Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Matthias stepped from the elevator and was approaching the office of North Star Developing when the door opened. Tina Neidermeyer shuffled through it, a large cardboard box in her arms. He quickened his pace and called out, “Let me give you a hand.”
Startled, she flinched and looked up. Her already perturbed expression grew even darker. “You’ve helped plenty, thank you very much.”
“What did I do?”
“You’re a man. And a cop. That’s enough.”
“I’ve been told that before.”
Neidermeyer stayed in the threshold, bracing the door open with one foot. “What do you want?”
“I have a few more questions for you.”
“I’m busy.” She moved her foot to let the door drift shut.
Matthias caught it with a hand. “You always seem to be busy when I’m around.”
“I made time for you and that woman last time you were here, and you ended up humiliating me.”
“It wasn’t our fault you weren’t up to speed on your boss’s business affairs.”
“Well, he’s not my boss anymore. Now move your hand so I can lock up.”
“If you leave, I’ll follow you to the parking lot. It’s cooler in here. And more private.”
“You can follow me if you like. I have nothing to say.” She abandoned the unlocked door, ducked around him, and stormed toward the elevator.
“Do you want anyone who might be in the parking lot to hear me ask about the rather loud disagreements you had with Sonny Jones? Who, as we all know, is now dead?”
She slowed but kept going.
Matthias raised his voice. “Or about broken plate glass panels from your apartment?”
She wheeled, her face crimson. “I don’t have any glass panels in my apartment, broken or otherwise.”
He shot a grin her way. “See? That wasn’t so hard. But the rest of my questions would be better asked in private.” He hoisted a thumb over his shoulder at the office.
Neidermeyer glowered. “Fine.” She stomped back toward him, elbowing him out of her way before barreling through the door.
He followed and watched as she let the box thud onto her desk and took note of the contents sticking out of the top. Personal items, including the World’s Greatest Aunt trophy. “I thought you were taking over the company. Now it looks like you’re quitting.”
She faced him, her arms crossed. “Yeah, well, things aren’t always what we think, are they?”
He crossed his arms, mirroring her pose. “Tell me about those loud arguments you had with Jones.”
“If you arrested everyone who’d ever had an argument with Sonny, the jail would be overflowing. We had business disagreements. Nothing more.”
Matthias thought of Winslow saying something similar. “Jones had a tendency to drink too much. You tried to rein him in.”
“I’m not his mother.”
“But you have control of the company credit card.”
“Not anymore.”
“So you are quitting.”
A muscle next to her eye twitched. “This company is sinking faster than the Titanic. I have no plans to go down with the ship.”
“Is it safe to assume that you quitting and the sinking of the so-called ship has something to do with Jones changing his Will?” No. What had Emma told him? “Or operating agreement?”
“You can assume whatever you like. I don’t know what decisions Sonny ultimately made regarding the business.”
“What about Patrick Winslow?”
If Neidermeyer’s expression had any control over the thermostat, the room would’ve dropped twenty degrees. “What about him?”
“I gather he’s not here.”
“You gather correctly.”
“I’ve been trying to reach him.”
“Good for you.”
“I know you have his number.”
“I don’t work here any longer. Therefore, I have no reason to provide Winslow’s contact information to anyone.”
Matthias’s phone vibrated against his hip. He ignored it and decided he was tired of this verbal dance with Neidermeyer.
“Is Winslow going to take over North Star Developing?”
“You’ll have to ask him.”
Matthias uncrossed his arms and took a step toward her in a move that he intended to come across as intimidating. “I’m asking you.”
Invading her space worked. She retreated to maintain the distance between them.
“I don’t know. Honestly.” She dropped the defiant act.
“I haven’t seen the legal papers. I did believe Sonny had stipulated that I would assume control of the company in the event of his death, but when I spoke to his attorney earlier, I was told that was no longer the case.
Sonny had recently made changes to the document. ”
Matthias studied Neidermeyer and believed her. “You had no idea that Jones changed the agreement?”
“None.”
“Okay. You don’t know for certain that Winslow is the new head of North Star, but you’ve been Jones’s assistant for quite a while. If you had to guess, based on what you’ve seen on a daily basis, do you think Jones would pick Winslow?”
Her gaze shifted in thought. “Maybe,” she finally said.
“If not Winslow, then who?”
She slowly shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“His wife?”
Neidermeyer’s startled gaze came up to his.
“Ashley?” She hiccupped a laugh. “I highly doubt it. Ashley’s too high-strung—too flighty—to run a business.
In all the time I’ve known them, the only interest she’s shown in Sonny’s work was demanding how soon he’d get home to be with her and their daughter. She hated when he put in late hours.”
Matthias fixed Neidermeyer with a hard stare. “Once again, based on what you’ve seen around here in recent months, who do you think might’ve wanted Jones dead?”
She arched an eyebrow. “Like I told the state cops, Eric Baker.”
Matthias shook his head. “Try again.”
“Why? They’ve arrested him, haven’t they?”
