Read MURDER AT THE PIER (A Sister Sleuths Mystery Book 1) Online
Authors: Rayna Morgan
Tags: #MURDER AT THE PIER
"Doesn't working late wreak havoc on his family life?
My wife reacts even when I don't make it home in time for dinner."
"The Director's home life is in a habitual state of
havoc."
Surprised by her candor, Paul continued to probe:
"Because he spends so much time at work?"
"Because nothing he does for his wife is good enough.
She's always complaining. About his job, wanting a larger house, a newer car,
more money to spend."
"That makes for an unhappy marriage. Has he considered
divorce?"
Marcia snickered. "She'd take him to the cleaners. He
finds it easier to tune her out and find diversion elsewhere."
I wonder how long Marcia's been his diversion.
Has
she realized Charles White can't or won't deliver what she wants from a
relationship?
Am I sitting across from the source of the leak to the
police about the Director? She said she doesn't report overtime. She may have
been working late the night Tom's office received the anonymous tip but there's
probably no record of it.
At that instant, the subject of the conversation walked
through the door. "Not speaking out of school, are we, Marcia?" His tone
sounded friendly, but his eyes threw daggers.
Without further regard for her,
he approached Paul and shook hands vigorously. The grip was strong but the
palms were moist.
"Good to see you, Paul. Please come in."
Marcia was right about his
being politically savvy. Score a point for him: Remembering my name.
The Director led the way into his office, calling to Marcia
for two coffees.
Charles White was a big man, broad-shouldered, with a belly
beginning to expand over his belt. He had a long face with a thin chin, wide
distance between the eyes, and a large prolonged nose: the facial traits of a
higher IQ, confirming Marcia's assessment.
Thread
veins around his nose suggested rosacea or fondness for an evening cocktail or
two.
After spending several moments
with prerequisite pleasantries, the Director looked at his watch. "What
can I help you with, Paul?"
Score two for him: Taking
control by letting me know he's a busy man. I need to throw him a curve to
establish equilibrium.
"You're aware of the murder
at the Pier."
"Of course. Big news for our
little town." Charles leaned back in his chair resting his arms across his
stomach, appearing relaxed. But his eyes were once again at odds with his
words, narrowing into slits of wariness.
"The police approached me about
possible irregularities in Neal's business dealings. Knowing of my real estate
consultancy, they felt I might be able to lend insight into activities prior to
his death."
"What kind of
irregularities?"
"They examined his bank
statements and found large, unexplained cash withdrawals."
"That's some kind of cloak
and dagger material, Paul." His voice dripped sarcasm. "But what does
it have to do with your reason for coming to see me?"
"You didn't let me finish.
The police are looking into Neal's recent activities with the Planning
Department."
Score one for me: Throw your
opponent off guard.
For a large man, he moved swiftly
to close the door. It was too late. From the expression on Marcia's face, she
had overheard the conversation.
Those two will have a lot to
talk about at their after-hours session tonight
.
"Is there a point to all
this?" His voice sounded impatient, with an undertone of anxiety.
"They haven't been able to
locate the plans Neal should have resubmitted to get Final Permits on his last
two projects."
"Maybe he never got Final
Permits."
"Oh, he got them alright. I
checked Public Records myself. The revised Plans should be on file as well. No
one has been able to find them."
"What information did the
police want from you?" Beads of perspiration appeared on his forehead.
"They asked how Neal could
get Final Permits if the Plans rejected by the City Council had never been
revised and resubmitted."
The Director tried to recover his
composure. "I'm sure our Department will be able to locate the revised
Plans. With the amount of paperwork that flows through Planning, things get
misplaced from time to time. Thankfully, it doesn't happen often. I'll make
sure our clerks look more diligently for the missing Plans."
Score two for me: Put your
opponent on the defensive. He’s making excuses and false promises. He’s attempting
to place blame on an incompetent staff, but he has no intention of having his
clerks waste time looking for something they can't possibly find.
"Surely, this isn't what you
came to discuss," he continued, making a point of looking at his watch
again. "Marcia said you made the appointment to discuss Plans one of your
clients is submitting."
"Actually, my visit’s in the
same context of what we're talking about. If Neal was, in fact, able to get
Plan Approval without resubmitting Plans, it appears there have been changes in
Plan requirements. I have a responsibility to my clients to stay on top of any
new policies and procedures." Paul let the words hang in the air.
