“What if Noel really can walk?” Wesley asked. “What if he could reach the top shelf in my closet?”
“I’ve wondered about that as well.” Casey slung her purse strap over her shoulder. “Noel and Jasmine were just friends, though, weren’t they? Like you and Jasmine.”
“No, not like me and Jasmine,” he shot back. “Noel asked her to marry him. She showed me the ring Sunday night. Wanted to know what I thought.”
Whoa. Neither Noel nor Marie had thought to mention this. “What did you think?”
“That it was a bad idea. She didn’t love him. She planned to give it back.”
Noel had told Casey he and Jasmine argued Monday night. What else had the guy kept from her? “Why did Jasmine even take the ring?”
“She said she’d been too shocked to say anything.” He rubbed his hair. “I think she wanted to use it to make de Luca jealous.”
“Did she show Roberto the ring?”
“Don’t know, ask him.”
Two spectators began yelling and shoving each other. A third man tried to break them up. Casey moved to the door.
“Could you still help?” Wesley followed her. “I wouldn’t blab it around like that mouthpiece you work with.”
No, she couldn’t, but to tell him on his own turf without appearing to think it over wouldn’t be smart.
“I’ll let you know. Have you ever taken photographs of Jasmine?” She should probably let it go, but that picture of a sleeping Jasmine still bothered her.
“Casey, in all the years we’ve worked at MPT, have you ever seen me with a camera or even talk about stupid photography?”
“It’s just that I saw snapshots of Jasmine and Jeremy in her locker. The one of Jasmine was taken in her bedroom, and she looked like she was asleep.”
Wesley scowled. “Ask de Luca about it.”
She already had. Why wasn’t anyone admitting they’d snapped a picture of Jasmine at a vulnerable moment? Maybe Noel hadn’t been honest about that either.
FOURTEEN
RELUCTANT TO ATTRACT ATTENTION, CASEY slipped into Mainland’s admin building and hurried upstairs to the security department. Between this morning’s disturbing chat with Wesley and yesterday’s phone threat, she felt as vulnerable on Mainland property as she did anywhere else, and increasingly suspicious of coworkers. Roberto had lied about his alibi, Wesley owned the weapon that killed Jasmine, and Marie was desperate to exonerate her brother. Then there was the VP’s puzzling behavior.
First, a solemn David Eisler had come to her home asking about Jasmine’s gravesite, but later he didn’t want her name mentioned at work. Worse, he’d been harassing Jasmine. No wonder Mainland Public Transport felt more like a landmine-filled war zone than the safe, cheerful place she’d enjoyed and respected.
As for Noel, she understood why he’d kept his proposal to Jasmine a secret, but she sure as hell didn’t like it. Did Corporal Lundy know about it? Did Marie?
And what else had Roberto lied about? She was so disappointed in him. She knew he craved female company, but to string Jasmine along so he wouldn’t be alone was disgusting. His New Westminster apartment was only a fifteen-minute drive from Jasmine’s place in Coquitlam. Had Jasmine threatened to make his life a living hell if he didn’t commit to her?
Casey entered the long rectangular room. Mercifully, it looked like everyone had left for lunch. She removed a Post-it note stuck to her computer screen. “Timesheets by 2:00 PM today! No excuses! ASS.” Amy Sarah Sparrow had struck again.
“Good, you’re here.” Marie entered the room, carrying a coffee and muffin.
“Just to do my timesheet.”
“Is Summer okay? How’s your head?”
“She’s fine; my head is sore.”
“Maybe you should call Noel to let him know you’ve quit the team.”
Team? Is that what she called it? “Why can’t you tell him?”
“I thought you’d want to tell him yourself. Noel said you and he hit it off.”
Meaning what? That they were best buds now? “You can tell him.” She removed a notepad from her purse and flipped to the page of recorded hours.
“Look, I know you’re afraid for Summer but, as a courtesy, you really should call him.”
