“That would be great,” Sara said. She didn’t take her eyes from the screen as Matt moved in jerky, fast-forward motions, closing up folders on his desk, putting a few papers into a brown briefcase, and then standing and grabbing his blazer from the back of his chair. He put it on, and then headed for the office door.
“Then he leaves and walks to the parking garage. Want me to skip to the garage?” The guard asked.
“Hang on,” Sara said. She watched Matt turn and go back to a small table in his office. She recognized the white pastry box sitting on the table. She watched Matt untie the bow, open the box, and pull out a pastry.
“What’s this?” Sara mused aloud.
“A snack for the road,” The guard said. She zoomed in on the treat. Sara could see the flaky layers of pastry and pale, golden chunks of fruit. It looked like an apple pastry.
“Looks good, too,” Amir said. “I can see why he grabbed it.”
The three watched as Matt polished off the delicious looking treat. Then he walked out of his office, leaving the door half open behind him.
Once he left the office, he was out of view of the camera. All that was visible was the door, left half open, his empty desk, and the pastry box.
“Can we watch him go down the hallway?” Sara asked.
“Sure... let me pull that up,” The guard said.
With a few clicks, she had it. Matt walked briskly down the hallway. The view was from behind him. Then he exited the building. “From here he goes straight to the parking garage,” The guard said.
“Let’s see him walk there,” Sara said. She didn’t want to miss anything.
The walk, however, was uneventful. When he reached his car, Matt got inside. He put the car in reverse, and then drove towards the security camera, and then off of the screen.
“Can you back up the video?” Sara asked. Something about Matt’s outfit had caught her eye. He looked different, for some reason. She wanted to take a closer look.
“What do you see?” Amir asked.
The guard stopped the video, backed up several minutes.
As the three of them watched Matt’s car reverse for a second time, Sara answered Amir. “I’m not sure, but it looked like he might have been wearing something different. It might be his tie. It looked lighter.”
“A lighter tie?” the guard asked, puzzled.
“There!” Sara said. “Pause it, please.”
The guard did as asked, and then zoomed in on Matt. It was a clear shot of him, in his car. Sara pointed to the screen. “Polka dots,” she said. “I see polka dots. Do you?” she turned to Amir.
Amir nodded, and grinned. “Not the most stylish of choices, I’ll admit. Why are you interested in it?”
“Because,” Sara said. “He was in stripes, before.”
“He was!” the guard said. “You’re right!”
Sara nodded. “I know. I helped my father pick out his ties for ages, before he met his new wife. He was a single guy, with atrocious fashion sense. I had to help him out.”
“I can only imagine your pattern choices as a teenage girl. Let me guess: you went with smiley faces? Hearts? Little flamingos?” Amir joked.
He is flirting with me, Sara thought happily. She smiled back. “No—I like to think I chose well. Solid colors. Dark, usually. Maroon, navy, occasionally a pastel blue.”
“Very nice,” Amir said, with a nod of approval.
They were standing very close, and Sara felt giddy as she noticed the subtle heat between them.
“Ah hem.” The guard cleared her throat.
Apparently, Sara wasn’t the only one noting the tension between she and Amir. The guard seemed to sense it too, and it was making her uncomfortable. “If you two don’t mind explaining... why is it important that Matt changed his tie?”
“He didn’t change his tie,” Sara said. “Why would he wear one tie all day at the office, and then just before going home randomly decide to change ties?”
“Beats me,” the guard said. “But he did. We can see the new tie right here.” She pointed to the computer screen.
Sara shook her head. “We’re not seeing a new tie. We’re seeing old footage. This video has been doctored.”
“Why?” Amir asked.
“I don’t know,” Sara said. “He was wearing the striped tie right up ‘til he was about to leave his office. He called his wife, ate an apple pastry, and then it looked like he left his office for the day. We only saw the back of him as he walked down the hallway. What if he never left his office? Or what if, the minute he stepped out, someone guided him back in?”
“Why wouldn’t he leave his office?” the guard asked.
That stumped Sara. “I really don’t know,” she said honestly. “All I know is that at some point between the time when he was in his office, and when he reached his car, the real video was cut and replaced with an old video. It’s all digital, I’m assuming?”
The guard nodded. “Sure is, ma’am. We upgraded to new software last year. That was around the time that we added more cameras onto the grounds. We don’t have security guards on duty overnight, so it’s up to the cameras to catch any funny business.”
“Why are there no guards here at night?” Sara asked.
“Because the point of having us guards around is that we can monitor the delivery trucks that come in to take loads from the processing plant. At night, the plant is locked down. When the plant is locked down, we know nothing of value is going to leave the grounds. The only thing of real value on these grounds lies inside that plant.”
Except for human life, thought Sara. The security system clearly wasn’t designed to prevent murder.
“Makes sense to me,” Amir said.
Sara wasn’t satisfied. “So you pay close attention to trucks,” she said. “But what about foot traffic and cars? Do they have free access?”
“Everyone stops in here at the gate house and signs in on a log,” the guard said.
“Can I see it?” Sara asked.
