Chapter 7
M ichelle left her vehicle in the drop-off zone in front of the HighTower building. The chrome and glass structure was one of the few buildings over four stories in Ashwood. She yanked open the glass door and a rush of heat flooded down on her. Her shoes squeaked on the polished floors as she crossed to the reception desk.
“May I help you, Officer?” The young man in a suit and tie asked. He looked to be fresh out of college.
“I’d like to speak with Evan Towers.” A quick search in the car gave her the names of not only Evan, the CEO, but the other board members.
“Do you have an appointment with Mr. Towers?”
“No. But it will only take a few minutes. I’m sure he would be willing to squeeze in time for an officer of the law.”
The guy glanced at his computer before picking up the phone. With one hand, he covered the receiver then whispered. When he ended the call, he said, “You may have a seat and someone will be right down to get you.”
“Thank you.” Michelle opted to stand versus sit in the leather chairs to her left. She scanned the names and suite numbers on the board by the elevator. As she reached the bottom of the list, her brows shot up .
Wow, this was a large company. This may be the headquarters of HighTower Development, but it wasn’t where the workers and materials were housed.
Did they use subcontractors or in-house crews?
The elevator dinged, and a tall woman in a gray suit stepped out. “Officer. I’m Elaine. Mr. Towers’ assistant. Follow me, please.”
Michelle stepped into the elevator with her. She touched her badge to the controls, then pushed the button for the top floor. “Mr. Towers has back-to-back meetings today, but he will work you in.”
“Thank you. This shouldn’t take long.” The doors opened to a wall of windows. The view of the city with the river beyond was breathtaking.
“Can I interest you in a cup of coffee? He will be a few more minutes.” She gestured to the chair outside the wooden double doors, her boss’s office, Michelle assumed.
“No, thank you. I’m good.”
The woman tipped her head then slipped behind the desk and sat in one smooth motion. A moment later, the clack of nails on the keyboard sounded in the cavernous room.
“Elaine.” Michelle waited until she looked up to continue. “How long have you worked for HighTower?”
“Thirteen years next month.”
Michelle stepped to the window and took in the view. “It’s a good job then?”
“I’d say so.” Her brows furrowed.
“Have you worked for Mr. Towers the whole time? As his assistant?”
Elaine hesitated this time. Her face deepened in color. “Yes. I’m sorry, but I have some work to do. ”
“Oh sure, I get it. Sorry.” Michelle leaned against the window, looking way down to the parking lot in the back of the building. No vans. “I always wondered with how big of an operation it was. Does HighTower use subcontractors for their work or do they have full-time crews?”
Michelle watched Elaine through the reflection. She didn’t look up from her computer. A moment later, she said, “It depends.”
The assistant may not have thought she said much, but from her facial expressions and tone, Michelle learned a lot.
Of course, she didn’t expect Towers’ assistant to gossip like a church lady. But now Michelle had a baseline for how his employees viewed him. Elaine wasn’t overly complimentary, nor did she lay on the praise for the company or boss too thick. She answered the questions with an easy rapport. She didn’t have to think too long, nor did she rush her answers. That boded well for Evan Towers.
Just then, the door to the office opened and an older gentleman stepped out. “I’ll see you next week at the party.”
“You know it.” A tall, broad man in jeans and work boots ushered the man out. Towers.
“Officer?” He held the door for her.
“Swenson.” She entered his office, and he closed the door behind her.
“Officer Swenson, what can I do for you?” Evan Towers looked more like a foreman on a site than the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company.
“Thank you for finding time to see me. I understand you are looking to acquire the Ashwood Mall.”
“Me and every other developer in the state. It’s a beautiful piece of property.” He sat behind his desk.
“Did you know Jonny Staniski? ”
He shook his head. “Should I?”
“He worked for you for two years, leaving the company three months ago.”
“Officer Swenson, I have hundreds of employees. And while I like to be on site as much as possible, that doesn’t mean I know all my employees by name.”
She changed tactics. “Did you watch the news this week?”
“Some.”
