Dead and Gone by Jack Patterson (universal ebook reader .TXT) 📕

“And what makes you think that it was—if it wasn’t an accident?”

“Just a hunch at this point, but it’s a strong one.”

Simpson laughed. “A hunch? Seriously? I hope you’re not going to write that. Your readers will send you outta town on a rail, spewing garbage like that.”

“I don’t write anything until I have all the facts.”

“That’s reassuring because you’re never going to be able to prove a ridiculous theory like that.”

Cal scribbled a few notes on his pad. “Do you have any comment on the independent investigator that Mrs. Tanner hired to review your findings?”

“Our finding in this matter speaks for itself. I’m confident he won’t find anything other than what we’ve already shared with the public.”

Cal stood up and smiled. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Simpson. I’m sure we’ll be talking again very soon.”

***

CAL HEADED TO THE MEDIA CENTER and began banging away on his keyboard. Nobody was going to be happy with the story he was going to file. Not Ned Davis. Not NASCAR. Not his editor. But he reminded himself that he didn’t write to please people—he wrote to inform them.

He slugged the headline: “Tanner Widow Questions Accident Report”.

By Cal Murphy

PHOENIX — Jessica Tanner, the widow of driver Carson Tanner, has hired an independent investigator to review NASCAR officials’ investigation into the cause of the fatal accident that killed the popular driver at the Texas Motors Speedway on Sunday.

NASCAR official Eddie Simpson welcomed the outside review but insisted that it won’t reveal anything new.

“Our finding in this matter speaks for itself,” Simpson said Thursday. “I’m confident (the investigator) won’t find anything other than what we’ve already shared with the public.”

Mrs. Tanner, who is unable to collect any life insurance since her husband’s policy didn’t cover track-related incidents unless it is proven that it wasn’t an accident, insisted that the investigation had little to do with money.

“At the end of the day, I want to be able to put this horrible tragedy behind me with the full confidence of what actually happened,” she said earlier this week. “This isn’t about a life insurance settlement.”

The private investigation is expected to release its findings before the end of the week.

Meanwhile, Davis Motor Sports has elected to finish out the race season with a new driver despite being unable to pick up any further points in the championship points race. Team owner Ned Davis has tagged up-and-coming driver J.T. Beaumont to pilot his team’s car on Sunday in Phoenix.

Beaumont has won four races this season on lower circuits and has been rumored to be a candidate for several vacancies expected to open up at the end of the season.

Sources close to Davis indicated that Beaumont has long since been on the owner’s short list, and that before last week’s accident Davis had contemplated replacing Tanner with Beaumont after the season finale in Miami.

Cal hit send and looked at his watch. He set the over-under on getting a call back from Folsom at five minutes. Two minutes later, his cell phone buzzed.

Definitely should’ve taken the under.

“Good afternoon, Folsom,” Cal said as he answered.

His editor wasn’t in the mood for any pleasantries.

“What kind of grenades are you throwing with this piece, Cal? Are you insane? Do you want to burn every bridge we’ve ever built with Ned Davis?”

Cal took a deep breath and waited for Folsom to stop the onslaught of questions. “Are you done now?”

“I’m just gettin’ started.”

“Look, I know this seems a little brash, but something is going on here and I need to entice someone to talk, maybe give them reason to step out of the shadows.”

“And how exactly would this piece do that?”

“Do I really have to tell you that? You’re fully aware that informants are less likely to be threatened when they speak out publicly.”

Folsom grunted. “I think you’re right there. Speaking out publicly makes them a target.”

“If they feel like they’re going to be a target, I can always protect them.”

“I’d be more worried about you than an informant at that point.”

“I understand what you’re saying, but I wouldn’t stick my neck out like this if I didn’t think there was more to this story.”

“Think about it, Cal. If what you’re suggesting is true and someone was able to sabotage Tanner’s car and make it appear like an accident, what makes you think they couldn’t do the same to you?”

“Then it’d be real suspicious, wouldn’t it?”

“And maybe you’d be dead.”

“Oh, come on—”

“This is no joke, Cal. If you want me to run this, I will. I’ll take some of the heat for you, but you best be prepared for the blowback on this. It won’t be pretty.”

Cal sighed. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve stirred up trouble for myself with my reporting.”

“You’re not invincible—just remember that.”

CHAPTER 13

RON PARKER ASSUMED HIS POST just outside the garage gate in the infield of the Phoenix International Raceway. Armed with nothing more than a radio to communicate with security officials, he slid onto his stool and opened up the latest David Baldacci novel and began reading.

There could be worse things to do on a Friday morning.

He wished he could disappear like the main character in the book and go off the grid. At least he could sleep in peace, devoid of any nightmares about being found and tortured—or perhaps even killed. But he couldn’t leave Nancy, not like that. She’d been too good to him, as evidenced by the fact that she was with him on this ruse of a retirement hobby. The first year was fine, but the traveling circus began to wear on him midway through this season year—as did the threats.

He glanced down at his cell phone, the black case glistening beneath the beading desert sun. As he ran his fingers across the buttons, he contemplated how long he would have the phone before he’d have to discard it. He didn’t bother programming any numbers into it. He’d entered the numbers of