A Deadly Row (17 page)

“Forgive me. I’ve disrupted your work.”

“I haven’t even gotten started yet,” I admitted, “so you’re not disturbing anything. Can I get you anything?”

I suddenly realized how insane the offer was, since he had everything at the hotel at his disposal.

“No, I’m fine, but thank you for offering. I trust the accommodations have been suitable.”

“They’ve been more than that,” I replied.

“Good.” He frowned as he stared at his feet, then said, “Let me get to the point. I need a favor from you.”

“Anything,” I said, and I meant it. The man had spared no expense making us comfortable, and if there was a favor I could grant him, I would do it gladly.

“I’m afraid it’s a lot to ask, but I was wondering if you would help me go through Cindy’s things. The poor girl had no one else in the world but me, and I find that I can’t bear to do it alone. After our conversation the other day, I felt I had found a kindred spirit in you.” The poor man looked as though he was about to cry. “I know it’s a great deal to ask, but there’s no one else I could approach.”

It was humbling to know that this multi-millionaire had no one but me to aid him in doing such an uncomfortable task. “I’m glad to help, but isn’t there someone on your staff you could have do it?” I couldn’t imagine how many employees he had at this hotel alone, and I knew it was just one of his many holdings.

“I’m sure there are countless people I could pay to perform this service for me, but this is personal, and I’m afraid I’ve been rather remiss in allowing anyone into my life. I know it’s too much to ask. Forgive me.”

He started to leave, and without realizing what I was doing, I reached out and grabbed his arm. Barton was clearly surprised by it, but I couldn’t exactly take it back. “I’d be honored to help you.”

“Honestly?” There was a sliver of hope in his eyes as he looked at me.

“Just let me call my husband first.”

He nodded. “I have a few calls to make myself. Meet me downstairs when you’re finished, and I’ll have a car take us there.”

“I’d be glad to drive,” I said.

That got a smile. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.”

“I’ll just be a minute.”

He turned to go, and then hesitated. “Thank you, Savannah.”

“That’s what friends are for. No thanks are necessary.”

I called Zach the second the door closed.

“Stone,” he said when he answered, his voice sounding like the cop he used to be.

“You’re not going to believe what just happened,” I said.

“Are you still in Hickory?”

“No, I’m back in Charlotte.”

“How was Tom? Is he all right?”

“He says he is, and I believe him. Zachary, would you let me talk?”

“Sorry. Go ahead.”

“Barton Lane asked me for a favor, and I’m going to do it.”

That got the silence I’d been looking for. “Well? You don’t have any problem with that, do you?”

“What kind of favor are we talking about here?” he asked.

“He wants me to help him clean out Cindy Glass’s apartment.”

“Savannah, that’s not funny. I’m beat, and I’m not in the mood for one of your jokes.”

“Zach, he just left our hotel suite, and now he’s waiting downstairs for me in the lobby.”

“Are you serious? He really asked you for help? Can’t he get one of his minions to do it?”

“This is personal,” I said.

“Why you? Surely he’s known more folks a lot longer, and better.”

“I don’t think he has,” I admitted. “Is there a problem with us doing it?”

“No, it’s been released as a crime scene. I was there this morning, and I didn’t see anything of value to the investigation.”

“You didn’t tell me. You aren’t holding out on me, are you?”

“We haven’t talked since this morning, Savannah.”

“Okay, you’re forgiven. So, is it okay?”

“It’s fine with me, but it’s a little surreal having someone with that much money asking you for a favor, don’t you think?”

I stared out the window before I replied. “I’m trying not to think about how much money and power he has. Barton is someone who needs my help, and I’m going to give it. And, you never know, I may find something that you all missed.”

Zach’s voice lowered, and I knew he meant business. “Savannah, you’ve helped me in the past, and we both know it. There’s something about the way your mind works that allows you to reach conclusions that I can’t see. You’ve got a gift. Just be careful. Call me when you get back to the hotel,” he said.

