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

to continue getting her way. Cal wouldn’t be beguiled.

“I’d settle for the opportunity to show my editor that I wasn’t crazy with the accusations I levied about what happened to Carson Tanner,” he said.

She smiled and stepped forward, infringing on his personal space. She straightened the collar on his Oxford shirt and patted his chest several times. “I bet you would.”

Cal took another step back. “Look, Ms. Jennings, I’m not interested in whatever it is you’re doing, but I am interested in what you told me earlier.”

She wagged her finger at him and clucked her tongue. “All work and no play makes for a dull Cal Murphy.” She encroached on him again.

Cal stepped back twice and laughed. “No one ever accused me of being a barrel of fun.” He paused. “Except my wife, to whom I’m happily married.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Be that way.” She turned around and started walking in the opposite direction.

“If you don’t want to give me that proof you told me about, that’s fine by me. I only come by my information honestly.”

She cackled. “Is that so? People just bare their souls to you and you make them anonymous sources.”

He nodded. “That’s kinda how it works—and I’m not ashamed of it. I’ve prided myself on handling sources that way for years in touchy situations. I can offer you that same sort of protection, if that’s what you need.”

“There’s only one person who’s going to need protection once this story breaks.” She stopped and continued in a whisper, “Owen Burns.”

Cal sighed. “So, tell me about this proof.”

“Last Sunday morning before the race, we all ate together as a team,” she said. “Ned thinks it’s a great way for us to bond before we go to war.”

“We?”

She waved him off. “Honey, I’m the glue behind this team, the team mom. They’d be nothing without me.”

Cal nodded. “Fair enough—go on.”

“Well, everyone was there, except Burns. So, Ned sent someone to check on him in his room. He wasn’t there either. We called his cell phone, too. Nothing. Then about halfway through breakfast, he showed up. Claimed he went for a run and got lost. He was sweatin’ up a storm.”

“And so you have proof that he snuck into the garage?”

“Not exactly, but it’s a process of elimination. Everyone else was there.”

Cal folded his arms and eyed her carefully. “What if someone snuck into the garage and sabotaged the car before breakfast? Did you ever think of that?”

“If they did, I would’ve seen ‘em,” she shot back. “I get up at five a.m. and park my butt down in the lobby and read the newspaper. It’s my race day ritual. Nobody would’ve gotten out of there without seeing me.”

“Does everybody know you do this?”

“Depends on if you get up early enough or not. The ones who are early risers have seen me down there before, I’m sure.”

“So, they’d know to avoid you?”

“Exactly. And Owen Burns was one of those early risers.”

“Could’ve been any of the other ones, too.”

“Now, you’re overthinking things. Don’t you know that the simplest answer is often the right one?”

“This isn’t a Hardy Boys novel.”

“Well, you keep sniffin’ around and you’ll find out what I told you to be the truth.”

“Okay,” Cal said. “Thanks for the lead. I’ll follow up on this and see what I can find out.” He turned to walk away before stopping when she called out his name.

“Yes?” he answered.

“Keep my name out of this, okay? I know Ned doesn’t want this story getting out, but we can’t let a killer walk free—no matter what it might do to the integrity of Ned’s team. Burns needs to go to jail.”

***

CAL CALLED KELLY to see how she was doing as he headed toward the NASCAR hauler.

“Are you two having fun without me?” Cal asked once she answered.

“Not as much fun as we could be,” she said.

“I wish I was there.”

She laughed. “Don’t lie, Cal. You’re loving this stuff. I read your story. Just the kind of stuff you can’t get away from.”

“Okay, you got me. I’m enjoying this assignment, even if Folsom isn’t.”

She sighed. “No one ever trusts your instincts, do they?”

“You’d think some editor would start to trust me with my track record.”

“Don’t take it personally. They’re just doing their job.”

“And I’m doing mine. They don’t always make it easy.”

“Well, hang in there, honey.”

Cal stopped and looked around while he talked. “I want to give you a heads up that I may need your help with some things here.”

Her voice lightened. “Seriously?”

“I’m still trying to gather all the evidence so I can publish something more definitive, but I’ll need to borrow your critical eye.”

“That’d be a nice change of pace after changing diapers all day.”

“Thanks, sweetie. You’re amazing.”

“Go get ‘em—and be careful.”

Cal hung up and entered the NASCAR hauler. He wasn’t expecting a warm reception and braced himself for some pushback.

Cal knocked on the wall. “Mr. Simpson?”

Simpson stood up. “Well if it isn’t the bur in my saddle, Cal Murphy.” He reluctantly offered Cal his hand to shake.

Cal shook it and remained standing. “I know I’m probably not your favorite person right now, but—”

“You’re just a notch above Osama Bin Laden right now in my book.”

Cal put his hands up and hung his head. “I’m sorry if I’ve caused you any trouble, but I’m just doing my job.”

“I didn’t think your job consisted of rumors and innuendos.”

Cal cocked his head. “Well, I’m here with a little more than that today.”

“What’d ya mean?”

“I got the report back from Mrs. Tanner’s independent investigator and he found the return spring was artificially stressed.”

“And?”

“Well, first of all, you missed it—if that’s true, of course. And secondly, it seems like somebody was trying to sabotage his car.”

Simpson put his hands up and shook his head. “Now, I’ve already told you that you just can’t go wandering around the garages messin’ with cars whenever you want. As a result, I seriously doubt that’s what happened.”

“But if it did?”

“I’d be very careful about making any accusations.”

“I’ve got several