“I better go,” she mumbled and moved to leave.
“No, wait a second!” Jordan said, holding her back with a hand on her arm. “There’s something we need to talk about.”
“Unbelievable,” Esposito muttered. “Detective, this conversation isn’t over!”
“Ellie, do you know anything about Rhonda’s recent ex? The guy?” Jordan asked, ignoring the A.D.A.
This was too much of a non-sequitur even for Ellie.
“I never met him, but I’m sure you have a reason to ask me this?”
“I sure do. Come on, I have to tell McCarthy. He is connected to the missing woman. They will want to go see Rhonda.”
“Okay. Slow down. Tell me.”
Henderson shrugged and went back to his desk.
“Don’t screw up tomorrow,” Esposito warned and left as well.
“Okay, that worked well. So what is it with Rhonda?” Ellie’s eyes widened. “You didn’t just say that to get Esposito off your back?”
Jordan winced at the metaphor. “No, I didn’t. I swear. When we were looking for you…I went to see Rhonda, at work, and once outside her apartment building. There was a guy, he seemed obnoxious, but she claimed he wasn’t threatening her.”
“I talked to her once to say I was okay, but that’s all. Frankly, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“The missing woman, Jennifer Beaumont? She was last seen with this guy. Maybe Rhonda can help us find him.”
“Okay. I see.” Ellie wasn’t too eager to see Rhonda again. However, they’d had a polite phone conversation after her abduction, so there was a chance it wouldn’t been painful.
Besides, she knew that Kate was invested in this case. Finding Jennifer Beaumont would do her a lot of good, both personally and for her career.
“I’ll call Kate. Maybe Rhonda can come in.”
Chapter Fourteen
Rhonda had asked a colleague to take over for her and came to the station right away. She seemed a bit perplexed at the request as they retreated to an interview room with Ellie, Kate, and the Missing Persons detective. Rogers was in his fifties. Ellie had only seen him a few times before, but Kate had worked closely with him on this case. She looked excited.
“Hey, it’s nice to see you again, Ellie,” Rhonda said. “What is this all about? Raphael got himself in trouble? I’m not surprised.”
“Why is that, Ms. Marks?” Rogers asked.
“Well, there’s a reason he’s my ex. He seemed okay at first, saying all the right things, but it got weird from there.”
“Weird how, Rhonda?” Kate pushed. “Do you know where he is now? That’s all we need to know.”
“First of all, no, I don’t know where he is. He talked about having family in Iowa, maybe he went back there. As for the weirdness, he started telling me how to dress, how to wear my hair, and so on. At first it was like, it’s really pretty that way, and soon we got to, not like that, it makes you look real slutty.”
Ellie thought with a shudder that she’d become blonde because Rhonda liked it that way, but she got a different vibe from Deane.
“In any case, I wasn’t going to put up with that crap any longer, and I broke up with him. He came to see me a couple of times, tried to change my mind…That’s when the detective came looking for you, Ellie. She offered me to file a restraining order, but I said no. I didn’t think he was that dangerous, and he vanished shortly after that. We met through a couple of friends we had in common, but they haven’t seen him either.”
“Can you give us their names?”
“Sure. Ellen and Dwayne. I have their addresses if you want them.”
“That’s great, thank you,” Ellie said. “If you see him, please give us a call. It’s important.”
“You’re not going to tell me what he did?” Rhonda’s eyes widened dramatically. “He didn’t kill anyone, did he?”
“We assume that he’ll be able to help us with an ongoing investigation. That will be all, Ms. Marks. Thank you.” Rogers rose, picking up the notepad with the addresses Rhonda had written on it. Kate followed him out of the room, which gave Ellie and Rhonda a sudden and awkward privacy.
“I’m really glad you’re okay,” Rhonda said softly, as she stepped closer. She reached out to tuck a strand of hair that had escaped the neat bun, behind Ellie’s ear. “You’re still blonde.”
Ellie took a step backwards. “Yeah. My girlfriend likes it that way.”
“Touché.” Rhonda laughed. “Look. I didn’t mean anything. I just want you to know I met Raph long after we broke up.”
“You mean after you vanished into nowhere.”
“Same difference. And I didn’t exactly vanish. I’ve had the same job for the past ten years. Doesn’t matter now. You’re happy, I’m happy. Maybe you’d like to get a coffee sometime, and we can catch up?”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Maybe not, but I’m curious.” Rhonda winked as she picked up her purse. “I hope you’ll come by the store. You’ll love the new collection, I promise you. I can find my way out.”
She kissed Ellie on the cheek and left.
Closing the door behind her, Ellie thought that the idea of staying friends with the ex was nothing but a delusion. That coffee—or shopping trip, for that matter—was never going to happen. She was glad though that they could do something to help Kate’s case move forward. She was a lot more focused, seemed less lost than she had after her fiancé’s death.
* * * *
“Do you like my hair the way it is?”
“I like everything about you the way it is,” Jordan confirmed as she ran her fingers lazily through the blonde strands. Waking up far before the alarm had its advantages.
