Jack exhaled. “I want to ask you a few questions about Stacy Shaw.”
Lori cast a nervous glance at the women, who were getting on the elevator, then checked the clock. “I have to wait for my cover to get here. I’ll meet you downstairs in, like, ten minutes, or you can wait—”
“Great.” Jack moved for the elevator. “We’ll wait out front. Outside.”
Jack’s head was on a swivel as they walked. When they reached the elevator doors, Jack pressed the button four quick times.
“Hold up a second,” Chandler said.
“What?”
“I have to use the restroom.” Chandler winked.
The elevator doors dinged and opened. “No.” Jack practically dragged Chandler inside the elevator. “We gotta go.”
Jack reached out and rapidly pressed the bottom button.
“I don’t get you.” Chandler frowned. “You wanted to look around, and I come up with a great idea so we can do it but—”
Jack mashed the “close door” button repeatedly. “That detective is here.”
The doors closed, and Chandler’s eyes widened. “Now? Detective Vargas?”
Jack crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “Yeah. So I figure we’d better beat feet. Did Vargas say anything to you about staying away from the investigation?”
“No. He told me to stay away from you,” Chandler huffed. “Like I said, you rub some people the wrong way. Did Vargas tell you to stay away from this?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think he’d really arrest me. Still, you should wait in the car.”
“Arrest you?” Chandler stomped, and the whole elevator shook. “You need to get serious. Don’t mess this up. Did he use that word? Arrest?”
“Can you not do that in here, Stampy?” Jack glanced at the weight capacity of the elevator. “I won’t jack anything up.”
The elevator dinged. Jack and Chandler faced the doors they’d entered through, but it was the doors behind them that opened. Embarrassed, they turned and walked out of the elevator.
Jack looked around, puzzled. They weren’t in the lobby. The dark concrete room they found themselves in led to a loading dock. The large corrugated roll-down door at the end was closed, and five recycling bins were lined up in front of a dumpster against the wall. A concrete hallway lay to their left. The deep thrum of machinery reverberated off the bare walls and ceiling.
The elevator doors closed behind them.
Jack spun around and pressed the button. It didn’t light up.
They heard the elevator going back up.
“Crud.” Chandler pointed to the elevator button panel. “You need a key. What button did you press to get us here?”
“The bottom one,” Jack said.
“You mean you pressed B? B’s for basement. Not for the lobby.”
“I wasn’t looking at the letters, I just pressed the bottom button. Sorry.”
The humidity and the stale, musty air made this room feel like a cave. “Let’s cut through here,” Jack said. He walked over to the loading dock door. He tried the door handle but it didn’t budge. There was a badge reader next to it.
“Great,” Chandler grumbled. “I bet we’re not allowed down here.”
“Calm down,” Jack said, half to himself. “Let’s see where the hallway goes.”
The elevator behind them dinged. A moment later, the custodian they saw earlier wheeled the recycling bin out. He headed toward the bins along the wall.
Chandler hurried toward the elevator, but Jack headed to Jeremy.
“What are you doing, Jack?” Chandler’s voice was filled with caution, as if Jack was getting too close to a cliff.
“He’s the custodian. If he worked that night, he might have been the one who saw her before she left.”
Chandler grabbed his arm. “Vargas is in the house, man.” The elevator doors beeped and started to close. Chandler’s hand shot out and stopped them.
“You go,” Jack said. “I just need a couple of minutes.”
The elevator doors beeped.
“I’ll meet you outside,” Jack said. “Go.”
Chandler yanked his hand away from the doors and let them close. “Hurry it up.”
Jack nodded. “I’ll make it quick.”
As they walked over to Jeremy, Chandler whispered, “Just don’t get this guy upset.”
“I won’t.”
Jack waved at Jeremy. “Hello.”
Jeremy waved back. “Hi.” He hefted the heavy recycling bin up in one quick motion and dumped the paper out into the dumpster.
“I’m Jack. You work upstairs at H.T. Wells?”