The guard walked a few paces to the side, and reached for something sitting on the desk. It was a binder. She slid it over towards Sara.
Sara peered at the names, wondering if Byron, Davis, or Lucy Smith would have been bold enough to sign in. She didn’t see their names.
She burrowed inside her purse, pulled out her phone, and pulled up her camera app. “Mind if I snap a picture of this?” she asked Amir.
“Not at all,” he said.
Sara flipped to the page that said “May 28th" on the top, and took several pictures of the list of a dozen names.
When she was done snapping photos she turned to the guard and said, “Do the names Byron, Davis, or Lucy Smith sound familiar to you?”
The guard shook her head.
“What’s next?” Amir asked, as Sara returned her phone to her purse.
“I’d like to go in and look at his office,” Sara said. “Matt’s wife, Gabby, said that she already cleaned it out. But maybe we’ll see something that she missed.”
The guard glanced between Sara and Amir. “Ma’am, you’ll need clearance to go in and poke around. I’m supposed to keep people off of the grounds until we open back up on Monday. Sir, is this alright with you?”
Amir nodded. “Good with me,” he said. “In fact, I’d like to go look around myself. Can I tag along, Sara?”
I’d like nothing better, Sara thought happily. Aloud she said, “That would be fine.”
6
Sara and Amir exited the guard room. Once outside, Sara lifted a hand to ward off the bright, noonday sun. She eyed the beige and grey building, crouched low against the tree line, far in the distance.
“It’s about a half mile away,” Amir said. He pulled his sunglasses down over his eyes.
“Some fresh air would be nice,” Sara said. “Want to walk?”
“Sounds good to me,” Amir said. “I’ve been cooped up in meetings most of the week. A dose of fresh air will do me good.”
They began
walking. Sara liked Amir’s presence at her side. He walked with a slow, easy pace, hands in pockets. Like the day before, on the phone, she was struck by his unhurried demeanor.
Though she was usually a reserved person, Amir’s confident, warm personality made Sara feel like he was a familiar friend. “You’re not like other business owners I know,” she said aloud. “You seem much less stressed.”
“Thank you,” Amir said, turning to look at her and grace her with one of his winning smiles. “That means a lot coming from such a calm woman. I meet a lot of people, through work, but there’s something distinctly peaceful about you. Have you always been so... centered?”
Sara considered this. “No, not always,” she said, after they’d walked for a while in silence. “But I’ve been through a lot over the past decade. Little things no longer phase me.”
At the mention of the last ten years, she thought of all the ways that her stepmother had made sure to make life difficult. She thought of her father, and his illness.
“Family stuff?” Amir asked.
She looked up at him. “I—yes. How did you know?”
“Just a guess,” Amir said. “You mentioned that you were raised by your father. That must have been difficult for him—and for you. I can’t imagine raising a child on my own.”
“Do you have kids?” Sara asked. She’d noticed that he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, but she didn’t want to jump to any conclusions.
Relief washed over her as Amir answered. “No kids; no partner. It’s just me.”
“You must be very busy with work,” Sara said. “Your company is extremely successful.”
“Thank you for saying so,” Amir said, accepting the compliment without resistance. “We’ve come a long way. How about you... do you have kids? A boyfriend?”
Sara liked the fact that Amir was asking her this. He wants to know if I’m single, she realized. Just as I wanted to know if he was single.
She felt giddy as she informed him of her availability. “Just me,” she simply said.
The next several minutes were spent in silence, and Sara felt almost as though she was floating. She’d never walked next to a man in such comfortable quiet. It was nice not to feel the need to fill the space between them with words.
As the building neared, Sara’s mind turned back to the puzzle of Matt’s death.
It seemed that Amir was thinking along the same lines.
“Why did you ask the guard about those three names?” he asked. “Those are the three HiTech employees who were here to try to buy the mine. I’ve been at meetings with all three of them these past few days. You think they’re involved in all of this?”
“I suspect that at least one of them is behind the deaths,” Sara said. “But I don't’ know which one. I do know that all three of them arrived in town the day before Matt Ferris died.”
“But Peak Mine wasn’t even up for sale then,” Amir said.
“Exactly,” Sara replied. “Why would they even be here? They’re based in New York. The only reason they would be here in Colorado is if they knew that the mine was going to go up for sale—because they were planning on killing Matt. Or at least one of them was, anyways.”
Amir thought this over for a minute. “Byron, Davis, and Lucy. I met with the three of them, along with a team of lawyers, last Monday. We met at a little diner just across the street from where they’re staying.”
“You know where they were staying?” Sara asked.
“I know where they are staying, currently. They’re still in town. I heard Byron tell his daughter Lucy that they were going to enjoy the weekend in Dayton and then fly home on Monday.”
“What was the name of the hotel?” Sara asked. “Where is it?”
“Tell you what,” Amir said. “I’ll take you over there, after this. The diner was excellent. I can see why Byron’s son liked it so much. I’ll treat you to lunch. They had the best malt milkshakes I’ve ever tasted. Do you like milkshakes?”
