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.If he has murdered his own son to save his company, he’s paying the price for it now, Cyrus said to himself.Tanner walked out on his immense porch and closed the door behind him.He swayed unsteadily as he nodded toward the squad car.He scowled at Cyrus and Max, then he said in a loud voice, “Santa Barbara cops ride in style; you set the taxpayer back at least sixty-grand for that ride, probably more with all the extra police gear they put on it!”“Yes sir, it is a nice squad car.” Cyrus replied politely, he tried to continue but Tanner interrupted,“I guess wrecking a squad car you don’t like is one way to get a new one, kind of risky though.”“Sir?”“The squad car you wrecked yesterday, remember? It was on all the channels, too bad you had to do your duty and save that surf bum Dana Mathers.”“We’d just like to have a few words.” Cyrus said.“I already talked to a cop before.The jerk accused me of killing my own employees.What an idiot! If you’re here to do the same thing you can just turn around right now and go back Santa Barbara.”“No sir, we wanted to let you know personally that your daughter has been found and she is safe.”“God, I had given up on her ever being found,” he said, “Thank you, officer.I hope you’ll forgive me for being rude.It’s the booze.Where is she?”“She’s probably on her way to her apartment by now.She told me she’d call you as soon as she had rested.”Tanner raised up the shotgun and slung it across his shoulders.With a weary look, he stared at Cyrus for a moment and then he said, “Thanks, Detective, now if you’ll excuse me…”“There is one other thing, Mr.Tanner.”“What?”“We’d like to talk to you about your visit with Dana Mathers.”“My conversations are confidential, officer.”“Not if they involve a possibility of obstruction of justice.” Cyrus bit his tongue, regretting his remark as soon as he had spoken the words.He had hoped he wouldn’t have to pressure him.It was too late now.“What are you talking about? I think you need to leave now.”“Have it your way, Mr.Tanner,” Cyrus said as he turned to leave.“We’ll be back with an arrest warrant.”“You don’t scare me.First thing, you’re out of your jurisdiction.And secondly, I’ll be back home five minutes after make your charge.”Cyrus shrugged his shoulders, “I know Mr.Tanner.You’re a powerful man.I just thought you might want to spare your daughter-”“What’s my daughter go to do with this?”“She’s the one who told us about your conversation with Dana.She also said you kidnapped her.We just wanted to check with you and see if we could clear things up with you without formal charges.”Everyone was silent for a while as Tanner studied the porch.He raised his head and said quietly, “All right, come in.”The size of the Tanner’s mansion overwhelmed Cyrus.He could have placed his townhouse in the middle of the foyer and still had room to walk around its exterior.The cherry oak wall panels stretched upwards at least forty feet to a white, domed ceiling.A large chandelier hung from its center.The polished, hardwood floor inlay crackled like twigs in a bonfire as he walked to the center of the room and looked around.The bang of the door closing reverberated through the foyer as if it were echoing through a mountain valley.Straight ahead through a large open doorway Cyrus viewed the living room, filled with three clusters of long, white, leather couches, oversized reclining chairs, and several polished, cherry-red oak tables.There was a hallway to his right and his left.Next to the entrance of the hallway on the right was a large, plantation-style stairway.He estimated the stairs to be at least a hundred feet wide.The foyer walls were lined with tall, human sized, gold framed, portraits.One of the paintings contained the image of a smiling Mike Tanner.Jack Tanner stumbled by him as he put his shotgun up with the others on the gun rack beside the doorway.He staggered over to where Cyrus was standing looking at Mike’s portrait and stood alongside him.Tears poured from his eyes and down his face as he swallowed down a long draught from his tumbler of whiskey
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