InSight

building. Mrs. Gentry wasn’t going to let those turn up. Not after all the trouble and pain she caused to get them. Even though the numbers are eight years old, they indicate a major diversion of the Serrano-Gentry Foundation’s funds in the guise of philanthropy to subsidize a huge drug operation, controlled by Anthony Serrano. The feds have seized the foundation’s books. Their accountant filtered money from one place to another and covered the trail in a labyrinth of corporate deception. I guess Mrs. Gentry didn’t want another set of papers coming back to bite her in the ass. But it’s all there. Just needs untangling. Contributors are calling for her head on a silver platter.”
    A smile crossed Abby’s lips. “Good. I hope it’s silver plated, not sterling. That woman condoned the murder of her own son.” Abby paused and dabbed at her burning tears. “And Collyer?”
    Another hesitation. Luke hated lying to her, but he was about to. “Collyer was Serrano’s mechanic , his hit man. He’s finished. If they find him. Um, he’s disappeared.”
    Abby tried to sit up in bed and winced from the pain. “You mean he got away?”
    Luke hesitated. “Looks that way.” He patted Abby’s shoulder. “Take it easy. They’ll get him.”
    “He shot me full of drugs.” She pulled up the sleeve of her blouse, fingering the needle’s point of entry. “Anything there?”
    “I saw it before they put you in the ambulance,” Luke said. “I wanted to kill the bastard, but like I said, he took off.”
    “It was the experience of a lifetime and one I hope never to repeat. What a trip. I actually saw things.”
    “He’ll never bother you again. I promise.”
    “Everything he did was to satisfy his twisted sense of fun. To alleviate his boredom until they found the envelope. I hope the FBI finds him and locks him in a cell with a psycho worse than he is.”
    “He’ll get his. One way or the other.”
    Abby pushed the hair off her face and touched her swollen nose. “Where’s Jeff?”
    “He’s around.”
    “You don’t think he went after Collyer, do you?”
    Luke fidgeted in his seat before he spoke. “ Naw , he’ll let the feds take care of him. Jeff doesn’t do that kind of thing anymore.”
    “And the big one: Mrs. Gentry?”
    “They arrested her yesterday, but she’s out on bail, claiming she knew nothing about drugs or any illegal activities. It’ll never hold up. Not with Scanlon shooting off his mouth.”
    Abby pulled herself to a sitting position. “Is my purse here? I had it with me.”
    “I took it from the lab. It’s right here. Why?”
    “Give it to me, please?”
    He handed her the purse. She fished inside a front pocket and took out her small digital recorder.
    “It’s all here.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “When Collyer broke into my office, I was listening to the files of my next patient. He went to the coat closet to get my cane so I wouldn’t look conspicuous, and I slipped the recorder into my purse. It activates on sound. It’s all on here, Luke. Collyer implicating Serrano and Mrs. Gentry, and best of all, Mrs. Gentry confessing everything. I mean everything. Right back to her arranged marriage into the Gentry clan to save their financial hides. She divulged the whole, sordid story. Some very influential people will be sweating bullets before this thing is over.”
    Luke caught enough of what she said to bring a smile to his lips. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Did I ever mention you were brilliant?”
    “Not brilliant. Resourceful. I have to be.”
    Luke took the recorder. “I wish I could hear this. I’ll have to wait for the transcript. This goes to Norm. He’ll get it to the right people. Unlike Stewart’s taped indictment of his mother, Mrs. Gentry’s confession will not be erased.”
    * * * * *
    Carlotta Gentry folded her clothes into the large Louis Vuitton suitcase. She’d buy a new wardrobe later when she reached her destination. A quick check of her watch confirmed she had less than an hour before the limo would take her to the airport. Damn the district attorney. He argued to withhold bail, claiming she was a flight risk, but the judge was a friend. One of the few that remained. He set bail at half a million. Her lawyer got her out within hours of her arrest. Money was never a problem. Under duress, however, the judge confiscated her passport. Silly. Did they think the daughter of Anthony Serrano wouldn’t have a backup plan?
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