Nailed: An Alex Harris Mystery (The Alex Harris Mysteries Book 8)

by Elaine Macko

  Chapter 61

  I easily found the building inspectors’ office where Victor had worked. It was several blocks from the New Haven Green. I circled the block a couple of times looking for a parking space before I gave up and pulled into a lot. Once in the building I checked the directory and made my way up to the fifth floor.

  “Good afternoon. I was wondering if I could speak with someone who worked with Victor Sanjari?” I asked of the woman busily typing away on her computer at the front desk.

  “May I ask your name?”

  I told her and waited while she phoned someone and talked in a low voice.

  “Mrs. Reyes will be with you shortly. Please have a seat.”

  I was just about to take out my Kindle when a door opened and a woman somewhere in her forties walked over to me.

  “Hi, I’m Selena Reyes. You wanted to speak with me about Victor Sanjari?”

  “Yes, that’s right. Is there somewhere private we can talk?” I asked, noticing that the woman at the front desk was all ears.

  “Of course. Come on back to my office.”

  I followed her down a long corridor and then we turned right and continued our journey down another long corridor. Government buildings were all alike. Long corridors with minimal lighting. It felt more like I was following her to the gallows than her office.

  “Here we are. Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything?”

  “No, I’m fine. Thank you for seeing me. I wanted to speak to you about Mr. Sanjari.”

  Selena Reyes held up her hand. “Ms. Harris—”

  “Alex, please.”

  “Okay, Alex. Whatever your concerns are with Mr. Sanjari, I have to apologize. I promise you that we will look into your complaint and get to the bottom of things as soon as possible, but I have some rather disturbing news. Mr. Sanjari was killed last week, and—”

  “Mrs. Reyes, I know all that. I think you misunderstood. I’m not here to complain about Mr. Sanjari. I’m looking into his murder.”

  “I’m sorry. Charlene didn’t tell me you were with the police when she asked me to come to the lobby.”

  I took a deep breath. “I’m not.” I gave Mrs. Reyes the short version of why I was looking into Victor’s death and waited for her to ask me to leave. “You’re of course under no obligation to speak with me, but I have been involved in helping the police before.”

  Okay, helping may have been stretching the truth a bit, but the fact is I did solve several murders in my little town, and whether the police were happy or not with my help was irrelevant. The cases were now closed. I gave Mrs. Reyes a bit of my resume and she nodded her head when I was done.

  “Okay, I know you. I live in Pirates Cove and I remember reading about some of those murders, especially the last one. So that was you, huh? Does your husband get mad and tell you to keep your nose out of his business?” she asked with a mischievous smile.

  “On more than one occasion, yes. Things can get pretty lively around our dinner table.”

  “Well, okay, then. How can I help you?”

  “Why did you think I was here because of some sort of complaint against Victor?”

  Selena Reyes clasped her hands in front of her and rocked gently back and forth in her chair. “You wouldn’t be the first one. Some days it seemed all I did was listen to complaints about that man. Truth is things have been a lot better this last year and a half since we installed trackers on all the inspectors’ cars.”

  “There are trackers on the cars?”

  “There are now. We had a lot of problems with inspectors not showing up for appointments or showing up late, so we decided to keep tabs on everyone. Productivity is a lot better now, and I’m not spending my day trying to placate irate home owners and builders.”

  “So you’re telling me that Victor Sanjari’s car had a tracker on it and you could tell where he was at any given moment?”

  “Yes, all the cars are equipped with the devices.”

  “Wow! This is wonderful. Now we can find out exactly what he was up to before he got killed.”

  Chapter 62

  “Nope. Not gonna happen,” Mrs. Reyes said, while she continued to rock in her chair.

  “I can tell my husband and I’m sure the police will be able to get a warrant for those records,” I said.

  “No need. We already talked to the police. The fact is Victor returned his car and checked out at about four-thirty on the day he died. What he did afterward is anybody’s guess. He took his own car and left. I have no idea where he went, but I assume he went home like any other day.”

  I slumped in my chair. “Darn. I really thought I was on to something.”

  “Sorry to burst your bubble.”

  “Mrs. Reyes, can you give me anything at all? Do you have any ideas who would want to kill him?”

  “I could say every woman in this building for starters. But truthfully, Victor was a pain in the butt. I didn’t trust him, but then I’m a suspicious person by nature. He didn’t have a lot of interaction with people here. He’d come in, get his assignment for the day, and head out. At the end of the day, he’d return the car. Sometimes he came in and wrote up his reports, but more often than not, he’d do them at home or in his car while waiting for the next appointment.” Selena Reyes sat up straight and leaned on her desk. “Victor was one of those guys that most women roll their eyes at. Would anyone here actually want to kill him? Of course not.”

  “Do you know a man named Gary Hachmeister?”

  “Sure. Connecticut Custom Homes. They do good work. Well, they did good work. Victor wasn’t passing their jobs in the last month or so. I sent some other inspectors out there, too, over the years because I knew of the friendship Victor had with Mr. Hachmeister, and I didn’t want stuff slipping by because of it, but the jobs were always done right. Lately, not so much. Like everyone else, I think they’re cutting back on materials and it shows.”

