Dead Drop by Jack Patterson (reading cloud ebooks txt) 📕

the FBI wants to exhaust all of its resources just to prove I’m innocent, by all means, go ahead. I’ll happily file a countersuit to recoup all my lawyer fees and embarrass both of you. If this was your big attempt to get me to admit to your asinine theory, you two are in far more trouble than you realize right now.”

Zellers sighed. “We aren’t trying to coerce a confession, Dr. Lancaster. That would be illegal. We are simply extending you an opportunity to admit to the truth before this investigation goes any further and we uncover more unpleasant things for you.”

“More unpleasant than what? Than this? Having my integrity and practice questioned is as unpleasant as it could ever get for me.”

Hollister stood up. “Oh, trust me. It can get far more unpleasant, especially when it comes out that several high profile Seattle athletes have recently tested positive for HGH. None of it has been made public yet. We’ve been working with various league officials to keep it under wraps so we could flush out the source.” He gestured toward Lancaster. “And look what we found.”

“How does it feel to grasp at straws?” Lancaster asked. “You two are pathetic, wasting my time and taxpayers’ precious dollars. Charge me, or we’re done here.”

Zellers motioned toward the door.

Lancaster didn’t linger for even a moment, storming out of the room and marching down the hall toward the exit. He didn’t know if his act convinced them to dig deeper or to drop the case. Under his breath, he prayed it was the latter.

CHAPTER 8

CAL WOKE UP to a buzzing cell phone. He rolled over and picked up the phone, squinting as he looked at the image on the screen. Kelly’s face was staring back at him.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” he mumbled.

“Yeah, it’s nine,” she said before realizing her mistake. “Oh, Cal, I’m sorry. The time difference slipped my mind. I hadn’t talked with you and just wanted to find out how things were going.”

He moaned. “You know better than to call me this early. I’m a grouch until I’ve had my first cup of coffee.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I totally forgot.” She paused. “But now since you’re up, do you wanna talk?”

Cal scratched the sleep out of his eye with the index finger on his free hand. He tried to change his disposition, something he’d only do for Kelly. “Sure, I’d love to. Are you guys having a good time?”

“Believe it or not, it’s been wonderful so far. Me and Mom haven’t gotten into a single argument.”

“Well, that’s good news.”

“Yeah. And Maddie is having a great time. She’s getting to visit some of her favorite playgrounds here.”

“Maddie remembers those playgrounds? She was barely two years old when we left.”

“I don’t know. She says she remembers them.”

Cal laughed. “Does she remember the day she was born?”

“Oh, Cal. Don’t be hard on her. She’s just trying to be big.”

“I know, but I want to keep her as little as possible for as long as possible. Is there anything wrong with that?”

“I’m right there with you, hon. But just cut her some slack and play along when she talks to you, okay?”

“Fine. Your wish is my command.”

“How’s your coverage of the Sid Westin death? It was big news out here on the East Coast, too.”

“I don’t know. It’s going okay, but I’ve got a funny feeling about this.”

“What do you mean by that? It’s just a few reaction stories, right?”

“It could be—or it could be something much more.”

“Now, Cal, don’t go poking your nose where it doesn’t belong and wind up shot or kidnapped.”

“I’m always cautious. You know me.”

She sighed. “Yes, I do know you, and that’s why I feel obligated to say such a thing.”

“All right, all right. You win.” He held up his hand as if he were swearing an oath, even though she couldn’t see him. “I promise to be cautious.”

“Good. Now that we’ve got that settled, why do you feel uneasy about the story?”

“It’s not that I feel uneasy about it as much as I think there’s more to it—like perhaps Westin was the intended target rather than the vault.”

“Is Buckman on board with your theory?”

“Not exactly. He keeps telling me to drop it.”

“But not Cal Murphy,” she quipped.

“Exactly. Something is a little hinky about it all.”

“Hinky? Since when did you start using the word hinky?”

“My word choice is bothering you now? First I’m giving Maddie a hard time; now my vocabulary isn’t to your liking. Man, I can’t win for losing today.”

She chuckled. “Just think what it would be like if I was actually there.”

He scanned the room, which more closely resembled a volcanic closet that had erupted and spewed clothes down the mountainside. It wouldn’t send the natives running for cover, but it would send him running for his life if Kelly saw the sudden onset of a pigsty. “It’d be better than living the bachelor life—that’s for sure.” He couldn’t see her, but he knew she was smiling.

“So, what seems so hinky about this story?”

“I don’t know, but he certainly wasn’t beloved by all his teammates.”

“Horror of horrors,” she said in a mocking tone. “Somebody didn’t like Sid Westin.”

“Stop it. You’re the one who asked.”

She turned more serious. “Well, it doesn’t sound like much at the moment beyond what we know happened.”

“When you put it that way, it does sound like I’m about to lose my mind. But the truth of the matter is he wasn’t universally loved.” He paused. “Just don’t tell Maddie. She’ll be crushed that not everyone worships Sid Westin like she does.”

“I’d let you not tell her yourself, but she’s out having too much fun on the playground.”

“Don’t interrupt her then, but I’d love to talk with her at some point later today. Just have fun and be good with your mom, okay?”

“Always.”

Cal laughed to himself before bidding her goodbye and hanging up. “Always. I know better.”

The conversation energized him enough