“The judge dropped the charges. It’s pretty clear he was framed.”
Her mouth dropped open. Then closed.
Speaking slowly and deliberately, Matthias repeated his question. “Who might’ve wanted Jones dead?”
It took several long moments for her to form a reply. “Sonny could be obnoxious, especially when he was drunk. Everyone knew that.”
Which was likely why she controlled the credit card.
“The only person I can think of…” She lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. “Patrick Winslow.”
Matthias needed to find out if Winslow was indeed the new head of North Star. If so, he’d just rocketed to the top of Matthias’s suspect list. “Would you reconsider giving me his contact information?”
She contemplated the request. With a shrug, she crossed to a cabinet, opened the second drawer, and fingered through files before extracting a sheet of paper. She returned to Matthias and handed it over. “Ordinarily, I’d never turn over employee records, but under the circumstances, screw them.”
The document was the foreman’s resumé, including his home address, phone numbers, and employment history. “Thanks.” Matthias folded the paper and tucked it into his pocket. “I have one more question for you.”
She waited.
“Can I see your hands?”
Clearly she hadn’t expected that. “Why?” But she held out both, palms up.
No cuts or knicks from handling broken glass.
Matthias gave one quick nod. “Thanks. We’re done here.” He gestured at the box. “I’d be happy to carry that out to your car for you.”
* * *
“Why isn’t he calling back?” Eric demanded.
“He’s probably interrogating Tina.” Emma sat behind the wheel of the Prius with Eric again in the passenger seat and the windows rolled down.
She’d pulled the car out of the garage and parked at the end of his driveway.
If whoever planted the shovel was still inside the house, she’d be able to see them leave.
Or if, as she feared, the culprit happened to pull a gun, she and Eric would be able to make a quick escape.
Her phone buzzed with an incoming call. Matthias’s name and face lit the screen. “Speaking of…” She thumbed the green button.
“I got your text,” Matthias said. “What’s this about a shovel?”
Emma put the phone on speaker and began telling him about the clay-caked implement mysteriously appearing in Eric’s garage.
“Are you sure it doesn’t belong to him?” Matthias asked.
Eric leaned forward and winced. “I’m absolutely sure. I don’t do enough digging to need two. Mine is right where I always keep it. After I hose it off.”
“Where are you?”
“In Eric’s car,” Emma replied. “In the driveway.” She explained why she didn’t venture farther into the house than the garage.
“Stay where you are. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“Make it fifteen,” Eric said.
But Matthias had already disconnected.
Eric sighed in exasperation. “I love my car, but right now, I love my bed even more.” He turned to look at Emma. “Since we’re stuck here, we need to talk about Nell.”
Emma still hadn’t told him her fears about Nell’s true reason for being back in Ohio. “I know.”
“After we get this shovel business sorted out, we have to go to Akron. It’s only two hours away. We can be there tonight, before she has a chance to check out.”
Emma thought about it. “I was going to call the motel and ask if she’s there. Or, since she’s using my credit card, ask if I’m there.”
“They won’t tell you anything.”
“They might. If I let them know the card’s mine and that she took it.”
“Oh, great. They’ll call the cops and have her arrested.”
“Not if I accept responsibility for the charges. I want her to be safe, but I need to be sure it’s actually Nell using my card.”
Eric’s eyes widened. “Do you think someone mugged her and stole it?”
“Maybe.” What Emma really feared was that someone had taken it from Nell’s dead body.
But Eric had a point about simply driving to Akron.
If she called the motel, they might confront Nell and send her on the run.
As long as she didn’t know Emma was aware of her location, Nell would stay put.
At least for tonight, which was all the time Emma needed to get to her.
“I still think we should go there ourselves.”
“I agree.”
He appeared surprised. “You do?”
“For the most part. I think I should go. You need to stay here.”
He opened his mouth to argue.
Emma flashed a palm at him. “First off, you just got out of jail and the hospital. You look like hell and need to rest. Second, you might be cleared of murder charges for the moment, but someone still wants to frame you with that shovel. It won’t look good to Trooper Fergusson if you take off again. ”
Eric mulled over her words. “I have to confess, I am exhausted.”
“I know. You look like you’ve been through a meat grinder and then run over by a bus.”
He snorted. “That bad, huh?”
“Worse.” She looked at the Prius’s currently dark instrument panel. “Maybe Matthias will loan me his Jeep.”
“Loan? He should drive you. You talk about me just getting out of the hospital. What about you?”
“I want Matthias to stay here and make sure Trooper Fergusson doesn’t take you back into custody.”
Eric scowled at the thought. “Okay. Maybe you’re right. And yes, he’ll need his car.” He held her gaze. “If you’re absolutely sure you’re okay to drive…” He said it as a question.
“I am.” Emma was not absolutely sure, but she was glad her voice held more conviction than she felt.
“Then you take this one.”
“I don’t know if I can drive it.”
Eric blew a raspberry. “You know how to start it. You know how to turn it off. You’ll do fine.”
Emma wasn’t so sure about that either.