“Yes. I hired him to do a search for my father.”
“How much did he charge?”
Ridley frowned. “He charged by the hour. Usually about a hundred unless it required surveillance. So far, he hadn’t needed to do that. He was mainly looking through paperwork, I think. I know he pulled my mom’s credit history. He was trying to figure out exactly where my mother was living and who she had contact with around the time of my conception.”
“Did he seem to be having money problems?”
“I didn’t think so, but I’m not really sure. Why are you asking all these questions? What does this have to do with his car accident?”
“We’re not sure. We noticed some unusual activity in the past month and thought you might be able to help us put the pieces together.”
“I wouldn’t know anything about his financial situation.”
“You didn’t wire him fifty thousand last week?”
“Fifty thousand? Uh, no. I don’t have that kind of money.” Ridley stated.
“Miss Wells, I don’t want to alarm you but I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that the FBI isn’t usually involved in cases like these.”
“Please tell me what’s going on.”
“Mr. Finemore was spotted with a person of interest in one of my cases. Alberto Moreno. The FBI has been monitoring Mr. Moreno for years. He’s suspected of arms dealing, racketeering, drug trafficking, you name it.”
“Moreno? As in the Moreno crime family?” Ridley squeaked.
“Yes. I’m something of an expert on the Morenos, which is why I was asked to assist with Mr. Finemore’s case. Mr. Finemore was spotted by one of our surveillance teams meeting Moreno the day before his death. Do you have any idea why?”
“Maybe he was doing investigative work for them?”
Agent Graham grunted. “If he was doing work for the Morenos it definitely wasn’t legal. Miss Wells, I know Mr. Finemore was a friend of yours but whatever he got himself into got him killed. You were the last person to see him alive. Somehow, you were also the first person at the scene of the accident.”
He stopped speaking abruptly. Ridley had the distinct feeling that he hadn’t meant to say that last part.
“What exactly are you implying Agent Graham? You don’t think I had anything to do with this, do you?”
“I didn’t mean that. Miss Wells, we just want to figure out what’s going on before anyone else gets hurt. When will you be back in town?”
“I don’t know. I’ll call you back.” Ridley hung up and immediately turned her phone off.
She dragged in a ragged breath, her heart beating so hard she couldn’t hear anything else over the sound. It was tempting to pretend she’d never called Agent Graham. To go on ignoring the signs that had been there since the beginning.
Hadn’t she thought it odd that an FBI Agent would be involved in something as simple as a car accident? Now she could no longer ignore the obvious—she was in way over her head. Maybe she should have told Agent Graham that David had come to see her right before the accident. Not that she could see how that would make any difference.
Especially since he already suspected her of killing her friend.
If David had found evidence that Moreno was her father, he would have tried to verify it. But it was doubtful that he would have told Moreno directly of his suspicions. So if she could stay off the grid for a while, there was a good chance that Moreno’s people would never know what he really suspected. If she was lucky, they would never know that he might have a daughter. Daughters, she corrected. After all, this wasn’t just about her.
It had been big news in Florida when the Moreno’s only son had died. No wonder David had told her to lay low. If he’d suspected her father was a Moreno, then he wasn’t just being paranoid when he’d told her he was on to something dangerous. He’d been trying to protect her.
Now he was dead, and if whoever killed him had followed her here, she’d led them right to her sister. If Moreno found her, then it wouldn’t be long before he found Raina, too.
She and her sister might be his only surviving children.
I have to get out of here.
After pulling her cell charger from the wall, she stuffed it in her backpack and made sure it was zipped securely. The thought of someone following her here, possibly hurting her sister or Jackson, made her sick to her stomach. It was a stupid idea to come here. All she’d done was bring trouble to her sister’s doorstep. She was the one who’d wanted to find their father. This was her mess.
No one else deserved to be dragged into the maelstrom of her life.
The day hadn’t been a total waste because at least she’d been able to rest for a bit and charge her phone. It seemed petty to leave without saying goodbye to Jackson but it was probably easier this way. No explanations. No goodbyes.
Business as usual.
CHAPTER FIVE
“THIS WAY, RAINA! Give us that famous smile, sweetheart!"
"Come on, Legs. Just one shot."
Early Sunday morning, Raina Winters strutted past the horde of paparazzi camped out in front of the Fullerton Hotel, her security team surrounding her like a moving wall of muscle. Her agent had booked her on back to back appearances and photo shoots, so she didn't even have time to enjoy the picturesque hotel with its charming views of the Singapore River. The only thing she would see for the next two weeks unrelated to work was her hotel room, the back of her security chief's tee shirt and the inside of her limo. But it would be worth it to get the first real vacation she'd had since she started modeling.