“I will, but I have no idea how late it will be. You might beat me back here.”

“I wouldn’t count on it. I’m pushing myself through the last of these files tonight so I can actually start detecting. I’m afraid that it’s going to be a long night.”

“For both of us,” I said. “Love you.”

“Love you, too,” he said as he hung up.

At least I was ready for cleaning, since I was wearing my typical outfit of blue jeans and a T-shirt. That was one thing I loved about my job; there was no dress code.

 

I FOUND GARRETT WAITING FOR ME DOWNSTAIRS WHEN I
entered the lobby. “If you’ll come with me,” he said.

“Sure thing.”

He wanted to say something else to me as we walked to the front of the building, it was clear in his eyes, but he held back. The poor man looked tortured, so I finally asked him, “Is there something on your mind?”

The manager stopped and looked at me. “I know it’s not my place, but I hope you’ll be gentle with him. He’s a good man in some serious pain right now.”

It was clear Garrett cared about his boss. “I’m doing all that I can to help him.”

“We all know that, and we’re most grateful,” he said.

We started walking toward the front door again. Parked outside was a shiny black limousine. I hadn’t been in one since my wedding day, and I honestly hadn’t expected to be in one again. The driver was standing by the door, and he opened it the second I approached. Garrett bowed toward me as I got in, and I winked at him. Barton appeared to be in a deep conversation on the phone with someone, and as we started to drive off, he hung up.

“What was that about?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I saw the way Garrett bowed to you. That’s out of character for him.”

How had the man caught such a subtle move out of the corner of his eye while he was on the telephone with someone else? He had to have greater powers of focus and concentration than most people did. Maybe that was one of the sources of his ability to acquire wealth.

“Your employees care about you,” I said. “It should make you feel good.”

“I hardly know the man, and he’s my only contact there,” Barton said.

“They know you’re a good boss, and it’s pretty clear you’re hurting over your loss.”

Barton looked genuinely surprised by that. “Am I that transparent? I thought I hid my grief better than that.”

“It’s okay to be sad,” I said. “You lost someone you cared about.”

“More than I can say,” he admitted.

As we drove across town, Barton said, “I tried to get her to move into the Belmont where there was at least a modicum of security, but she refused. Cindy prized her freedom more than that. When she was off work, she liked to live her own life. Here, she could lift a finger and have anything she wanted, but in her own place, she had autonomy.”

“I like her already,” I said.

He nodded. “I approve of strong, independent women, but I should have insisted. If I’d only known . . .”

“You can’t play that game,” I said, putting my hand on his arm. “Second-guessing yourself is worse than cruel; it’s pointless.”

“You’re right. I embrace that philosophy in business, but I can’t seem to accept it in my personal life.”

“Don’t think about her loss,” I said. “Celebrate who she was. Tell me about her.” I needed to get his mind focused on the good rather than the bad. If I could do that, he might be able to get through the painful task we had ahead of ourselves. There was also the slight chance I might learn something new about Zach’s case.

“She was sunshine personified,” he said simply. “The room lit up whenever she walked in, and faded a little when she left it. Not that she was some kind of Pollyanna,” he added hastily. “Cindy had a temper that could be quite fierce when she was challenged. There was spirit under that soft demeanor, and anyone who crossed her had to be sure they were right. She clashed with me more than a few times over the years, and I knew when she challenged me that I needed to rethink my position. I trusted her as my moral compass on tough decisions, and I changed my mind more than once when she pushed me.”

“She sounds like a great person,” I said.

“I never had a wife, or children of my own,” Barton said softly. “She was as close to family as I had since I was a teenager.” There were gentle tears tracking down his cheeks, and I could see that the topic of his own family was too painful to discuss. “I felt better having her be a part of my life,” he added. “Is there anything more you can ask of someone?”

“Not in my book,” I admitted. “I couldn’t imagine living if my husband was gone.”

“Nearly losing him must have been devastating for you. It was a miracle he survived that gunshot.”

