12. Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
Theo Neville January 2025 Friday — 7:24 am
Theo's breath clouded in the frigid air as he stepped out of his Jeep in front of Janet Hart's modest two-story home. The chill hit his exposed skin, and he quickly adjusted the Burberry scarf that Mia had given him for Christmas. As he pressed the key fob to lock the doors, the sound of the garage door opening caught his attention.
Theo's boots crunched on a few patches of packed snow as he made his way up the driveway. It was relatively early in the morning, and a peaceful silence blanketed the suburban street. He assumed most of the homeowners had already left for work, and it appeared as if he was just in time to ask Janet Hart some questions before she drove to her job.
As Theo approached, Claudia’s mother emerged from the shadows as the garage door finally came to a stop on the tracks above. She had already swung open the driver's side door of a modest sedan parked inside the garage. He called out to her so that his presence wouldn’t take her by surprise.
“Ms. Hart?” Theo had already secured his credentials and held them up for her inspection. “I’m Theo Neville with S&E Investigations. We’re working on the Mara Miles’ investigation alongside the Montgomery County Police Department. I was hoping you had a few minutes to answer some of my questions.”
As Theo spoke, he observed Janet's initial reaction to his sudden appearance. He detected some slight apprehension in her expression, and he wasn’t surprised when she immediately went on the defensive.
“My daughter had nothing to do with that woman’s murder.” Janet had been holding her purse, but she set it on the driver’s seat before crossing her arms to maintain some body heat. “I don’t know what Jordan Miles is telling you or the police, but Claudia would never hurt another human being.”
“No one made such a claim, Ms. Hart,” Theo assured her, remaining near the back of the vehicle. He was close enough to observe her body language while maintaining enough distance for her comfort level. Unfortunately, he was also still in direct line of the cold wind. “We’re just following up on Claudia’s statement. She mentioned that she visited you on Sunday night. Do you recall what time she arrived here?”
Theo figured Claudia had already phoned her mother. Still, he kept the details vague, just in case Janet replied with different answers. It was natural that a protective instinct would surface. Maybe his perspective on such relationships was the reason he was so surprised by her burst of cynical laughter.
“I knew it was only a matter of time before Claudia got herself into trouble for that man.” Janet’s eyes narrowed, clearly weighing whether she should divulge her opinion of her daughter’s choices. She chose to err on the side of caution. “Yes, Claudia was here on Sunday evening. Is there anything else?”
A frigid gust of wind hit Theo's face, and he once again adjusted his scarf.
“What time did your daughter arrive, Ms. Hart?”
“Around six thirty or so,” Janet revealed as she lifted a hand and waved her fingers toward the door that most likely led to her kitchen. “I warmed her up some lasagna for dinner since she hadn’t eaten yet, and the clock on the microwave read six-forty-one. She was probably here for ten minutes before walking into the kitchen, though. Is there anything else? I don’t want to be late for work.”
Theo had performed a quick background check on Janet Hart. She was a nurse at a clinic in Bethesda, and the scrubs underneath her winter jacket were additional proof that she was telling the truth about her destination.
“Do you recall what time your daughter left?”
“Around ten o’clock.”
“Ms. Hart,” Theo began with a softened tone, aware that he was treading on delicate ground. “It seems you're not fond of your daughter's boss. Would you mind telling me more about him? I give you my word that what you share with me won’t get back to either of them.”
Janet hesitated before responding with a slow nod of consent.
“I should preface something first—I never thought I would see the day when my own daughter would be involved with a married man.” Janet tore her gaze from Theo before scanning the neighborhood, almost certainly believing that her neighbors would judge her for Claudia’s choices. The pain of Janet’s disappointment was evident. “I didn’t raise her like that. If I had known that she would fall in love with that man, I never would have allowed Stewart to recommend her for the position.”
“Stewart,” Theo reiterated cautiously as he stepped forward to escape the biting cold. “As in…Stewart Leone, the CFO of Miles Therapeutics.”
“Yes.” Janet tilted her head in confusion. It was obvious she thought Theo had already been informed of such a connection. “Stewart was a good friend of my husband, Rich. Stewart has kept in touch, and when he heard that Claudia was looking for a job, he encouraged her to submit her resume.”
The sound of a door opening had both Theo and Janet glancing toward the right side of the garage. He could only assume the entrance led to a kitchen.
“Aunt Janet, is everything alright?”
Theo wouldn’t have needed to hear the woman speak to know that she was related to Janet Hart. The two had the same facial features, as well as the same thin lips.
“Yes. Everything is fine,” Janet replied without making introductions. “Go on back inside where it’s warm. Oh, and don’t forget to lock up before your shift.”
Janet waited until the door closed before she turned her attention back toward Theo. She crossed her arms as best she could given the thickness of her jacket.
“My niece, Andrea. The pipes in her house froze yesterday, and she needed a place to stay until her landlord could get someone out to fix the plumbing.” Janet nodded toward Theo for him to continue. “I really am running late. Is there anything else that I can help you with?”
“When was the last time you spoke with Mr. Leone?”
“I guess it was sometime last year. Like I said, he’s kept in touch on and off since my husband’s death, but it’s not like we run in the same circles.” Janet seemed to hug herself a little tighter as memories from another life began to overwhelm her. “My husband’s life insurance policy paid for this house. It gave Claudia a chance to pursue a business degree, and we didn’t see the harm in her taking Stewart up on his offer. If I had known about the horrible choices that she—.”
Janet cut off her sentence, as if realizing she was revealing too much. She reached into the pocket of her jacket. Pulling out her car keys, she stared at them for a moment.
“Mr. Neville, is it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“A mother only wants for her daughter to be happy.” Janet cleared her throat before meeting his gaze. “Claudia believes her happiness lies with Jordan Miles. Whether I agree with her or not isn’t in question. It’s her innocence, and I know with all my heart that my daughter couldn’t hurt another human being. Besides, she was here with me on Sunday night.”
“I appreciate your honesty, Ms. Hart.” Theo stepped back, his breath visible with every word. He would have followed up with more questions regarding Stewart Leone, but he was afraid that she would reach out to Claudia. There was a reason that Claudia and Stewart had kept their connection a secret, and Theo was beginning to suspect that even Jordan Miles had no knowledge of such a link. “I won’t keep you any longer. Have a nice day, ma’am.”
Theo turned as the cold wind rustled the branches of the bare trees in the front yard. He would reach out to Brook immediately, who would then follow up on the lead with Stewart Leone and Claudia Hart. Was there a chance that the two of them were in on the murder? Leone claimed to have been home alone on the night in question, whereas Claudia used her mother as an alibi.
Had Stewart convinced Mara that he needed to speak with her that night? Had she shut down the security system to prevent her husband from having knowledge of said meeting? There were too many questions without answers, but two individuals—Claudia Hart and Stewart Leone—were available to give them.
Theo slid behind the steering wheel, closing the door before starting the engine. While the air from the vents had somewhat cooled, there was enough warmth blowing through the slats to take the edge off the bone-chilling cold. He instructed his Bluetooth system to call Brook, who then picked up on the first ring.
“Janet Hart just admitted to the fact that Stewart Leone is an old family friend of the family.” Theo shifted the gear into drive. He pulled away from the curb, glancing toward Janet Hart’s garage. Her brake lights gave off a bright red hue as she began to back out of the small driveway. He wasn’t the only one on the phone. “Leone encouraged Claudia to submit her resume for the position as Jordan Miles’ assistant. Why keep that from us? Better yet, why keep the truth from Jordan?”