“Courtesy, huh?” Casey stood. “Why didn’t you or Noel tell me he’d proposed to Jasmine? That would have been courteous, Marie.”
Marie frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Jasmine showed someone the engagement ring from your brother, and told the friend she was giving it back.”
Two cherry patches spread over Marie’s cheeks. Behind her, a couple of clerks strolled into the room. They nodded to Casey and wandered past them.
“Noel said that he and Jasmine fought the night before she died,” Casey added, lowering her voice. “He skipped the part about proposing to her.”
“That’s because it didn’t happen. Who told you this crap?”
“Talk to Noel. As I said, I’m not investigating Jasmine’s murder anymore.” Casey sat and turned to her computer screen.
“It can’t be,” Marie murmured. “Noel and I have always been close. He never mentioned being in love, and Jasmine was my best friend. She told me everything.”
“Obviously not.” Casey opened the template. “Since Jasmine turned him down, maybe you were the last person she wanted to discuss this with.” Casey looked up. “Did Jasmine ever say anything about moving to Parksville?”
“No, why?”
“No reason.” She turned back to the screen. Wesley seemed to know more about Jasmine’s life than Marie did. Maybe the friendship between the two women was more one-sided than Marie wanted people to think.
“Did Roberto tell you all this garbage?”
“I have to get this done, Marie.”
Through the palms and dracaena dividing security from the other departments, Casey spotted the accounting staff going about their business more quietly than usual.
“Wesley told you, right?” Marie asked. “He was really into Jasmine. Probably wants to divert the blame from him, seeing as how it was his gun that killed her.”
Casey caught the employees’ stares. Great, everyone at Mainland would know before the day was over. “How do you know about the gun?”
“Noel’s lawyer found out.” Marie crossed her arms. “Maybe you should ask your source why he made up that shit about an engagement.”
Casey smacked her hands on the desk. “How many times do I have to tell you that I’m done investigating?” Her voice rose. “I’m going to email everyone and post a copy on the bulletin board. Should I pin one to your shirt so you’ll remember?”
A giggle came from the end of the room.
The cherry patches on Marie’s cheeks darkened. “You think Noel’s guilty, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what to think.”
Marie was a master at manipulation and generating sympathy. Everyone at work took her side after each of her three divorces, believing what she’d said about being victimized by “vindictive” men. No one had heard the ex-husbands’ stories.
“I know about your altercation with Eisler yesterday,” Marie said. “Did you check his alibi?”
“What about Eisler’s alibi?” Stan said as he stepped out of his office.
“I’m trying to convince Marie that I’m not investigating Jasmine’s murder anymore because of what happened last night.”
“Anymore?” Stan put his hands on his hips.
“Could we talk privately?” Casey asked.
“Sure.”
Ignoring Marie’s scowl, she marched into Stan’s office and shut the door. Too edgy to sit, Casey paced the room. How much should she tell him? He wouldn’t be pleased to hear that she’d been interviewing people and lurking outside Birch’s home. Stan had worked hard to earn the co-operation of police departments throughout the Lower Mainland. He wouldn’t want his team interfering with a murder investigation.
“I got an anonymous
call yesterday, warning me to stop investigating, or Summer would die.”
Stan recoiled. “Is Summer okay? Where is she?”
“At school. I’m picking her up and taking her to Lou’s mom’s tonight. Barb’s offered to let Summer stay there as long as she needs to. They’ve got a security system and a rottweiler, and two of Lou’s buff younger brothers still live at home.”
“Did you tell Corporal Lundy about the threat?”
“Yes.” He’d lectured her about the danger of meddling in police business. “Please don’t tell anyone, including Marie, where Summer is.”
“Okay, but it sounds like you’ve worried the killer, so exactly how much snooping have you been up to?”
Casey highlighted the interviews with people on Birch’s mail route and her talk with Noel. When she reached the part about visiting Birch’s trailer, Stan whistled and scratched his beard. She stopped the story there.
“Why was Marie asking about Eisler’s alibi?” he asked.
