Andrews cleared his throat. “Lancer has been with Gamma for six years. Draymont about the same, by the way. Before going to work for Gamma she was a lawyer for a few years, then a communications director, and later a lobbyist at a political outfit in DC.”
“So the same city and basically the same arena as Draymont.”
“Yes. So they could have known each other back then.”
White drank from her water glass and said, “Lawyer, and then communications director, and then a lobbyist for a political group, and now she works at a private security firm? Odd career trajectory.”
Decker said, “It all depends on her personal goals.”
She looked at Andrews. “Family? Draymont and Lancer?”
“Draymont’s family is in Seattle. Parents still alive, and he has one brother. They’ve been notified. They’re coming in to claim the body.”
“And Lancer?” said White.
“We found out that Alice Lancer is an orphan. Her adoptive parents died in a plane crash over a decade ago. She has no siblings. And we really have no way of finding out who her biological parents were.”
Something clicked in Decker’s head when Andrews said this.Okay, that’s interesting.
“So, dead end there,” noted White.
“Seems to be. And there’s no sign of Lancer or Patty Kelly. It’s like they’ve disappeared off the face of the earth.”
“Funny how that always seems to happen when someone doesn’t want to talk to the cops,” interjected Decker.
“What will you do next?” asked Andrews.
“We learned from Duncan Trotter that Judge Cummins’s death resulted in her ex being the trustee of a twenty-million-dollar-plus fortune.”
Andrews nearly dumped his wine. “Shit. I knew she was loaded, but notthatloaded.”
Decker’s phone vibrated and he read the message that had just come in. “This is from the ME. I had a hunch about something and it turned out I was right.”
“What was the hunch?” asked Andrews.
“That Alan Draymont wasn’t guarding the judge, he was sleeping with her.”
“What!” Andrews blurted out.
Decker briefly explained what he had found at the crime scene and also the confirmation from the ME. He also told Andrews about his theory of there being two different killers.
Andrews nodded, looking thoughtful. “I have to admit, the different methods of the killings were bothering me. You either see one or the other. But Decker, Trevor Perlman said he recommended Gamma to the judge. And she told others, including her son, that she was having protection.”
“Doris Kline told me that Draymont wasn’t there every night. And no one else was taking up the protection. Funny way to guard someone.”
“But then why go to Gamma at all if there were no threats?” asked White.
“Not really sure. But it looks like that’s what happened. You don’t sleep with your security guard. And your security guard doesn’t just not show up to guard you.”
“So she wasn’t really afraid of anyone?” said White.
Decker glanced at her. “Oh, I think shewasafraid of someone. And that person killed her.”
Chapter37
AFTER DINNER, DECKER SAT INhis hotel room staring at a wall.
He was not thinking of the case right now. He was thinking about the letter he’d gotten from the Cognitive Institute in Chicago.