Chapter 28
TWENTY-EIGHT
The time was moving along, and around eleven, Amanda made herself a black coffee.
She and Trent had spoken with ten employees, leaving fifteen if it wasn’t for the fact five people were out of the office today.
Between speaking with employees, they flipped through the written threats.
No one was flagging as incriminating, but could they expect it would be that easy?
One person they spoke with was the other senior partner, Dalton McClain.
He was fifteen years younger than O’Neil and ambitious.
McClain seemed more affected by the situation than any of the others they spoke to, but he was looking forward to the acquisition.
He expressed excitement at the challenge of being in a larger market.
Amanda swore she saw dollar signs come into his eyes more than once.
McClain was also generous in his praise for Dominique.
Amanda felt confident in concluding that McClain didn’t hold any ill will against his boss, and therefore had no reason to order a hit on her.
A man in his mid-thirties entered the room without knocking, having bathed in cologne. He was dressed in a black suit that was snug on his frame. She’d guess he put on a bit of weight or muscle and hadn’t bothered updating his wardrobe.
She offered him a tight smile and pointed at the chair across from them, but he dropped into the one at the end of the table.
Alrighty then… “We’re Detectives Steele and—”
“I know who you are.” The man undid the button on his suit jacket and laid a hand down the front to smooth the fabric.
She imagined their names had made several rounds inside the firm since their arrival. “You’ll need to tell us who you are.”
The man’s face flinched, as if she’d wounded his pride by not recognizing him. “Chris Ritter.”
“And your position with the firm?” She vaguely recalled his face from the firm’s website.
“Junior partner. I’m the youngest the firm has ever had. I’ve been here since I graduated and passed the bar.”
The website said the firm’s doors opened seventeen years ago. “Which was when?” It’s like the guy set himself up to be questioned. Not exactly a strong trait to have if it translated to the courtroom. He’d always be batting away issues he raised himself.
“Twelve years ago.”
“And how do you feel about Dominique Sharp moving the business to DC?”
All the arrogance left his eyes and was replaced with fire. He clenched his jaw and said nothing. Though he didn’t need to say a word when his body language spoke on his behalf.
“I’m going to wager a guess here that you aren’t too happy about it,” Amanda said.
“No.” The small word sounded like it took effort to push out.
“Why is that?” Trent asked, beating Amanda to the same counter.
“I’ve worked my ass off for Ms. Sharp for twelve years, and now on the cusp of being promoted to senior partner, she closes shop here and moves on.”
“Washington isn’t that far. Many people commute,” Amanda reasoned, noting how formally he referred to his boss.
“I’m not sure that’s going to work for me.”
It didn’t seem that Chris held any warmth toward Dominique. “Why not?”
“Well, it’s not so much about the drive, but Ms. Sharp has made it pretty clear she doesn’t value my contribution to her firm.”
Amanda’s neck stiffened. There was a tinge of malice in his voice, but no wonder he wasn’t a fan of Dominique if she made him feel that way. “She said that?”
“She didn’t have to say it. She told me that once she takes over the new firm, she will be assessing everyone’s positions within the company and deciding whether they will still have a job.”
“I’m sure she meant in general,” Trent said. “There would be employees on the other end as well.”
Chris shook his head. “No. I asked her when I should get my promotion to senior partner, and she looked me in the eye and said it wasn’t in the foreseeable future. I mean what a b—” He stopped talking and paled. “Don’t go thinking that I would… No, I never…”
Amanda wasn’t surprised that he’d rushed to his own defense, but it did little to sway her. “How did that make you feel? I mean you invested all those years in her company. You probably helped the bottom line.”
“I did help it. My billings surpass the other junior lawyers. It’s my turn to climb the ranks.”
“Though it doesn’t seem that Ms. Sharp is convinced of that.” It was a hard reality check, but Amanda served it up, nonetheless.
Chris’s face shadowed. “You know what? It’s a good thing that I’m finally seeing her for the person she is.”
“And what’s that?” Trent’s finger hovered over his tablet.
“She’s sharp, just like her name, but she’s also a shark. You turn your back on her for a second and she’ll bite your head off. I’ve lost all respect for her. And this acquisition is more like a hostile takeover than a friendly agreement.”
Amanda shifted and glanced at Trent. “What makes you say it was hostile?”
Chris shrugged. “I’m just basing that on her personality. There must always be something in it for her. She doesn’t have qualms about equality or fairness.”
“From the sounds of it, you’ve lost all respect for her since the announcement of the firm acquisition.” If not before…
“You could say that.”
“What would happen if Ms. Sharp were to die? Would the acquisition still go through?” She was striving to determine if retaliation for being denied advancement in his career would hold up as a motive.
Though it was possible, regardless, that Chris could have had enough of Dominique’s undervaluing his contributions to the firm.
“That I don’t know, but ownership would pass on to the two senior partners, Bennie O’Neil, and Dalton McClain.”
“But if the deal didn’t go through, do you think the business would stay here?” she asked.
“I would suspect so. Both men live in town.”
So Dominique’s death could benefit Chris. Amanda remained quiet, and so did Trent. It took a few seconds for the impact to hit Chris.
“Oh, I see what you did there. You made me look like I’d want to kill her.”
“You did that for yourself.” She remained still as she watched him.
He met her gaze, his eyes cold. “Then ask for my alibis. I’ll have them. I didn’t kill anyone, and I didn’t shoot Ms. Sharp’s friend.”
Amanda stiffened. They hadn’t mentioned that much to Chris. “How do you know about him?”
He gave her a tight smile. “You don’t think everyone’s keeping quiet out there, do you? Word about you two and what’s going on in here is all that’s getting done today.”
