The Love Of Money - Episode 126
29-07-25 (07:35)
Introduction:
Marcus prepares for his trip to Vegas.
Helen and I had just begun to heal, and then I found a
picture of her daughter talking to my would-be killer. Of
course, she told me they hadn't been close in a long
time, but it was hard to believe that Helen didn't know
her daughter was talking to career criminals... especially
when they worked for the same company. Surely, she
would have known something about the kind of people
her daughter was hanging out with! Hadn't Helen been
the one to assure me that her Ashlee had been cleared
of suspicion on the day of the robbery? What kind of
boss was she? Scratch that... what kind of parent was
she?
What if Helen had been lying?
I stared at her hard, looking for even a hint of
subterfuge, but I couldn't find anything. All I could see
when Helen stared back at me was genuine surprise
and concern.
"Marcus, I promise you... I have no idea who that man
is or what Ashlee is doing with him."
I met her gaze without saying a word, unsure what to
think.
"Marcus," Helen said as she took a few steps toward
me. Despite the concern in her eyes, she managed to
keep her shoulders back and her head straight; her
demeanor was calm and collected. "She and I can
barely stand being in the same room together. I don't
know her where'abouts every moment of every day."
"You said she'd been cleared."
"What?"
"The day the news broke about me. You said Ashlee's
movements were all accounted for."
"I... they were."
"Then what's this?" said, throwing the paper down on
the paper. "She met with the guy who tried to shoot
me, Helen!"
"I don't know! She was using a company car! We have
the logs! We have the information from her cell phone!
She went straight to the coffee shop and back!" I could
see the desperation in Helen's eyes giving way to
frustration.
"What coffee shop?" Henry interrupted.
The question from the investigator took me by surprise,
and it took me a second to remember the name. "Uh...
The Blue Beans. It's just down the street."
"Nice, large establishment that seems to ride that fine
line between hipster and avant-garde?" he asked.
"Something like that," I said, unsure what avant-garde
meant, but it sounded right.
"There's a lovely little antique bookstore just behind the
cafe. A nice lady owns it. A bit eccentric. She has five
cats... in a place of business, no less." He shook his head
and smiled amusedly as he continued his story.
"Dreadful smell. Frankly, I'm surprised she stays in
business, but apparently, her store's been there for a
decade and a half."
His smile faded, and he looked directly at me as if
about to tell me my mother had just died. "She had a
camera installed in the back because some vagrants
kept dumpster diving, leaving the place an absolute
mess. That was where' I found this image."
I looked down at the photo on the table, staring at
Ashiee's image, Her sunglasses were on, but there was
no mistaking her. She was wearing the same yellow
dress I had seen on her when she first propositioned to
be my girlfriend. She must have met with Cartwright
just after sweet-talking me. What if I had taken her up
on her offer? Had she sent Cartwright after me because
I turned her down? Jesus... hell hath no fury.
"It's really easy to get answers, you know," Erin said,
pulling me out of my thoughts. "Just buy her off. Helen,
you know Ashlee's all about the money. Wave enough
of it in front of her, and she'll sit up and bark for you."
"Or," Chloe said coolly, "We could just ask her without
the money. If bribes work so well on her, you might
not be able to trust anything she tells you." She glanced
at Henry. "We know someone who's great at keeping
people honest."
I looked at her in surprise. Stories about the CIA were
plentiful, but to be in the same room as a former
member while she suggested torturing a young woman
for information felt too real.
"No," Helen said. "This doesn't feel like Ashlee."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"She's smart and manipulative, but this feels out of her
league. This feels more like Roger."
"You think Roger tried to have me killed?"
"He's wealthy, corinected to your grandfather, and has
a motive."
"Look," Erin said, "I'm sure he's not thrilled that Marcus
is sleeping with his wife, but I've seen the bills. Marcus
pays YPV way too well. Anyone savvy enough to make
partner at that firm has a little more self-control than
that. You're making him sound like a Lifetime movie
villain."
Helen shrugged. "Maybe, but if Roger doesn't need
Marcus or YPV anymore, then why not? I don't know
every facet of Roger's business. There could be a lot
there that we're just not seeing."
"What are you thinking?" asked Helen.
Helen's lips tightened as she looked at me. "I'd play
Ashlee's game.
"What?" Erin and I both said together.
"It makes sense," Helen insisted. "If Roger is trying to
have you killed, then he's using Ashlee to get close to
you."
"Why, though? If he's trying to kill me, then why send
Ashlee to seduce me? Why not just have Cartwright or
some other asshole walt in an ally and put a bullet in
my head as I walk by?"
"I don't know," Helen admitted. "Maybe it's not that
simple. You've been a difficult target since you acquired
security."
I pointed to the photo. "That was before I hired Chloe."
Helen pursed her lips and took a moment to think
before saying. "This is exactly my point. You don't know
enough. I promise Ashlee isn't driving whatever this is,
and if it is Roger, then he's withheld information from
Ashlee. Don't forget to leave a Comment 