  Mrs. Reyes didn’t mention anything about illegal workers. I wasn’t sure what the authority of the agency was and whether they had any jurisdiction over workers anyway, so I let it go and changed the subject.

  “What was everyone’s reaction when his wife died?”

  Selena Reyes shook her head back and forth causing a piece of brown hair from the bun on her head to fall across her face. She pushed it out of the way and looked at me.

  “Boy, that was a tough one. I only met Jenna a couple of times over the years, but a lovely, lovely woman. And their little girl. That baby needs her mama. Dads can only do so much, you know what I’m say’n?”

  I leaned forward. I put my arms on the desk and looked directly into Mrs. Reyes’ dark eyes. “What were your initial thoughts about how she died?”

  “If you’re asking what I think you’re asking, the answer is hell yes, I thought that man killed her. Who goes walking on icy cliffs like that? It’s not like they were experienced climbers doing a trek up Mount Everest. Victor took some time off, of course, but then it was back to normal pretty quick. After that, well, I was never what you could call fond of the man, but after his wife died, I avoided him as much as possible.”

  “Do you know if he was dating anyone recently?” I asked, wondering if Elizabeth Applegate ever stopped by the office. Or maybe Mary McCarthy.

  “I can’t figure out why anyone would want to date him. Hell, I could never figure out why that nice Jenna married the man in the first place, but the truth is, I think he was seeing someone, yeah. Just a gut feeling. Never met the woman, but if I had, I would have told her to run for the hills and stay as far away from that man as possible.”

  “Did you have any reason to suspect that Victor was up to some unsavory business practices?”

  Mrs. Reyes took a couple of seconds to think it over. “If I had to hazard a guess, my answer would be that that man was always up to something. What exactly that something might be, I have no idea and I don’t want to know. I didn’t trust him, didn’t like him, and after his wife died I wouldn’t want to b
e in this building alone with him at night. So if you’re telling me the man was up to no good and that might be why he was killed, then I’d have to tell you I’m not surprised. Not surprised one little bit.”

  “Why did he still have a job?”

  “A question I’ve asked myself more than once, believe me. You know how once you get on with a good government job they can’t fire you?”

  “Yes, I’ve heard that.”

  “Well, it’s not true. There were plans in place to get rid of Victor, but then his wife died and everyone felt sad and we cut him some slack. Sure, he should have been gone a long time ago, but the more things change, the more they stay the same. I bet you’ve heard that one, too. I could chalk it up to good old boys’ club, and that’s part of it. This industry has always been hampered by rumors of kickbacks and the like, and a lot of it is true. But, we have a new director and he’s been weeding the troublemakers out the last two years. We have a new crop of young people fresh out of college learning the ropes and they’re good. Engineers. That’s what you need. Victor’s number was almost up, and then, well, his number was up. Problem solved.”

  “And you’re certain no one here would have moved that process along in any way?”

  “Victor liked having the dirt on people, you know, so he could use it if and when needed. But there just isn’t that kind of dirt around here anymore. Sorry, Alex, but I think you need to look somewhere else.”

  Chapter 63

  Problem was, I was running out of places to look. So far Gail Hachmeister was my number one suspect and only because she had reason to kill both Victor and her husband.

  So, what had my visit with Mrs. Reyes garnered me? Not a whole hell of a lot that I didn’t already know. The agency had plans in place to get rid of him and no one liked the man. No surprise there. But from my conversation I didn’t get the feeling that anyone hated him enough to kill him. Sounded more like everyone stayed clear of Victor Sanjari.

  I looked at my watch. I needed to take my grandmother to bingo tonight. The hall was halfway between Indian Cove and Westport and I wondered if Shirley would like some company this evening. I pulled out my cell phone and turned it on. I had no idea if the battery was sufficiently charged for it to even work, but after a couple of seconds it started doing its thing and powered on.

  “Hey, it’s Alex. Are you up for some company tonight?”

  “Sure. And you’ll get to meet Tom. He’s dropping something off later.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll pick up some sandwiches. What does he like?”

  “Nothing for him. He’s not staying. Just get us something. I have dessert. Are you calling me from your cell phone?”

  “I am. But I’m not driving. I’m sitting in my car outside The Food Co-op. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  I locked my car door and walked into the store and headed straight for the deli. I picked up a couple of sandwiches and a container of potato salad. On my way to the checkout counter I stopped by the bakery to see if Elizabeth was working. I had nothing more to ask her, but maybe something would pop into my head at the last minute. Maybe I could ask her if Victor ever mentioned having a problem with a co-worker.

  “No, she’s not here today. She’s teaching her craft class at the community center,” the young man behind the counter told me. “She likes working with the kids. Better than dealing with some of the customers here. Oh, sorry, lady, I didn’t mean you.”

  “No problem. I understand. And I can see how working with the kids on some craft projects would be appealing after standing on your feet all day dealing with some people. Not me, of course.” I tossed him a smile to show I was a good sport about being called Lady. What was up with everyone?

  “Yeah, she does painting and they make cards and she’s teaching them those old lady things with needles.”

  I laughed. “You mean like crochet and knitting?”

