In the Blink of An Eye by Jerry Baggett (ebook reader for surface pro TXT) 📕

so long to come forward, Mr. Davis. I’m mad as hell.” She watched Grant’s face turn red and decided there may be valid reasons for the long delay. She would have to give the man a chance.

Hunt said, “You wanted to know all we know about your familial history, and you are going to get the full story, spoon fed to you, during the next hour. Try not to interrupt until he finishes. You can ask all your questions after he’s had his say, understand?”

“I’m sorry about this, Samantha,” Grant said. “Your father was my older brother, Joe. We were close business partners. Joe was little more than a year older than me. We grew up on a farm not far from San Francisco. After finishing college at Cal Poly, Joe and I worked for a major government defense contractor before we patented an idea for a better microswitch to be used on solid-state circuit boards for the space shuttle and, later, many other uses.” He cleared his throat and drank a little wine. “I’m not used to being the center of attention. Give me a few minutes to clear my thought process and jog my memory bank.”

He faced Samantha. “I’m convinced your father’s death was no accident. I don’t have the answer for why he died, but I think he was killed by the same person who brutally murdered your mother. I believe I know who that man is and feel strongly there’s evidence to prove it if the good Lord allows me to live long enough.”

He looked at Hunt. “Agent Hunt has been a strong supporter of my cause and I’m grateful. With his help, you were positively identified as my brother’s daughter. I managed to get the job as host at King Neptune’s Bar and Seafood restaurant, for the purpose of obtaining your used coffee cup for DNA analysis.”

Samantha caught herself holding her breath. Breathe slow and deeply, she told herself, and realized she had a tight grip on Dick’s thigh muscle. He gently pried her fingers away. “Damn it all, why did you wait so long? I deserve an answer.”

Hunt said, “Hold on, Samantha. Let him talk.”

Grant locked his eyes on Samantha. “I had been inside your mother’s house the night she died. I’ve been locked away in prison for the last twenty-five years, serving time for your mother’s murder.”

Samantha jumped up. “I don’t believe all this bullshit.” She turned on Hunt. “How can you justify this crap? I know this man was convicted of murdering my mother. That much, I do know, and now, since his release, I’m getting threats on my life.”

Dick stood, pulled her in close, and wrapped his arms around her. “Look, honey. He’s here of his own free will. He’s doing his best to help Agent Hunt and the investigation. Let’s hear him out.”

Grant concentrated on Samantha. “I don’t blame you for the way you feel, Samantha. I was in your mother’s home, waiting for her to return, the night she was killed. She refused to provide me an audience earlier that night, when I called on the phone. She needed to know that your father had been killed. She believed he had disappeared to avoid responsibility for the child on the way. I was there to clear that up. According to my brother, they were deeply in love and planning a life together. We talked it over before he died. Later, I found evidence confirming that in his office papers, years after his death. He had started to make notes about changes to his will, weeks before the tragic collision. He wanted to make everything right for the woman he loved and the child they had conceived together. Once I found his papers, our attorneys asked me to retrieve positive DNA evidence before finalizing the estate. He’d planned on leaving everything to your mother and her unborn child. She died without knowing that. My idea had been to face her with news of my brother’s death, or the other choice, obtain evidence of her and her child’s DNA. How could she refuse when face to face with me?”

He wiped the dampness off his cheek with his shirt sleeve. “I was a bitter man after being convicted of murder and deliberately withdrew from seeking the truth. My brother and I were the last direct descendants of Augustine Davis, an Irish immigrant seeking fame and fortune in America, shortly after the American revolution. After a great deal of thought, I realized the proud Davis line shouldn’t end with my death. Later, I accepted the possibility that my life wasn’t really over and made plans to make things right for the family member I had never met. I wanted the guilty to pay; justice for the murder of my brother and the mother of his unborn child.” After a moment, he said, “I promised God, while on my knees, that I would never again give up my quest for the whole truth about this family tragedy.”

Chapter 23

Margie shouldered the door open to Hunt’s office, with coffee in both hands. “Enjoy your coffee, boss. There’s very little of value coming from our look into Doctor Peyton’s background. We’ve found nothing, so far, connecting him to the violent attacks on Samantha or the mail order drug activity.”

“Nah, it’s not him. We’re on the right track with Marino. He, or someone associated with his clubs, has to be connected to those deaths, so many years ago. Someone’s getting nervous. We need to keep the pressure on. DEA has a big responsibility, using Davis to go after this guy. We’d better stay on our toes now that he’s out of prison. We could lose him if the right people get wind of it. There was no official announcement of his release, thank God.”

He pulled the lid off his hot coffee and smacked his lips. “Oh yeah, nectar of the Gods.