by Ellery Adams
Iris looked at her. “I wouldn’t know,” she said. “I barely knew him, and didn’t talk to him a lot.”
“You tried to talk to Sabrina at the auction yesterday,” Molly said. “Why didn’t she want to talk to you?”
“I, ah, I just wanted to say hello to her, that’s all,” Iris said, but her gaze shifted to Helen, and Molly realized her mistake. She shouldn’t have questioned her in front of her supervisor. Iris suddenly stood up. “Bonnie’s off today, and I have to keep an eye on Katie.”
She walked away fast, leaving Molly to stare after her.
Helen said, “Iris isn’t much of a conversationalist.”
“Who’s Bonnie?”
“The nanny,” Helen said. “When she’s not here, and today is her day off, Iris pitches in.”
“Is babysitting part of her job description?”
“No, but Atlas does pay her for it. Just don’t tell Whitney. She doesn’t think Iris should get paid for watching Katie. She thinks Atlas pays his staff too much as it is.”
Molly picked up her glass and took a sip of the iced tea. It was icy cold, and sweet, and had a mint leaf floating in it. It reminded her of the sun tea her grandmother still made. “This tea is delicious,” she said.
“Dominic Farrell, the family’s chef, makes the tea. He makes everything.”
Molly drank down half the glass. “I’m curious about Iris,” she said. “She seems young to be the housekeeper for someone as famous as Atlas.”
“She is young, but on a professional level, she’s very efficient,” Helen said. “She pays attention to details, and you never have to tell her to do something twice.”
“And on a personal level . . . ?”
“She’s very naïve, especially when it comes to men. Just last week, Brett had to come to her defense at the shop.”
“Really? What happened?”
“I’d asked Holt to deliver some boxes from the house, and Iris came with him. As soon as I saw her, I knew she was upset about something. I asked her what was wrong, but she wouldn’t tell me. So I asked Holt, and he said Iris was making a scene on the drive over because he’d broken up with her, and she couldn’t handle it.” Helen shook her head. “I tell you, Molly, I was shocked. I had no idea there was anything going on between them. Iris should have known better, but she’s so innocent, I suppose he easily seduced her. Anyway, he started to make fun of Iris, and Brett told Holt to apologize to her, but Holt told him where he could go, and I thought they were going to start punching each other, which would have been a complete disaster, since Holt is a bodybuilder, and you know Brett was as skinny as a scarecrow. So, there we all were, Iris crying, Holt refusing to apologize, and Brett about to do something very stupid. I yelled at Holt to leave at once, and he started to go, but then he changed his mind. He just had to get in a few last digs at Iris. He started calling her terrible names, and was laughing at her and humiliating her in front of everyone.” She set her glass on the table. “When I drove Iris back later, I asked her how she got mixed up with him. She said he’d been following her around the house for months while she worked, sweet-talking her, making all kinds of promises, until she believed he really did care for her.”
“Did you tell Atlas?”
“No, but I warned Holt to stay away from her,” Helen said. “I told him it could never happen again, not with Iris, or with anyone else on staff, ever. He promised it wouldn’t.”
“You should report him to Atlas,” Molly said.
“Holt does a good job for the Dolans,” Helen said, sounding defensive. “He chauffeurs them, runs errands, and takes care of all the security. And I know Atlas. He doesn’t want to deal with this sort of thing. It’s my job to take care of staff issues.”
“Staff issues? He sexually harassed Iris.”
“Drop it, Molly. I’ve taken care of Iris. You don’t have to worry about her.”
“What do you mean, you’ve taken care of her? Did you pay her off or something?”
Helen looked at her. “I told you about this because you were asking about Iris, and I wanted you to know how wonderful Brett was, not just to me, but to her and everyone else he came into contact with. If you’re going to write an article about him, you should know how much he cared. He barely knew Iris, yet he stood up for her against a bully like Holt.” She pushed her chair back and stood. “I have to get back to work. That press release isn’t going to write itself. If you like, I can schedule a time for you to talk to Atlas. I don’t know when he’ll be back.”
