Page 99 of Caught in the Crossfire

“Information on the three men you wanted me to investigate. Your buddy, Gene Patton, has a spotted past going back to his teenage years. He’s a real sweetheart, Mason. Petty theft, robbery, assault, attempted rape, just to name a few charges. He has a rap sheet as long as my arm.”

His hand clenched around the phone. “Prison time?”

“Did seven years on the robbery charge. The rest of the charges were dropped. I don’t understand why Brian would hire this one, but your boss has a soft spot for guys with prison records.”

“I know. Brian’s the reason I have a job.” No one else around town had been inclined to offer him work.

“You were a good bet, Mase. Patton wasn’t.”

“What about Fisher?”

“He’s also been a guest of the state. Assault and battery, DUI, embezzlement, grand theft. He’s associated with a biker gang.”

Mason frowned. “I don’t know of a biker gang around Otter Creek.”

“They’re based in Cherry Hill where Fisher lives. He and Patton met in prison. They were cell mates.”

He stilled. Time in confined quarters helped some cell mates form close friendships. “Anything else on them?”

“From everything I’ve been able to dig up, Fisher is the alpha of the pair. Patton goes along with whatever his buddy wants. Neither of them is shy about violence.”

“Understood. What did you learn about Ivan Dannon?”

“He’s a loser.”

He snorted. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“He’s still broke and has had a steady stream of women since Nicole dumped him. No surprise, he’s gotten in over his head with a loan shark and is hunting for a quick fix to his problem.”

“Why is he blowing through money?”

“He likes to play the ponies.”

“Since he’s in trouble with a loan shark, I’m guessing he doesn’t have a good system to pick winners. Police record?”

“Assaults and DUIs. No time served. He usually hooks up with a woman, ingratiates himself into her life, and romances her hard. As the relationship progresses, he hits her up for money to cover his bills because he’s a little short this month. The next months, he gives a different reason for needing cash. You get the picture.”

Yeah, he did. It was the same pattern he’d used on Nicole. At least she’d wised up fast enough to get rid of him before he emptied her bank accounts. “You said he has a history of violence?”

“Assaults similar to Nicole’s. None of the women filed charges against him. Each one agreed to let it go if he left them alone from that point forward. He did, and that was the end of it.”

“Any chance he was in Otter Creek sooner than he claims?”

“His bank accounts don’t bear that out. He had several charges on his credit card in Destin, Florida around noon on the day your friend died. I checked the airlines and didn’t see his name on the passenger lists.”

“He could have presented false ID.”

“It’s possible. Do you want me to look for security footage of the airline passengers?”

Mason considered the offer and rejected it. Zane had already carved out more time than he could probably spare for the background investigation. “Let’s hold off on that. I might have another angle to explore.”

“If nothing pans out, contact me. I’ll troll through security feed.”

“Thanks for the help, Zane. If you need anything repaired or remodeled around your house, call me. I’ll be glad to make a trip to Nashville to repay you for your time.”

“I might take you up on that offer as long as you bring Nicole. If Rio and Darcy are available, bring them along.”

“Deal.” He ended the call as the front door opened and he heard the voice of the love of his life.

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