“I think so—I haven’t had one in years,” Sara said. She hesitated. “I have a lot of work to do. If I can find out more about Matt’s death, and if it’s connected to the other mine owners, I’ll reach out to the authorities. On top of that I have to write an article that’s due tomorrow afternoon.”
“Well that’s perfect,” Amir said, just as they reached the office’s front doors. “Your article is about the sale of the mine, correct? I can fill you in on all of the details. I’m a primary source. You could get all of the facts, figures, and quotes you need in one sitting—all while enjoying a reuben sandwich, a milkshake, and fifties decor. What could be better?”
Sara could think of nothing better. She was hungry, and she needed to interview him. Not to mention the fact that she’d get to spend several more hours basking in his presence.
“Okay,” she agreed.
Amir pulled the office doors open, and they stepped inside. He seemed familiar with the building’s layout, and led the way to Matt’s old office.
“It’s going to be my office,” Amir said, as they stepped inside. “Though I’m not really the type to spend much time behind a desk. I love to take my calls while out on walks, driving—doing anything but sitting behind a desk and pushing papers. Sometimes, it can’t be avoided, though.” He motioned to a stack of papers on the otherwise bare desk. “Those are all contracts that I have to review by Monday.”
“That is a lot of paperwork,” Sara said. She did not envy the task.
“Such is the life of a CEO,” Amir said good-naturedly.
Sara paced across the office floor, looking for clues. The space was about twenty feet by twenty feet, and completely bare of all personal items. Gabby had apparently done a very thorough job of cleaning it out.
She opened the desk drawers, one by one, but they were all empty.
The beige carpet was clean and bare.
After twenty minutes of searching, Sara had to face the fact that she was not going to uncover any clues. She admitted as much to Amir.
After a nice leisurely stroll back to the cars, Sara got into her Camry and followed Amir back down the mine road, through Washton, and onto the highway. He’d promised to lead the way to the diner. And she’d promised to do her best to keep up with him.
It was fun to tag along behind his BMW, recalling the sweet looks and compliments he’d given her during their snooping session.
He’s royalty. He’s successful, handsome, kind, and intelligent. Why is he showing so much interest in me?
Sara knew that she was pretty. When she was just eighteen, fresh out of high school, she’d entered into a beauty contest. It wasn’t something she thought much about. There was a cash prize, and she wanted some spending money of her own, even though her father provided her with whatever she needed.
She was shocked when she won the contest. It was wonderful to know that out of all of the contestants, the judges had deemed her the most beautiful—inside and out.
At the time, the win felt great. It was a confidence boost, and she started to think about entering other competitions. The prize was always money, and she donated her first winnings to a Feed America campaign. Signing over the check had felt so exciting.
In hindsight, however, Sara wished that she had never entered into the contest.
It was at the contest that her father had met Fiona—another contestant. Fiona had come in second place, right after Sara.
It was that moment—the moment that Sara was awarded first place, and Fiona second, that Fiona had decided to make Sara’s life miserable. Sara just knew it. A year and a half later, Fiona married Ed. Shortly after that, Sara moved out of the home she’d grown up in—just to get away from Fiona’s hatred.
Is it my looks that Amir is attracted to? Sara wondered, as she tailed Amir down the street. Or is it more?
She liked the way he recognized and appreciated her calm demeanor, and her investigative skills. It’s more than just my looks, she thought happily. We click on another level.
/> Things never went well with the men who liked her for just her looks. But Sara got the distinct feeling from Amir that he was interested in all of her—not just her beautiful figure, porcelain complexion, refined features, and ebony hair.
He didn't even know what I looked like when we first spoke on the phone, she thought happily. And I didn’t know what he looked like. Yet still, we clicked.
Amir took a left immediately after a sign for the Sunshine Diner. Sara followed, and pulled into a spot next to his BMW. When they both emerged from their cars, Amir spoke first.
“Ready to try the best malt milkshake of your life, Sara?” he asked.
“I’m so ready,” Sara said. She meant it in more ways than one. She was ready for a milkshake and food, absolutely. She was ready to gather information for her next article, of course. She was also ready to try to uncover more clues about Matt’s death. But more than all of that, she was ready to spend more time with this prince, who had magically appeared into her universe and was quickly winning her heart.
7
Sara was curious to learn more about the three HiTech employees, Byron, Davis, and Lucy, and she knew that Amir would be a valuable source of info, seeing as he’d had several meetings with the three. Hopefully he’d observed their dynamic, and could tell her about it.
Even though there was a great deal of business to discuss, she couldn’t help asking him a personal question first.
“This must be very different than what you’re used to in Qu’abar. Did you grow up there?” she said, as they slid into a diner booth.
Amir lifted two plastic coated menus from between a stand of napkins and a cluster of condiments.
“Oh, it’s very different,” he said. “I dreamed about places like this when I was a child. I grew up in the palace, and dinner was a very formal affair—at least four courses, and sometimes five. It would last four to five hours, too. There’s no such thing as ‘fast food’ in Qu’abar.”
Sara laughed. “This isn’t exactly fast food,” she said, scanning the menu. “It’s not a home cooked meal, either, but hopefully it falls somewhere in between.”
Snow White and the Seven Murders Page 6