“Where did he take Sabrina’s car to be fixed?”
“Baxter Audi,” Helen said.
“That’s my car dealership,” Molly said. “I’ll stop by and see if he’s there.”
“I’ll give him a call to let him know you’re coming,” Helen said.
Chapter 11
Molly followed Helen down a flagstone path that went around the side of the house. Helen stopped in front of a door marked Office.
“The path continues on to the parking area,” Helen said. She opened the door, and Molly caught a glimpse of a hallway.
“Is this how you get to Holt’s apartment?”
“Yes, and my office, and Atlas’s.” Helen looked at Molly. “You don’t think Brett killed himself, do you? You really think Jasper had something to do with his death. You’re not asking questions because you’re writing an article. You’re helping the police, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not,” Molly said. It was only a little white lie, because officially she wasn’t on the case. “But you’re right, I do think his death looks suspicious, and I think you should be careful about proclaiming Jasper’s innocence. If there’s anything you haven’t told the police about Brett, or Jasper, that could be helpful in their investigation, you need to tell them. If Jasper had nothing to do with this, then you have nothing to worry about.”
Helen lifted her chin. “I’ve told Detective Lombardi everything. I have nothing more to say.”
Helen shut the door in her face, and Molly shook her head and walked back to her car. As she opened the door, a red Jeep Wrangler came down the drive and parked next to her. The man who got out had a shaved head and wore a tight black T-shirt over baggy black pants. “Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning.” She watched as he reached into the back of the Wrangler and took out a white chef’s jacket. “You must be Dominic, the chef. I’m Molly Appleby, a friend of Brett Hamilton’s.”
He closed the car door and turned to her. “I was really sorry to hear about Brett. Did you come to see Helen?”
“I just spoke to her, and Whitney, and Iris,” Molly said. “Did you know Brett?”
“No, not really,” he said. “He was at the house meeting with Atlas about the auction, and I served him lunch a couple of times. He told me how he liked my cooking. It was nice to hear. When you work as a personal chef, the people you cook for start to take you for granted, and you don’t hear thank you very often.”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“I’m not sure, maybe last Thursday or Friday? He was with Helen most of the day.”
“In Atlas’s museum room?”
“You know about that?”
“Whitney told me.”
“Yeah, it’s where Atlas keeps his collections.”
“How did his mood seem? Was he happy or sad, stressed, anxious . . . ?”
“I couldn’t tell you,” he said. “Like I said, I didn’t really know him, so it’s hard to say. I didn’t even talk to him that day. I saw him going upstairs with Helen.”
“The museum room is on the second level?”
“Yes.”
“What did you think about Helen and Brett as a couple?”
Dominic looked at her. “I’m sorry, but can I ask why you’re asking all these questions?”
Molly gave him a business card. “I’m a friend of Brett’s, but I’m also a writer for Collector’s Weekly, and I’m writing an article on the auction and on Brett. I
’m asking a lot of questions because I’m having a hard time understanding why he would take his own life.”
“Oh. Okay, sure, I get it,” he said. “You’re trying to figure it out. I don’t blame you. I’m not good friends with Helen, so it’s not like she confides in me, but as far as I could tell, she was in love.”
“What about Brett? Did you think he was in love with her?”
“I really don’t know,” he said, and glanced at his watch. “I have to get lunch started.”
“Before you go, can you tell me how you got this job? I’m curious.”
“Sure. I was working for friends of Atlas, and they were moving to Colorado around the same time he was moving here. They told him I was available, and he hired me. I feel very fortunate. Atlas is a big deal.”
“Is he also a good boss?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s generous with pay and benefits.” He jerked his thumb at the silver Ford Focus on the other side of her car. “He gave that car to Iris last Christmas.”
Molly’s eyebrows shot up. “He gave her a car?”