“Yes.” A big smile crossed Jeremy’s face. “You were just there. Both of you. Didn’t you see me?”
“I did.” Jack nodded. “I was wondering if I could ask you some questions.”
“Okay.” Jeremy wiped his nose with the back of his thick hand and loudly sucked in the snot dripping into his sinuses. The sound alone made Chandler visibly gag.
“Did you know Stacy Shaw?”
“Yes.” Jeremy slammed the lid on the recycling bin. His brows drew together and his small eyes became dots. “I talked to the police.”
“You talked to the police? About what?”
“When Mrs. Shaw went home.” Jeremy grabbed another recycling bin and wheeled it over to the dumpster.
“Oh, you saw her leave?”
“Yes.” Jeremy jerked the bin up and dumped it in a fluid motion. Paper poured out into the dumpster. He let the bin land with a loud bang.
“How did she look?”
Jeremy’s smile rose and fell, as if he couldn’t make up his mind how the memory made him feel. “Pretty.”
“I mean, how did she seem? Was she happy or tired or…?”
“Happy.” Jeremy shrugged.
“What time did she go home?” Jack asked.
Jeremy’s head jerked to the side and his arm twitched. The sudden, spastic movement made Jack step back.
“Eight.” Jeremy held up his watch.
Jack looked at the battered silver watch. “That’s an interesting watch. What are those marks?”
“My mother put them on there.” On the face were three colored marks—green at twelve, blue at five, and red at nine.
“What time do you start work, Jeremy?” Jack spoke slowly.
“Twelve o’clock. Four days a week.”
“When do you go home?”
“Nine.”
Jack pointed at Jeremy’s watch. “That’s smart of you to use the colors.”
Jeremy rubbed his watch. “My mom did it.”
“Was anyone else here besides you and Stacy that night?”
“She was nice. She’s not coming back.” He grabbed another recycling bin and wheeled it over to the dumpster.
“I’m sorry about that. Was anyone else here?”
“Mr. Chambers.” Jeremy said the name as though it left a bad taste in his mouth.
“You don’t like Mr. Chambers?”
Jeremy looked away. “He’s not nice.”
“To you?”
“No. Mrs. Shaw. He got mad.” Jeremy hefted the recycling bin up and banged it against the dumpster. A waterfall of paper poured out. “But she’s nice.”
“Do you know why Mr. Chambers got mad?” Jack asked.
“Because right away.”
“Mr. Chambers wanted something right away?” Chandler asked, confused.
Jeremy shrugged.
“Did you know what he wanted right away?” Jack asked.
Jeremy shrugged again and grabbed another bin.
“Who was the last person to leave before Stacy did?” Jack asked.
“Mr. Chambers.”
Jack shot Chandler a quick look. “And what time did he leave?”
Jeremy looked down at his watch. “Before Stacy.”
“What time?” Jack repeated.
Jeremy frowned. “A couple of minutes.” He started to lift the recycling bin, but this time he st
rained and grunted loudly.
Jack grabbed the other side of the recycling bin to help Jeremy lift it, but found himself struggling with the weight too.
Jeremy shifted his legs, and together they raised it enough to tip it. The paper poured into the dumpster.
Jack exhaled as they set the bin down. “Wow. These are heavy.”
A broad smile stretched across Jeremy’s face. “I’m strong.” He flexed both arms like a wrestler who had just won his match.
“You are,” Jack agreed. “Did anyone come in after Mrs. Shaw left?”
Jeremy nodded. “Mr. Chambers came back. I think he forgot something.”
The loading dock door rattled loudly and lifted upward. Light streamed under the rising door.
Jeremy started to walk away. “I have to tell David UPS is here.”
“How was Mr. Chambers when he came back?” Jack asked.
Jeremy shrugged.
“Was he happy?”
Jeremy shook his head.
“Can you describe what he was like?”
Jeremy stopped. He rubbed a hand on his overalls. “Sweaty?” He looked at Jack expectantly. “He went to the park. You shouldn’t go to the park at night.”