“Sorry, that was silly.” Ellie sighed. “What is it with exes always sticking around? No, you don’t have to answer that. I don’t even know why I’m still thinking about it.”
“How did it go…otherwise?”
“She had some names. They might help find the guy. It’s not her, really. I’m still angry at myself that I made so many changes. It wasn’t until…That night I realized life is damn short. You have to take any chance you get.”
Jordan pulled her close, thinking ruefully that she’d have to get up in five minutes or less. “I’m glad I fit somewhere in that equation.”
“Me too. I heard someone called me a self-entitled twit for that, but it’s—”
“What? Who did that?”
“It’s not important,” Ellie insisted. “There was some talk, as I’m sure you’re aware of, but it wasn’t worse than what Kate had to deal with. It’s the same immature clique of guys being twelve-year-old boys. First they told her how sorry they were about Jensen, then not much later they called her a slut. You know how it is. You can get out of high school, but you can’t get high school out of some people.”
Despite herself, Jordan had to laugh. “That’s good. I’d still like to know who. For future reference.”
“You have to get up now. If you’re late, Esposito will have your hide.”
“Yeah, whatever. Give me a name.”
“Okay.” Ellie sighed, “Chris Atwood. Don’t do or say anything, please. Hell, I’m sure he forgot about it by now.”
“What you, or Kate, do in your private lives is none of their business. This is unacceptable.” Jordan finally got out of bed and started gathering her clothes. “Someone should tell Bristol. I’m sure that’s not the kind of work environment he wants for his precinct.” Jordan was aware, but she had done her best to ignore the gossip at work, after Darby, and after she and everyone else learned that TJ Pratt was her biological father. People talked. That didn’t mean they were entitled to harassment.
“Let it go. Please? They’ve been quiet lately. I really don’t want them to feel that important.”
“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind, but only because you are right about Esposito. I hope it’s going to be quick.”
“If it’s not,” I’ll com
e by at lunchtime,” Ellie offered. “Now get into the shower, or do I have to join you?”
“Promises,” Jordan muttered.
Moments later, they stood entwined under the shower spray, and it took every bit of self-restraint not to forget about the court date altogether.
“They’re jealous,” Ellie whispered. “They just wish they could have what we have.”
Jordan supposed she was right. It had been damn hard to find, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t tried before.
* * * *
Jordan tried to convey some reassurance to Aleja, but the younger woman looked away. She couldn’t blame her. She had to tell the truth, and it wasn’t very helpful from where Aleja stood at the moment. Even though she was clearly not responsible for the attack on Abby, the evidence was still damning.
“Given the financial record of the defendant, we are dealing with a high flight risk. Detective Carpenter will tell us something that speaks to the danger Ms. Santos presents.”
“Objection,” the defense attorney intervened. “My client does not present a danger to anyone.”
The judge already looked annoyed. “Counselor?”
“I apologize. We only want to establish the facts. Detective, can you describe what happened the night you first met Ms. Santos?”
Jordan straightened, feeling uncomfortable in her suit, but more so for having to tell something that would most likely influence the judge against Aleja.
“It was at the D&T. My…partner and I were just leaving when we witnessed an argument between two women that was getting physical.”
“One of the women was Aleja Santos.”
“Yes. I didn’t know her name at the time. Also, no one was hurt. When they realized we were with the police, they stopped. The other woman left. Since the situation had deescalated, we left too.”
“Did you file a report?” Valerie asked, unmistakable reproach in her tone. The judge looked interested, a tad impatient as Jordan took her time to answer.
“No, I didn’t, and neither did Officer Harding. No one pressed charges. It was just a loud argument. Like I said, no one got hurt.”
“Because you stepped in. Did you see who started it? And how physical did it get before you decided to intervene? You were off duty. I don’t assume you insert yourself into every argument you witness?”
“Which question would you like me to answer first?” Jordan wished she could roll her eyes at Valerie, but of course that wasn’t an option in this context.
“Do you intervene every time you witness an argument?”
“No, of course I don’t.”
“Detective, please tell us what happened that night.”
“As I understand it, Ms. Santos was in a conversation with someone, when that woman’s partner returned. They started arguing, then shouting, then pushing each other. A chair toppled over, and that’s when we went over to talk to them. Things quieted down quickly. Not everyone who has a temper, will actually kill someone. I don’t think Aleja Santos…”
“Thank you, Detective,” Valerie said icily. “I have no more questions.”
“This is not fair,” Aleja shouted. “I was just talking to her, and the other girl accused me of wanting to hook up!”
“Ms. Santos,” the judge warned.
“I would never harm anyone. I liked Sandra…and Mr. Ashcroft? Why would I want to kill him? He treated me better than my own parents when I first came out!”
Her lawyer hastily whispered to her and then got to his feet.
“Your Honor, I am sorry for the interruption.”
“You better be.”
Jordan stayed until the end, though she later wished she hadn’t. Bail was set at $1 million, proof of much weight was given not only to the evidence and testimony, but the Ashcroft name. She doubted that the case of a woman found strangled in an alley would have led to the same outcome.
“Hey,” Valerie called after her as she was about to leave the courthouse. “I said I’d buy you a coffee. I meant it, even though you were trying to mess with my case.”
