Page 52 of Greed
Griffin didn’t want to talk about Lilo.
Parker cleared his throat. “Since when?”
Mary and Flint had kept his ability to themselves, allowing him to come to terms with the change, but there was no denying it now. “Since Monday.”
“Are we going to meet this woman?”
“No. As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted. When I went to her parents’ house and investigated the contents of the safe, we discovered nothing but surveillance photographs of us.”
“All of us?” Evan asked.
“Most of us. In battle gear, out of it, half out of it. Whoever had taken the shots had been following us for a while, and obviously intended to blackmail us, or to turn us in.”
“It doesn’t make sense. Why would Lilo’s father have them and not use them?” Liza asked.
“I don’t know,” Griffin replied. “But I intend to find out tomorrow night when I intercept the kidnappers before the exchange.”
“You going as Greed?”
“Naturally.”
“Take someone with you.” Parker looked around the table. “Volunteers?”
No one responded, except for Evan who waved his tattooed arm in the air like a school boy.
“Anyone besides Evan?” Parker gave daggers to the rest of his siblings. “Liza?”
“When did you say, tomorrow night? I got a hot date.”
“When don’t you have a hot date?” Tony taunted.
She shrugged. “Still haven’t caught up to you, babes, besides, can’t help it if I’m beautiful. Don’t be jealous.”
“He is,” Evan confirmed.
Griffin supposed Evan would know, he sensed envy after all.
Tony used his spoon to point at Liza. “More like you can’t help it if—”
“Shut it,” Liza threatened. “You’re the man-whore here, not me.”
“Keep telling yourself that, Lize.” Tony raised an indignant eyebrow.
“I’ll make you hurt.” Liza feinted a punch, pulling at the last second so her hand hovered an inch from Tony’s face.
Tony’s lids lowered halfway, unruffled.
“Tony. Liza.” Parker cut into his meal. “Enough with the bickering. Our meals are getting cold. Tony, why don’t you help Griff? Don’t tell me you’re filming late. You said you’d wrapped it all up.”
Tony’s brow furrowed. “What about Sloan? When was the last time she went out?”
It was at this point Parker pinched the bridge over his nose and sighed exuberantly.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m going by myself,” Griffin said. “Now, the second item on the agenda—the imposter. Most of you know he attacked me yesterday at the newsroom and ensured he received a sample of my blood. Have you gathered any information on him since I sent you his details?”
It was Flint who answered. “Donald Doppenger has been working for the Cardinal Copy for fifteen years. In that time he’d been nominated for the Pulitzer twice but no award. His brother is a Senator. His father is a retired Supreme Court judge, and his mother died a few years ago, but she was a standout surgeon who invented a new spray on membrane that could be used internally.”
“Yes, I remember that name,” Grace added. “Ruth Doppenger.”
