“What about her clients? Any problems you know of?” I said.
“Isn’t your focus on that jerk of an ex?” she said. “I don’t see what our clients have to do with what happened to her.”
“It’s my job to explore all the angles,” I said.
She bounced her shoulders up and down.
“I suppose. Most of what you want to know I already told that boyfriend of yours.”
“Did Charlotte ever mention Parker’s other women to you?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“I’ll take that as a no,” I said.
“Charlotte kept to herself. She wasn’t the type of person to share personal stuff often. Most of what we discussed was work related, and to that end, our relationship was good.”
It didn’t seem like there was much sense to keep going so I didn’t.
“Thanks for seeing me again, I appreciate it,” I said.
“Have you found Bridget yet?”
I shook my head.
“I have a question about one of Charlotte’s transactions and I could sure use her help,” she said.
“I’ll pass that along when I find her.”
When I reached the bottom of the stairs and tried the office door, it wouldn’t budge. A brownish name placard on the door read:
WANDA STATTENBERG
OFFICE MANAGER
I tried the door again with more force this time and it opened. A woman sat inside at a desk. She had short brittle hair and wore a hand-stitched sweater with a mallard duck on the front. In her hand she clutched a phone. She stared up at me like I had intruded on her space and then held up a finger to ensure my silence while she continued her phone conversation. I waited along with an array of 100 or so troll dolls that were lined out on a shelf in single-file formation. Grown-ups and their toys.
After a three minute wait, the woman placed the phone on the receiver and then shuffled some paperwork around before she focused in my direction.
“Yes?” she said.
The shrewd look on her face let me know I needed to get to the point.
“I’m looking into the death of Charlotte Halliwell and hoped I could get a copy of her files,” I said.
“And you are?”
I took a business card out of my wallet and presented it to her.
She opened the top drawer of her desk and scattered some items around and pulled out a pair of reading glasses. She put them on and examined the card with the utmost scrutiny like she was an officer and I had been stopped at customs under suspicion of packing an illegal substance across the border.
“Well, Sloane Monroe, PI. Can I see the warrant?”
“Technically I’m not with the police. Charlotte’s sister hired me to investigate the circumstances around her death and hoped you could––”
“No warrant, no files. I know my rights.”
My usual charm had no impact on her. I tried a more direct approach.
“Could I just take a quick look at the files then?”
She flicked my card over to the side of her desk with her thumb and pointer finger.
“Sure. You bring a warrant, you get the files.”
She would not be swayed.
“I can get the chief on the phone. I’m sure he would give you the go ahead.”
“Then do it,” she said.
I had no way of knowing whether the chief would support me or stall the process so he could take a look at the files first, and it wasn’t worth the risk. Not yet.
“Let me talk to him today and I will get back to you.”
“Not going to call chiefy then?” she said. “That’s what I thought.”
She picked up a stack of paperwork with one hand and shooed me out the door with the other.
CHAPTER 34
The iron gates to Daniela’s mansion in the trees were closed when I arrived. I parked in front and pressed the buzzer.
“Yes,” a voice said on the other end.
“Can I speak with Daniela?”
“And you are?” the voice said.
“A friend.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
It was like she was in the witness protection program.
“I didn’t know I needed one.”
“Your name?” the voice said.
“Sloane.”
The voice sounded insistent.
“Sloane what?”
“Monroe. Sloane Monroe.” I thought about throwing my middle name in for kicks but I didn’t want to press my luck.
I heard some movement overhead and stuck my head out the window and looked up. A miniature video camera disguised itself in the branches of the tree. It made some adjustments and lined me up in its sights.
“Well, Sloane Monroe, Daniela is not here right now.”
“Can you tell me when you expect her?”
“No, I cannot,” the voice said.
“Could I leave a message?”
“What do you wish to say?”
“Can you ask her to give me a call?”
“Does she have your number,” the voice said.
“She does, but let me give it to you again just in case she’s misplaced it.”
I gave him my number and then waited in silence.
“Thank you, goodbye Ms. Monroe.”
The camera stayed with me while I backed out of the drive and turned around. I didn’t get the secrecy. Who were these people?
I drove back down the road and spotted a slender jogger. She ran past me but didn’t look in my direction. Her thick black glasses shielded most of her face, but the hair was unmistakable. I did a u-turn.
“Daniela,” I said.
An iPod hung at the side of her waist and she didn’t hear me at first. I waved and called her name again.
She removed her glasses and squinted at me and then crossed the road.
Once she got close enough to the car she removed her earphones.
“Oh, it’s you.”
“I wanted to talk with you for a minute,” I said.
“What about?”
“Parker,” I said.
“It’s like I told you the other day, we’re over. There’s nothing left to say.”
“I know, I know. I just wanted to warn you,” I said.
She jogged in place while she talked to me.
“Why?”
“That woman I told you about, Charlotte Halliwell,” I said. “She was poisoned.”
She brushed a fallen piece of hair out of her face and frowned.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Parker is the number one suspect. I thought you should know in case he tries to contact you.”
She stared at me and seemed unabashed that I fingered Parker as the possible murderer.
“Did you go to the cops?”
“I’m helping them out with the investigation,” I said.
A streak of distress covered her face.
“But you promised. I don’t want the cops involved with what happened the other night. You said––”
“I know what I said and I meant it. I won’t reveal your identity,” I said.
She seemed satisfied with my answer.
“The night after I picked you up someone attacked me outside of Charlotte’s house. Maybe Parker is to blame and maybe not, but if I had to point any fingers, all of them would face his direction.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“We both know he has a lot of pent-up anger,” I said.
She tossed her head back and laughed.
“Don’t worry about me. He will stay away if he knows what’s good for him. If he came anywhere near me again my brother would…”
She stopped mid-sentence and put her glasses back on and her earphones and jogged away.
“Thanks for the warning.”
CHAPTER 35
“Home yet?” Nick said.
It was five o’clock and the wrong time to leave Salt Lake City.
“Not even close.”