“How did you know about that?”

“It was in all of the newspapers,” Barton said. “I just have to imagine how you must have felt.”

“Worse than I can ever describe,” I admitted. “But enough about me. What exactly are we going to do at Cindy’s place?”

“I want to collect a few personal things, and then I’ll have someone else go through the rest of it.” His voice choked a little. “This is probably a bad idea from every angle you examine it, but it’s something that I have to do. Thank you for going with me.”

“I’m honored you asked me,” I said.

He started to reach out to pat my hand, pulled back for a moment, and then lightly touched my fingers. No words were spoken, but a great deal was understood in that instant.

We reached an ordinary-looking apartment complex, and as the driver stopped the car and opened our door, Barton hesitated before getting out.

“I’ll do it myself, if it would help,” I said. “It can’t be easy for you to go inside.”

He took a deep breath, and then said, “No, I can manage it. I’m not at all certain how long I’ll be able to keep up my nerve, so let’s get this over with.”

I followed him out of the car, and as we stood at the apartment door, I saw that his hands were shaking as he held the key out toward the lock.

“Let me do that,” I said as I took the key from him.

“Thanks,” he answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

When I opened the door, a wave of disinfectant smell swept over me. I wasn’t sure that the odor was better than what it had disguised, but then again, I didn’t have any experience with dead bodies.

It was a typical young single woman’s place, decorated with a wide palette of oranges, browns, and greens. She had a framed Monet poster over her couch.

“I have the original at home,” he said softly as he studied it. “If I’d known she loved it, I would have given it to her.” He wiped away his tears, and then he said, “I’m being ridiculous, I know. I’ve got hundreds of people who work for me.”

“She was a lot more than just an employee to you. It hurts losing someone you care about.”

He nodded. “This is more difficult than I ever imagined. I’m sorry, Savannah. I just can’t do it.”

I hugged him, and though it was clear he wasn’t all that comfortable with anyone embracing him, he let me. When he pulled away, I said, “You don’t need to be here. I’ll go through and collect anything that looks like it might have sentimental value to you, and then I’ll bring it back to the hotel.”

“There was a necklace, sterling silver, with a cow pendant on it in black and white. She loved it, but it wasn’t found when her body was discovered.”

“I’ll keep my eyes open,” I said.

He nodded numbly, and then left without saying another word. After the car pulled away, I dead-bolted the door behind me and started digging into the apartment, and more importantly, Cindy Glass’s life.

 

CINDY WAS NEAT, WHICH WAS A REAL PLUS FOR ME, GIVEN
the search I had ahead of me. Checking out her place was a lot easier because of it, but at the same time, it made me sad to think that this tidy young woman’s life was cut so short.

There was no way around it; I was going to have to pry into her most personal things if I was going to help Barton.

The first place I looked was her lingerie drawer, knowing that many women liked to hide things there. She had a great deal of conservatively cut panties for the week, but there were also a few brightly colored pairs that had to be reserved for the weekend. Under it all, wedged into the back of the drawer, I found a photograph of Cindy and a young man that couldn’t be identified by the snapshot. They’d been skiing, and he had a fit build, but his face had been haphazardly torn out of the photograph, leaving nothing really identifying in what was left behind. Who had it been, I wondered, and how long ago had she and he broken up? From the way the photograph was torn, I was guessing that the breakup hadn’t been Cindy’s decision. I took the picture and put it on the bed where I was starting a pile of things to take to Barton. I’d have to go over everything I collected again to make sure it wasn’t a clue before I turned anything over to him. Barton had asked me to take my time, and I was going to honor that request.

There were a few more photographs scattered throughout the apartment, mostly of Cindy and her friends, and then I found one I was certain Barton would want. It showed the two of them together, standing side by side and smiling broadly. In the background was a sign hanging from the ceiling proclaiming “Happy St. Patrick’s Day.” I wasn’t sure where it had been taken, but I put it on the growing pile and moved on.