8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Brooklyn Sloane January 2025 Thursday — 7:48 am
Miles Therapeutics was housed in a monolithic structure located slightly north of Bethesda. Its dark steel and glass exterior were both imposing and alluring, giving off an air of hope and promise of cutting-edge medication and innovative solutions to current healthcare problems around the globe. Most of the floors were used for research labs and clinical trials, but the top three levels were designed for administrative purposes.
“Someone forgot to turn on the heat,” Brook muttered as Arden reached for the coffee carafe set in the middle of the table. She regretted taking off her coat, and she rubbed her hands together in anticipation of holding a hot ceramic mug. “I’m surprised we can’t see our breaths.”
Arden chuckled as he finished pouring them coffee. She had brought him along for the interviews since Sylvie had gone to speak with Derek Haze about the payments made to Mara Miles. Theo was stopping in at the gun range to interview the staff before meeting Detective Kitsis at the country club. He was unaware of their plans to question key witnesses at Miles Therapeutics, and it fell to Theo to ensure the detective was kept busy in the meantime.
Brook hoped the distraction of being in the field would also help Arden through a difficult week. He had adored his wife of forty-five years. One of the reasons he had come out of retirement had been to keep himself busy in her absence. Brook had never met his wife, nor had she witnessed such affection and loyalty in a marriage firsthand.
Arden was a great storyteller, though.
If Brook were being truthful with herself, she had doubted the existence of such a marriage until recently. She forced her thoughts to go in another direction.
“Any luck tracking down Vaughn Queller?” Brook asked Arden as he slid one of the coffee cups toward her. She murmured her appreciation before wrapping her hands around the ceramic, willing the warmth to quickly seep into the palms of her hands. “Bit has been keeping track of the man’s financials. Mara’s brother used an ATM late Sunday afternoon in Bethesda, which means that he was in the vicinity of the estate hours before the murder.”
Arden had spent his entire career as a private investigator culling confidential informants throughout the East Coast. While the majority of them were no longer viable given their age and lifestyles, there were still some contacts that could prove useful in such a situation.
“Nothing yet,” Arden replied, sitting back in his chair. He took a tentative sip of his coffee before raising his right eyebrow in contemplation. “They use freshly ground beans. Impressive. Anyway, Queller is a monthly regular in buying drugs from my CI. With any luck, we should have more information soon. What about Claudia Hart? Did you believe her when she claimed that she never gave the Miles’ security code to anyone?”
“Unfortunately, I do believe her.” Brook began to turn the cup around in her hands, relishing the heat. A quick scan of the hallway revealed their first interview had yet to arrive. “Jordan suggested that maybe Mara had turned the system off herself, implying she might have committed suicide. It was the first I’ve heard him make such a suggestion.”
“The autopsy ruled out suicide.”
“Yes, but Jordan could still be right about Mara being the one to disengage the system. We know that she met with Derek Haze twice. The two deposits line up with those meetings. Bit mentioned that the security system had some internal cameras. One of those internal cameras was installed in Jordan’s private office. Maybe Mara shut down the system so she wouldn’t be recorded searching Jordan’s desk for pertinent information regarding the acquisition.”
It had been discovered by forensics that Mara had been on her computer working on table settings for an upcoming charity event to raise money for youth organizations in the hours prior to her death. Detective Kitsis had seen to it that Bit was given access to the victim’s laptop. Nothing unusual had been discovered in its browser history, files, or emails.
Several entries in Mara’s planner still couldn’t be deciphered, and Brook would eventually be forced to consult with Jordan. Unfortunately, Bit hadn’t located any type of physical planner at the estate or inside Mara’s vehicle.
Movement in the hallway caught Brook’s attention, and she studied Barry Ackles striding down the hall with his briefcase in hand. Claudia trailed after him with what appeared to be frustration. Sensing an opportunity to approach Barry about Mitch Norona, Brook set her coffee on the table before excusing herself and exiting the conference room.
“…can’t do this. I already paid the retainer.”
Barry didn’t bother to hide his annoyance. He came to a stop beside Brook, rubbing his temples as if he were trying to ward off an impending headache. She got the sense that he was one of those attorneys who popped antacids like Bit consumed his favorite candy.
