Detective Jack Stratton Box Set

by Christopher Greyson

  Jeremy held up his watch. “Eight.”

  Jack looked at the battered silver watch. “That’s an interesting watch. What are those marks?”

  “My mother put them on there.” On the face were three colored marks—green at twelve, blue at five, and red at nine.

  “What time do you start work, Jeremy?” Jack spoke slowly.

  “Twelve o’clock. Four days a week.”

  “When do you go home?”

  “Nine.”

  Jack pointed at Jeremy’s watch. “That’s smart of you to use the colors.”

  Jeremy rubbed his watch. “My mom did it.”

  “Was anyone else here besides you and Stacy that night?”

  “She was nice. She’s not coming back.” He grabbed another recycling bin and wheeled it over to the dumpster.

  “I’m sorry about that. Was anyone else here?”

  “Mr. Chambers.” Jeremy said the name as though it left a bad taste in his mouth.

  “You don’t like Mr. Chambers?”

  Jeremy looked away. “He’s not nice.”

  “To you?”

  “No. Mrs. Shaw. He got mad.” Jeremy hefted the recycling bin up and banged it against the dumpster. A waterfall of paper poured out. “But she’s nice.”

  “Do you know why Mr. Chambers got mad?” Jack asked.

  “Because right away.”

  “Mr. Chambers wanted something right away?” Chandler asked, confused.

  Jeremy shrugged.

  “Do you know what he wanted right away?” Jack asked.

  Jeremy shrugged again and grabbed another bin.

  “Who was the last person to leave before Stacy?” Jack asked.

  “Mr. Chambers.”

  Jack shot Chandler a quick look. “And what time did he leave?”

  Jeremy looked down at his watch. “Before Stacy.”

  “What time?” Jack repeated.

  Jeremy frowned. “A couple of minutes.” He started to lift the recycling bin, but this time he strained and grunted loudly.

  Jack grabbed the other side of the recycling bin to help Jeremy, but found himself struggling with the weight too.

  Jeremy shifted his legs, and together they raised it enough to tip it. Jack exhaled as they set the bin down. “Wow. These are heavy.”

  A broad smile stretched across Jeremy’s face. “I’m strong.” He flexed both arms like a wrestler who had just won a match.

  “You are,” Jack agreed. “Did anyone come in after Mrs. Shaw left?”

  Jeremy nodded. “Mr. Chambers came back. I think he forgot something.”

  The loading dock door rattled loudly and lifted upward. Light streamed under the rising door.

  Jeremy started to walk away. “I have to tell David UPS is here.”

  “How was Mr. Chambers when he came back?” Jack asked.

  Jeremy shrugged.

  “Was he happy?”

  Jeremy shook his head.

  “Can you describe what he was like?”

  Jeremy stopped. He rubbed a hand on his overalls. “Sweaty?” He looked at Jack expectantly. “He went to the park. You shouldn’t go to the park at night.”

  The UPS driver beeped.

  “I got to get David.” Jeremy hurried away.

  Jack and Chandler headed for the open loading dock door. Jack pulled a small notebook from his back pocket.

  “You brought a notebook?” Chandler asked.

  “Yeah. I don’t want to forget anything. And I didn’t. Look.” Jack tapped the page. “Leland Chambers was Stacy’s manager.”

  Chandler’s eyes widened. “No way.”

  Jack and Chandler exited the building through the loading dock, then circled around to the front. They got there just as Lori hurried out the revolving door. “Can we do the food cart?” she asked. “They make great burritos.” She pointed across the street to a bright-green food cart with a huge banana-yellow umbrella over it.

  “Sure.” Chandler smiled.

  “I can take you someplace where we can sit down if you want.” Jack’s eyes settled on the plain, dark-green sedan he’d parked behind. It hadn’t meant anything to him before, but now it screamed unmarked police car.

  “This is fine.” Lori walked across the street. “I only have a half hour and I had to stop by the restroom, so the clock’s ticking.”

  “You can say that again,” Jack muttered to himself.

  They ordered their food—Jack paid—then moved toward a shady bench. Jack left his burrito wrapped up and took out his notebook. “Did you know Stacy Shaw?”

