Mission

by Camilla Chafer

  A smile twitched on my lips. The scenario wasn't an unfamiliar one. "Please tell me everything," I said, directly pleading. "Who's involved? Whom do you suspect? Are they ex-military?"

  "I can't say right now but we can talk soon. How about drinks after work?"

  "Tonight?"

  "That's often when my work ends."

  "Okay. Lily's bar?"

  "Sure. See you at seven." Maddox hung up before I could ask anything else. I stuck my tongue out at the phone. When he called back, I sucked it in, somewhat alarmed. "Are you okay?" he asked, a trace of concern this time.

  "Yes, thank you."

  "Good." Maddox hung up again.

  "Huh," I huffed as I tossed the phone on my desk. The conversation was unusually mysterious even for Maddox. Since resigning as a detective with the Montgomery Police Department, he made the move to the FBI and became a lot more tight-lipped about his cases. I wasn't entirely sure what he did for the Feds but I knew it involved a lot of potentially high-profile cases that they actively tried to keep low-profile. Maddox's skills were put to good use, doing things like solving art theft rings and elaborate crimes that often landed him abroad. From what little information I gleaned from him, his new career seemed both exciting and tiresome.

  Reassured that plenty of other people were already looking into the bank heist, I turned my attention to the Takahashi case. Knowing I hadn't given it as much thought as I should have since Charlie Sampson brought the bank case to the agency, I concentrated solely on it now. With Sophie safe in the hospital, only Austen and his foreman, Manny Ortega, were aware of my investigation so far. That was a small relief; if the prospective murderer were somewhere in the vicinity, that person wasn't aware anyone was on to them yet. Sophie's survival, however, was another concern and the danger she might have been in was far from over. I needed to learn more about the couple and their lives, and fast.

  I spent an interesting half hour reading up about Austen. Like Solomon said, he was a largely self-made man although his parents were reasonably well off until they met with financial disaster. The many advantages available to him until then provided him with a headstart in life. As a rich person who temporarily became poor, he was still leagues ahead in opportunity than a person born into poverty.

  Austen was a fairly private man so the majority of information I gathered about him was business-related. He curated his businesses deftly and treated his employees well. With a successful flotation on the stock market more than a decade ago, he went from one strength to the next. Little was documented about his personal life; I saw some nice photos with his parents and sister. He donated to child and animal welfare organizations. He didn't own a jet or a yacht or any of the fancy accoutrements of stratospheric success. Apparently, he once lived in a large penthouse but that article was old and I saw nothing about his new house. His marriage attracted a brief amount of attention that disappeared quickly. I found one photo of the couple together at a gala; Austen wearing a tuxedo, Sophie dressed in a halter gown in navy silk. Leaning her head against his shoulder, her face was turned away, and both of them appeared to be laughing.

  Austen didn't have any social media presence although his various businesses did. I scrolled a year backwards for any public messages, but nothing was mentioned about him beyond some links to pithy press releases for endeavors he sponsored.

  Sophie Takahashi was even harder to find any mention of. She had no social media profiles in either her married or maiden names, and I couldn't find any indicator of a nickname she preferred to using her real name. Their wedding wasn't featured in any society pages although I found a small announcement after the fact in the New York Times. No mention of her on the museum website either. No high school photos. No college accomplishments boasted about or reported.

  The only other thing of interest I found was the listing for their house. It had only two owners prior to the Takahashis' purchase. Originally stuck in a time warp of bright colors, loud wallpaper and dark furniture, the only things that suggested it had potential were its location and the attractive brick exterior. I figured the Takahashis had the same idea, given their extensive renovation project.

  I had to start interviewing people close to Sophie. Austen told me she didn't work outside their home but she had ex-colleagues I could speak to. He also mentioned the theater was her big love so perhaps she had a theater group she visited from time to time? Of course the person that probably knew her best had to be her brother. I decided I should start with him.

  I checked my watch. There was plenty of time to conduct some interviews before I met Maddox. Unfortunately, I had no idea where to find Zach Gallo and he hadn’t returned my previous call. Since I hadn’t left a message, that wasn’t a surprise. Much as I hated to disturb Austen, I had to call him.

