Page 115 of State of Bliss

“On it.”

While Cruz headed for the pit, Gonzo waited for Kerr to tell him he and Tori were ready for him to return.

“What’re you thinking, Sarge?”

“I’m thinking Tori Stevens hired someone to either eliminate her competition or help her do it and was so arrogant about the whole thing that she didn’t worry about leaving a paper trail.”

Kerr opened the door. “We’re ready to continue.”

Gonzo pushed off the wall and followed him into the room, reengaging the recorder. “So who’s Randy Bryant?”

Tori gasped before she realized she needed to keep her cool. “I have no idea.”

“Then why’d you write a check to him for ten thousand dollars ten days ago?”

“I didn’t!”

Gonzo sat across from them, keeping his pose as casual as he possibly could. What did he need to be tense about? He had her nailed to the wall. “Here’s a copy of the canceled check drawn from your account. Detective Cruz is working on figuring out who he is. We’ll find him within minutes, if it takes that long, so you may as well tell us who he is.”

She again looked to her attorney to tell her what to do.

Gonzo could tell that Kerr had no idea what to tell her.

“This check you’re referring to was written by my client?”

Gonzo stared at him for a second and then pointed to the printout. “Yes, it was written by your client, or I wouldn’t have mentioned it.”

Kerr looked to Tori. “Did you write this check?”

She crossed her arms and gave them a defiant look. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Gonzo laughed. “That’s not how this works, Tori. Did you hire Randy to hurt Rachel?”

The question obviously shocked her. Where in the hell had she thought this was headed?

“I have no idea who she even is!”

“Then why did you text her hundreds of times on two different numbers?”

“That wasn’t me.”

He glanced at the lawyer. “Will you please tell your client that we can prove she texted Rachel and wrote the check to Randy? Will you tell her that when we get Randy in here, he’ll tell us everything to save himself?”

“He won’t say a word,” Tori hissed.

“Be quiet, Tori,” Kerr said sternly.

Gonzo was glad the guy seemed to have at least a basic idea of how much trouble his client was in. He stood. “Welp, I guess we’ll wait to hear what Randy has to say.” He was reaching for the recorder to shut it off when Tori spoke up.

“Wait.”

“Tori…”

Kerr seemed tense enough for everyone. Perhaps he’d paid just enough attention in law school to realize when shit was getting real.

“If I tell you what Randy did, does that help me?”

“Depends on what you had to do with what Randy did.”

---