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

now, those pictures are fake. Someone must have stolen my credit card.”

“Do you have it on you now?”

Cal looked into his wallet. “Yes.”

“Then how did they steal it, genius?”

“I—I don’t know, but somebody is messing with you.”

“Cal, I told you when you started to go down this path to watch out. Bad things were gonna happen.”

“You know I’m innocent, Folsom. You implied as much right there.”

“What I know is that my publisher called me this morning with these photos and the alleged stories about what you were doing last night—and he believed what he saw.”

“You can’t believe everything you see.”

“Or hear or read, right?”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Those are the lines we hear as journalists from anyone who’s ever been caught in a lie. I wouldn’t expect to hear any less from you.”

“Come on, you know I’m being set up.”

Folsom ignored Cal’s pleas. “The good news for you is that the paper isn’t going to press charges as long as you repay the five grand and change you rolled up last night.”

“This is outrageous.”

“Come home immediately, Cal, and get this taken care of so it doesn’t cost you your career. I’ll write you a recommendation, but we can’t stand for this behavior. I’ll forward you the pictures so you can see the evidence for yourself.”

“I didn’t do this, Folsom. You’ve gotta believe me. I wouldn’t do this, especially not to Kelly. How do you think this makes me look now? If you fire me, it’s gonna make it look like I did these things—and that’ll crush her.”

“Maybe you should have considered that before you went out clubbing last night.”

Cal growled. “You’re unbelievable, Folsom. You know me. You know I’d never do anything like that.”

“If you’re not back here on Monday with the money in hand, they’re going to prosecute you.”

“But—”

“Sorry, Cal. That’s the way it is. I’ve gotta run.”

Cal hung up and kicked at some loose rocks in front of him. He took a deep breath and put his hands behind his head as he walked in circles for about a minute. This was not how he saw this day going, especially as he was on the verge of discovering who was behind Carson Tanner’s death.

He remained pre-occupied with the stunning news and didn’t notice the deputy who was just a few feet away.

“Is everything all right there, mister?” the deputy asked.

Cal spun toward the voice and stopped. He sighed. “Yes, everything’s fine, sir. I’m just having a bit of a bad day.”

“Well, it could be worse,” the deputy said, nodding in the direction of the crime scene agents scouring the ground for clues.

Sensing an opportunity, Cal stopped his pity act. “What happened up there?”

The deputy shook his head. “Not sure, but a man’s dead. Strange place to die if you ask me.”

Cal froze as he heard some clicking noise. “Do you hear that?” The clicking continued.

“Just another rattlesnake.”

“And you’re not scared?”

The deputy patted his gun. “I feel pretty safe right now.” He put his hand out. “Deputy Livingston.”

Cal shook his hand. “Cal Murphy. Nice to meet you.”

The pair stared down at the track below.

The deputy finally broke the silence. “So, what brings you up here today? Trying to get a peek at the dead?”

Cal shook his head. “Just needed to take a walk.”

The deputy glanced down at Cal’s media badge. “You sure it wasn’t to find out what was going on up here?”

“Just wondering who it was—that’s all.”

“You think you might know the fellow?”

Cal took a deep breath. “Maybe. I was supposed to meet an informant last night and he never showed up. The people who were after him were dangerous.”

“I see. Maybe we better talk more formally, Mr. Murphy?”

“Look, I don’t wanna bother you any longer since I know you’ve got important work to do up here. I’m just gonna head on back to the track.”

“If you know something, mister, you ought to tell us.”

Cal looked at the ground and then back up at the deputy. He needed to study his eyes. “That’s not a Mr. Ronald Parker up there, is it?”

The deputy immediately looked away, signaling to Cal that he was right.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss such things just yet until the next of kin has been notified,” the deputy said. “Our spokesperson will be making a formal announcement later today. But I think perhaps we should definitely let you talk to some investigators now.”

Cal started walking back down the hill. He turned and shouted over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Deputy Livingston, I’ll be in touch very soon. But there’s somewhere I’ve gotta go first.”

CHAPTER 26

NED DAVIS STORMED into the NASCAR hauler, his face already beading with sweat despite the cool desert breeze.

“Where is he?” Davis yelled.

“Excuse me, sir,” a young intern asked. She took a step back when she recognized him. “Who are you looking for?”

“Eddie Simpson. I need to talk to him right now,” he growled.

“Follow me.”

She led him back to Eddie’s desk where he sat, head down staring at a folder.

“Eddie, someone’s here to see you,” she said before she scurried away.

“I told you it couldn’t wait,” Davis said.

Simpson didn’t look up, pretending not to hear.

“Are you listening to me?” Davis asked.

Simpson waved him off and kept reading.

Davis reached into Simpson’s cubicle and slammed the file shut before banging his fist on the desk. “We need to talk—now!”

Simpson stood up and looked around to see if any other employees were around. They weren’t. He motioned for Davis to sit. “Now, what can I help you with, Ned?”

“I know what’s going on here,” Davis started.

“I’m glad someone does. Would you please tell me?”

“Someone is trying to make it look like one of our guys sabotaged Carson Tanner’s car last week.”

Simpson grunted. “Tell me something I don’t already know.”

“So you think that, too?”

“I don’t know what to think. I just know there are a lot of people gettin’ up in my business and messing with things they shouldn’t be messing with. We let that hack of an investigator take