Page 58 of Alibi for Murder
He laughed. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to go in.”
No matter what he said, she opted to stay near the staircase. If she got uneasy again, she was out of here unless he physically stopped her. Frankly, at this point, she couldn’t be sure what he intended. One moment she was convinced he planned to harm her, and the next she wasn’t so sure.
He pulled the keypad free of the door, swinging it to one side. Then he reached into his pocket and retrieved something. A key, she realized, as he inserted it then gave it a twist, reached for the handle and opened it. The big, no question about it now, vault door opened.
“He wouldn’t give me the code,” he explained. “But I knew there would be a key somewhere. It took some time, but I found it.”
“And what is it you believe I need to see?” She folded her arms over her middle in an effort to conceal the shaking that had started. She would not be afraid, she repeated silently.
“The most explosive secrets that Ledwell has are right here. A maze of files, including videos, and the perfect example of what they were and are still doing in the sublevels of that high security lab.”
“If you had access to this,” she said, her anger rising again, “why the hell didn’t you tell me. I wouldn’t have been running around all over the place trying to find evidence.” Another realization had her drawing back. Wait just one damned minute. “Why would you need the evidence my father had if you had access to this?”
“But you would’ve missed all the fun. And there is the small matter of tying up loose ends.” He gestured to the room. “Have a look.”
Ensuring that she stayed beyond arm’s reach from him, she moved closer until she could see inside the room.
Bookshelves covered two walls, each lined with binders. Rows of filing cabinets stood against the other two walls. In the center of the room was a round table with four chairs.
A man suddenly appeared in the doorway, stepping from one side of the door as if he’d been hiding or cowering there.
“May I come out now?”
Allie stumbled back. The man inclined his head and stared at her. “Who is this?”
He was medium height and build. He had black hair and vibrant…greeneyes.
The photos she had seen of Tommy Madison filled her head.
“Tommy?” The name slipped from her lips before she could catch it.
He frowned, stared at her. “Do I know you?”
“You don’t know her,” Rivero spoke up. “She’s your target for today.”
Allie’s attention swung to him. “What did you say?”
Rivero smiled. “Don’t mind me, I was just leaving. It was nice to have known you, Allie Foster. Thank you for finding that evidence and bringing it right to me. One less bit of housekeeping.”
“What the hell are you doing?” she demanded.
Rivero paused in his obvious exit. He turned back to her. “I’m doing what I’ve waited twenty-eight years to do, leaving with all the loose ends accounted for so that I may live the rest of my life in peace.”
Allie shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
He exhaled a put-upon breath. “If you must know, here you go. I was Ledwell’s watchdog, so to speak. My career was on a downward spiral.” He shrugged. “It happens. One day you’re at the top, and the next someone younger and more handsome takes your spot. At any rate, I was in a bit of a pinch money wise, and I approached Ledwell with a proposition. I would keep thetrouble from their door for the right price. They knew I was like a magnet to people who wanted to tell their stories.”
Allie’s chest constricted. “You lured in would-be whistle-blowers with your reputation for exposing the dirty laundry of big tech and politicians.”
He smiled. “Smart girl. It was the easiest money I’d ever made. Every single one swallowed the bait. Except your father screwed me. He was supposed to have the evidence with him, not your mother. I never liked being responsible for the deaths of innocents.”
She rushed toward him. He reared back in mock fear, laughing in her face.
“You killed them.”
“Your father killed himself by betraying his employer. Killed his wife too. And he left me hanging. I had to disappear to prevent the same fate.”
Fury twisted her lips. “Why did you bother coming back after all these years? Why didn’t you just stay gone?”
