From his peripheral, Beckett saw Digger’s hand holding up the printed proof of the yacht’s title with Mitchell’s name scribbled on the dotted line. He also had the paperworkBaker had shared providing the shell company’s information, including the fact that Mitchell was its currently listed CEO.
“That’s…n-not…mine.”
“I swear to God, if you lie one more time?—”
“I’m…t-telling you…thetruth!” Mitchell cut off Beckett’s deadly warning with a stuttered shout. “Not my…company. Or…yacht. I own…different…yacht …two sailboats…a p-pontoon…and four j-jet…skis. T-Titles are locked up in my…safe. I can assure…y-you, th-that…isn’t one of th-them. Just like…that”—the privileged asshole pointed to the papers still clutched in Digger’s hand—“isn’t my…s-signature.”
“You just expect me to take you at your word?” Beckett shook his head slowly, despite letting up on the guy a smidge. “Because from what Evie’s said, your word doesn’t mean jack shit. Now we know she was last seen being forced onto this yacht, and I will move heaven and earth if that’s what it takes, but Iamgoing to find her.”
“You don’t have to take me at my word.” Mitchell spoke with a little more ease. “There’s a contract sitting on my desk waiting to be put in the mail first thing Monday morning. My signature is at the bottom of the very last page. Go ahead…” he challenged. “Compare the two. Then tell me you still thinkI’mthe one behind Evie’s disappearance.”
Beckett let the man go with a rough shove before marching across the room to the polished mahogany desk. Just as Mitchell claimed, there was a crisp new contract sitting to the side.
He picked it up, immediately flipping to the last page in the stapled stack as he carried it over to where Digger stood waiting. They compared the signatures in silence, Beckett’s gut tightening when he saw the striking differences between the two.
The scripted name on the yacht’s title was Mitchell’s. But the formation of the letters, the style of cursive used…even thedirection of the slant was noticeably different from the one Beckett had just picked up from the desk.
In fact, minus the first and last names being spelled the same, nothing about the two signatures looked similar in the least. Which could only mean…
He’s telling the truth. But still…
“If the person who signed the yacht’s title wasn’t you, and therefore, the purchase of the vessel is technically null and void, then you wouldn’ttechnicallybe lying when you say it isn’t yours.”
“All true,” Mitchell agreed. “But I’m not lying.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“Why the hell would I kidnap Evie?”
“A ten-million-dollar life insurance policy sure seems like motive to me,” Beckett rumbled. “Same amount the Taliban demanded for the release of her and those four girls. Remember that?”
A look of resolve fell over the older man, and Beckett wasn’t expecting the volunteered confession that followed.
“In case you didn’t notice, I’m doing just fine without Evie’s ten million in life insurance. Yes, I was willing to let Evie die at the hands of those terrorists when they called here demanding I pay her ransom. But it wasn’t because I wanted her money.”
“It was because you wanted to wipe your hands clean of her.”
Mitchell’s aged gaze met Beckett’s without hesitation. Though there was the slightest hint of shame there, he held his stare steady as he gave a muted, “Yes. I’m not proud of it, but you wanted the truth. There it is. So, now that you know what kind of man I am, do you really think I would go through the trouble of paying someone else to set up a dummy corporation, purchase a luxury yacht in that company’s name, and then make arrangements for Evie to be kidnapped again? What would Ipossibly have to gain from that? You think I’m going to pay a ransom to myself? For what purpose?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Beckett drawled. “A hefty tax deduction, perhaps?”
“You’re out of your fucking mind.”
“You’re right!” Beckett yelled, slamming the guy back up against the wall. “Iamout of my fucking mind because the woman I love has been taken from me, and I’m trying to get her thefuck back!”
“I don’t know where Evie is.”
“But you know who took her.”
Beckett’s eyes flew to Digger, who was too busy staring Mitchell down to notice.
“I know nothing of the?—”
“Bullshit.” Digger inched closer to the man they were questioning. “You may fool those rich bastards you play poker with, but not me.”
“I have no idea what you’re going on abou?—”
“Your tell.” Digger held the man’s nervous gaze. “You see, while you were busy looking at the papers in my teammate’s hand, I stayed busy watchingyou.It’s small, really. An almost indiscernible twitch of your left eye. It’s well-hidden; I’ll give you that. But not well enough. Which is how I know you recognized the handwriting on the deed to the yacht. All we need is a name.”