Transparency by Charles Royce (children's books read aloud txt) 📕

“Read the bible verse below his name,” Josh says.

The key is in the details. John 4:17.

“That’s not a bible verse,” Josh says. “Trust me, I know. John 4:17 says ‘So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.’”

“Sounds like a guilt trip to me,” Shawn says.

“But why the key thing?” Josh asks. “The key is in the details. What the hell does that even mean?”

“You said you both liked spy shit, so there ya go.”

“Shawn, you’re missing the point. This was the last correspondence I ever had with him. The fake bible verse means something. Something important. He’s gone, and nobody knows where he is.”

“Let me guess, shipped overseas,” Shawn says.

“That’s what we thought at first, but to this day, not even West knows where he is,” Josh says. “I only know this because I was in a meeting with him yesterday about the upcoming grand-opening event, and he asked me point-blank if I’d seen or heard from Kimbo. I could tell he was genuinely puzzled on where he’s been the past few weeks.”

“You’re throwing another big event?” Shawn asks.

“I thought I told you.” Josh looks confused. “My story earlier. The grand opening? It’s a benefit, with all sorts of celebrities and their causes, like Augustine—”

“Oh yes,” Shawn says. “It all just came screaming back to me.”

“Not just celebrities, politicians too. West had me invite the former vice president Roger Maddox.”

“Oh, I love that man,” Jenna says.

“Right? I miss him.” Josh turns to her. “He accepted.”

“No.”

“Yes. Now I may have to deal with Secret Service in addition to everything else.”

“Secret Service? For a former vice president? I don’t think that’s true.”

“Well, if I do, I’m going to go absolutely—”

Shawn snaps his finger. “You were in West’s office—”

“Sorry, yes, I was in West’s office and noticed he had yet another temp up there answering his calls. I asked him where Kimbo was, and I honestly believe he had no idea. Or he’s a good liar. Like really good.”

“He is,” Jenna says. “I’m convinced he killed all three of them. Lennox, Walter, and Kimbo.”

“We don’t know that.” Josh places his hands on his red folder. “Although the more we find out, the more I could be convinced too.”

Shawn looks at his watch, stands up. “Okay, that’s enough for today.”

“Wait, what does that mean?” Jenna says, halfway standing.

“You believe us, don’t you?” Josh asks.

“I believe there’s a lot of paranoia.” Shawn takes the SSD out of his laptop, hands it to Josh, then puts his laptop in his bag. “And rightfully so. You guys have both been involved in a pretty fucked up company. Jenna, you all but admitted to me a few weeks ago about you and Lennox siphoning money into an offshore account on behalf of West. And I see evidence on this SSD that they are illegally surveilling people. That’s something. But it’s not nearly enough to help you, Jenna, which is why I came here.”

“The SSD.” Jenna points to it. “We never told you where I found it. It all of a sudden showed up on my doorstep about a month before I was arrested, no return address, no nothing. Somebody’s out there. An ally. Maybe Kimbo. Maybe Micah. Somebody.”

“When you find more, let me know,” Shawn says.

“You said you have a guy,” Josh says. “Somebody that could help open those other folders on the drive?”

“Yeah, I can text Jenna the number.”

“They took my phone,” Jenna says.

“Oh, that’s right.” Shawn almost giggles. “Here’s my phone, Josh; punch in your number. If you have anything else, give me a buzz.”

Josh takes Shawn’s cell, enters his information. “I’ll call or text. We have more, I swear.”

“Call me.” Shawn takes his bag and leaves. The door slams on the way out.

“See?” Jenna says, arms refolded.

“Why didn’t we tell him about all the stuff in your guest bedroom closet? The disappearing and reappearing laptop? The printouts? The account informa—”

“I don’t wanna talk about that closet.”

“So the fact that the laptop wasn’t there the night we went through your old work files—then all of a sudden when there’s an explosion at your apartment weeks later, and the laptop magically reappears, full of all this evidence against you—this isn’t something you want to talk to Shawn about?”

“We both know Ghost was trying to frame me,” Jenna says. “The detective says there’s evidence on the laptop that Ghost set up the camera. But I’m screwed because the detective also says he knows I’m the one who hired Ghost. Those emails are also on the laptop.”

“Which Ghost took from your apartment, then replaced it. That’s the only explanation.”

“I guess.” Jenna leans back.

“Then all we have to do is link Ghost to James West, right?” Josh asks. “West is probably the one who emailed back and forth with Ghost, using an email account that looked like it belonged to you.”

“It’s all so convoluted, Josh. It’s confusing him. We’re confusing him.”

“Let me simplify. West hired Ghost to kill Lennox, which he did. Ghost used that laptop to frame you for the murder. That laptop is what got you here, Jenna. You’re in jail right now because of it.”

“The laptop, the bloody clothes, the murder weapon. It all got me here, Josh.” Jenna’s voice shifts from frustration to mockery. “But, ‘oh, the laptop wasn’t there, and then it was.’ Do you realize how crazy that sounds? No one is going to believe us.”

Detective Penance enters. “Mr. Harrison, time is up.”

“Well, I don’t accept that,” Josh says to Jenna. He shoves the SSD in his pocket and places his red folder under his arm. “I already lost Lennox and Kimbo. I’m be damned if I’m gonna lose you too.”

C h a p t e r   2 1

“WELL, I’LL BE damned.” Hillary Gordon opens the door of her Chelsea brownstone and invites Josh inside.

“Sorry, been visiting with Jenna; ran a little long.” Josh brings in four bags of groceries, heads to the kitchen. “Didn’t think I’d