Chapter 45
FORTY-FIVE
Amanda and Trent left the DC law firm without the account requisition forms. The accounting department was still working on pulling them out, but Molly promised she’d scan them and email them to Trent.
Howard Gabay had a stunned look on his face when they had entered his office and informed him they needed to speak with him at Central in Woodbridge. But he hadn’t resisted. Same too for Corey Shea, but he put in a request for a lawyer while Howard hadn’t.
It was nearing midafternoon when both men were set up in interview rooms.
Corey was in one with his lawyer and being watched over by a PWCPD officer. They had him bring his laptop in case the A. Killer reached out to him, and he needed to respond.
Howard Gabay was next door, seated by himself, and Amanda, Trent, and Malone were watching him through the one-way mirror. He kept wiping his forehead with a handkerchief he pulled from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
The MPD officer who drove the men here told her and Trent that neither of them had said a word to each other. It could be they didn’t want to risk slipping out with something, or she and Trent had this all wrong and Howard was innocent.
“He’s nervous about something,” Malone said. “But the guy never even requested a lawyer. One would think if he was guilty of embezzlement and contracting a hired gun, he would have.”
“Yes, and one would think calling a lawyer would be automatic for an attorney called in for questioning by police,” Trent said. “Isn’t the saying, a man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client?”
“All of which makes me even more curious what we might learn from him. Shall we?” Amanda waved for Trent to join her next door.
Howard Gabay was tucking his handkerchief away when they opened the door. He said nothing, but his shoulders sagged, and he took a deep breath.
“Do you know why you’re here?” Amanda asked as she sat across from him with a folder. It was stuffed with mostly blank paper to make it look intimidating.
“I’m too smart to walk into that trap, Detective. I’ve already waived a lawyer, but you’re going to lead this conversation. There’s no way I’m stupid enough to volunteer something that may entrap me.”
Not the words of an innocent man with nothing to hide, but was it embezzlement and murder? “All right, I’ll lay it out in a way that’s clear. You’re suspected of four felonies.” Amanda listed them in her head. Conspiracy to commit murder, two murders, and one count of embezzlement.
Gabay didn’t so much as blink, but fresh beads of perspiration popped on his brow.
“This doesn’t come as a surprise to you?” Trent asked.
“I’m not sure where you got four.”
Huh… It seemed he suspected to be considered for at least one. The embezzlement? “When Ms. Sharp decided to purchase your firm, she was given access to your books. Is that correct?”
“That’s right. She was given these last Friday.”
The way he responded so calmly was unsettling. How could he not see where they were headed with this? Unless they were the fools for believing Harris Finch when he pointed them in Gabay’s direction. “Was that why she was in DC?”
“Yes.”
“And she was there all weekend?” That was the story they had all along.
“I can’t speak to her entire itinerary, but she was at the firm on Friday, and she called on Saturday for me to meet her for dinner in DC.”
It was possible Howard had sent the hit woman to Dominique’s house Friday night, thinking she’d have returned home. “Why was that?”
“She was feeling confident about the purchase.” His voice sounded tight, the words strained, as if resisting coming out.
If Finch was right and the offer was a lowball one, had Howard felt forced to accept it? If so, what could make him do so? Amanda benched those thoughts for now. “Ms. Sharp was first interested in your firm six months ago. Why was she just receiving your books now?”
“Things like that take time to get together.”
“Yet, you agreed to an offer she made. And she put one in without even consulting your numbers?” Amanda asked, finding that strange.
“She already knew she wanted the firm. I wanted to retire. Win-win.”
“Despite the lowball offer?” Amanda treated what Finch had told them as fact.
Howard wiped his brow again. “Who said anything about it being lowball?”
She’d take his reaction as confirmation. “Regarding the firm’s finances, we’ve had a look at them ourselves.”
“Then you’ve seen our amazing growth over the last seven years. We’re set to beat previous sales records this fiscal.”
“The Financial Crimes Unit of the PWCPD saw something else.” She scanned his eyes, and he was giving nothing away.
His stare was blank in response. She ran through their findings, and added, “Several clients and vendor accounts are shell companies. You embezzled money from your own firm and fed it back in after you made some interest. Or was it to cover your tracks? The theft was in the amount of nearly one-point-two million dollars.”
“Come again?”
He was either playing dumb or really had no idea. She’d sway to the latter.
“They must be mistaken,” he rushed ahead. “There’s no way someone at the firm would do that.”
She noted how he shifted things from himself. “Not just someone. You.”
“Nah, no way. The reports will tell you that. You said you have the financials? Well, the name of the person associated with those accounts would have been included.”
“We spoke with that person, and they’re why we’re speaking with you,” she told him.
“Who was it?”
“Harris Finch.”
“Well, there’s no way Finch would have stolen the money. Please check with accounting. Every new account needs to be signed off by a partner.”
It was as if Howard forgot about the allegation against him. “They are getting the paperwork together.”
Howard clasped his hands and circled his thumbs. He was biting down on his bottom lip.
“Mr. Gabay, is there something you want to tell us before we see it?” Amanda asked.
He pulled out his handkerchief again and wiped his brow. He shook his head.
“We believe the embezzlement and the attempts on Dominique Sharp’s life are connected. Ms. Sharp’s would-be killer has already claimed two victims trying to get to her.” Since the embezzlement angle alone didn’t seem to jolt him into talking, maybe bringing up the murders would.
“It’s all very tragic, but it has nothing to do with me.”
“Well if it wasn’t you, and it wasn’t Harris Finch…?” She left the question dangling there.
“I have no clue who.” His voice turned hoarse.
“Are you sure it wasn’t you? From what we heard, you have motive to set up Harris Finch,” she said.
“What are you talking about?”
“He took your wife from you,” she said.
Howard met Amanda’s gaze and laughed. Actually laughed. “He can have her. Cheryl and I were never meant to last. We’re so different.”
Trent leaned forward. “Then you weren’t upset by the divorce?”
“Not at all, and if I was, do you think I would have kept him on at my firm? I’d have paid him out and sent him packing a long time ago.”
Amanda was stumped because his reasoning made complete sense. But if Howard Gabay didn’t take the money and have Corey Shea hire a killer, who did? And why? Or had she and Trent made a huge mistake and pardoned Finch too readily?