Page 45 of Out of the Shadows
“What did they do?”
“They were instructed to approach Mr. Barrett and offer him twenty-five thousand dollars for the files. If he declined, they were to quietly find and retrieve them.”
Margo considered the Bishop sedan parked outside Charlie’s condo, and the visit with Jack. This didn’t seem the type of firm to break into a woman’s house and then break her things out of frustration.
Still, she asked, “Did you authorize Bishop to run Mr. Barrett’s wife off the road? Or break into her house?”
“What? I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Roger said. “I was happy to pay himanythingfor the files. Anything!”
Floyd cleared his throat and said, “Ma’am—”
“Angelhart. Margo Angelhart.”
Floyd recognized the name. A lot of people did, especially those in law. He looked at her differently—with a bit more respect, she thought.
“Ms. Angelhart, I can send you a copy of the report I just received from Bishop Securities and it will show exactly what they did to locate Mr. Barrett. They have not found him, but indicate that he is currently in Los Angeles and have asked if we would authorize an expenditure for travel.”
“I would love the report, thank you very much.”
Roger moaned.
Margo wrote her email on the back of her business card and handed it to Floyd. “One more question,” she said. “The third man bidding on the unit. Did you know him?”
“No,” Floyd said.
“Can you describe him?”
“Would you like the photo I took?”
“Yeah, that would be great.” She liked Floyd and wondered if he knew the real reason Roger wanted the files.
Floyd turned to Roger. “What would you like to do regarding the Los Angeles information?”
“Just drop it. Barrett doesn’t have the files.Shedoes.” He flicked his wrist toward Margo.
“Very well,” Floyd said. “Do you need me for anything else?”
“No. Go.”
Rude, Margo thought.
When Floyd left, Roger asked Margo, “What are you going to do with that?”
“I don’t know,” she lied. “Are you currently sleeping with another college girl?”
“Fuck you,” Roger snapped.
“No thank you.” She walked out.
She headed down the hall to a door markedAndrew Fleischman. She opened it without knocking. A handsome older man in his late fifties sat behind the desk, reading glasses halfway down his nose.
He looked up. “Can I help you?”
Margo looked around the office. The photos of his family on the wall behind him, free standing frames on his desk. Him, his wife, two boys and a girl—Melissa—and then grandchildren. He had a small, simple cross on the wall next to a motivational bible verse, and in the corner a small table for young kids, like you might find in a preschool, with books and games neatly stacked.
She wanted to out Roger Rapperson to his partner. She wanted Andrew to know the truth about his daughter. She wanted Melissa to have a relationship with her family again, if that’s what she wanted. Not to be browbeat and intimidated by a predator like Roger.
But it wasn’t Margo’s secret to tell. It would destroy Roger—which was a big plus—but it would also hurt this man and his daughter.