"I'm sure you understand my need to assure my clients that all developers
are treated equally in the process."
The sunlight filtering through
the window was blocked as the man rose to his full height. "There have
been no changes in Plan requirements."
His hospitality has worn thin.
No cordial use of my first name now
.
The Director walked around his
desk and opened the door, leaving no doubt the meeting had concluded.
"I think you've been
subjected to a vast overreaction on the part of someone at police headquarters.
I'm certain no evidence will be found of irregular behavior of any kind by Neal
Henderson. After all, don't forget he represents Don Carson, the biggest
developer in the County. Don would never allow a dishonest man to rise to
Neal's rank in his organization."
"I'm sure Neal wasn't
dishonest when he started working for Don. All of us are subject to financial
pressures of raising a family, maintaining expensive lifestyles, and living up
to other people's expectations. Men don't start out dishonest as much as they
become less and less honest over time. Their integrity dissolves as their ideals
are subjected to a slow process of erosion."
Charles put a hand on Paul's
shoulder walking him to Marcia's desk.
"Thanks for coming in, Paul.
My secretary will see you out." He returned to his office and closed the
door without looking back.
Tom stopped at
the chocolate shop on his way to meet with the Councilwoman. The girl behind
the counter offered him a sample of a chocolate truffle. "Delicious. Give
me a small box of those."
Watching her box the confection and wrap a bow around the
box, he considered getting a box for Maddy. Maybe it would restore him in her
good graces. As usual, he had no idea what had angered her or what he should be
making amends for. He sometimes felt on more solid ground dealing with
criminals. At least he could halfway predict their behavior.
Arriving at the appointed time, he saw the interior office
was empty.
"Don't worry," Rosemary assured him. "She's
not standing you up; she's been delayed. She should be here in ten or fifteen
minutes."
Tom wasn't surprised. He figured the Councilwoman would be
late for their meeting as part of her game of one-upmanship.
He leaned over the secretary's desk, handing her the box of
sweets. "Put those in your desk where she won't see them."
She wagged her finger as if scolding him. "Why,
Detective, are you bribing me?"
Interesting choice of words
, Tom thought to himself.
Is she letting me know she was the person behind the anonymous tip about the
Planning Director?
He observed her carefully but her expression gave nothing
away. "Certainly not, Ma'am. Appreciative of all your hard work here at
City Hall, that’s all."
Tom took a seat to await Mrs. Patton's arrival. Certain Neal
Henderson and Margaret Patton had an affair, he considered the best approach to
get her to disclose their relationship without putting her on the defensive.
What hot buttons can I press?
What was her interest in Neal? A whimsical fling, a
mutually beneficial arrangement,
an alternative for a
loveless marriage?
What had attracted Neal to the Councilwoman? He had been
on the brink of getting married to a lovely woman, his high school sweetheart.
What did Mrs. Patton have to offer that enticed him enough to break off his
engagement?
The three things most important to Neal appeared to be
women, power, and money. Margaret Patton provided two of those elements. Had
she provided all three?
Tom walked to the window and looked at the hills
surrounding City Hall. He pursed his lower lip between his fingers, deep in
thought.
Had their relationship soured? Had it put her job, her
reputation, or her marriage in jeopardy?
What about the picture of her in the hot tub at his
apartment?
Had Neal used the picture to blackmail her?
With more than enough motive, the Councilwoman was becoming
more than a person of interest in this case. She was rapidly becoming the prime
suspect.
Tom answered his cell.
"Hey, man." Seeing Rosemary Hanson glance toward him, he was careful
not to reveal the name of his caller.
"Can you talk?" Paul asked.
"Go ahead. I'm waiting for an appointment." He
threw a smile in the secretary's direction and she turned back to her work.
"I made a trip to the Planning Department after our
little talk. Fortunately, the woman I know was working the front counter for
walk-ins. I used the subterfuge of working on a new project for a client who
would soon be submitting Plans for the Council's approval. Asked if there had
been any recent changes or rulings I should know about that might affect my
client's outcome."
"Good approach."
"She told me the only plans she had recently seen
rejected were for floor space ratios and height requirements not being met per
Code.
