Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
“I doubt he brought any females with him,” Harlow speculated. “He wouldn’t have any use for them. He had to have brought a specific number of males. I have no idea how he managed it.”
“He has far more money than any of us realized,” Raine said. “He owns quite a few properties he rents out. And if he is the owner of the property we’ve been looking into, he has a trust that most likely has other extremely lucrative businesses or properties in it as well.”
“Why would he want Giselle Gentry dead?” Zahra asked. “That’s always bothered me. If she really was the first victim, why target a very old lady?”
Harlow let Raine answer. She was still trying to figure out how best to get law enforcement to believe them enough that they would investigate Bale. They had absolutely no real proof. If their theory sounded far-fetched to them, it certainly would to the investigators. Regardless of their belief that Bale’s mental health was diminishing, he was still a very prominent businessman and a member of one of the founding families of Knightly. He also had garnered quite a bit of sympathy since he was the one who had found his uncle’s body.
“Giselle Gentry was the biggest powerhouse in Knightly,” Raine explained. “She owned the property next to Bale’s. He had bought up most of the houses in that area, but she refused to sell. She gave him no end of harassment. You know how she was if she didn’t like you or had a beef with you. She would throw parties there deliberately. She didn’t reside there permanently, but she would put on lavish parties with lights shining directly into his windows. If he called law enforcement, she just laughed if the officers showed up. She was the one person he couldn’t intimidate or really threaten. She knew it too.”
Zahra nodded. She had known Giselle Gentry and worked with her for several years. She’d liked the woman despite how demanding, abrupt and diva-like she could be.
“How are we going to get anyone to believe us?” Harlow asked. “We have no proof. Only Stella’s nightmares and total conjecture.”
“Leave that to me,” Raine said, determination in her voice. “I have some friends in the FBI. I think I can find a way to get someone to believe us.”
* * *
—
Wedding preparations were well underway when Stella and Zahra showed up at Harlow’s door, followed closely by Vienna and Shabina. Along with the women came their dogs, confidently bounding in together, knowing they were just as welcome as the women. Misha greeted them enthusiastically, rolling around on the floor with Misty and Daisy, Raine’s Jack Russell.
Harlow stood at her door, holding it open as Rush carried Raine up the front steps into the house. There was the usual flurry of activity while the women made the couch comfortable for Raine. They had the routine down and established a safe spot for her in under a minute.
Rush gave them a little salute. “Ladies.” He sauntered out, leaving Harlow standing by her door, staring in shock at her friends.
“What is going on? Did I forget a bridal shower? I haven’t prepared any food whatsoever for a get-together.”
Shabina waved her concerns aside. “No worries. The food’s coming. Vaughn and Tyrone are bringing it all in the next hour. We just had news and couldn’t wait to share with you.”
“News? Usually, if there is news, I get woken up in the middle of the night by Wilder or Wilder and Rainier, particularly if the news sucks.” She studied their expressions. “Does it suck?”
They all turned to Raine. She sent Harlow a mischievous grin. “Well, that depends on whether you’re Bale Landry or not. And whether you believe in karma, which I do.”
“This is about Bale? Were we right? Was he arrested? Did they catch him?” She fired off the questions excitedly.
They had relied on Raine to get their theory into the right hands as quickly as possible. If venomous spiders had been brought into the country, they needed to know how many and eradicate them as fast as possible. In Australia, it was rare for a death to occur after being bitten because antivenom was readily available. The spiders were milked and the venom used, not only to create an antivenom, but scientists were finding other beneficial uses for the toxin as well. Unfortunately, no other country had a protocol in place should the spider suddenly appear. It was imperative that the spider couldn’t accidentally or intentionally be transported to other countries.
“Bale’s house was raided early this morning,” Raine said. “It was kept under strict secrecy so no information could get out ahead of time. I can’t imagine how they got a judge to sign off on a warrant, but they ensured everything was aboveboard. They were very aware Bale has friends in high places.”