Chapter Eight #2
Maureen took a breath. “I knew that Horace was burning money left and right, due to his gambling addiction and even paying for prostitutes, I believe… He also had to pay me alimony—which he did infrequently, I might add, causing me major headaches. Anyway, for those reasons, I didn’t put it past him to use his job as a way to extract money from builders to try and cover his financial needs—”
“I see.” Cooper glanced around the office and returned his gaze back to her. “Did Eckhart ever happen to mention to you anyone he may have been bribing or offered him a bribe?”
“No, never.” Maureen pushed her glasses up. “Since our divorce over a year ago, we’ve barely been on speaking terms—which was better for me, in getting him out of my system as much as possible. I have no idea who he may have been collecting bribes from,” she insisted.
Cooper had no reason to disbelieve her, given what he knew about Eckhart.
But a bitter divorce could cause anyone to take retribution to extremes.
He narrowed his eyes at Maureen and stated, “Apart from a possible public corruption–related homicide, I’m also looking at the possibility that Eckhart’s death may be unrelated to the bribery case—and could have been motivated by, say, an ex-wife who had it in for him as a lousy husband, negligent on his alimony payments… ”
Maureen’s eyes grew wide. “You think I had something to do with his death?”
“Did you?” Cooper shot back. “It wouldn’t be the first time that ex-intimates’ volatile relationship ended in murder.”
“That never happened with us,” she argued, matching his gaze.
“Yes, we had a bad marriage—at least the last few years of it—and I couldn’t wait till the divorce was finalized.
But I would never have tried to have Horace killed.
Even if he was often late with alimony—if he paid at all—and a terrible husband.
I didn’t hate him that much, in spite of our problems. I want you to find out who did this—and why,” Maureen contended.
“If that’s all, I need to get back to my customers. ”
“You can do that.” Cooper nodded. “Thanks for your time,” he told her succinctly. “I’ll show myself out.”
He did just that, allowing Eckhart’s ex-wife to get back to her life, as Cooper took her off the list of possible suspects, while continuing his pursuit of the truth behind the building inspector’s demise.
AT CHAPPELLI’S STEAKHOUSE on West Van Buren Street, Lexi sat across the booth from Reese Kenniston for a working lunch, as they discussed the latest plans for an upscale housing development over espresso martinis.
After Lexi ordered the house salad and petite filet mignon, she watched Reese order the teriyaki salmon and chopped salad. They both planned to try the carrot cake for dessert.
As Lexi listened to Reese talking about the project, she couldn’t help but think about Cooper’s investigation into public corruption and whether or not anyone at the Kenniston Group could have been bribing Horace.
Everything Lexi knew about the real estate developer’s founder and president of developments made her believe that Reese was totally honest when it came to how she ran her company.
Cooper seemed to believe the same. But in the highly competitive world of commercial and residential building, anything was possible when under pressure to succeed. Right?
“Are you with me?” Reese asked, sounding somewhat annoyed, snapping Lexi from her reverie.
“Yes, for sure.” Lexi flashed an embarrassed smile. “I got what you were saying about the changes you’d like to incorporate into the concept of the development,” she emphasized, surprised that she could focus on two things at once.
“Okay. Just checking.” Reese smiled and tasted her espresso martini as the food arrived.
They began eating, then after a moment or two, she said, furrowing her brow, “The other day, a couple of FBI special agents came to our office to ask some questions about the building inspector—Horace Eckhart—who’d been accused of public corruption in the line of his work.
They wondered if someone from the Kenniston Group could have offered him bribes to get Horace to speed up the process, look the other way, or whatever, with respect to our recent development projects. ”
Lexi regarded her and asked, “What did you say?”
“With Terry on hand—and on the same page—I said that no one in my company would stoop so low as to pay money under the table—and illegally—to try and influence a building inspector for the proper approvals,” Reese said in a no-uncertain-terms tone.
“If I got even a whiff of such from any of my employees, I would fire them on the spot. And report it to the authorities,” she stated firmly.
“I believe you,” Lexi was quick to point out, as well as show her support for her friend and the Kenniston Group.
“I’m sure the FBI was not singling you out—but only going through the motions for all the real estate development companies and their associates who Horace may have come into contact with as a building inspector.
” She forked a piece of lettuce and said thoughtfully, “That includes me…”
Reese gazed at her. “Really?”
“Yes. It seems that architects aren’t immune to accepting bribes, too, if the temptation is there and high enough,” Lexi told her. “I was visited by an agent the same day I made my presentation to you at my studio.”
“How did it go?” Reese asked curiously, while slicing a fork into her teriyaki salmon.
“It went as well as I could expect.” Lexi met her eyes. “Just routine stuff. No harm, no foul, as they say.”
At the time, she had no real expectations—having never before been questioned by a member of the FBI—other than being assured that she wasn’t under investigation moving forward as possibly being guilty of offering Horace a bribe.
Of course, now having gotten to know Cooper better, Lexi was actually happy for the experience—even if somewhat unnerving at the time.
For without it, she might never have met the handsome special agent as a prelude to the support group meeting.
And that added context was helpful in getting a more well-rounded picture of him to work with.
“That’s good,” Reese said. “If Horace was crooked—and it got him killed—I feel sorry for him and anyone he may have reached out to, or vice versa. And what that might mean as the case is being investigated.”
“I’m of the same mind,” Lexi voiced. She bit into the petite filet mignon and wondered just where Cooper would go from here with his case.
And whether or not it could still somehow find its way back to the Kenniston Group, in spite of her believing that Reese would not knowingly become involved in public corruption.