'Not one of my client's Plans, I hope.' I said to her.
'Oh, no,' she responded. 'As I recall, it was one of Mr.
Henderson's projects. Victoria Square, I think. I hadn't thought about it since
the terrible thing that happened to him.' I commiserated with her."
"All fine and dandy, Paul. But how is it helpful to
me?"
"In itself, it's not. But her answer when I asked if
the Plans passed when they were resubmitted might be of more interest to
you."
"Don't keep me in suspense, buddy."
"She looked a little baffled, then shook her head. ‘Now
that you mention it, I saw Plan Approvals in the file but there were no new
Plans submitted.' "
"Bingo. That's what I wanted to hear. Did she give any
explanation as to how that could happen?"
"She had a call come in. I told her to take the call,
thanked her, and left. I didn't want to push the issue and possibly get her in
trouble in case she started asking questions."
"Good move. Exactly what I would have done. I want to
wait for the perfect opportunity to tip our hand."
"When do you think that might occur?"
Tom saw Margaret Patton walking in from the parking lot. "I
think it's arriving now through the back doors of City Hall."
* * *
Hurrying through the outer
office, the Councilwoman acknowledged her secretary with a curt nod and called
to Tom over her shoulder as she passed through to her inner sanctum. "Give
me a minute, Detective."
No apology for being late
, Tom noted.
Rosemary looked at Tom and shrugged her shoulders. He gave
her a wink.
It was more than several minutes before she called:
"Please come in, Detective."
Whatever business she had attended to was not obvious.
There were no files on her desk; no briefcase in sight.
Is she meticulous,
or secretive?
She wasted no time on cordialities. Arrogance was apparent
from the smirk on her face but her constant finger tapping belied her
self-assurance. "I can't imagine what questions you have for me about Neal
Henderson. I hardly knew the man."
In a split second, Tom decided against diplomacy. If this
woman wanted to play games, he could play hardball, too. He went right for the
jugular.
Pulling out the picture of her with Neal in the hot tub, he
threw it on the desk in front of her.
"That would suggest differently."
She blanched. Her eyes narrowed to slits. He could almost
see her wheels turning.
In the brief silence, they could both hear fingers flying
across a keyboard. She stood and walked around the desk. Gingerly picking up
the corner of the picture between her thumb and forefinger, she handed it back
to Tom on her way to close the office door.
By the time she resumed her seat, she had collected
herself. Steepling her hands in front of her, she looked smug and in control as
she responded.
"I'm not saying there are things I've done I'd rather
not be made public, but I have nothing to hide that would be of interest to
you."
"Oh, to the contrary. I think you’re at the heart of
my entire investigation."
Her lips became thinner and the corners of her mouth turned
down in an unattractive manner. "I beg to differ with you, Detective. It
sounds to me like you're attributing more to my involvement with Neal Henderson
than it warrants."
"Please feel free to enlighten me on the error of my
assumptions." He let the sarcasm drip off his tongue in an effort to
rattle her.
She sighed, leaned back in her chair and raised her hands
in front of her, palms up. "So I had a fling with the egotistic heel. Why
is it of interest to you?"
"Were you the reason he
broke off his engagement?"
"I seriously doubt it. Neal
had visions of who he wanted to be and where he wanted to go. His plans didn’t
include being hampered by a high school sweetheart who wanted to start a
family."
"And your reason for
becoming involved with Neal?"
"Let me help you get a
clearer picture, Detective," she sighed impatiently. "My husband and
I have interests that have diverged in recent years. He's become consumed with
his roses and his dogs. That's fine with me; I'm happy he's found hobbies which
amuse him.”
Do I detect the same contempt
she seems to have for everyone else?
"My interests lie in the
public sector. I met Mr. Henderson in the course of my dealings with local
businessmen. We found we had things in common which we shared over a few late
night dinners."
Tom's pulse jumped a beat but he maintained a neutral
expression. "Wouldn't that relationship be considered a conflict of
interest considering your position and the developer he represented?"
For the first time, Tom detected a chink in her armor as
she squirmed slightly. "We were discrete. I didn't let our relationship
influence any of my actions on the Council."
Tom hoped his next punch would be a knockout blow. "I
beg to differ with you, Councilwoman. We have information there was collusion
between you, the Planning Director, and Neal Henderson."
