A Dallas Suite

Chapter Thirty Two

A few minutes later, Hope walked approached my desk carrying a stack of papers with Jeff's name all over them. "Seeks, I'm sorry didn't get these to you sooner. I was just working on those transactions and didn't think that Jeff was an actual suspect yet."

"It's really okay, I didn't really think he was either. At least we both screwed that one. Were you able to find anything on him?"

"Ugh, yeah I did. I started really digging after McGreary sent that email. He was a cop, Seeks. Here in Dallas."

"What? Jeff Marshall was one of ours?"

"Yes. He spent two years with Dallas PD on patrol. Top of his class in the academy, very promising on the streets. Good numbers for arrests, all of his busts were legal and his reports were good enough to back everything he did. Almost everyone he charged with a felony saw jail time. He was good, I wouldn't be surprised if he made detective faster than you did."

"How did he get from star rookie to serial killer?"

"This is where it gets crazy. You'll never believe this, but he arrested Sean Singleton."

"That name sounds familiar."

"It should. He's the founder of Shined Up Dentistry, they're advertising everywhere as a new, easily affordable dental chain. Sean's the face of the company and a newly made multi millionaire from all of the offices the company has started."

"That's right. So what did Jeff arrest him for?"

"Well a lot of this was hard to dig through because there was a big cover up from the department. In short, Jeff got some good intel that Singleton was involved in a big drug operation. He kept what he knew quiet to get credit for the arrest. He set up Sean and made the bust. From what I can find, it was a clean arrest with solid evidence. But Singleton was able to afford the best of the best when it came to attorneys. He sued the city for unlawful arrest. Do I need to tell you who his lawyer was?"

"He got Jason Diggs," I couldn't believe it when I said it. This was coming together almost too quickly.

"Yeah, Diggs. And Diggs went after the city hard. With Jeff being so new, the city dropped the charges and let him go. Nothing was released to the public and the city didn't even have to settle. Once the charges were dropped, Diggs and Singleton let the whole thing go. The city has some deep pockets, but they knew battling Diggs over all this would take a big chunk out of those funds."

"That doesn't even make sense, Hope. Reggie told me Diggs is the one who requested to work with Jeff at the hotel."

"You know Diggs and how that hotel room worked. He wanted to keep it all under wraps. He asked Reggie who'd be the best man for the job and was pointed towards Jeff. I doubt he ever even asked him his name, the less personal information known between them the better. I'm sure he offered Jeff enough money that he assumed he'd be protected. Being that rich for that long, I'm sure you start to feel untouchable at some point."

"Wouldn't he know him from the lawsuits with the city?"

"A lawyer on Diggs caliber, I doubt it. I'd be surprised if ever even saw a picture of Jeff. Or even knew the story. He was hired, made threats and started throwing around numbers. Why waste his time on details when he knew the city would more than likely take the cheaper route?"

"Okay so what, this guy gets out of the Army as a decorated war vet. Starts working as a cop. Shows more promise than all of his peers. Then he sets up a sting operation all on his own and arrests a shady millionaire dealing drugs, probably expecting a medal and a promotion. Instead the city strips him of his gun and badge?"

"Exactly. And get this; there was an eight month gap between losing his badge and starting to work at the hotel. In that time he lost his house and his wife filed for divorce, moved out of the city and took their kid with her. He literally lost everything."

"Then he gets a job at the hotel, hating his life. Until one day, the man who ruined his life shows up and offers to pay him a hefty salary to keep his mouth shut. Then he gets to watch millionaire after millionaire, all these people society looks up to, come to the hotel and commit crime after crime. He had the ultimate vendetta and then a goldmine of information falls right into his lap. He was bound to snap at some point. I'm impressed it wasn't sooner."

"I've never seen anything like it. I really can't blame the guy. But here's the important part," she laid a folder on my desk and opened it. "I finally got access to the names of the accounts who were paying regularly to the hotel. I cross checked that to the list Jeff gave you. There are seven names on my list that aren't on his. Sean Stephens is one of those seven."

"So these are his next targets?"

"If I was detective, I would probably assume as much." Even while giving me this insane amount of information that was no joking matter all, she still found a way to let her sarcasm shine.