“I’ll explain this to you again, Miss Hart—conflict of interest. Due to the severity of the charges against Mr. Miles, our firm won’t represent anyone else associated with his case. I assure you that you’ll get your retainer back. I suggest you speak with the firm's lawyers or seek out another law firm with no ties to this case.” Barry smoothed his tie against his shirt as he turned to face Brook. “Jordan said that I would find you here. Do you mind if we speak in private?”
Brook noted the subtle tightening around Claudia’s eyes. Barry might have assumed that the woman would heed his dismissal, but Jordan’s assistant was clearly used to the situation being the other way around. Despite Brook’s warning that Jordan should continue to remain at the penthouse, he had wanted to be on-site when Brook questioned his staff.
“Stewart will be along shortly,” Claudia informed Brook without so much as a glance in Barry’s direction. Brook had no doubt that if the woman held any sway over Jordan, she would push for him to seek out other representation or somehow convince Barry to allow one of his colleagues to represent her. “Stewart is finishing up a brief meeting with Jordan.”
Brook wasn’t certain if the way Claudia had posed such a statement was meant as an unspoken warning. While Jordan had chosen to bring in S&E Investigations to prove his innocence, such a calculated decision didn’t mean he wasn’t guilty, and she had given her word to Sylvie that this case would be treated like any other.
Why, then, would Jordan want to meet with Stewart before his interview?
Brook could only hope such a topic of discussion had everything to do with the finances of Miles Therapeutics and nothing to do with the investigation. Claudia cast one last glare in Barry’s direction before she turned and retreated down the hallway.
“Please tell me you have something,” Barry muttered in frustration. “The DA is getting some pressure to plea deal this out. They don’t want this to play out in court, and all the police are doing now is drying the ink on his paperwork. We both know Jordan isn’t going to take any kind of plea deal, so I’m going to need something solid to try and get this case dismissed.”
“Kitsis might surprise you,” Brook revealed as she peered over her shoulder. There was a larger conference room beside the one occupied by Arden, and the space was currently vacant. “Let’s finish our conversation in there.”
Once they were behind a closed door, Brook decided to share a bit more information. Doing so might prompt Barry to be more receptive to her request.
“Kitsis has agreed to meet with Theo out at the country club. Mara keeps a gym locker there, and we’re hoping to find her physical planner.”
“I thought Kitsis already gave your firm access to Mara’s online planner,” Barry said with a frown. He lifted his briefcase until it rested on the table. “Look, if the police are withholding—”
“It’s nothing like that,” Brook reassured him. “Detective Kitsis has gone above and beyond with our requests. I truly think he believes Jordan murdered Mara, and he isn’t concerned with finding evidence to the contrary. That works in our favor. We’re searching for Mara’s physical planner because some online entries were entered with initials only. We’re hoping that she was more detailed in her written planner.”
“Why not ask Jordan?”
“Why didn’t you initially tell Jordan that Mara was paying her brother?”
“I see where you’re going with this, but it’s my job to protect Jordan,” Barry explained defensively before attempting to turn the tables. “Keeping Vaughn Queller away from the Miles was in everyone’s best interest. What you are—”
“Yet you knew Mara and Jordan were going to divorce anyway.” Brook caught the exact moment when her words hit a cord. Barry hadn’t expected Jordan to come clean with her. “I spoke with Jordan last night, as you well know. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have known I would be here today. I’m guessing Jordan left out the fact that he divulged his blackmail scheme to keep Mara from filing for divorce before he could liquidate assets in the sum of three hundred million dollars.”
Barry smoothed his silk tie, alerting Brook to the fact that his acid reflux had kicked in once again. Being in his mid-fifties with his profession didn’t mix too well.
“If Kitsis gets ahold of that infor—”
“You and I both know the DA won’t stop digging until he has a solid motive to present in court. The first thing he’ll do is establish marital troubles, followed by Jordan not wanting to give up a dime to his ex-escort of a wife. One of the staff members at the estate will fold. It’s just a matter of time.”
“That’s my concern,” Barry stated in a hardened tone. “Yours is to prove my client’s innocence.”
