Rex left the poker game two thousand in the hole but feeling quite good about himself. He'd managed to disarm both Frank and Beverly, while bringing light to the inner turmoil circling the Joey Baker case. He'd done that by keeping his cards close to his chest; not losing, not winning. And during the game he'd managed to keep his focus on the people around the table.
Rex's intuition told him that Frank and Beverly were former lovers. Most likely in the distant past. They held that kind of animosity that people did when they'd run hot and cold and then called the whole thing off. Yet they still played poker together.
And they both had a real concern for Joey Baker. Except that Frank and Beverly had opposite opinions about how to handle the situation. Frank wanted Joey arrested and sent to jail, while Beverly wanted her son to get out of the country. Somewhere the US couldn't get him. Maybe an exotic locale off of Cuba or even Venezuela. I hope Joey speaks Spanish.
No matter how challenging, living away was not as confining as a jail cell. Rex felt a deep sense of pride, having figured out all of this. He couldn't wait to tell Viv.
On the walk home he looked up at the moon and began to whistle. Then he sang "Fly Me to the Moon," feeling happy with himself and what he'd learned. It wouldn't be hard to find Joey and deliver him to Beverly. Case number two nearly in the bag. Then he tugged on his ear for good luck.
The truth was that Beverly scared him more than Frank. She had a certain cat-like quality, an indifference, that made Rex nervous. He knew he couldn't charm her the way he did most women. Maybe that's why I decided not to turn her boy in to the police, but aid and abet her plan. Scary woman. Just sayin'.
Unlike Viv, who was impervious to him for different reasons, Beverly was cold. Nothing seemed to bother her, except if something happened to Joey. And then look out. She'd be dangerous, like a tiger protecting her young. One swat with the paw and it would be all over.
Rex slowed his pace. He thought back to his previous conjectures with Viv. Was it her idea that Beverly and Pete were a couple? Okay, Viv may have jumped to conclusions. Of course it looked that way and she was pretty intuitive. It was her kindness that disarmed people.
Probably comes from bringing all those babies into the world.
By the time he reached home, he was surprised to find Sutton standing in the open doorway. She was dressed in her undercover surveillance outfit—black T, black jeans, black shoes, and a black baseball cap pulled over her head.
"Where have you been?” she demanded.
"You know, at the poker game." His good mood slipped away.
“I've been trying to text you. Viv called my cell when she couldn't get a hold of you. She's been taken to the police station. She was abducted by Joey Baker and that woman with the stroller. Turns out that gal in the neighborhood was hiding Joey right under our noses.”
Rex gasped. "Is Viv all right?"
"Come on." Sutton pulled on his arm. "I'm driving."
Sutton sped through a stop sign while Rex sat in the passenger seat, a stunned expression on his face.
"I can't believe Viv found Joey while I was playing poker."
"You had no way of knowing, boss," Sutton commented. "You didn't take your personal cell, remember?"
"I should have been there to protect her. She falls into situations without even trying. The funny part is Viv is so careful, but it happens anyway. She starts asking innocent questions, and that caring way she has, and then boom, she's in trouble."
"We're almost there. Can I change the subject for a second?"
"Go ahead, tell me."
"I've got another between the sheets story," Sutton explained.
"With a dead guy?" Rex asked incredulously.
"I'm talking about Google Sheets. You know, the kind they use for accounting. I've dug up some information that may shed light on the HOA."
"Keep talking," Rex said.
"Pete Langford does all of their taxes. He has numerous accounting sheets for each business. But they don't say much that matters. I did a deep dive, spent hours poring over the flash drive. That's where the real accounting is saved. Nothin’ but holes, boss. More money coming in than going out."
"So Joey Baker—is he the number one scammer?"
"He's not the only one. It's bigger than him, boss. It seems that whole gang—Frank, Joey, Dean, Sammy, and Peter—are in this together."
"What do you mean 'in this?'"
"They've been laundering money through the Desert Tortoise homeowners' account, using lots and lots of cash."
Rex let out a long low whistle. "So that's why they stalled us when we asked for the books."
"I think they've been planning this for years. Once Desert Tortoise was built, they made sure to vote themselves on the board before anyone else could volunteer. Salucci's at the top of this heap." Sutton nodded.
"Not Beverly Nelson?" he asked.
She pulled into an empty parking space. "She may be involved behind the scenes. We're here. Let's go see what kind of trouble Viv's gotten herself into. I'm beginning to realize we can't take our eyes off of that woman for a second."