  "How's Sophie?" I asked when he answered the phone.

  "No change. I'm sitting with her now. The doctor is coming by later to take her vital signs."

  "Stay positive," I told him. "I'd like to speak to her brother. Do you know where I can find him?"

  "I'll text you his details. Zach has an apartment in town and he works at an outdoor sports place outside of town, Sky Outdoors. If you think the name doesn't make sense, that’s because it doesn't."

  "What kind of outdoor sports do they cater to?" I asked, curious.

  "Climbing, rappelling, treetop walks, that sort of thing. They claim to create adventures for families, thrill seekers, and corporate events. When we first started dating, Sophie asked me to put them on the corporate list."

  "But you didn't?" I guessed.

  Austen hesitated. "I don't organize such things. I mentioned it to HR and let them make their own assessment of its suitability for the corporation."

  That sounded like they didn't make a positive assessment of its suitability, only Austen was too polite to say. I hoped he would get a lot less polite and more direct the longer we spoke. "Have you ever embarked on one of their adventures?"

  "Once. Sophie and I did the treetop rope walk. It was kind of fun but Sophie didn't like it too much. She isn’t comfortable with heights. And I think it embarrassed her to keep bringing up the corporate account because Zach insisted she mention it. Perhaps he got a commission or wanted to impress his boss. I don't know."

  "Anything else I should know about Zach?"

  "He's been by here to visit a couple of times since Sophie was admitted and I've heard him chewing out the doctors regarding her care. He's got a loud voice and a hot temper. I'm not sure how he'll react to your visit."

  "Thanks for the heads-up. Once he realizes I'm just looking out for her interests, that should help," I said.

  "I hope so. If he can look far enough beyond his own nose to see that. Can you update me later?"

  "Sure. I'd also like to speak to your work crew, especially David. I'm told he was the man who discovered Sophie."

  "Yes, I think so. If you call Manny, he'll tell you where to find David."

  I thanked Austen and disconnected, redialing Manny's number. Manny told me to come by the house, adding they had resumed work in the kitchen.

  I shot Solomon a text, telling him where I was going before I switched my heels for sneakers and jogged downstairs to pick up the pool car again.

  On my way to the Takahashis' Westmount house, I thought some more about Sophie's fall. Austen said she avoided heights but I figured that probably didn't extend to the upper level of their house. However, it could signify her aversion to getting close enough to the edge that she could risk a fall. It was a weak assumption to make and I dismissed it as quickly as it popped into my head. I had to remain objective.

  I pulled into the driveway, parking next to Manny's truck. As soon as I stepped out, I followed the sounds of power tools to the back of the house. I crossed a spacious patio area and knocked on the open door. Manny looked up and nodded at me before setting down his tools and pulling off his protective goggles.

  "Come in," he said, waving to the man installing she
lves. "This is David."

  "Hey," said David, casting me a small smile. He put down the shelf he was working on and tucked a level into his belt before pulling off his gloves. Crossing to the door where I waited, he shook my hand, allowing me a moment to glance over him. Shorter than Manny, younger too, and stockier, but with a warm smile. "Manny said you wanted to talk to me. I'm not sure there’s anything new I can tell you."

  "Let's step outside," I said, coughing at the amount of dust in the air.

  Both men followed me and we sat on the small stone wall that bordered the patio. "Manny said he thought he heard someone scream. Why don't you start from there?"

  "We were cutting the marble countertop," replied David. "It's a big job and we had to be very precise. Manny stopped the saw we were using and said he thought he heard a scream. We waited, I don't know, maybe thirty seconds? But we didn't hear anything else."

  "Did you hear the scream too?"

  David shook his head. "I was concentrating on the marble. I never cut it before and I didn't want to get it wrong."

  "Go on."

  "We finished cutting the slab and Manny sent me out to check, just in case. I didn’t know what I was looking for so I went out of the kitchen and called Mrs. Takahashi’s name. I didn't hear anything so I figured she might be upstairs and I walked to the entryway. I saw her body right away. She was just lying there," he said, sweeping his hand towards the floor.