"Stop right there, Detective,” she warned. Her voice
was low pitched and threatening. "You're getting perilously close to
exposing yourself to a defamation of character lawsuit."
How many times have I been the recipient of the same
threat from suspects perilously close to discovery?
Unabashed, he continued
his verbal assault: "We found the first leg in the tripod when we accessed
Neal's bank records. With that evidence, we'll be able to obtain warrants for
the Director's financial records as well as your own. It shouldn't be too
difficult to trace any pay-for-play exchanges."
The crows’ feet at the corners of her eyes became more
pronounced as her brows furrowed. The corners of her mouth sagged. The high-handedness
of her earlier demeanor was gradually being replaced by fear. Tom knew he was
winning.
"My only
involvement with Neal and Charles White was to arrange a meeting. Until then, Neal's
only dealings with the Planning Department had been with staff members. I've
known the Director for years. I simply arranged an introduction for the two of
them over cocktails. We met at the hotel, had a rather inane conversation, and
I left. They decided to have dinner at the hotel's restaurant."
She inspected her fingernails, trying to appear relaxed and
bored. "I had no part in whatever the two of them may have cooked up
between them."
"What reason did Neal give for wanting an introduction
to the Director?"
"I assumed it was part of his relentless pursuit of
success. He had grandiose notions of himself as the successor to Don Carson's
empire. Frankly, I doubt it ever would have happened. Neal lacked Don's
integrity, charisma, and people skills."
"Do you think he would have pursued illegal methods to
ensure his success?"
"Of course." The bluntness of the reply caught
Tom off guard.
She acknowledged his surprise with a dismissive wave of her
hand. "The man lacked the moral barometer most of us have, the one that
saves us from ourselves. He didn't know when to stop, where to draw the
line."
"What about Charles White? Was he capable of
complicity with Neal?"
Her eyebrows arched as she gave careful consideration
before replying. "From what I've seen of Charles over the years, his moral
barometer is intact but he has his weaknesses."
"Can you clarify?"
She picked a piece of lint from her sleeve. "He's
married to a woman who is somewhat of a shrew. She can make his life miserable
if he doesn't accommodate her every whim."
"Would it make him vulnerable to financial influences?"
"I can't say, Detective."
"Can't or won't?" Tom was losing patience with
her cavalier attitude.
"Oh, I'm not refraining from throwing Charles White
under the bus out any sense of loyalty. I simply don't know the answer to your
question."
Her response might have seemed nonchalant were it not for
the intensity of her eyes. "All I'm suggesting is he has his weaknesses if
someone had an interest in exploiting them."
He finished the thought. “Someone like Neal
Henderson."
"Those are your words, not mine."
Tom knew when it was fruitless to
pursue a particular line of questioning. Besides, as he told Paul earlier, he
wasn't interested in possible charges of bribery or collusion. It was time to
stop pulling punches.
He shifted in his chair, leaning forward. "I don't
want to take any more of your time than is necessary, Councilwoman. I know
you're a busy woman."
Her shoulders rounded as the tension dissipated. The finger
tapping stopped. "I appreciate your concern." She imitated his smile
with a weak one of her own, realizing too late the direction the conversation
was taking.
"Besides, bribery isn't my area of expertise. I'm sure
if any allegations of misconduct arise, the District Attorney will be more than
eager to bring charges, especially with an election year looming."
Her look changed instantly to one
of venom.
"So let's get to the real
reason for my visit."
The finger tapping started again
accompanied by a clicking of her shoe against the desk.
"Uncovering the reason for Neal
Henderson's brutal murder, and ultimately, of course, the identity of the
murderer."
Her reaction was one of outrage
though whether it was real or feigned, Tom couldn't be sure.
"You aren't seriously
suggesting I killed Neal Henderson?" Her eyes bore into his as the color
in her face darkened.
"You had sufficient motive.
Whether or not you were complicit in his dealings with the Planning Department,
he was becoming a threat to your elected position as well as a threat to your
marriage. Unless, of course, you and your husband have an open marriage
arrangement."
"We most certainly do not
and I deeply resent the implication."
Her pretense of indignation
amused Tom. "Or was it anger and humiliation over being used by a social
climbing status seeker that finally brought you to a boiling point and got the
best of you?"