Brook remained silent for a moment as she weighed Barry’s response. It should have dawned on her sooner, but she wouldn’t have put it past him to have every employee at the estate sign some type of non-disclosure agreement…with a hefty payment on the side in the guise of a yearly bonus. She made the conscious decision to speak with the staff herself in the coming days.
“There's something unrelated to Jordan's case that I'd like to discuss with you.” Brook’s abrupt switch of topics had Barry’s hand dropping to his side. “Do you know an attorney named Mitch Norona? Works for a firm out of Baltimore.”
Barry didn't answer her inquiry right away, but she could see the wheels turning in his sharp mind, weighing the implications of her question. He was attempting to figure out the reason for her interest and coming up empty. If he hadn’t been so busy with Jordan’s case, Barry probably would have caught the news segment that highlighted her brother’s trial.
“I don't know Norona personally,” Barry admitted, monitoring her closely. "But if I were facing federal murder charges, he wouldn't be the lawyer I'd call.”
“Norona is defending Jacob Walsh.”
Barry’s eyes lit with understanding. Still, she noted a smug expression settling in his features. She almost abandoned her part of the conversation, without any follow-up to her initial question, but his next offer had her reconsidering her options.
“I do have a friend who is a paralegal at Norona’s firm. If it would help, I could ask some discreet questions about how Norona came to take on your brother’s case.”
“I would appreciate that very much,” Brook said with a nod of acknowledgment. She then followed up with a repayment. One that wouldn’t be a cost to her personally, and one that would imply they were even. “In exchange for such a good-faith gesture, you should know that Mara received two offshore payments from Derek Haze. Sylvie is questioning him now. I thought it prudent to wait until we hear his reasoning for such compensation before revealing the transactions to Jordan. If we were able to make such a connection, it probably won’t be too long before the DA does the same.”
Barry’s shock was evident, but Brook had caught sight of Steward Leone approaching the larger conference room. He wasn’t alone, either. She took a step toward the door before Barry’s hand touched the upper part of her arm.
“You can’t be serious,” Barry said as he attempted to come up with a way to excuse such findings. He was studying her intently before letting his arm drop to his side once more. “What you’re suggesting is…”
“Corporate espionage, Barry.”
Brook almost brought up Mara’s past as an escort, but that was a conversation for another time. Stewart Leone had already entered the smaller conference room. While Arden would see to it that the CFO was offered a beverage, she wanted time to observe the man’s mannerisms. Claudia hadn’t been truthful about their relationship. Brook’s current task was to ensure those lies didn’t interfere with the investigation.
“Mr. Leone, thank you for meeting with us,” Brook said as she entered the room. Arden was in the process of pouring coffee into two more mugs. “I’m sure you have a busy morning, as do we, so I don’t see any reason to keep you any longer than necessary. I’m Brooklyn Sloane, and this is my colleague, Arden Hinnish.”
“Miss Sloane, I’m Rudy Pacer,” the second man greeted before Stewart could speak. “I represent Mr. Leone, though I know this meeting is just a formality. We sympathize with Mr. Miles’ situation, and we’ll do everything we can to help you with your investigation. As a matter of fact, consider me invisible.”
Brook never took her gaze off Stewart, who had lifted the corner of his lip in what could only be termed satisfaction. She was beginning to understand why Jordan had met with Stewart this morning, and it had everything to do with the fact that Rudy Pacer was not part of the law firm employed by Miles Therapeutics.
Stewart had gone and secured himself personal representation.
“Please, have a seat,” Brook instructed the men as she made herself comfortable in her chair.
She turned on her electronic tablet, catching sight of Barry in the hallway. He could have joined them, but her previous claim about Derek Haze had left the lawyer somewhat shellshocked. If Mara had been selling corporate secrets, such a betrayal would have provided Jordan with another motive. While Brook would have preferred to be the one to pass on such information to Jordan, hearing the distressing news might be better off coming from his attorney.
“Mr. Leone, I only have a few questions,” Brook began as she picked up the stylus. “First, though, I’d like to confirm a few things. You’ve worked at Miles Therapeutics for six years, is that correct?”
“Yes.” Stewart Leone was tall, his lithe frame impeccably dressed in a tailored suit. He had unfastened the button on his jacket before taking a seat, and he even sported a tie bar with an onyx inlay. Seeing as how she had almost purchased a similar one for Graham, she was already informed of the staggering price tag. “Five years and eight months to be exact.”
