Chapter Forty-Nine
“Thanks for meeting with us,” Chad Remington said when Rosemarie Cogen let him and Audrey Packer into her penthouse.
“You said this was about prosecuting Walter Zegda for kidnapping me.”
“Right. He’ll probably plead, but unfortunately, we need to go over what happened in case he decides to go to trial.”
The detectives followed Rosemarie into the living room. Aaron Jessup got up from the couch.
“I hope you don’t mind that I asked Aaron to sit in?” Rosemarie said.
“Hi, Aaron,” Chad said.
“So, what do you want to know?” Rosemarie asked when they were all seated.
For the next half hour, Rosemarie told the detectives about the kidnapping and her encounter with Walter Zegda and Gabby Wright.
“We will have to call you to testify, if Zegda elects to go to trial. Are you okay with that?” Chad asked.
“I’m not going to enjoy seeing that monster again, but I will testify.”
“Thanks. We know how stressful it’s going to be, and we appreciate your willingness to help us put Zegda away so he can’t hurt anyone else,” Chad said.
“Say, have you been back to your Dunthorpe place since Mr. Cogen was killed?” Audrey asked.
“Why do you want to know?”
“It’s something that came up. The case is still open. I’ve been told that there are a lot of valuable paintings, jewelry, and art objects in the house. We’re trying to see if Mr. Cogen could have been killed by a robber.”
“I went through the house with my insurance agent.”
“When was that?”
“A week ago. The valuable paintings and art objects are insured. He had a list. Everything, including my jewelry, was still there.”
“That’s good to know,” Chad said. “Have you had a chance to look at any of the reports in your husband’s case?”
Rosemarie looked confused. “What kind of reports?”
“Police reports, the autopsy report, any other official documents?”
“How would I see them? No.”
“I’ve been told that Karen Wyatt and her investigator talked to you at the Westmont Country Club.”
“That’s right. She also wanted to know if anything valuable had been stolen from the mansion.”
Chad chuckled. “Did you tell her that your husband was killed with Rodin’s The Thinker, but the killer wouldn’t have taken it, because it was covered with blood and he wouldn’t be able to sell it?”
Rosemarie grimaced. “I shouldn’t have made that joke. It was really in bad taste.”
“I agree,” Audrey said. “But how did you know that Mr. Cogen had been beaten to death with The Thinker?”
Rosemarie frowned. “I … It was in the paper. He was bludgeoned to death with a marble statue.”
“We’ve read every newspaper account and watched all of the stories on TV. None of them identify the statue that was used.”
“The Thinker was evidence at the trial,” Rosemarie said. “We saw it wasn’t in the house when I went there with the insurance agent.”
“Both of those times were well after Miss Wyatt talked to you.”
“Where is this going, Chad?” Aaron Jessup asked.
“There are several statues in the room where Terrance Cogen was killed. The only way your client could know which statue the killer used is if she was the one who killed him.”