Dominic nodded. “Atlas thought the one she was driving was too dangerous for the road, and he knew she couldn’t afford a new one.”
“You’re right, he is very generous,” Molly said. “How do you like working for Whitney?”
“She’s okay in my book,” he said. “She was a pastry chef before she married Atlas, so she’s been in the restaurant business and knows what she wants. In a way, it makes my job easier. We get along all right.”
“Does she get along with everyone on staff?”
He hesitated before answering. “As long as you’re doing your job, Whitney doesn’t give you any grief. But you better not screw up. Then there’s hell to pay.”
“Can you give me an example?”
“Yeah. She thought the first nanny they hired let Katie cry too long, which was a big no-no, and Whitney fired her. Bonnie Blair, the new nanny, has a ton of experience with kids, and Katie and Whitney both love her. So no problems there.”
“What can you tell me about Holt Garrido?”
Dominic laughed. “Can I be blunt?”
“Yes, please,” she said.
“Holt is a man without scruples,” he said. “Since I’ve been here, he’s hooked up with so many women, I’ve lost count. And last St. Patrick’s Day, when I was out with my girlfriend, he hit on her.”
“In front of you?”
“Oh, yeah. Nora and I were at Finnerty’s Bar when Holt showed up and zeroed in on her like a heat-seeking missile. He acted like I didn’t even exist. I didn’t want to leave her alone with him, but before we left, I had to use the restroom. On the way home, Nora tells me he hit on her as soon as I walked away. He told her if she wanted to meet him later that night, he’d come over to her place and I never had to know. She laughed in his face, told him we lived together, so that might be a problem. She couldn’t believe he had the nerve to talk to her that way, but I wasn’t surprised. He’s like a feral animal.”
“Did you say anything to him about it later?”
“No way.” Dominic shook his head. “Holt can bench press three hundred pounds without breaking a sweat. I’m not going to be his punching bag. I do my best to avoid him.”
“Isn’t that hard to do, since he works here, and lives over the garage?”
“I’m in the kitchen most of the day, and he’s out doing his thing for the Dolans, or working out at the gym. I can usually steer clear of him.”
“Did you know Iris was seeing him?”
“Helen told me, after a thing that happened at Laurel Wreath,” he said. “I felt bad for Iris. She’s so shy and quiet. Holt totally took advantage of her. I thought it was cool how Brett stood up for her.”
“I agree, it was,” Molly said. “Do you know anything about Iris’s cookie jar collection?”
He looked surprised by the change in direction. “Cookie jars? I didn’t even know she had any until Atlas gave her one on her birthday,” he said. “Atlas likes to celebrate staff birthdays. I bake the cake, we all get together in his office, and he gives a gift.” He glanced at his watch again. “I’m sorry, but I really have to go. Whitney’s having a couple of her friends over.”
“Of course, I won’t keep you another second,” Molly said.
Chapter 12
Baxter Audi Service Center’s waiting room had two sixty-inch flat-screen televisions and a coffee bar with complimentary bagels and donuts. Molly found Atlas sitting far away from the televisions on a leather sofa reading a newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. He was dressed casually in chino shorts and a blue Polo shirt, his feet sockless in boat shoes. A Red Sox baseball cap was pulled down low on his forehead, as if this would help him remain anonymous. It wasn’t working. Almost everyone in the waiting room was surreptitiously glancing at him out of the corner of their eyes.
He looked up as Molly came over, and as he recognized her he flashed his thousand-watt smile. “Helen called to tell me you were going to stop by,” he said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t home.”
“I hope I’m not interrupting you,” she said.
“Not at all. Sit down.” He scooted over and Molly sat beside him on the sofa. His smile dimmed, and he lowered his voice. “This news about Brett is tragic. Poor Helen. She’s not having an easy time of it.”
“It’s very nice of you to let her stay at your house,” she said.
He waved a hand in the air dismissively. “It’s nothing. The least we can do.”
