Part 6
Derek Montgomery closed and locked his office door. He walked over to his
desk, picked up the letter and read it again.
Dear Mr. Montgomery,
Does the name Dean Tristan mean anything to you? It should because that
was the name my brother was using when the two of you were involved in that
bogus stock scam. You remember it, don't you? Where you conned hundreds of
Florida's finest citizens into making you very rich?
When the cops learned of your indiscretion, you two made a run for it.
Since you were an avid swimmer you had no problems making it to the boat.
My brother, on the other hand, was not and he drowned twenty feet from
shore.
Fortunately for the good people of Florida, but unfortunately for you,
the money was returned to its rightful owners. And you returned to town
five years later with a new name, a new career and none of the money you stole.
If you knew anything about my brother, Mr. Montgomery, it was that he
was always one step ahead.
You see, my brother never fully trusted you as a partner. So he did what
any sensible man would do, he kept notes. After his death, I went through
his belongings and found a safe deposit key. After tracking down the
safe deposit box, the contents were alarming. Included was a diary
explaining that the two of you were partners. And if that wasn't enough, there were
audio and videotapes of your meetings with him. He had you nailed cold.
These items are safely tucked away and yet still in my possession.
I am not looking for money, Mr. Montgomery, nor am I seeking revenge.
What my brother did, he did of his own free will. Nor do I blame you
for his death. What I am seeking is compensation. You walked away
with your life, my brother was not so lucky. The case is still open,
I checked with the police.
It's your new career as a PI that I am interested in. I want to hire you
to do some work for me in exchange for the contents of the safe deposit
box.
I know this is blackmail, but the way I see it, you have to pay for your
part in the scam. Compared to death or jail, what I have in mind would be a
vacation.
Your first assignment is an easy one. I want you to take some pictures.
I need two dozen photos of Palm Beach Detective Thomas Ryan. I need
pictures of him, his home, his friends, on a case and especially of his partner,
Cassandra St. John. You have one week. I will be in touch.
Derek read the letter for a third time. He crumbled it up and tossed it in
the garbage. 'Damn', he thought to himself. 'Five years. He had gotten
away scott free for five years and now, because of one lousy key,
everything he had worked for would be gone.'
He picked up the piece of paper from the garbage and looked at it again.
'Who is this person?' His first instinct was to find the author but
he knew that was impossible. Hell, the only thing he knew about Dean
Tristan was that Dean Tristan wasn't even his real name. Dean revealed
nothing about himself. He never mentioned having a wife, parents, siblings,
or even a dog.
And now this person knew everything about him. Because of one mistake
five years ago, he could lose his business and his family.
He picked up the phone and called the airline. "Hello? Yes, I would like a
ticket to Palm Beach, Florida."