  “A little. She just started maybe three months ago. She was really sweet.”

  “What did she do here?” Jack asked.

  “She worked in finance. She’s an analyst, I think.”

  Jack wrote that down. “Who would she be friends with?”

  Lori pondered as she ate. “Betty Robinson. Betty trained Stacy, and they went to lunch together a lot.”

  “Was there anyone she didn’t get along with?”

  Lori shook her head. “Nothing I heard about—and I get all the gossip, believe me. It’s like I’m a bartender. Everyone comes out to the front desk and tells me their secrets.”

  “No one said anything about her?”

  “Nothing bad. She didn’t really go out after work with the regular crew.”

  “Did you know her husband?”

  “I met him a couple of times. He’s a salesman for a software company, Connect IT, I think. He seemed really nice.” She slowly lowered her burrito. “I feel so bad for him. He called the office from New York that day. We chitchatted about his job, then I transferred the call to Stacy. It was close to five, so I almost didn’t pick it up because I wanted to go home.” She paused and looked down at her burrito. “That could have been the last time she spoke with him.” She stopped chewing and looked up. “It makes you think about life. You know?”

  Chandler nodded.

  Jack flipped back a page and read the name written there. “Do you know a Mr. Chambers?”

  “Leland Chambers? Yeah. He works in finance. He was Stacy’s boss. He was the last person to see her, I think. Well, besides Betty.”

  Jack started writing again. “Is that Betty Robinson?”

  “Yes. Betty was outside waiting for a ride when Stacy left.”

  “Did they talk?”

  “I guess. Or at least that’s what I overheard in the break room. I have no idea what about.”

  “What can you tell me about this Leland guy?”

  Lori scanned the area for any fellow employees and leaned close. “He’s slime in a suit. I have to stand up when he comes over to the desk, if you know what I mean? Leland hits on anything in a skirt. I’m surprised HR hasn’t done something, but of course it’s run by a man, so I guess I’m not shocked.”

  What a scumbag. “Chambers was Stacy’s supervisor?”

  “Yes. He’s the manager in Finance. I know the police interviewed him.” Lori looked at the time on her phone and groaned. “I have to go.” She finished her soda and tossed it in the recycling bin.

  “Would it be okay if I used a restroom in the office?” Chandler asked.

  “Sure.”

  Jack looked askance at Chandler. As they crossed the street, he whispered, “You can’t go back in there.”

  “But this time I really have to go,” Chandler whispered back.

  “Vargas is still in there.” Jack pointed at the sedan. “Hold it.”

  Chandler scowled.

  “Do you know who else the police interviewed?” Jack asked Lori.

  “Lots of people, but especially Leland, Betty, and Jeremy. Oh, there’s a detective meeting with Peter Guppy today. He came in just before you.”

  “Really?” Jack tried to sound surprised. “What does Peter Guppy do?”

  “He’s IT and security. They were talking about reviewing the security cameras.”

  “When did they interview the others?”

  “Right after Stacy went mis
sing. They interviewed me, too. Actually, the detective is still here if you want to speak with him.”

  “Uh, no, not right now, thanks.” Jack avoided looking at Chandler. “Is there any way you can set me up to talk with Stacy’s boss or Betty Robinson?”

  “I don’t know about Chambers, but I’m sure my friend Betty will talk to you.”

  “You’re sure Betty will talk about what?” said a tall woman smoking near the corner of the building. She put out her cigarette, sauntered over, and smiled at Lori.

  “Ah, hi, Betty.” Lori swallowed. “This is my cousin’s boyfriend, Chandler Carter, and his friend Jack Stratton.”

  They all shook hands.

  “And, uh… Jack was the one who found Stacy’s body,” Lori added. “Jack’s heading for a career in law enforcement. He’d like to help.”

  “Oh…” Betty looked troubled.

  “I just have a couple of questions,” Jack said. “Do you have a few minutes?”

  Betty hesitated.

  Lori leaned in. “For Stacy’s sake.”

  Betty lit another cigarette. “I have a little time.”