Molly looked around the room. “I don’t see Sabrina. Is she here?”
“No, she took a loaner over to Juniper Hill Stables to ride her horse. She’s having a hard time coping with the news, too. She really loved working at Laurel Wreath. I told her to go for a ride and clear her head.”
“You’re worried about her,” she said.
“Yes, well, my daughter is emotionally fragile, and Brett’s death might have unintended consequences.”
“Such as?”
“Depression, anxiety,” he said. “She’s struggled with it in the past.” He folded the newspaper and set it down on the side table. “I’ve always been at the root of her problems. She blames me when things go wrong, says I should have been around more when she was growing up. Maybe I should have, but I didn’t have a nine-to-five job. I tried to make up for lost time when I was home, but nothing I did seemed to make her happy. It got worse when she was a teenager. She started running with a wild crowd. They were a bad influence with the drink and the drugs.”
“I’m sorry to hear it,” she said.
He looked surprised. “You didn’t know?”
“No, I didn’t,” she said.
“You must not read the tabloids,” he said. “If you did, you would know the last time Sabrina made headlines was two years ago. She was arrested in Rome for jumping naked into a fountain. I had to fly to Italy and beg the police to drop the charges against her. It was only because of my celebrity status that they agreed to. When we got home, I told her I’d had enough of her deadbeat boyfriends, the drugs, the alcohol abuse, all of it. Whitney and I had just gotten married, and had a baby on the way, and I was done with the drama. I told her I was going to retire from acting and move to Vermont, and if she wanted to start over, she could join us. Imagine my surprise when she said she would. I thought, finally, she’s decided it’s time to grow up.”
“The move has been good for her?”
“Getting the job at Laurel Wreath was good for her,” he said. “I saw the change in her right away. For the first time, she actually liked going to a job. And that’s why I’m worried about her. I don’t want her to backslide into old habits.”
“Perhaps you should encourage her to use the skills she’s learned from Brett to restore furniture. If you like, I can do some asking around. There are some other dealers I know who are branching out to restoration. They might give her a job.”
“Thank you, Molly. I’ll talk to Sabrina about it first, and let you know. I wouldn’
t want her to think we’re plotting behind her back.” He picked up his coffee cup and took a sip. “Helen said you wanted to interview me for an article about the auction, and you’re doing a separate piece on Brett. What would you like to know?”
“Well, obviously you spent a lot of time with him recently, and I was wondering how he was to work with. Also, on a more personal level, if you saw any signs that he was troubled.”
“Brett’s knowledge about antiques was vast and impressive,” he said. “He had a real appreciation for my collections. I trusted him, and thought he handled the auction well. As for his personal life, I didn’t see a hint of any depression or anything else that would have made me think he’d take his own life. I know Helen doesn’t believe her ex-husband is involved in what happened, but I’m not so sure. And considering Helen works for me, I have to ask you . . . do you think she had anything to do with Brett’s death?”
“Honestly, I don’t know,” she said.
Atlas frowned. “That’s not the answer I wanted to hear,” he said. “She’s living under my roof, and Whitney isn’t thrilled about it. She’s worried Jasper is going to come after Helen again, and if he gets onto the property, he’ll kill us all in our beds. I told her she has to stop worrying so much, but ever since Katie was born, she’s become paranoid about our safety. She got it into her head someone might try to kidnap the baby, and insisted Holt live on the property with us. I had to have the builder add another door from his apartment to our upstairs hallway, in case of emergency.”
“May I ask how you two met?”
“I have Holt to thank,” he said. “I was feeling down one night, and he suggested I try a new restaurant. So, I went out to dinner and, as it turned out, Whitney was also eating there alone. The hostess sat me next to her, we started talking. I soon realized she was not only beautiful but smart and talented. We ended up eating dinner together.”
“It was love at first sight,” she said.
“I suppose it was,” he said.
“I met Dominic, your chef. He told me Whitney was a pastry chef before you married.”