Stewart’s dark hair was slicked back with a tad more gel than necessary, though the style accentuated his sharp features. He put a lot of effort into his appearance. Interestingly enough, he didn’t glance in his lawyer’s direction once. Either he was confident that Rudy Pacer would interrupt when necessary, or Stewart wasn’t concerned that his answers would land him in the middle of a murder investigation.
“Would you consider yourself friends with the Miles?”
Brook immediately sensed that Stewart wasn't too fond of Jordan. It was evident that he had assumed she would continue verifying his personal and professional details. He hadn’t expected her to veer off course so quickly.
“Not in the sense that we would have drinks after work.” Stewart lowered his gaze to her tablet, which currently displayed a photograph of Stewart and Jordan smiling for the camera at one of Mara’s charity events. “We move around the same social circles, if that’s what you’re asking. For the most part, our work and personal lives are separate. You should know that Jordan has a good relationship with the employees. They love him.”
Brook couldn’t help but notice that Stewart didn’t include himself in that statement.
“And Mara? Did the employees love her, as well?”
“Of course, though she hasn’t been around as much lately.” Stewart lifted his gaze from the tablet to meet hers. “I merely assumed Mara was busy with one of her foundations or such. Come to think of it, I did run into her last month at Persimmon Restaurant. We only had time to exchange some pleasantries as it seemed she was late for a meeting.”
Brook found it very interesting that Stewart had brought up the restaurant where Mara had supposedly met with Derek Haze. Was Stewart attempting to divulge information without being directly blamed or was the afterthought merely a coincidence?
“Did the Miles entertain at their residence often?” Brook asked, shelving the so-called tip for now. The tightening of Stewart’s grip on his coffee cup told of his annoyance. If there was something he wanted to communicate to her, he would find a way to do so. “I’m aware of the holiday dinners for the executives, but what about other times throughout the year?”
Brook used her stylus to slide the screen through multiple photographs until she intentionally landed on one in particular. She turned her attention toward Stewart, who was staring intently at the screen.
“I would say Jordan and Mara hosted a get-together maybe once a quarter.”
“And did you notice anything unusual with Mara during those events? Did she seem troubled? Upset?”
“Distant.” Stewart dragged his gaze away from the picture to glance at his watch, but he made no move to end the interview. Brook figured it was his way of letting her know he believed his time was valuable. “Mara used to mingle more. Make small talk. She stopped making an effort at some point last summer.”
“Did Jordan and Mara have a good marriage?”
Stewart’s gaze dropped to the display where he and Claudia had been captured talking privately behind Jordan and Mara, both smiling for the camera with champagne flutes in hand. There was no doubt in Brook’s mind that Stewart was aware of the affair, and she began to suspect that was the reason behind those private discussions between Stewart and Claudia.
“I’m sure their marriage was like any other with its ups and downs.” Stewart gestured toward the lighted display. “They look very happy there, don’t they?”
Jordan and Mara had done well at keeping up appearances, hiding the cracks in their relationship from outsiders. Only they hadn’t fooled everyone.
Brook continued with the standard line of questioning, not expecting to get anything more out of Stewart Leone. It wasn’t until she questioned his alibi for the night in question that she noticed a slight shift in the lines around his eyes.
“I was home.” For the first time since Stewart had taken a seat at the table, he turned his attention toward his attorney. Rudy Pacer didn’t seem concerned with his client’s response. “Is that all, Miss Sloane? I have a busy day ahead of me.”
“Were you home alone?”
“Yes.” Stewart pushed his chair back and stood before fastening the button on his jacket. “My wife is out of town visiting family. Why don’t I answer the question you would really like to ask me—no, I did not kill Mara Miles. Is there anything else?”
Brook weighed her options, but she decided that keeping the meeting civil for the time being was in the team’s best interest. She powered down her table while keeping him waiting for a response. Before too long, the picture on the display faded from sight.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Leone.”
As Stewart and Rudy began to make their way to the door, Brook gestured for Arden to ask one more question. The two of them had gone over the best strategy to bring up the acquisition. It was best to have the employees assume that Brook wasn’t in any way interested in that line of questioning, but rather to make it appear that her colleagues were just checking off a few boxes.
