The decoy

Chapt 24

Chapter Twenty Four

"I think he did it because he was angry," Kristy said when she handed over the files to Sebastian.

It was a very different Kristy Robinson who climbed into the back seat of Sebastian's truck. She was no longer the feisty young woman who had spoken with such respect for Paul Vail and such disgust for Cam Starr. Her anger with Starr was flowing from her when Sebastian had first met her and her feelings about her dead boss, Paul Vail, were reverential. Now however she was back in town to confess something.

She had some information about Paul Vail that she needed to get off of her chest.

"Why didn't you give these to me when I came to see you in Salt Lake City?" Sebastian asked.

"I was scared. I was scared and angry. I hate that Cam Starr. He is an asshole.

Once he took over he strutted around that place like he had built it up instead of Paul. I was angry that after working all those years for the Vail's I had to quit.

I was mad at Starr and I was a little mad at Paul for putting him in charge."
            Sebastian interrupted, "I thought Jessie put Starr there after Paul died."
            "Yes. She did put him in charge.  I think she was screwing Cam Starr."

Kristy hesitated for a moment and then she continued.

"The funny thing is Paul thought so too. But he was still going to give Starr the job anyway. I wrote some notes about the whole situation and included them in the files.

I guess I shouldn't have taken Paul's files and I started to get scared that Cam might discover they're gone and maybe I'd get in trouble. That's the reason I wanted to give them to you."

Grace stopped her this time. "So you think Paul Vail suspected his wife of an affair with Cam Starr but he still wanted Starr to take over. Why? Why would Vail need Starr to take over? Why give it to someone who was screwing his wife? I was under the impression that Vail didn't want to sell."
            Kristy started to tell her story again.

"I didn't think so either at first. I mean this company was the only thing Paul had. He loved his work and he loved his wife. He built this company and he was going to keep it but I guess when Jessie started fooling around it sort of changed everything. After that I don't think Paul wanted to stay. I think he would have sold it. He would have taken the money and left the business to Jessie and Starr.

I think he figured that Starr was the only person who could run the business so he decided to sell it and let Starr take over. Maybe by then he knew he had lost his wife to Starr and he was going to take the money and go.

Read the files. It's mostly bank deposits and a few notes that Paul wrote after meeting with Vail.  It says he was depositing some sort of down payment."

They pulled into the restaurant parking lot at 7:00 and the hostess walked them to their seats. As they sat down Sebastian asked if he could see the restaurant manager. Once again he pulled out his letter from Kelly, hoping that the official letter head would give him some legitimacy with the restaurant staff.

A heavy set man with a dark black beard approached their table.

"What can I do for you?"

"Do you know these people?"

Sebastian showed him the pictures of Jessie, Starr and Pezzo.

"I know Jessie Vail," the man said. He didn't ask who Sebastian was. It didn't occur to the man that Jessie Vail could be involved in any trouble.