“Then you may know that Mr. Staniski was found dead in a stolen sleigh. The mall’s sleigh.” She watched his reaction carefully.
“I heard something about it, but I had no idea that the man was a former employee.” He pushed a button on the phone. “Elaine, can you please send our condolences to Mr. Jonny Staniski’s family?”
“Right away, sir.” Her voice rang clear in the room before he disconnected.
“Is there anything else I can help you with? Sorry, but my next appointment will be here any minute.”
“Just one more question. Who would have been his direct supervisor? I’d like to ask him a few questions. I need to talk to someone who would know who he hung out with.”
“I couldn’t say, but Elaine could get you his supervisor’s information.” He stood, crossed the floor in three long strides, then opened the door. “Elaine, could you look up Jonny Staniski for Officer Swenson, please? Give her anything she requests on him.”
“Thank you, Mr. Towers.”
“Evan. Anytime.” He took her hand. A warm, firm shake, but it was his smile that had her thoughts shifting back to Nick. This guy was a looker, but his touch sparked nothing in her.
“Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me.” A ping sounded. She pulled her hand free and turned to watch the elevator door open. A young woman in jeans and a Carhartt work coat stepped out.
“Mara. Perfect timing.” Towers ushered her into his office and closed the door.
Michelle turned to Elaine. “Who was that?”
The assistant’s eyes narrowed at her boss’s closed door. “Ms. Tate. She’s one of the project managers.”
It looked to Michelle like Elaine didn’t like the competition that Ms. Tate gave. Interesting. “I appreciate your help. I’m looking for Jonny Staniski’s supervisor.”
“Yes. One moment.” Her long nails clattered on the keys as she pulled up files. “Here it is.” A few more taps and the printer spooled to life behind her. She pulled the pages from the machine and handed them to Michelle.
“Is it true Jonny was murdered?” Elaine’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“I’m afraid so.”
She shook her head. “I can’t believe it. He was a nice man.”
Michelle’s head snapped up from the papers. “You knew him?”
“Well, only in passing. At the holiday party or when he came into the office.”
“Did he come into the office often?”
“No. I saw him last summer one day. I had forgotten my phone and passed him coming out of the elevator. Well, I just can’t believe it. I’ve never known anyone who was murdered. It’s terrible.”
Michelle handed her a card. “If you remember anything about Jonny, even the smallest detail that you think wouldn’t matter. Please let me know.”
She took the card between two fingers and nodded .
As Michelle made her way down the elevator, she looked at the controls. This elevator stopped on all the floors. Jonny could have been at any one of them. So why did her gut scream to look deeper into Evan Towers?
She didn’t know, but she learned long ago, always trust her gut.
***
Two minutes to spare. Michelle checked in at Ashwood Elementary School. Her feet pounded on the linoleum squares as she crossed the lunch area to the gymnasium.
Officer Kyle Jenkins leaned against the wall outside the gym door. What was he doing here? “Cutting it close, Swenson. Principal Hess will be announcing us any minute.”
“Us? To the whole school? I thought it was just one third-grade class.” Her sister would be getting an earful when this was over.
“I guess his teacher mentioned you were coming to the other faculty and next thing I know, Sammy’s teacher is calling me.”
“Was it last minute? Madi didn’t say a word when I talked to her last weekend.” Michelle referred to her friend and Jenkins’ girlfriend. Those two flirted on the edge of a relationship for years as neighbors and besties. It took something big for them to finally act on their deep connection. Michelle had to admit, she was a little jealous of their relationship. What girl didn’t want to fall in love with her best friend?
The door opened and one of the school secretaries stuck her head out. “You’re on.”
Nothing like going in cold. Hopefully, Jenkins had a plan. She followed him in and saw he had brought badge stickers and stranger danger pamphlets to hand out after. The sight of them calmed her nerves.
“Hi kids, I’m Officer Jenkins and this is Officer Swenson. Who’s excited to see Santa next week?”
The noise level ratcheted up to just under a rock concert level. Michelle picked up from his cue and the next thirty minutes went fast. By the time they were handing out stickers, the kids had all repeated the three main rules for stranger danger and were getting antsy.