“Oh, Mr. Leone? One more thing,” Arden called out as he adjusted his wireless glasses. Stewart's hand was already on the door handle when he turned back around. “The acquisition that Miles Therapeutics is engaged in…is it going smoothly? I can’t tell you the amount of times greed has gotten the best of someone. I once had a case where—”
“I take it you’re referring to Paul Teal’s company,” Stewart replied, releasing the door handle. Brook couldn’t help but wonder why he wouldn’t have opened the door if the subject matter had no substance. “I highly doubt that someone killed Mara over Paul Teal’s company. It’s not worth the money that Jordan wants to dole out, anyway.”
“Are you not in favor of the acquisition, Mr. Leone?”
“No. This acquisition is personal for Jordan. The decision has nothing to do with expanding the company.” Stewart gave a slight shrug of disproval. “Truthfully, I don’t like Teal. He made quite the scene at the country club last week. Next thing I know, Jordan wants to offer ten percent more than the original offer. I’m sure you know all about it since Paul was the one Jordan was with on Sunday afternoon.”
Brook kept her expression the same, not giving away the fact that Jordan had not shared that information with her. He had mentioned needing to take care of some business that afternoon regarding the acquisition, and she had assumed that he meant with Claudia at the penthouse. Either way, it didn’t change the fact that Jordan arrived home minutes after the shooting. This would be the time when Sylvie would have pointed out that Jordan could very well have pulled the trigger himself.
“I must have misunderstood,” Arden said with a frown, causing the sides of his mustache to turn down. “I thought Jordan had a meeting with someone named Haze. Brook, do you recall who Jordan had meetings with on Sunday?”
She noticed immediately that Stewart’s response was oddly hesitant. Arden had read the interview exactly as she had, picking up on Stewart’s subtle references during his responses. The man’s reaction to the misdirection and outright lie by Arden had confirmed Derek Haze’s involvement.
“We’ve taken enough of Mr. Leone’s time,” Brook finally responded without giving Stewart time to answer Arden’s question. “Mr. Leone, Mr. Pacer…thank you.”
It wasn’t until the two men had exited the conference room that she amended her first impression of Stewart Leone. He hadn’t once spoken on Jordan’s behalf. If anything, she got the sense that Jordan’s CFO would rather work anywhere else but Miles Therapeutics.
“Good work, Arden,” Brook praised as she reached for her phone. “Stewart brought up the Persimmon Restaurant for a reason. He wants us to know about Mara and Derek Haze. The question I’m curious about is did Stewart know that Mara was accepting payments from Haze?”
Arden reached for the carafe. He topped off both coffees while remaining silent during Brook’s phone conversation with Bit. She instructed him to search for any connection between Stewart Leone and Derek Haze. If Stewart were so loyal to Miles Therapeutics, why not come clean to Jordan with the fact that Mara had been witnessed having lunch with a competitor?
“I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one coming to a different conclusion,” Arden said after she disconnected the call. “Stewart Leone’s comments seemed too...rehearsed.”
“Agreed.”
Arden’s gaze was drawn to the hallway through the large floor-to-ceiling glass pane. Brook had already observed Jordan’s arrival and his subsequent conversation with Stewart, and the animosity between the two men was obvious. Animosity might have been a strong designation, but it was evident they weren’t on the best of terms.
When Jordan turned his focus on Brook, she quickly came to the conclusion that his anger was directed at her. Barry must have managed to find the time to fill in his client on the possible corporate espionage acts committed by his dead wife.
“Would you please call Sylvie?” Brook asked quietly as she stood from her chair. “Instruct her to go into the interview soft and allow Derek Haze to lead it. Something isn’t right.”
“I figured that out the moment Stewart Leone stepped into this conference room,” Arden muttered as he reached into the pocket of his cardigan sweater. “Miles doesn’t appear too happy with his CFO at the moment.”
“No,” Brook murmured softly in disagreement as she maintained eye contact with Jordan. “His annoyance is with me, which indicates his trust in Mara is unwavering even though he previously threatened to expose her history as an escort. He doesn’t believe for one second that his wife would have sold out to his competitor. Why would he have that much faith in someone he was blackmailing and planning on divorcing within the year?”