  Jack turned to Lori. “Thank you.” Then he gave Chandler a look that he hoped conveyed, Take a walk.

  Right on cue, Chandler said smoothly, “Lori, I’ll catch you later.” And softly, to Jack, “I’m gonna use the restroom in the coffee shop.” To Betty he added, “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” He followed Lori to the door, gave her a quick hug, then made a beeline for the coffee shop at the end of the building.

  Jack took out his notebook. “Lori tells me you trained Stacy?”

  “Yes, I trained Stacy to take over my responsibilities when I was promoted.”

  “Do you know if Stacy had any issues at work?”

  “No. She was as quiet as a church mouse and about as threatening as one. She got along with everyone.”

  “Even her new manager?”

  “Leland?” Betty took a long drag of her cigarette and let the smoke slowly drift out of her mouth. Jack felt she was editing her thoughts. “He got along well enough with her.”

  “Were you friendly with Stacy outside of work?”

  “We were getting there. She’d been to my home and I’d been to hers.”

  “You spoke with Stacy the night she disappeared?”

  “My husband was late to pick me up. We spoke right here.” She pointed down. “Then my husband dropped me at home and went to run a few errands.”

  “How did Stacy seem?”

  “Fine. Upbeat. Actually she was quite happy because her pregnancy was going so well, which was a miracle after the botched procedure she went through.”

  “You knew she was pregnant?”

  Betty looked guilty. “Yes. I knew. But she hadn’t told anyone else at work yet. She was afraid of how people would react—you know, start a new job and then get pregnant almost right away. She was hoping to prove her worth first, before breaking the news. Besides, it was still pretty early.”

  Jack nodded. “So she wasn’t unhappy about anything?”

  “Well, Leland was busting her chops a little, but that’s just Leland pretending he’s a big boy.”

  Betty was proving to be quite open, so he asked a question he had been waiting till the right moment to ask. “What’s your opinion of Leland? What’s he like to work with?”

  Betty didn’t edit herself this time, and almost seemed relieved to have been asked. “In my opinion, Leland is a jackass taught to walk upright. He’s difficult to work with; we’ve all felt it from time to time.”

  “Do you know what he was busting her chops about?”

  “Just work stuff. It was nothing. I told Stacy that, then I invited her over for dinner. But she declined because her husband was away for his job. She said she was going home to clean instead.”

  “Clean?”

  “Her house. She said she wanted Michael to come home to a clean house,” Betty said forlornly.

  Jack cleared his throat. “Where was her car parked?”

  “There’s a company lot to the left.” She pointed down the street, but the building blocked the view of the lot.

  “You didn’t see her get in her car?”

  “No. When we pulled away, she was walking to the lot.”

  The front door whipped open. Jack flinched, half expecting it to be Vargas, but it was just another stranger in a suit.

  “Did you see her talk to anyone?” Jack asked. “Was there anyone else around?”

  “Nope. Some foot traffic, but no one stood out.” She took one last drag on her cigarette and stubbed it out. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got a one o’clock meeting.” She took a card out of her pocket. “If you have any other questions, you can give me a call.”

  “Thanks.” Jack stuck the card behind his notebook. “I really appreciate—”

  “Speak of the devil,” Betty said, pointing across the street. “You asked about Stacy’s boss—that’s him right there, the sweaty guy in the neon-green sneakers.”

  Jack looked where she was pointing. Waiting among the crowd for the crosswalk light was a tall man wearing running gear and green sneakers that looked like they would glow in the dark. He looked to be in his mid thirties. From his wide shoulders and thick chest, it was obvious he not only ran but lifted weights as well.

  The crosswalk light changed, and Leland jogged forward.

  Betty waved him over, and before Jack could stop her, said, “Leland, do you have a minute? This is Jack Stratton. He found Stacy’s body and he has a couple of follow-up questions for us.”

  Jack was aghast. Why would Chambers answer questions from a kid? Especially if he had anything to hide. This might get him into even more trouble with Vargas. But though he made it clear from his manner that he was a busy man who had lots of better things to be doing, Chambers glanced down at Jack’s police academy shirt and nodded. “What do you need?”

