The Fallen

Chapter 57

“I take it you couldn’t make bail?”

It was the next day and Decker and Jamison were sitting across from John Baron in the visitors’ room at the Baronville jail.

Decker had told Jamison what he had found in Ted Ross’s office and about his meeting with Agent Kemper.

Baron was in a white prison jumpsuit. He was unshaven and his hair was in disarray. He looked like he hadn’t slept much.

“That’s right.”

“No, that’s not right. Cindi Riley tried to post bail for you after your hearing but you refused.”

“It’s not her problem. She hired me a lawyer. She shouldn’t have to waste more of her money on me.”

“Very noble of you,” said Decker. “But I don’t think nobleness is going to get you out of this. But the truth might.”

Baron said sharply, “Meaning I’ve lied to you? I’ve admitted that.”

“I’m not necessarily talking about you. I’m speaking more generally.”

“So why are you here, then, generally speaking?”

“It’s pretty clear to me that Bradley Costa came to town because he thought he knew where a treasure left behind by your namesake was located.”

“And I thought I made it very clear that I don’t believe that there is a treasure. It would have been found by now.”

“But let’s assume there is a treasure, just for argument’s sake.”

Baron sighed, sat back in the molded plastic chair, and said, “Okay, it’s not like I have anything else to do right now.”

“If the treasure is located on your property somewhere, it would be difficult for someone to go up there and take it, I would imagine.”

“Depends on what it was.”

“I don’t think we’re talking paper. That would degrade over time. And I think your namesake would have wanted something that would be around for the long haul.”

“Why would he care? He’d be dead.”

“Because he was a son of a bitch,” said Decker. “He didn’t want his family getting his money. In fact, a letter I read from Nigel Nottingham to his son said that your ancestor considered his children unworthy of his fortune.”

Baron mulled over this statement and shrugged. “I didn’t learn how desperate things really were until my parents died. It wasn’t until then that I found out the house had been mortgaged to the hilt and there was really no cash in the bank. I just assumed that preceding generations had simply squandered it. But I did some digging and learned that there just wasn’t a lot of money left by Baron the First to his heirs.”

“So if he was so successful, where did all the money go?” asked Jamison.

“My father talked to me about it once. He apparently had looked into it as well. With him being a lawyer he knew where to look, so to speak. After examining the matter, he told me that Baron had largely cashed out from the businesses, meaning he had borrowed heavily against his assets. That was a double whammy for his heirs. The businesses would be heavily indebted and there was little liquidity to support that debt.”

“Maybe that’s what the treasure is, the missing money,” said Jamison.

Baron looked at her. “There’s no treasure, Alex.”

“Why not?”

“Because lots of my ancestors have looked for it. You saw all the holes in the walls. And the grounds were all dug up too. My father told me it was like someone had been mining on the property. If there was treasure, I’m sure it would have been found by now.”

“Why would they have even assumed there was a treasure?” asked Jamison.

Baron said, “I don’t know for sure, of course, but I guess because they couldn’t believe what they inherited was all there was. And maybe like Decker said, they thought Baron was trying to screw them.”

“The businesses were still operating when he died,” said Decker.

“Yes, but they all petered out from a combination of a lack of capital and Baron’s heirs not being nearly as good at business as he was.”

Decker said, “That brings me back to my original question. If there is treasure up there, it would be pretty hard for someone to look for it without you knowing, right?”

“Well, I’m almost always there. And when I’m gone, it’s only for a couple hours. And you can’t access the grounds without coming right past the front door.”

“And you still own the place, right?”

“Of course I do.”

“But if you get convicted of murder, what happens?”

“You damn well know what happens. I go to prison.”

Jamison interjected, “No, he means what happens to the property? The house?”

Baron’s brows knitted together. “Oh, I see. Well, I’m barely keeping my head above water. I wouldn’t be able to work in prison, so my income, little though it is, dries up.”

“You could sell some of your personal assets. Like the old guns you showed us.”

“It’s not just that.”

“What else?”

“Well, although Brad Costa denied my most recent request, I did manage to refinance the mortgage a year or so ago. The bank gave me a slightly lower interest rate, but there was language added.”

“What sort of language?” asked Jamison.

“A moral turpitude clause. The estate possibly could be designated as a historic site. That gives it value. But any sort of scandal would lessen the worth of the property, and that added value was factored into my refinancing request.”

Jamison said, “So are you saying that if you were arrested and convicted of a crime... ?”

“The bank would be able to declare an event of default and they could foreclose and sell off the property to the highest bidder. Even if I could continue to make the payments on the mortgage.”

“But why would they care, if you could still make the payments?” said Jamison.

“Because the collateral for the loan is the house. If I committed a serious crime, they argued that it would diminish the marketability and value of that collateral. Thus they wanted the right to find me in default so they could try to salvage that asset.”

Baron eyed Decker. “You don’t seem surprised by this.”

“I’m not.”

“Why not?”

“If you didn’t commit the murders then someone was trying awfully hard to see that you were blamed for them. You knew or had contact with all four victims. This wasn’t apparent for all of them. It required some digging on our part. And you didn’t help yourself by lying to us.”

“Obviously.”

“So whoever did kill them didn’t want to make it seem too easy.”

“Why not?” asked Jamison.

“Because we would have come to the conclusion that someone was framing Baron.”

“And is that the conclusion you’ve now reached?” asked Baron.

“I’m getting there. How much is the mortgage on the property?”

“A lot.”

“So whoever wanted to buy out the mortgage would have to have deep pockets?”

“Yes. The bank will take less money for it, but not a lot less.”

“And Costa knew all this?”

“He was the one who did the new deal, including the moral turpitude clause. As I said, when I went back to him later for another extension at a lower rate and better terms, he refused.”

Jamison said, “Do you think Costa was planning to somehow buy the mortgage off and get the property that way? Then he would own the place and be able to look for the treasure at his leisure?”

“I think that was his plan, but I also think he already knew where the treasure was,” said Decker.

Baron sat up straighter. “What? Then where is it?”

“I’m not sure. But he nicked a letter from the historical society that I think provided him with the answer.”

Jamison said, “But, Decker, Costa couldn’t buy the property himself, could he? That would be like self-dealing. There have to be bank regulations prohibiting that.”

“I’m sure there are,” said Decker. “Which is why he was going to need a straw man.”

“Somebody to buy the property in their name and then let him go up there and get the treasure?”

“Yes. He probably offered the person a percentage of the take.”

“So now we have to find that person,” said Jamison.

“Yes, we do, because that person also murdered Babbot, Tanner, Swanson, and Bradley Costa.” He paused and looked at Jamison. “And I think they murdered Frank too.”