  "Can you describe exactly what you saw?"

  David glanced at Manny, and Manny nodded. "She was lying on top of the banister, holding onto it, and her face was down. There was blood everywhere. I thought she was dead. I yelled for Manny and took her pulse. Then Manny made sure she was breathing before he called 911. We stayed with her until they came."

  "She was holding onto the banister?" I asked.

  "Her fingers were wrapped around it," said Manny.

  "It was awful," said David, his brow furrowing with worry. "I can't stop thinking about it, wondering if we did the right thing."

  "I think you did," I said, standing up. "One more thing, was anyone else around here that day?"

  "Just us two," said Manny. "I sent the other guys into town to pick up supplies."

  "You didn't notice anyone else at the house? A visitor for Sophie maybe?"

  "No," said David, "but we probably wouldn't have heard anyone’s arrival what with all the noise we were making."

  "Thanks for your time," I told them.

  "Are we in trouble?" asked David.

  I shook my head. "No," I answered but he didn't look relieved. I thanked them again and walked to my car. Hopping into the driver's seat, I plugged Sky Outdoors into the navigation system and drove out the driveway, thinking about Sophie's injuries. She was found face down, but her injury was at the back of her head. Her fingers were wrapped around the banister but I knew from seeing her in the hospital that none of them were broken. I wondered how they couldn't be broken after such a fall as that. The more I thought about it, the more I believed her fall was staged.

  The drive was pleasant, the cityscape making way for broader roads hugged by tall pines. I knew the road well. I traveled it many times on the way to Lake Pierce but this time, instead of continuing to the cabin-filled lakeside, I turned off after a couple of miles. I followed a long, winding road that terminated in a dirt parking lot. A big, shiny truck was parked to one side amongst several others. I wasn't sure but I thought it might be the same one I saw tearing out of the Takahashis’ house the first time I visited. I parked close to the tall wooden poles with a flag suspended between them that signified the entrance. The flag had a print of a happy group of people flying through the sky on zipline chairs, their hands clinging to the ropes, their smiles broad beneath their safety helmets.

  I hopped out and walked towards the large, log-built, chalet-styled building at the end of the gravel path, zipping my jacket against the chilly breeze. The chalet doors were made of glass, affording me a brief moment to observe the interior before I reached for the handle and stepped in. The door closed softly behind me. On one side was a group of men dressed in expensive sportswear, getting fitted for harnesses by a pair of instructors in Sky Outdoors fleece jackets. One was a tall man with a neat beard and a the other was a perky blond woman who kept telling the clients everything would be "rad!"

  "Are you with the group?" asked the tall woman behind the desk as I approached. She wore a Sky Outdoors vest and looked lean and strong with her hair styled in an unruly, curly bob that looked both artful and cute. "I'm Vanessa and I'm working the desk today so I can help you with anything you need. They're almost ready to go but I can still get you fitted out. Do you need a helmet or did you bring your own?"

  "Actually, I'm looking for Zach Gallo. Do you know where I can find him?"

  She frowned as she glanced over me. "Sure, he's here but he's working. I can give him a message?"

  "It's important. It's about his sister."

  "Oh!" Vanessa sighed knowingly, her face creasing with compassion. "Yes, of course. I heard. It's so sad. Is she okay? Did something happen?"

  "She's still stable," I assured her since she clearly knew about the accident.

  She pushed her sleeves up. On one inner wrist, I spotted a small, swirling tattoo. "I got it a few years ago," she said, noticing my stare. "Hurt like a bitch!"

  "I can imagine!"

  "So it's good news about Zach's sister, although not the best news, obviously," she said, wincing slightly, "I'll call him on the radio. I'm sure he'll be pleased to get any news. I know he's very worried and honestly, he's been in a crabby mood all week."

  "He has?"

  "Like any of us would be," she said as she reached for a walkie-talkie. "I know I'd be a mess if my brother had an accident as bad as that."

