Page 32 of Spock’s Snare

“I take it you found something of interest in the documents we brought back?” Spock asks Spark after his announcement.

“Yeah.” Spark drops the papers onto the table. “Something interesting.”

“How interesting?” Wildcard asks.

Spark pulls out an empty chair and places his laptop on the table. “Interesting enough that while Red Rock Construction may not be the ones behind the attacks on Chloe, they’re certainly not the good guys.”

A cold feeling crawls across my skin.

“What does that mean?” I ask.

Spark opens his laptop and turns it so the screen faces Puma. “I started going through the information Spock printed from the computer at Red Rock’s office. I matched the names and addresses against their previous projects, then Rush sent me the pictures of the journal he found. Most of the early entries line up with the database.”

Rush leans forward. “Told you that thing was more than some asshole’s daily planner.”

“You were right.” Spark taps several keys. “The database covers projects going back almost twelve years. Some are commercial. Some are apartment buildings, housing developments, and retail properties. At first, I thought it was just a client list.”

“But it isn’t,” Spock says.

“No. It’s a record.”

“Of what?” Puma asks.

Spark looks directly at him. “Projects with cost overruns.”

“Cost overruns aren’t unusual,” I say. “Material prices change. Developers request upgrades. Inspectors find problems. A project can go over budget for dozens of legitimate reasons. It’s not unusual for a construction company to keep track of them.”

“Yeah, but not like this.” Spark rotates the laptop farther, allowing the rest of us to see the spreadsheet on the screen. “Between thirty and forty percent of Red Rock’s projects have significant cost overruns.”

I frown. “How significant?”

“Enough to put the developers in financial trouble.”

Spark continues. “Red Rock files liens against the properties when the developers can’t pay. Sometimes the developer finds enough money to settle the debt. Sometimes Red Rock takes them to court. But in several cases, a third-party steps in and buys out the developer.”

Dice wipes his hands on a napkin. “That could be legit. Several investment companies see a struggling project and come in to buy it cheap.”

“Several companies?” Spark asks. “Sure. The same company each time?”

“Wait. Are you saying the same company purchases these projects? Wouldn’t someone have caught on to this by now?”

Spark’s gaze sweeps around the table before landing on Puma again. “If the investors had dug deep before selling, maybe. It isn’t the same company buying up these projects. There are several, but they all fold up under the same umbrella. Red Mesa Properties.”

I stare at the names highlighted on Spark’s screen, trying to make sense of what he’s saying.

“Red Mesa,” I repeat. “I’ve heard the name, but I don’t know much about them.”

“They keep a low profile,” Spark says. “They own commercial and residential properties all over Nevada, Arizona, and parts of California. On paper, they look like a successful real estate investment company.”

“On paper,” Viper says darkly.

Spark nods. “The companies that take over the troubled projects appear to be independent, but I’ve traced each one back to Red Mesa.”

Spock folds his arms over his chest. “Red Rock gets the construction contract, drives up the cost, then places a lien when the developer can’t pay.”

“The third-party swoops in,” Rush adds. “Buys the developer out before the whole thing collapses.”

“And that third-party is indirectly related to Red Mesa,” Wildcard finishes.