“If it’s so easy to mess with it, then maybe it’s on shaky ground to begin with.”
Valerie laughed. “I missed you. And my case is on solid ground, believe me. How about that coffee now?”
“I don’t have time. I have to get back to work.” Her gaze fell on a pale looking Abigail Ashcroft and her brother Craig on the far end of the hallway. Both of them were smiling.
“Another time, then?”
“Sure,” Jordan said, if only it helped her making her escape.
* * * *
Whoever stabbed Abigail at the party, must have worn gloves, because her prints were the only ones on the knife. Furthermore, the caterer had confirmed that they were not missing a knife. Anyone could have had access to the regular steak knife. Jordan found Derek and Maria sitting at his desk over some papers. Jordan refrained from a comment, but she was relieved the two of them were obviously talking again. There was always a hazard when dating at work.
“Okay, the lab tells me only Abby’s prints are on the knife. At the hospital, she said that she pulled out the knife herself, so that’s consistent…Tell me something good,” she said.
“Oh, it’s good,” Derek answered. “Remember those payments for Sandra Paulson, even though she wasn’t employed with the firm anymore?”
“What about them?”
“We had Mrs. D’Amour look into those files, and there is someone who made payments, from another small company account that’s part of the corporation. Now guess who owns this small company?”
Jordan read from the sheet he held out to her. “L. Ashcroft. Linwood? He’s into pharmaceuticals and cosmetics? That’s new to me, and the best thing I heard today.”
“Don’t get too excited. It’s coincidental at this point.”
“I have to agree,” Maria said. “It doesn’t mean he knew Sandra. It’s not like he would personally write the checks.”
“But he should know if payments were going through for someone not even working there? We need to ask him that. Yes, I know. Carefully,” Jordan answered her partner before he could speak. “With this case, we could make a drinking game out of every time someone threatens to sue.”
“I’m glad you’re taking this very seriously, Detective.” No one had noticed the lieutenant standing behind them. “Carpenter, Doss, you’re going to follow up with Mr. Ashcroft. Henderson—my office.”
Jordan suppressed a grin. She didn’t envy her partner. Even with a suspect in custody, the atmosphere was still tense, especially when said suspect might be innocent after all.
Maria drove, so Jordan hung on to her own thoughts, the morning in court, the time spent with Ellie before that, and the fact that the meeting was Kathryn was still looming. Were there any results to those many tests yet, and if there were, what did that mean for either of them? Would Kathryn ask for money? If that was the case, would she be able to refuse?
“We’re here,” Maria announced.
Ashcroft’s secretary all but jumped to her feet when she saw them coming in. “Mr. Ashcroft is in a meeting, I don’t think he—”
“Don’t worry, we know the way,” Jordan told her. Maria followed her, obviously amused, though she didn’t comment.
They walked into the room, as surprised as the two occupants: Linwood Ashcroft and his sister Abigail. For a few odd seconds, no one said anything.
“Detectives,” Linwood said. “I thought we were done with visits from the police. What is it now?”
“We’re really sorry to bother you again, but there are a few more questions that came up. Could we talk in private?”
He frowned. “Abby?”
“I was just about to leave anyway,” his sister said as she reached for her purse. “Doctor told me to rest—I should take him at his word. Have you found the person who stabbed me yet?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “I didn’t think so. Have a good day anyway.”
“What is this about?” Linwood asked
after the heavy door fell shut. “I thought you found the killer.”
“Something came up about your company Health & Life.”
“Really? I own it on paper, sure, but I’m not much involved in it. As you can see, I’m very busy with my own business, and trying to keep my siblings from screwing up Dad’s. What about it?”
“It’s part of D’Amour Inc.?”
“That’s right. Danielle and I are on the board. I met her in college, and we started this a long time ago.”
“Are you aware of payments going out from Health and Life to a former D’Amour Inc. employee, Sandra Paulson?”
Someone cleared their throat behind them. “I’m sorry, Mr. Ashcroft,” the secretary said. “Would you like me to bring some coffee?”
“No, thanks, we’re fine. I’m sorry, Detectives, I never heard that name before. I will, however, look into it. It sounds like someone overstepped their boundaries. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
“Please do that.”
“If that’s all, I need to get back to work. I have your number, Detective Carpenter.”
“Thanks,” Jordan said as she and Maria got up to leave. Ashcroft stayed behind his desk.
“First of all, was he just flirting?” Maria asked once the door was closed.
“Not a chance. He’s firmly convinced I am going to hell.”
“Oh, okay. Second, college? What was she, his teacher?”
“Interesting theory,” Jordan said. “I’m not convinced he never knew Sandra’s name. And I believe there’s someone we can ask.” She stepped up to the secretary’s desk. The woman all but shrank back.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” she asked hesitantly.
“Do you know this woman?” Jordan handed her the photo of Sandra Paulson.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“I don’t know what you want me to say. No, I don’t know her.”
“You are aware of her though?”
“I saw her name in the news, when the jogger found her. That’s all.”
She cast a nervous look at the door of Linwood’s office.
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