The UPS driver beeped.
“I got to get David.” Jeremy hurried away.
Jack and Chandler headed for the open loading dock door. Jack pulled a small notebook from his back pocket.
“You brought a notebook?” Chandler asked.
“Yeah. I don’t want to forget anything. And I didn’t. Look.” Jack tapped the page. “Leland Chambers was Stacy’s manager.”
Chandler’s eyes widened. “No way.”
Jack and Chandler exited the building through the loading dock, then circled around to the front. They got there just as Lori hurried out the revolving door. “Can we do the food cart?” she asked. “They make a great burrito.” She pointed across the street to a bright-green food cart with a huge banana-yellow umbrella over it.
“Sure.” Chandler smiled.
“I can take you someplace where we can sit down if you want.” Jack’s eyes settled on the plain, dark-green sedan he’d parked behind. It hadn’t meant anything to him before, but now it screamed unmarked police car.
“This is fine.” Lori walked across the street. “I only have a half hour and I had to stop by the restroom, so the clock’s ticking.”
“You can say that again,” Jack muttered to himself.
They ordered their food—Jack paid—then moved over to eat at a shady bench. Jack left his burrito wrapped up and took out his notebook. “Did you know Stacy Shaw?”
“A little. She just started maybe three months ago. She was really sweet.”
“What did she do here?” Jack asked.
“She worked in finance. She’s an analyst, I think.”
Jack wrote that down. “Who would she be friends with?”
Lori pondered as she ate. “Betty Robinson. Betty trained Stacy, and they went to lunch together a lot.”
“Did she not get along with anyone?”
Lori shook her head. “Nothing I heard about—and I get all the gossip. I’m like a bartender. Everyone comes out to the front desk and tells me their secrets.”
“No one said anything about her?”
“Nothing bad. She didn’t really go out after work with the regular crew. She was married.”
“Did you know her husband?”
“I met him a couple of times. He’s a salesman for a software company, Connect IT, I think. He seemed really nice.” She slowly lowered her burrito. “I feel really bad for him. He called the office from New York that day. We chitchatted about his job, then I transferred the call to Stacy. It was close to five, so I almost didn’t pick it up because I wanted to go home.” She paused and looked down at her burrito. “That could have been the last time she spoke with him.” She squeezed her shoulders together and shook. “It makes you think about life. You know?”
Chandler nodded.
Jack flipped back a page and read the name written there. “Do you know a Mr. Chambers?”
“Leland Chambers? Yeah. He works in finance. He was Stacy’s boss.”
“They were arguing,” Chandler said.
Jack shot him a please-shut-up glare.
“Are you serious, Chandler? Leland and Stacy were fighting?” Lori said. “Leland was the last person to see her, I think. Well, besides Betty.”
Jack started writing again. “Hold on. No one said anything about fighting. Is that Betty Robinson?”
“Yes. Betty was outside waiting for a ride when Stacy left.”
“Did they talk?”
“I guess. Or at least that’s what I overheard in the break room. I have no idea what about.”
“What can you tell me about this Leland guy?”
“He’s slime in a suit. I have to stand up when he comes over to the desk, if you know what I mean? Leland hits on anything in a skirt. I’m surprised HR hasn’t done something, but then again it’s run by a man so I guess I’m not shocked.”
“But he was Stacy’s supervisor?”
“Yes. He’s the manager in Finance. I know the police interviewed him.” Lori looked at the time on her phone and groaned. “I have to go.” She finished her soda and tossed it in the recycling bin.
“Would it be okay if I used a restroom in the office?” Chandler asked.
“Sure.”
Jack looked askew at Chandler. As they crossed the street, he whispered, “You can’t go back in there.”
“But this time I really have to go,” Chandler whispered back.
“Vargas is still in there.” Jack pointed at the sedan. “Hold it.”
Chandler scowled.
“Do you know who else the police interviewed?” Jack asked Lori.