“If I tell you, you could wind up in an awkward position.”
“Tell me anyway.”
Casey gripped the back of the wooden chair. “It seems that no one knows where Eisler was the morning Jasmine died. He also came to my house on Sunday and asked where Jasmine’s grave was.”
Stan leaned forward. “You’re joking.”
“No. He said he wanted to send flowers, but since Marie and Lou were with me, that’s all he said, though I wonder if he wanted to say more.” She watched Stan push his keyboard away and rest his elbows on the desk. “The night before Jasmine died, Eisler asked her out for a drink, which she refused. Apparently, that wasn’t the first time he’d called her.”
“Can you back this up?”
“Roberto de Luca can. She told him about Eisler’s last call that night, and Wesley told me about other calls he’d made.”
“Rude Wesley Axelson?”
“He and Jasmine were friends.”
“Eisler, huh?” Stan blew out a big breath of air. “Married and on the executive team. How stupid is that?”
“I’ve heard that he’s taken to disappearing without telling anyone where he’s going.” Casey paused. “Yesterday he overheard me talking to Roberto about the murder and basically ordered me to shut up about it.”
Stan’s gaze drifted to the bonsai on his desk. Casey could almost see his mind thinking things through. She turned to the window and watched buses coming and going in the depot. Above the garage, someone had painted over the “Remember Jasmine” sign, as if memories could be so easily banished.
“Let me ask you something,” Stan said. “Do you think Marie’s brother is innocent?”
“I have no idea.” Casey glanced at the door. “But as long as the murder’s unsolved, this isn’t a fun place to work.”
“You got that right. I’ll see if I can find out where perma-tan man was that morning, but this is strictly for my own peace of mind.”
“Absolutely, and thanks.”
“Just take care of Summer and pray the killer’s found fast.”
“I will.” She stood. “By the way, would you like one of Jasmine’s gerbils, hamsters, or guinea pigs?”
He gave her a brief smile. “I’ll ask my wife.”
“Thanks.” Casey stepped outside.
She’d barely made it back to her desk before Marie said, “I’ve been thinking.”
“Please don’t.”
“The shooter wore a ball cap and sunglasses,” Marie went on. “It could have been a woman. If you made inquiries about Gabrielle’s abili, no one would know.”
Why wouldn’t this idiot listen?
“So could you or Noel’s lawyer.”
“I’ve told you before, the lawyer costs too much.” Marie scribbled something on a piece of paper. “Gabrielle knows my name and voice, but you could talk to her. Give a false name and make up a story to find out where she was when Jasmine was shot.”
She placed the paper next to Casey’s keyboard. “Here’s the landlord’s number. You met Paval when we collected her pets. He has Gabrielle’s home number.”
“Why would he have it?”
“After Jasmine died, he thought he should break the news to Hannah, so he got her number through directory assistance, and Gabrielle answered the phone. It turns out Hannah’s still recovering from her stroke at some rehab facility. Gabrielle barely cared that her half sister had died, which is all the more reason to check her out.”
“You just don’t listen, do you?” Casey began working on her timesheet.
“Just this one last thing, Casey, and then I promise to make sure everyone knows you’re done helping us.”
Bloody unbelievable. “What if Gabrielle’s the killer, Marie? How will that protect Summer?”
Marie’s mouth twitched. “Don’t talk to her directly. Ask someone she works with.”
“Where does she work?”
“I don’t know if she even has a job. I just assume she does.”
Tension shot across Casey’s sore shoulders and her goose egg throbbed.
“Please, Casey,” she mumbled. “Where’s the justice for Noel and Jasmine?”
Admittedly, she was curious about Gabrielle’s alibi, yet she had to think about Summer. Casey looked beyond the plants. Human resources personnel had returned from lunch and everyone at the end of the room was still unusually quiet.
“Can I ask you something?” Casey kept her voice low. “And I want the truth.”
“What?”
“Can Noel walk with crutches or any other device?”
