Page 134 of Bling

Chapter Thirty-Two

Garrett stood in the middle of a mostly empty warehouse watching as his staff moved through the building methodically looking for any signs of smuggling. He’d been so focused on the financial records and the paper trail that he hadn’t thought enough about the physical evidence.

“Mr. Oliver.” His head of security, Rick Balliol, came through a side door and stomped mud off his boots onto the rug.

“What do you have for me, Rick?”

“Sir, we found what we believe to be Mr. Gunn’s car. We knew he had to enter the woods on foot from somewhere, so we started checking service roads. We found a vehicle with front-end damage that suggests his is the car that tried to run you off the road a few weeks ago.”

“Anything else?” Garrett asked.

“Not yet, Sir. I’m about to head out to the loading dock to run through procedure for getting the last trucks out of here tomorrow night. You really think he’ll try something?”

Garrett nodded. “If we’re shutting down his supply route, he’ll either try to salvage what he can by stealing a truck or he’ll try to retaliate.”

“Yes, Sir. We’ll try to be prepared then.”

“Very good. I’ll be upstairs in the office if you need me.”

Spinning on his heel, Garrett turned and walked up the stairs. Opening the door to his offices, he was flooded with memories of Isabelle and he balled his hands into fists.

“She’s very organized, Mr. Oliver.”

He blew out a breath and smiled. Saying someone was organized was perhaps the highest compliment Regina could pay someone. “That she is, Regina. Thank you for getting on a plane so quickly.”

“Your cellphone is going a bit nuts on your desk, Sir,” she said as she continued flipping through files in the filing cabinet.

He moved into his own office and picked up the device. There was a text from Isabelle. His heart thudded as he opened it.

Relief flooded him as he read that Carmen was awake.

He dialed a number and brought the phone to his ear as he paced in front of his desk.

“Yes, Mr. Oliver,” a masculine voice said.

“Aaron, how is Isabelle today?”

“She looks tired, Sir, but the word inside the hospital is that her sister is awake.”

Garrett grinned for the first time in several days. “That’s true. Isabelle actually sent me a text. Do me a favor and let me know the next time she leaves the hospital. I want to pay Carmen a visit, but I don’t want Isabelle to be forced to interact with me. Not yet, anyway.”

“She just left about ten minutes ago, actually.”

Garrett glanced at his watch. He could squeeze in a quick visit before his board meeting at Solitaire. “Great, keep an eye on her and let me know if she heads back to the hospital.”

He stepped into the other office. “I’m stepping out, Regina. Do me a favor and call Elijah Barrett and tell him I’ll be late.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said, picking up the phone.

Downstairs, Jeff already had the car running and soon they were headed to the hospital. He didn’t know if Carmen Alvarado could provide him with any more information or how badly she’d been affected by the drug overdose, but he had to try.

In the hospital, he read the signs and made his way to Carmen’s room. He knew where it was thanks to the security he’d had watching Isabelle.

Carmen’s eyes grew wide and he heard the heart monitor begin to beep a little faster when he stopped into the room.

“Mr. Oliver,” she whispered. “You’re the last person I expected to see.”

He gave her a tight smile. “I’m glad to see you’re awake, Miss Alvarado. How are you feeling?”

She laughed. “Like I’ve been drugged. Does Izzy know you’re here?”

He dropped into one of the chairs and pulled it next to Carmen’s bed. “Isabelle and I are currently having a… misunderstanding, well call it. If you’re feeling up for it, I wondered if you could answer a few questions for me.”

Carmen nodded and reached for the pitcher of water on the bedside table. Garrett leaned forward and got it for her, helping her fill her glass.

“For starters,” he said as she sipped the water. “Can you tell me how you wound up here?”

“You need to leave.”

Garrett turned at the familiar voice. Isabelle stood in the doorway, looking furious.

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