Michelle turned back to the table to grab some more stickers, when a small voice right behind her said, “Hi.”
She almost jumped when she turned to see Nick’s blue eyes staring up at her. She handed her a sticker. “Hello.”
“You’re a friend of my daddy.” The girl didn’t move. She just watched her. So, like her father.
Michelle glanced around. Surely the girl’s teacher was looking for her. Nope. No one. Michelle awkwardly smiled down at the girl. Not sure what to say.
“Aunt Mickey!” Ethan’s voice broke the bubble she and this girl were in.
“Hey, Buddy. How’s my favorite nephew?” She scooped him up in a hug.
“You say that to all of us.” He scowled.
“And your point?” She set him back down.
He shrugged and turned to the girl still staring at her.
Really, where was her teacher? Finally, a bell rang. The teachers called for their students to line up.
“Thanks for coming to our school, Aunt Mickey. Ava and I have to get back to class.”
“Ava?”
The girl nodded .
“Are you named after your mommy?”
“No, her name was Molly. She died.” The girl shook her head. She followed Ethan’s tug on her arm and yelled over her shoulder, “Bye, Officer Swenson.”
Michelle stood stock still, blinked as the children all filed out of the gymnasium. She died.
“Earth to Swenson.” Jenkins waved a hand in front of her face.
“Huh, sorry. I was, uh, watching my nephew head back to class.”
“Uh huh.” He’s brows pulled down.
He didn’t look like he believed her, and she couldn’t blame him. Why was this one little girl throwing her off kilter? Could be the words she said in parting—Molly was her mother. And she was dead.
Nick was widowed? Could that be right? Michelle should ask him. Or… she could do a little snooping.
First, she needed to check into Evan Towers. It could be he was telling the truth and didn’t know Staniski, but it wouldn’t hurt to check him out.
On the way back to the station, she passed a building site for the new grocery store. The name on the sign on the corner said HighTower Development. The crew was in full swing, even if the temp had dropped to below freezing. A crane was setting beams and several trucks filled the lot. One in particular caught her eye. A white panel truck just like the one used to take the sleigh to the repair shop. The only difference was this one said HighTower on it.
She needed to check the video again.
** *
Back at the station, Michelle dropped her stuff at her desk and picked up her phone and called Jonny’s foreman from HighTower. It went to voicemail. A low voice informed her that he was out of the office until the new year.
Crap. She doubted he’d check his messages if he was on vacation through the holidays. She pushed back from her desk and jumped up. She glanced over the cubicle wall.
Jim was at his desk. Detective CJ Whittier sat on the corner. The two were discussing something. Probably a case.
"Perfect." She locked her computer and went to pick his brain.
“I thought the gals canceled book club until after the holidays?” Jim rolled his neck as he spoke.
“No, Lorna said I was on kid duty tonight. Alex has a scout meeting at six.”
“Hey guys, I hate to break up your chat, but do you have a minute to go over some new developments in the Staniski case?” she asked.
“What do you got?” Jim leaned back in his chair.
Michelle ran through her meeting with Evan Towers. “I didn’t find any van registrations for Garmen or Staniski.”
“Towers owns vans. But his have the HighTower logo on the doors. Did you pull up the registrations on white cube vans in the cities?” Jim tapped at his computer.
“Yeah. There are a ton of them.”
“And the rental companies?” CJ rhythmically tapped his fingers on his leg.
“Nothing.”
Jim locked gazes with her. “I think I know where you are going with this.”
CJ stopped tapping. “If I didn’t want a vehicle traced, I’d buy a used one, strip the logo off, then oops, conveniently forget to register it. ”
“That’s what I was thinking. I’ll make a call and see if Towers’ assistant can get me a list of vans they sold in the last six months.”
“Make it a year,” Jim suggested.
“On it.” Michelle pivoted, then stopped. “Oh, and guys. You know they don’t really read the books. I heard something about a Santa stripper show tonight.”
At their groans, she bit back a chuckle and headed back to her cubicle to check the video.