  "We're heading out," called the blond, stepping past us as she herded the group out the door. "See you in an hour. Guys, we're having hot chocolate afterwards! Isn't that rad?" She beamed at me as she passed and I couldn't help smiling back. Her happy persona was infectious. The rest of her group didn't look particularly thrilled so I figured they were on a heinous company morale day. I guessed they would have to "trust their teammates" before they went home, despite feeling shattered, annoyed and resentful of the hours they would have to make up at their desks for the morale-building experience. The hot chocolate did sound nice though.

  "Zach's on his way," said Vanessa. "He was just working on the climbing wall so it'll take him ten minutes to walk here. You can have a seat while you wait." She waved to the small seating area the group previously occupied. "Can I help you?" she asked as the door opened and another group filed in, unbuckling their harnesses and offloading helmets. Two tall, muscular men, both of them displaying buzzcuts and Army tattoos on their arms, assisted the second group.

  "Thanks," I said but it was lost in the cacophony of the new group chattering while clattering their discarded equipment on the desk. As I waited, I grabbed a magazine, idly browsing the workout plans and reading an article about a woman who climbed what looked like sheer cliff faces without any climbing gear. Just reading the article terrified me.

  I barely noticed the door banging open and shut as several people strode past. I looked up to see a man in blue jeans and a black Sky Outdoors hoodie, a helmet in one hand and a loop of rope in the other. His hair was shaved short at the sides, longer on top and flattened from his helmet. A few days beard growth only added to his handsome ruggedness. He walked over to Vanessa and leaned in and kissed her on the lips, a display that was a little too public. I stuck my head back in the magazine until two feet stopped within my line of sight. "Vanessa said you're looking for me," he said.

  "Zach Gallo?"

  "That's me. And you are?"

  I stood up, reaching into my pocket for a business card. "Lexi Graves, Private Investigator. Is there somewhere we can talk?"

  "A PI?" he asked, taking my card and studying it. "We can walk outside." He sidestepped me and made for the door bef
ore I agreed. Shrugging off his impatience, I hurried after him, turning my head away from a sudden gust of wind as we exited the building. "So, what's this about?" he asked when I caught up.

  "Your sister, Sophie. Her husband, Austen, hired me to investigate her accident."

  Zach stopped and looked down at me. "Her accident? Why? She fell through a freaking banister when she shouldn't have even been up there. I told her it wasn't safe to live on a construction site. Austen should have sprung for a hotel room instead of making her rough it like that. Cheap bastard."

  I fought to keep my face impassive. "There's evidence to suggest it wasn't an accident," I told him.

  Zach snorted. "What kind of evidence? Are you implying someone hurt Sophie deliberately?"

  "I think that's a definite possibility. Can you think of anyone who might have wanted to hurt her?"

  "She's a sweet girl. Kind of naïve. She lets people take advantage of her so I suppose it's possible. I always warned her not to spend too much time with those Puerto Ricans Austen hired."

  I winced at Zach's blatant racism. "You mean Mr. Ortega? He isn't Puerto Rican. He's Mexican."

  "Whatever. Those immigrants know how to spin a sob story just to tap Sophie up for more money like she's an ATM. I don't even know if they're legal," sneered Zach. "Maybe she refused. Did one of those bastards hurt her?"

  "Did one of the work crew ask her for money?" I inquired. Neither Manny or David gave me the impression they would do that but I hadn't met the rest of the work crew. Clearly, I needed to, if only to confirm Zach was a racist bigot.

  "Probably. I think Austen usually handles that stuff. Sophie doesn't have a head for figures but she wouldn't hesitate to give money to someone with a pathetic story. Like I said, super naïve."

  "She sounds kind to me."

  Zach snorted again. We were moving so fast with his quick gait that I didn't realize quite how far we walked. Now we stood near what looked like a rope climbing frame that went up at least ten feet at a forty-five degree angle. A log the size of a tree trunk spanned the apex, with the same rope frame coming down the other side. "This is the start of the assault course," said Zach. "Makes our clients feel like commandos. Climbing over frames, crawling under netting, and splashing about in mud. Nothing like a real war zone." He rolled his eyes.