After the breakfast things are cleared away, we settle the boys in the den watching cartoons with Hugo while Jax, my parents, Molly and I sit around the table to figure out the fastest way out of the mess we all seem to be stuck in the middle of.
“So, let me get this straight,” Molly says, brushing a thick lock of blonde hair from her eyes. “Not only did somebody beat your father half to death and tell him that you were responsible, they also videoed you and Lucia with another woman, blackmailed Lucia’s father and then tried to make it look like you were conspiring with the other woman to get your hands on the five million? Is that about it?”
I gasp in a breath. She pretty much nailed it. Everything that happened does seem to point to Jax being the real target here. “Don’t forget the picture of Jax and Shannon too,” I add. “That was taken at least a year and half ago.”
Molly frowns but she nods her head in agreement. “You think it was someone we know? Here in Dallas?”
“Well, whoever took those pictures of me and Shannon had to have known about the two of us…”
“It wasn’t exactly a secret, honey,” Molly says with a shake of her head. “The whole town knew about you two.”
“Could Shannon be behind this?” I ask.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” my mom adds with a nod.
“She couldn’t have taken the picture of the two of them though,” my father says.
“No, but she could have had someone else take it,” I offer.
Jax nods his head. “She also has a crib like the one my dad went looking for on the night he was attacked, and he placed the ad in her mom’s store, so she knew all about it.”
“But she’s happy with Ed now,” Molly says with a frown. “Why would she do that?”
“Beats me,” Jax rubs a hand over his jaw.
“Who is Ed?” my father asks.
“Ed Sawyer. Local vet. Moved here four or five years ago. He and Shannon got together about eighteen months ago…”
“Before or after that photograph was taken?” I ask.
“After,” Jax insists.
My father looks between Jax and Molly. “And where was he before he came here?”
“I have no idea,” Molly says with a shake of her head.
“I’ll find out by the end of the day,” Jax says.
“No, I can deal with that,” my father replies.
Jax arches an eyebrow at him. “You sure?”
“I think I’ve learned enough from you over the years to find out a little more about Ed. Besides, I need you tracking that money, because I see why we’re looking into the possibility of Shannon or Ed being involved here, I mean jealousy is the oldest motive there is, right? But, I feel like this is bigger than that. This is deeper than a spurned ex-lover or a jealous husband.”
“I agree, amigo,” Jax says with a nod. “There’s something bigger going on here.”
“Where is that money right now?” my father asks him.
“As we suspected, sitting in offshore accounts. It bounced through eight in total and now it’s spread across four,” Jax replies.
“But you can trace those accounts eventually?”
“Yes. But it will take a few days.”
“We need to find whoever has those videos too,” I remind them. “They could still be right here in town. I mean if they’ve been here all this time anyway.”
“Yes, we do,” my father agrees. “Who has access to this ranch, Molly?”