Hunter went straight to Chloe’s apartment from the crime scene. After ten minutes of waiting for her to acknowledge his unrelenting ringing of the security bell, he tracked down the landlord, who was willing to let him into the building after being reassured that his tenant wasn’t a criminal.
When there was no answer to his knocking, he tried the door to find it was unlocked. Drawing his gun, he slowly and quietly opened the door and entered the apartment, immediately seeing the silhouette of someone in the living room. As he entered the room, he saw an older man with rimless glasses sitting on the couch, casually reading through the papers and files Chloe had left on the coffee table. Hunter guessed the man was in his mid-seventies and was surprised this stranger was comfortable enough in this place not to react to Hunter’s entrance.
David looked up, casting a warm smile at him. Hunter froze in his tracks, immediately recognizing the man on the couch, gun still poised as he tried to discern what the smile actually meant.
“You must be Agent Lawton,” David said casually.
“You’re David Lundy,” Hunter said as it all clicked into place. “You’re the mystery boss Finley and Chloe didn’t want us to know about. Parnell works for you.”
David slowly rose from the couch, replacing the papers on the coffee table, and approached Hunter. “Now that we know each other, you can put that away. There is no danger here tonight. I’m simply waiting for my granddaughter to get home.”
“Granddaughter?” I’m so sick of surprises. “What do you mean, granddaughter? Where is she?” Hunter’s eyes scanned the apartment for any sign of Chloe.
“She’ll be back soon.”
A voice in the back of Hunter’s mind kept telling him to relax, that there really was no danger here, but Chloe had not told him about David Lundy, much less the fact that he was her grandfather.
“Are you Parnell’s father?”
David smiled at the assumption. “No. Please, Agent Lawton, you can put the gun away.”
Holstering his gun, Hunter asked, “How did you get in here?”
David took the key out of his pocket and held it up for Hunter’s inspection. Hunter remained suspicious as he moved into the living room, taking a seat across from David.
“Please call me David.”
“Chloe didn’t mention you were in town. In fact, she didn’t mention you at all.”
“I just got in a few days ago,” David replied, ignoring Hunter’s second statement. “I haven’t seen her in years.”
“Eight?” Hunter asked, already knowing the answer.
David nodded, a look of remembrance on his face. “To be exact. Sadly, she didn’t tell anyone when she left Boston. She was misguidedly devoted to her father from the time she was born, although, to be honest, at times I couldn’t figure out why.”
“You knew what she did?” Hunter was surprised that a grandfather who obviously adored his granddaughter would condone the work her father had done and allow her to start following in his footsteps.
“Of course I knew,” David said as if the answer was obvious. “I insisted she do the job. Renee—I mean, Chloe—was a stubborn girl, and fierce in proving to everyone she was going to do what she wanted and was going to do it her way. She and her father had their battles, but she more often than not got what she wanted if for one simple reason. She knows how to play the game better than Matthew. She learned at a young age and Matthew is too foolish to realize he’s the one who taught her.”
The more David spoke, the more Hunter’s intrigue was piqued. “How do you mean?”
“She studies people. She has this instinct for being able to read people and find both their strengths and weaknesses that she can lock away for future use. She knows how to diffuse a hostile situation faster and with more efficiency than Matthew could ever conceive of doing. If Matthew felt betrayed, he would send Mr. Crescent to deal with it; if she felt betrayed, she would deal with it herself. Not so much with force, but with words and intimidation.” David let go a small sigh of amusement. “She was very good at it, and, I’m guessing, still is.”
Hunter shared David’s smile as he thought back to the first night they spent together in the restaurant and the brief, but effective, way she dealt with the manager wanting to take their table. “You’re not wrong about that.”
They sat in silence a few minutes, studying each other. It was Hunter’s nature to be suspicious, but he found that he was comfortable with David despite the fact that he was a reputable mob boss in Chicago. He had questions, but part of him wanted Chloe with him when he got the answers. The other part of him thought taking advantage of the situation wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“Do you usually come to see her this late at night?” David asked.
“Uh, no,” Hunter replied. “I came over tonight because I need to talk to her about something that can’t wait.”
“From the look on your face I would guess that whatever you have to say is something she’s not going to like.”
“No, she’s not.” Hunter was supposed to protect this friend of Chloe’s and he’d failed. “A woman by the name of Allison Morris was killed tonight. You might know her as Alice Jenkins.”
Hunter saw recognition on David’s face. “Yes. The two of them were very close when Renee was growing up. You’ll have to pardon me, Mr. Lawton. It will take me some time to get used to saying her new name. She’s going to be devastated.”
“That’s not the worst of it,” Hunter said. “Alice’s son was murdered this morning as well; a six-year-old boy.”
David’s head snapped up with hard curiosity in his eyes. It was obvious he wanted more information, so Hunter told him every detail he knew about both murders and his unconfirmed suspicion that Matthew had something to do with it. When he was done, there was no other way to describe David’s reaction than pure rage, and Hunter instinctively knew David was trying to suppress it. He also knew that David didn’t think Matthew was behind it, he knew it. Hunter watched David walk over to the window, back straight, shoulders tense, breathing even, knowing he was looking at nothing in particular while trying to keep his anger inside.
He murdered a child to hurt her just so she’ll go back, Hunter thought to himself. Why do I get the feeling he has no idea the consequences he will suffer?
David turned to Hunter, his face somber. “My granddaughter has had her heart broken too many times during her lifetime. She’s always been strong-willed when it comes to quashing her emotions. She was raised with the understanding that emotions were a problem and showed weakness. She was raised to always be logical and rational. If emotions needed to be vented, it would be done in privacy where no one could be a witness. I tell you this because what you have to tell her will shatter her. If you love her—and I believe you do—after you tell her, be there for her. Without saying a word, I know she feels the same for you and I think you may be the only person she will show her true self to.”
Hunter doubted that. “You mean since Christopher?”
“I mean ever,” David said, giving Hunter a poignant look. David let Hunter absorb that for a few heartbeats before clapping his hands and rubbing them together with a smile on his face, all anger seemingly forgotten. “Now, why don’t you and I play question and answer while we wait?”