“He’s never had any interest in trying, I swear.”
Judging from Marie’s downcast eyes and the resignation in her voice, she seemed sincere. So, how could Noel have pulled himself up, retrieved two pistols and a rifle from a high shelf in Wesley’s closet, and then carried them to his van without help?
“Is there more evidence against Noel you didn’t tell me about?”
“I told you everything and, like I said, it’s all circumstantial. The stolen van, the gun found near his property. Everything.”
Again, Casey thought of the threat. “Sorry, but I have to think of Summer, and you, above all people, should understand that.”
“Wouldn’t it be better for all our kids if the killer was caught fast? With your skills, you can make that happen. You can’t just selfishly walk away. I mean, I’m the first to admit I’m a coward, but you’re not.”
Placing her hands on the arms of her chair, Casey rose. Her heart thumping, she moved close to Marie. Uncertainty clouded Marie’s eyes and she stepped back.
“That is not the first time you’ve called me selfish, and I really resent it,” Casey said. “I am not selfish. I’ve already done more for you and your brother than anyone else around here. And don’t ever use Summer to manipulate me, understand?”
“Fine.” Marie headed for her desk. “Whatever.”
Casey tried to focus on her timesheet, but she was too furious to think. She had to get out of here. Scrunching the paper with the landlord’s number into a ball, she marched out of the room. While Casey jogged downstairs, it occurred to her that Marie might have a point about helping find the killer fast. Looking over her shoulder, waiting for the bad guy to be caught, wasn’t her style. Should she at least phone Paval? No one would have to know, and she really was curious about Gabrielle’s alibi. Why else would she still be carrying this ball of paper?
In the lunchroom, Casey poured herself a coffee and sat at the back of the room. She removed her cell phone from her purse, flattened the paper, and memorized the number. After she’d come up with a suitable story to tell Paval, she started pressing digits.
Paval answered on the second ring. After pleasantries were exchanged, Casey asked him if he knew Gabrielle’s phone number. “We have Jasmine’s personal belongings in her locker, and my supervisor said I should contact next of kin. Since Jasmine’s mother’s been ill, I thought I’d try Gabrielle.”
“I doubt she’
ll pay to have anything delivered to Parksville.”
David Eisler sauntered in at the other end of the room. When he spotted Casey, her muscles tensed. She looked out the window. Half a dozen conversations were going on in here, so he wouldn’t be able to hear her from this distance.
“Casey, are you still there?” Paval asked.
“Yes, do you know if she’s employed?”
“I’ve no idea, but since she showed up on a weekend, she could be. All I have is a home number. Give me a minute and I’ll get it for you.”
Eisler stared at her as if he expected her to do something wrong. At last he turned away and poured himself a coffee.
When Paval returned and recited the number, Casey scribbled it on the sheet. Eisler started toward her, but three drivers at a table said something to him and he stopped. Casey swept the paper into her purse and held her breath.
“Thanks, Paval, and just one more thing: did Jasmine ever say anything about moving away?”
“No, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d wanted to get away from her ex, and she did talk about spending time with her mother.”
“That reminds me, did you ever see a woman with Birch during these stalking episodes?”
“There had been someone with him a couple of times over the past month, but this person always stayed in the car. I can’t honestly say if it was a him or her.”
Eisler was still with the drivers. Since Paval knew a lot about what went on in his building, she said, “Did Jasmine ever mention a man named David Eisler calling her, or coming by her place recently? He has light brown hair, a tan, and nice clothes.”
“Hmm, my wife said something about a man in a suit lurking by the building’s entrance about a week before the murder. Ursula saw him when she was getting the mail and asked what he wanted. He said he was looking for Jasmine, so she assumed he was one of Jasmine’s nightclub acquaintances.”
Casey kept her gaze on Eisler. “Did he give a name or say anything else?”
“I don’t know. You should probably ask Ursula.”
“Is she around?”
Eisler’s conversation ended and he headed for her. Damn.
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