Page 79 of I’ll Be Watching You

“What do you want to do?”

“Well,” he said slowly, thinking, “if I were still a detective, I would ask questions. Some I had answers to, some I didn’t, see what my suspect or witness said.”

“Stir the pot,” I countered.

“In a manner of speaking. But in this case, we need to be doubly careful.”

“Everyone is being careful,” I said.

“What are you scared of?” Jack asked.

“That I’m going to fuck this up and Dad will be in prison for the next eleven and a half years.”

“Don’t be hard on yourself. We go, confirm information, ask questions we want answers to, see what she says.”

“We need to give her a reason.”

“We were hired by . . . hmm.” Jack thought.

“Jim Novak?” I shook my head. “No, I don’t want to put a target on his back if Maddox is involved.”

“An individual who believes they were harmed in the drug trial,” Jack said.

I shook my head. “I think we should be more vague. Neither of us is well-versed in pharmaceutical investigations.”

“I don’t know if this will work, but what if we state that Dad came clean and said he didn’t kill Devin?”

“And put a target on his back?”

“He’s in prison out of state. No one is going to get to him right now. Didn’t you say this is the time to be bold?”

I did. But if I was wrong, it could get Dad killed.

But if I was right, Dad was still in danger.

“Okay. We’re investigating the murder of Devin Klein. Let’s see what happens.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Margo Angelhart

Mildred Maddox answered the door herself. I recognized her from her photo, though she looked a decade older. Short, neat dark hair with tasteful gray highlights—a really good dye job—and clear pale blue eyes.

“May I help you?” she said.

“I’m Margo Angelhart, and this is my partner Jack. We’re private investigators.”

“Oh. Yes. I had a message that you called. Angelhart.”

“You may know our father.”

“Not personally, but of course, I know of him. How can I help you?”

A little cold, but not completely frigid.

I handed her my business card. “May we come in for a few minutes? We have some questions regarding a drug trial you oversaw at the VA.”

“I’m retired now. We have lawyers. I can’t share details, you understand.” She smiled sadly, as if she wanted to help but legal rules prevented her from doing so.