  “Yeah! That’s it. My gran does that stuff, too. Nice talking to you. I’ll tell her you stopped by.” He moved over to help an actual customer, and I went and paid for my things and headed over to Meme’s.

  ******

  Meme and her two besties, Frances and Theresa, were ready to go when I arrived.

  “Alex, you can drive my car,” Frances said. “That way we’ll all fit better.”

  “I was planning on going to Westport after I drop you guys off. Is that okay?”

  “Sure, no problem.”

  “Kiddo, one of these days, you gotta get another car with more doors. Or maybe you can use John’s car when you take us out.”

  I sighed and we all walked out and piled into Frances’ roomy Honda CRV. It was similar to what Shirley drove. My parents liked Toyotas, but I was just a Honda girl ever since my first car. I had to admit that Frances’ car was nice.

  “Have you solved the crime yet, Alex?” Theresa asked from the back where she and Frances were seated. Meme liked sitting up front with me.

  “Not yet. I’m a bit stumped on this one.”

  “What’s up, kiddo? I hear a but in there,” Meme said.

  “I don’t know. The last day or so I feel something niggling in the back of my brain.”

  “That’s how it always works for you. It’ll come.”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s an actual clue that will tell me who the killer is, or if it’s something telling me I’ve been looking in the wrong place all along.”

  We drove a couple of miles further in silence and then I exited the turnpike and found my way to the new bingo hall using the GPS that came with the car.

  I helped my grandmother and her friends out of the car and made sure they had all their bingo paraphernalia. I thanked Frances again for letting me use the car and told them I would be back around ten. And as I made my way to Shirley’s house, I had a sinking feeling that the tingling way back in my mind was telling me to look somewhere else.

  Chapter 64

  “He’s going to feel like this is an ambush,” I said to Shirley as we settled at her kitchen table and I took the food out of the bag.

  “No he won’t. He’s been dying to meet my friends. Plus, I told him you would be here so he wouldn’t feel like he was intruding.”

  “He can stay, you know. I won’t embarrass him.”

  “He plays poker with some guys once a month. Tonight’s the night, but I’m seeing my daughter tomorrow and he’s bringing over one of his company’s new backpacks for her. She’s going camping with some friends and I thought it’d be nice to give her a new backpack. I’m glad you came by. This is nice, plus I have some new information for you.”

  “Really? Good. I could use some.”

  The doorbell rang and Shirley excused herself while I found a spoon and some forks for the potato salad. A minute later she and her new man walked into the kitchen.

  “Alex, this is Tom Dwyer. Tom, Alex Harris, my partner in crime.”

  Tom Dwyer was a very nice-looking man. I judged him to be a few years older than Shirley. He was about six foot, with gray hair and brown eyes. He had on a pair of jeans and a polo shirt with the logo for Outdoor Adventure Gear on the front. He extended his hand and gave me a firm handshake.

  “Nice to meet you, Alex. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you and your family. One of these days I’d love to meet your grandmother. Shirley says she’s quite a character.”

  “She is that. And she would love to meet you, though I’m warning you, it’ll be more of a checking-you-out kind of thing to make sure you’re worthy of Shirley. My grandmother is very protective of the people she cares about. But I have a feeling you’ll pass muster.”

  “Well, I won’t keep the two of you from your dinner. I just wanted to drop off the backpack and a gift for you, Alex.”

  “For me? How nice.”

  “You’ll be doing me a big favor. Shirley told me that you have one of our cross body bags. We’re coming out with a new design for Christmas and before it goes into mass production I want the opinion of a serious user.”
Tom lifted a large bag onto the counter and pulled out a backpack with all the bells and whistles in a beautiful slate blue color, and handed it to Shirley.

  “Tom, this is fantastic. She’ll love the color. And look at all the pockets.”

  “The straps have memory foam in them so she should be able to carry it fully loaded with no problem.”

  “That is nice. I wish I hiked and camped more so I could buy one. I love the color,” I said.

  “It comes in eight colors right now. And here’s something for you.” Tom reached into the sack and pulled out a gorgeous bag. It was a messenger bag, but with an opening at the top so you didn’t have to lift the flap to get to your stuff. He handed it to me and I held it out and took a good look.

  “This is perfect. I love it. I always wanted a messenger bag, but I hate the flap thing. It’s kind of cumbersome. But this, with the zipper on top, solves that problem.”

  “I’m glad you like it. Enjoy.”

  “Oh, no, I can’t accept this. Please, let me pay for it.”

  “No way. Like I said, you’re my test customer. I want you to use it and let me know your thoughts. It’s our latest hybrid product. A cross between the traditional messenger bag and a regular cross body bag. You’re not the first person to complain about the flap getting in the way. The strap also comes with a shoulder pad that you can attach and it’s got memory foam in it. Use it and after a couple of weeks tell me your thoughts and don’t hold back. I have high hopes for this product and I want to get it right.”

  I looked at the black bag with beautiful dark brown leather trim. It probably cost a lot more than I would ever pay for a bag, but I loved it.

  “Right after dinner, I’m going to put all my stuff into it and start using it right now. I love it. I really do. Thank you very much.”