answered the call, and I filled him in on Arthur Cross. Told him Bloch would want him to ride along for a visit with Mr. Cross.

‘It’s just a hello,’ I said. ‘I want him to understand that Kevin has powerful friends, and he should back off. You’re an extra body. And you’re there to make sure Bloch doesn’t break any of his bones.’

There was a pause on the other end of the line. I heard rustling. Lake was one of those guys who was always fidgeting – especially when he was thinking. And he just happened to be someone who was almost constantly living inside his own head. So he made a lot of noise. Like a motorcycle idling.

‘I’ll try to keep Bloch from damaging him. Just out of interest, when you spoke to Bloch, did you tell her to make sure I didn’t shoot the guy.’

‘I might have said something along those lines.’

Lake was just as smart as Bloch, but, where her mind didn’t fully comprehend the remits of human action and emotion, Lake was all about psychology.

‘I figured,’ he said. ‘I’ll keep Bloch on a leash. And I won’t shoot him. Happy?’

‘Ecstatic. Seriously, thank you. I owe you and Bloch.’

‘It’s fine. Kate is looking for you.’

I flicked a finger across the phone screen. I had two missed calls from Kate. Two from our office secretary, Denise.

‘I’ll call her. Any idea what it’s about?’

‘Nope, I’ll let you know how it goes with Cross.’

He hung up. I tried Kate’s cell phone, but it went straight to voicemail. That either meant she was in court, or she was somewhere with no reception. I called the office instead and Denise picked up.

‘Kate’s gone to the 27 th Precinct with Harry. We’ve got a new case.’

‘What is it?’

‘We’re defending a celebrity accused of double homicide. The New York Times is calling it the TikTok murders . . . ’