CHAPTER 10
I went back to the hospital and sat with Emma.
She was getting stronger, but she wasn't ready to go home yet.
The doctors wanted to keep her for observation.
I didn't argue.
I wanted to keep her safe.
But I couldn't keep her safe if I didn't know who was after her.
I needed to find the truth.
I needed to find the loan shark.
I needed to find the people Mark was working with.
But I had no leads.
I had no idea where to start.
---
The next morning, I got a phone call from a number I didn't recognize.
"Hello," I said.
"Is this Lauren Carter?" a man's voice asked.
"Yes."
"I have information about your husband."
"Who is this?"
"A friend."
"What kind of information?"
"He sold propofol to a man named Vincent."
"Vincent who?"
"I don't know."
"Where can I find him?"
"He lives in D.C."
"Where in D.C.?"
"Anacostia."
"Where in Anacostia?"
"He runs a bar called The Falcon."
I wrote it down.
"Thank you," I said.
"Don't thank me. Just be careful."
The man hung up.
I called Detective Miller.
"Someone gave me a name," I said.
"Who?"
"A man named Vincent. He runs a bar in Anacostia."
"Let's go see him."
---
The Falcon was a rundown bar on the edge of Anacostia.
It was dark inside, and the smell of cigarettes and alcohol was thick in the air.
I walked up to the bar and ordered a drink.
"I'm looking for Vincent," I said.
The bartender looked at me warily.
"What do you want with him?"
"I need to talk to him."
"About what?"
"Mark Carter."
The bartender's expression changed.
"I don't know a Mark Carter."
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying."
"He sold you propofol."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Someone told me about it. Someone who knows what happened."
The bartender was silent for a long time.
"Follow me," he said.
I followed him to the back of the bar, into a small room with a table and two chairs.
"Sit down," he said.
I sat down.
"Talk to me," I said.
"What do you want to know?"
"Did Mark sell you propofol?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"He had a gambling problem. He needed money."
"How much did he sell it for?"
"Ten thousand."
"That's a lot of money."
"It's a lot of propofol."
"What did you do with it?"
"I sold it to someone."
"Who?"
"A man named Elias."
"Elias who?"
"I don't know."
"Where can I find him?"
"He lives in Annapolis."
"Where in Annapolis?"
"He runs a marina."
"What's the name?"
"The Harbor."
I stood up to leave.
"Wait," the bartender said.
"What?"
"Be careful. Elias is dangerous."
"I know."
"How do you know?"
"Because Mark was afraid of him."
"The Harbor was a beautiful marina on the Chesapeake Bay. It had dozens of boats and a restaurant that served seafood.
I walked into the marina office and asked for Elias.
A man behind the desk looked up at me.
"I'm Elias," he said.
"Mark Carter," I said. "Do you know him?"
"I do."
"He sold you propofol?"
"I don't know anything about propofol."
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying."
"Someone told me you bought propofol from him."
"Who told you that?"
"The bartender at The Falcon."
Elias was silent for a long time.
"Follow me," he said.
I followed him to a back office, which had a desk and several chairs.
"Sit down," he said.
I sat down.
"Talk to me," I said.
"What do you want to know?"
"Why did you buy propofol?"
"I didn't buy it."
"Then who did?"
"A man named Malcolm."
"Malcolm who?"
"I don't know."
"Where can I find him?"
"He lives in Ocean City."
"Where in Ocean City?"
"He runs a hotel."
"What's the name?"
"The Sands."
"Is Malcolm the man Mark was afraid of?"
"Yes."
"Why was Mark afraid of him?"
"Because Malcolm wanted to kill him."
"Why?"
"Because Mark owed him money."
"How much?"
"Three hundred thousand."
"That's a lot of money."
"I know."
"How did Mark get it?"
"He gambled it away."
"Mark didn't have three hundred thousand dollars."
"He had access to your savings account."
"What?"
"He had access to your savings account. He took all the money."
I felt my heart stop.
"All of it?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't think it was my place."
"It's been your place all along."
"Sorry."
"Where is Malcolm now?"
"I don't know. But I can find out."
"How?"
"I have contacts in the area."
"Please. I need to talk to him."
"I'll see what I can do."
I walked out of the office and got back in the car with Detective Miller.
Mark took all my money, I said.
Three hundred thousand dollars.
How did he get it?
He had access to my bank account.
That's terrible.
I know.
Where is Malcolm?
May you like
I don't know.
We need to find him.