  Jack looked down at the logo on his shirt and realized that Leland thought he was a cop. He’d just been presented with an opening he’d never even dreamed of. Like some switch flipped inside him, Jack felt like a policeman. He squared his shoulders, lowered his voice, and focused. “Thank you. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

  “I hope so. I’m on a one o’clock call. Betty is too.”

  “You have time,” Betty said. “The Right-A-Way Shipping guys are always a few minutes late. And I’ll stall for you.” She gave a wink. “Like I always do,” she added before walking away.

  Leland put his large hands on his hips and faced Jack, his impatience hardly masked. “Well?”

  Jack flipped to a new page of his notebook. “Mr. Chambers, Stacy was working late the night she disappeared. Was that her regular schedule?”

  “Yes. Thursday night was her late night. I was giving her some overtime.”

  “Stacy left work while you were out for your run?”

  “Yes. I got ready for my run around seven. She was finishing up on some work. We chatted and I left. That was the last time I saw her.”

  “Do you remember what you talked about? Did she mention if she was going out after work?”

  “No. I try not to be too chummy with people under me. It was more of a how’s-the-weather type of conversation. Then I left.”

  “Did you see her in the park during your run?”

  Leland looked Jack up and down. “No. The last time I saw her was before I went out jogging. Are you as young as you look?”

  Jack ignored the observation and kept going. “What route did you run in the park?”

  “The outside loop. It was just a quick run to blow off steam.”

  “And when you came back, was there anyone here?”

  “No. The place was deserted.” Leland smiled smugly. “First to arrive, last to leave, but I make the sacrifice.”

  Jack tapped his notebook. “There was no one else in the building? What about cleaning staff?”

  “There’s usually a janitor or two. I thought you meant real employees.” Leland looked d
own at his watch. “I need to be at that meeting.”

  “Certainly.” Jack saw his window of opportunity closing fast, so he went for it. “You said you went for a run to…” Jack scanned his notes. “Blow off steam. Why did you need to blow off steam? Was that because of the argument you and Stacy had?”

  Leland’s expression didn’t change. “Not at all. Stacy and I didn’t argue.”

  Jeremy had said that Leland and Stacy argued, and Stacy had hinted about it to Betty. Jack didn’t have enough time to flip back through the notebook, so he had to rely on his memory. Jeremy had said Leland wanted something right away?

  Leland tapped his watch with a long finger. “Time’s up. I’ve got a meeting to catch.” He turned to go.

  Jack remembered Betty’s saucy wink as she left him and Chambers together. The Right-A-Way Shipping guys, she had said. And it hit him: Jeremy had heard them wrong. Chambers didn’t need something right away; they had argued about Right-A-Way Shipping.

  “Mr. Chambers,” Jack called after him, following him to the door. “The night Stacy went missing, you two had a disagreement over Right-A-Way Shipping. What was that about?”

  Leland’s mask cracked, and his upper lip twitched. “Oh, that. It was nothing. Stacy was working on the Right-A-Way Shipping report. It’s part of her job. She was… delayed.” As he spoke, he seemed to be selecting each word with careful effort. “Yes, that’s right—she was late in getting the report back to me and I have strict deadlines.” His face relaxed. “She was new to the job, and it was just a minor infraction. I let it go. Where did you hear—” Leland stopped himself and smiled coldly. “Well, if you would excuse me. Have a good day.”

  Jack looked up from his notepad, prepared to press Leland on the issue, but he froze when, through the glass doors, he saw the elevator. And stepping off that elevator was Detective Anthony Vargas.

  Jack spun on his heel and strode to the Impala as quickly and inconspicuously as he could.

  Chandler was pacing back and forth beside the car.

  “Get in, get in, get in.” Jack’s words snapped like a machine gun as he hurried to the driver’s side. “Vargas is right behind me.”

  Chandler jumped into the passenger seat. “Oh, man.”

  There was no time to pull away, so instead Jack just kept his head down, pretending to fiddle with the radio. Detective Vargas stepped out onto the sidewalk, marched over to his car—directly in front of the Impala—and stopped. If he turned to his right…