“Lots of people, but mostly Leland, Betty, and Jeremy. Oh, there’s a detective meeting with Peter Guppy today. He came in just before you.”
“Really?” Jack tried to sound surprised. “What does Peter Guppy do?”
“He’s IT and security. They were talking about reviewing the security cameras.”
“When did they interview the others?”
“Right after Stacy went missing. They interviewed me too. The detective is still here if you want to speak with him.”
“No.” Jack raised his hands up. “Is there any way you can set me up to talk with Leland or Betty Robinson?”
“I don’t know about Leland, but I’m sure my friend Betty will talk to you.”
“You’re sure Betty will talk about what?” said a tall woman who was standing near the corner of the building, smoking a cigarette. She walked over to them and smiled at Lori.
“Ah, hi, Betty.” Lori swallowed. “This is my cousin’s boyfriend, Chandler Carter, and his friend Jack Stratton.”
“Nice to meet you.” Jack reached out his hand.
“And uh… Jack was the one who found Stacy’s body,” Lori added.
“Oh…” Betty inhaled sharply off her nearly finished cigarette.
“Jack’s heading for a career in law enforcement. He’d like to help. Will you answer a few of his questions?”
Betty hesitated.
Lori leaned in. “For Stacy’s sake.”
“I just have a couple of questions,” Jack said softly. “Do you have a few minutes?”
Betty dropped her cigarette and lit another. “Now I do.”
Jack turned to Lori. “Thank you.” Then he gave Chandler a look that he hoped conveyed that he wanted his friend to take a walk.
“Lori,” Chandler said haltingly, “I’m just going to go use the restroom in the coffee shop.” To Betty he added, “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” He followed Lori to the door, gave her a quick hug, then made a beeline for the coffee shop at the end of the building.
Jack took out his notebook. “Mrs. Robinson, you trained Stacy?”
“Please call me Betty. And the answer is yes. I trained Stacy to take over my responsibilities when I was promote
d.”
“Do you know if Stacy had any issues?”
“No. Stacy was as quiet as a church mouse and about as threatening as one. She got along with everyone.”
“Even her new manager?”
“Leland?” Betty took a long drag of her cigarette and let the smoke slowly drift out of her mouth. “Leland is a jackass taught to walk upright, but he got along well enough with her.”
“Were you friendly with Stacy outside of work?”
“We were getting there. She’d been to my home and I’d been to hers.”
“You spoke with Stacy the night she disappeared?”
“My husband was late to pick me up. We spoke right here.” She pointed down. “Then my husband dropped me at home and went to run a few errands.”
“How did Stacy seem?”
“Fine. Upbeat. Actually she was quite happy because her pregnancy was going so well, which was a miracle after the botched procedure she went through.”
“You knew she was pregnant?”
Betty looked guilty. “Yes. I knew. But she hadn’t told anyone else at work yet. She was afraid of how people would react—you know, start a new job and then get pregnant almost right away. She was hoping to prove her worth first, before breaking the news. Besides, it was still pretty early.”
Jack nodded. “So she wasn’t unhappy about anything?”
“Well, Leland was busting her chops a little, but that’s just Leland pretending he’s a big boy.”
“Do you know what he was busting her chops about?”
“Just work stuff. It was nothing. I told Stacy that, then I invited her over for dinner. But she declined because her husband was away for his job. She was going to clean instead.”
“Clean?”
“Her house. I guess she’s free of that burden.”
Jack cleared his throat. “Where was her car parked?”
“There’s a company lot to the left.” Betty pointed down the street, but the building blocked the view of the lot.
“So you didn’t see Stacy get in her car?”
“No. When we pulled away, she was walking to the lot.”
“Did she mention where she was going or if she was meeting someone?”
“I assumed she was going home. After a long day here, all you want to do is get a stiff drink, take a shower, and go to bed.”
And Then She Was GONE: A riveting new suspense novel that keeps you guessing until the end Page 15
