The Love Of Money - S02 E183

Story 1 month ago

The Love Of Money - S02 E183

Read Story: SEASON 2 EPISODE 183

Saturday, September 21st, 2:13 pm

 It was early afternoon as Helen and I sat in my office. Neither of us talked as we waited — the only sound in the room was the slow, steady tick of the grandfather clock that graced one of the walls.

The study smelled of books, wood, and leather. It felt as tense as a rubber band ready to snap.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. “He’s late.”

“It’s typical,” Helen said, seemingly unbothered. “It’s meant to put us on the back foot.”

“Why did we agree to meet with him so soon? He offered to meet on Monday.”

“To put him on the back foot,” Helen said. “By meeting with him today, we’re telling him that we have nothing to hide.”

Considering who I was keeping as an unwilling guest in my building, I begged to differ but kept that thought to myself.

The door opened, and Erin peered in through the opening. “Mr. Upton? Detective Reynolds is here to see you.”

“Yeah… show him in.”

I started to stand, but Helen caught my eye and subtly shook her head. I settled back in my seat.

A few moments later, Erin stepped into the room, followed by a short man. He was five foot four, with a shock of thin, dirty-blond hair that seemed to have a life of its own. His weathered face had fine lines, like an old, worn dollar bill — weariness etched into each one.

But he was sharp. I could tell that immediately. His bright green eyes traveled around the room as he walked toward us. He looked carefree, his hands shoved into his pockets as if he were simply here for a friendly visit — nothing more.

The posture didn’t fool me. I could practically see him taking mental notes and cataloguing everything.

Reaching Helen, he held out his hand. My lawyer stood and shook it.

“Detective Reynolds,” Helen said warmly.

“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” Reynolds said.

He leaned over my desk, extending his hand. I half-rose as we shook. It was over almost before it began, and I sat back down.

I gestured to another chair in front of my desk. “Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything? Water?”

“No, thank you,” he said, taking the offered seat. “I just have a few questions. I won’t be long.”

“Very well.” I glanced at Erin. “Thank you, Erin. That’ll be all for now.”

“Yes, sir,” my assistant said, and shut the door as she left.

Reynolds watched her go, then looked back at Helen. Then me. “Very nice place you have here.”

I glanced at Helen, and she gave me the faintest of nods.

Detective Reynolds had called earlier that morning to see if I had a little time for a chat, stating that he had a few questions regarding the death of Rajesh Desai. Helen and Erin had already expressed concern that this could happen… that I might be targeted as a suspect because I was one of the last ones to talk to Desai before he died.

While it was something I was concerned about, though… I held out hope that it was just a routine questioning.

Helen claimed something like that would have happened sooner.

She immediately went into lawyer mode, advising me on what to do and say, including meeting with the detective as soon as possible. She advised me not to say anything to him at all without her approval.

In this instance… she was the boss.

I looked back at Reynolds. “Thanks.”

I wanted to say something witty or charming, but to be honest, now that we were having the meeting, I was terrified that anything I said would be the wrong thing. I was lucky that I could even think.

Helen could tell I was in no shape for small talk. “What is this about, Detective Reynolds?”

The detective blinked at Helen. “I’m sorry… I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”

“Unfortunately, you have,” Helen said. “I’m sure you’ve seen the news.”

“I did see something about it this morning,” the detective said, offering a disarming smile. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy… like the type I could grab a beer with, which I’m sure is exactly what he wanted. “I’m sure you have your hands full with the clean-up, so I’ll get right to it and get out of your hair.”

He looked at me. “I’ve heard reports that Rajesh Desai paid you a visit just before he died.”

“Our understanding is that Rajesh Desai died sometime in the early morning,” Helen said.

Reynolds tilted his head thoughtfully. “That’s true.”

“Mr. Desai left my client’s home between ten and eleven that Friday night.”

This was the first time I’d seen Helen in this sort of environment — going full lawyer. It was impressive in a thank-God-you’re-keeping-me-out-of-the-clutches-of-the-cops kind of way.

Reynolds didn’t seem too bothered by Helen’s correction. He turned his attention back to me. “Is it true that you and Mr. Desai had some sort of falling out before he left your home?”

“My client and Mr. Desai had a simple disagreement… nothing more.”

“Do you mind me asking what the disagreement was about?”

“Out of concern for legal matters,” Helen said, “I’m afraid we can’t divulge the details of that discussion.”

The detective looked confused. “Legal matters?”

“My client signs a lot of nondisclosure agreements,” Helen said matter-of-factly. “We haven’t had the chance to go over everything that was discussed to ensure that revealing any information wouldn’t violate one of those agreements. Until we can confirm that, we’re limited on what we can share. I’m sure you understand.”

I was impressed by the way Helen made it sound as if Rajesh and I had discussed a confidential business arrangement without explicitly saying so. Her ability to weave a false narrative without uttering a single lie was nothing short of incredible.

“Hmm.” Reynolds didn’t seem convinced by Helen’s reason.

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyes fixed on me. “Mr. Upton, do you know if anyone had any reason to murder Rajesh Desai?”

Hiro Tanaka. Hiro Tanaka. Hiro Tanaka.

What would happen if I told him to go look at Hiro Tanaka?

How bad would that move be?

I glanced at Helen. The look in her eyes suggested that if I said anything, she’d murder me herself. Collar or not, I believed her.

“Didn’t Rajesh Desai commit suicide?” Helen asked.

“No,” Reynolds said, without taking his eyes off me. “He was murdered, and your client was one of the last people to see him alive. We’re also aware that the two of them had quite the falling out.”

And I wanted to know who the fuck he’d heard that from. As far as I knew, everyone at the party had been trustworthy. Perhaps Rose or one of the others might have said something to someone unwittingly, but I didn’t think anyone there would purposefully say anything that might harm me.

More than likely, he’d gotten this information from Tanaka.

“Mr Upton,” the detective said, “Is there a reason your lawyer is present with you today? I just came here to ask a few questions.”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t know what to fucking say—’Sorry, pal. I’m at war with a Japanese mob boss, and I’m holding his kid in a homemade prison and his wife in a sex dungeon,’ didn’t seem to cut it.

“It’s my client’s right to have representation—”

“Dude. Have you seen the news?” I cut in.

“I have.”

“Everybody’s after me right now. Of course, I’m gonna lawyer up. She’s going everywhere with me. She’s checking the stall before I go to the bathroom. My security’s doing the same.”

Reynolds sat back in his seat, folding his hands and putting them in his lap. “So, you don’t know anyone who might have held some kind of grudge against him? An old business partner? Anything?”

“I’m afraid I don’t,” I said.

He took a deep breath and then exhaled. “Mr. Upton, do you know what thalloryne dimethaline is?”

I shook my head.

“It’s a slow-moving toxin that’s basically a death sentence for anyone who ingests it… almost impossible to detect, if you don’t know what you’re looking for.”

He shot me a meaningful look. “We only have a handful of cases where it’s been confirmed to be the means of death.”

“What does that have to do with Rajesh?” I asked.

“We have evidence that it might be what killed him,” Reynolds said. “Him and Colin Gerrard.”

My blood ran cold. I was acutely aware that I needed to focus on the here and now, but I couldn’t help myself. So far, the only reason I believed that my grandpa had been murdered was Chloe’s suspicion. No one else had been able to confirm anything. As far as anyone knew, the police certainly didn’t have any evidence that Colin Gerrard had been murdered.