All right then… “Did you know about Ms. Sharp’s last-minute business trip that took her to DC on Friday?” Amanda laid the bait to see what Chris might say.
“I think she ended up staying the weekend, and most of us around here knew that except maybe Bennie O’Neil. He was off last week.”
Yet O’Neil was the least suspect of everyone they spoke to.
And since Chris knew Dominique wasn’t at home, why would he have sent a hit woman there?
Though, it was possible he hadn’t stipulated time and location.
Still, Amanda didn’t think he’d have the balls to hire a hit person to take out his boss or have strong enough motive.
A lot of people hated their bosses but didn’t order their murder. “Well, thank you for your time.”
“Yep.” Chris got up and ambled out of the room.
“He was a character,” Trent said.
“You’re still here? Unbelievable.”
Amanda turned to the doorway where Dominique Sharp was standing.
She’d changed since the hospital into a tight-fitting blue leather pencil skirt paired with a white blouse.
She was wearing a strapless bustier vest over it, a few shades to the cream side of the spectrum.
There was no explaining some people’s fashion sense.
Though Amanda didn’t set the bar. “Have you heard anything from the hospital on Joel’s condition? ”
“He’s out of surgery, and the doctors are cautiously optimistic.”
That wasn’t exactly something to celebrate, yet Dominique said it as if it were promising.
The words of the senior partner came back to mind, about Dominique having a bomb lit beneath her without it raising a reaction.
She saw O’Neil’s point in action. Here, her lover, who she must have some feelings for, was lying in a hospital bed after taking a bullet, and she seemed fine.
Amanda wouldn’t have left his side in this woman’s place.
“I’d like to know when you two should be wrapped up. My employees aren’t getting anything done with you here.” Dominique perched her hands on her hips and beckoned a response with an arched eyebrow.
“We’re sorry to be a distraction,” Amanda pushed out, impressed by her restraint.
They were only there trying to determine if someone in this woman’s camp had ordered a killer to take her out, but that made them a nuisance.
“We shouldn’t be much longer. But since you’re here, could you…
?” Amanda gestured to the chair across from them.
Like Chris, Dominique sat at the end of the table. “I don’t have much time.”
Even less if you don’t cooperate with the police… The thought zipped through her, and it was hard not to let it slip out loud. “We were just speaking with Chris Ritter.”
“Let me guess. He was bemoaning the fact I won’t commit to giving him a promotion to senior partner. But there’s no way that kid has it in him to take me on.”
“You’d be surprised what people are capable of, especially the ones you least expect.”
“I don’t think so.” She crossed her arms and jutted out her chin. “I’ve gotten pretty good at reading people over the years.”
So have I… And what Amanda saw before her was someone so embedded in her own ego she didn’t exist in reality. “Why deny him the promotion?”
“You met him. He’s arrogant, and it impedes him from being a good lawyer. It makes him emotional and reactive.”
“He said his billings are better than the other junior partners with the firm,” Trent pointed out.
“Sure, but by comparison to the talent at Gabay, Finch & Earnest, Chris is found lacking.”
Amanda cringed at Dominique’s summation of a human being, no less an employee, who by his words dedicated his career to her firm since passing the bar.
But she wasn’t under any illusion the woman whose life they were trying to save was a saint.
But the woman who died in her place had been.
Amanda would do what she could to protect Dominique, but her primary motivation was finding Christine’s killer and getting her justice. “Thank you for your honest answer.”
“Honesty is the only way I roll. So? When should you two be leaving?” Her eyes drifted to the table. “Has Casey not brought you the sale and financial paperwork yet?” Dominique never waited for a response, got up with a huff, and left the room.
Trent leaned in toward Amanda. “We want to keep her alive, right?”
“It’s the job,” she muttered. “But I look at it this way. We find out who wants her dead, then we find justice for Christine Lane.”
“I like the shift of focus.”
“It’s the only way I’m going to get through this.” Amanda could have said more, like how Dominique Sharp was almost unbearable. She had a grating personality to be sure. But even though Amanda could justify her feelings toward the woman, she didn’t deserve to get killed.
“I’m sorry for the delay.” Casey came into the room holding a portfolio and handed it to Amanda. “This is a copy of all the sale paperwork and financials from both sides of the deal.”
“Thank you. Before you leave, we just have a question for you.”
“Okay.” Spoken with the hint of a whine, like she’d wanted to hit and run. But Casey sat down anyhow, walking back to the chair across from Amanda and Trent.
“When we spoke earlier, you struck us as being afraid of something,” Amanda said, easing into things. “Is there something you should be telling us?”
Casey licked her lips and nodded. “Though it’s nothing serious, I’m seeing Chris Ritter. If this got back to Dom, she’d have a conniption. She’s not a fan of office romances.”
Amanda was disappointed that’s all Casey had been holding back.
“I can see her side. They often blow up.” This was out of Amanda’s mouth before she gave her response any thought.
There were times her attraction to Trent seemed unavoidable, and he made no secret in the past that he had feelings for her too.
They’d shared stolen moments a few times.
A kiss here or there. But they had kept their relationship all business to avoid romantic complications.
“Yes, well, if I’m being honest, things have run cold between us. He’s obsessed about Dom closing the firm here.”
“So we heard. Thank you for the paperwork.” Amanda pointed toward the portfolio.
“You’re welcome.” With that, Casey left.
“All these hours and no solid leads.” Trent blew out a breath.
Frustrating as that was, it was how investigations worked. A step forward, several back. Sometimes it was just standing still while the clock rushed ahead.