Sable Alley

by Bridget Bundy

  “You shouldn’t talk like that, Molly.”

  “Why not? It’s the truth. It’s how I feel.”

  “Why did you stay friends with her if she was such a horrible person?”

  “Why is it that any human being do stupid things?” Molly sighs and drinks half the contents in the glass. She takes a breath before continuing, “People kill each other for a shilling. They jump off buildings and bridges. They kill their children and their dogs. I guess my senseless act of a lifetime was putting up with Ruby.”

  “Your existence should be easy now.”

  “I’ll find something else to make my life a living hell. I’m human after all. I like torture just as much as the next person.”

  “Yeah,” I reply, moving on. “Did she ever confide in you about any problems she was having, or did you two keep quiet hateful company?”

  “That’s cute,” Molly chuckles.

  “I'm serious.”

  “I know you are.”

  “Answer my question, Molly?”

  “A couple of times she had concerns, but it was no big deal. Ruby was made of stone. She didn’t let anything bother her.”

  “What were those concerns?”

  “Ruby said that a guy came up to her on the street once or twice last week, and he asked about a job she applied for at Hunt Projects. She thought it was odd he knew about it because she hadn’t seen him before, and she knew he didn’t work there. She said that he was upset and blaming her for taking his job when they first talked. The second time he saw her, he told her that if she didn’t reject the job offer, he’d tell her secret to the CEO of Hunt Projects.”

  “What secret?”

  “That she was a lesbian and dating a woman. I guess he was hoping that Mr. Hunt was homophobic.”

  “How did Ruby react to the threat?”

  “As I said, she didn’t let anything bother her. Plus, she had the job in the bag, and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Whoever that guy was, he never had a chance. Ruby played dirty, and she played to win.”

  “She was dating Georgia Knight, the human resource officer at Hunt Projects. Did you know that?”

  “Yeah, I knew.”

  “Did you know Miss Knight hired Ruby into the firm?”

  “Of course I knew,” Molly says, “and it proves my point. Ruby played dirty like I said before. Everyone was a stepping stone to her. If she was alive today, working at Hunt Projects, Ruby would be trying to figure out a way to get the CEO position, or she’d be trying to marry him.”

  “It’s easy for you to speak badly of her when she can’t defend herself.”

  “Ruby slept with that woman to get a job and to pay for her education. She spilled alcohol on my dress so she can steal it and wear it at the ball. She slept and extorted from her professors and cheated off of other students to get good grades.”

  What can I say if it’s all true? Still, I find it hard, even though I know very little about Ruby, that she was the way Molly describes. I’ve heard nothing but positive things about her. I guess everyone has a dark side.

  “When Ruby was in primary school…” Molly pours another full glass. “She was a below average student. I saw her transcripts once. She showed them to me. Ruby shouldn’t have been accepted into the university, but miraculously, there she was, acing all of her classes. There’s so much more I could tell you about Ruby. With no candy coating or sprinkles on top, you’d think she was the devil herself. That girl was a terrible person, an awful human being, and the world is better off without her.”

  “Okay, Molly, you’ve made your point.”

  “Good. Talking about her is making my whiskey sour.”

  “Yeah.” I point at the door for Sam and me to leave. “Thank you for your time.”

  “Oh, just one thing, so I won’t appear to be a total bitch.” Molly takes a swallow and says after a long sigh, “When’s the funeral?”

  “You have to speak to Reece Pearson. He’s paying for it.”

  “Oh, great. I have to talk to Mountain Man again.”

  “Yes, you do. Have a good one. Thanks again for your help.”

  Back in the car, I’m going over the finer points of what Molly just said. I may be closer to solving this case than I thought.

  “The hate is real,” Sam comments.

  “Molly has no one to blame but herself. Why deal with fake friends? She didn’t have to put up with Ruby.”

  “There’s something deeper going on, but I don’t think she had anything to do with Ruby’s death.”

  “The footage of her at the party well after midnight is a solid alibi, and she’s not big enough to be the person in the coat.”

  “Why weren’t you concerned about the drugs? She had a full bowl of that crap on the coffee table.”

  “Not our problem,” I reply. “She’s not hurting anyone, and we’re not Vice. Solving this case is my only focus for now.”

  “Alright. So what’s the deal? Where are we going?”

  “We know Ruby was followed last week. I’ll assume that Ruby didn’t know who it was, but the guy approached her twice on the street and the train platform. He wanted her to reject the job offer, and if she didn’t agree, he would tell Ollie Hunt that she was sleeping with Georgia Knight, his human resource officer. And remember what Georgia said the last time. Ollie wouldn’t approve hiring Ruby if she had a relationship with her. The killer knew this.”

  “He works at Hunt Projects or used to. That’s the only way he would know.”

  “We need to pay Hunt Projects another visit.”

  Chapter Thirty-One.

  Just like the times before, the guard at the front desk takes us to the tenth floor. There’s no party, but the same people I saw the first time are at their desk, working as diligently as ever. I go directly to Georgia’s office, knock on the door, and enter without waiting for a reply. She’s at the head of an oval conference table to the right. Two seats are left open, one on each side of her. Plans, tablets, and files are strewn across the table. Four gentlemen, dressed casually in sweaters, look to me with a range of confusion to dissatisfaction, but Georgia is especially not happy to see me.

  “Gentlemen,” I state, showing my badge, “I have pressing matters with Ms. Knight. If you’ll give us the room, please.”

  They slowly get up, mumbling and wondering what’s going on. They walk by me with shock. Some, I suppose, in total disbelief I’m a police officer. Sam asks the guard to wait outside as well and closes the door behind him.

  “I didn’t kill Ruby.” Georgia stands. Her arms are straight. Her hands create a tent on the table.

  “But you may know who did.”

  “I seriously doubt that.”

  “Someone from this company killed her.”

  “Every employee has had a background check. No one here has committed a crime, including myself.”

  “Who was the construction inspector before you hired Ruby for the position?”

  “His name was Blake Bradley.”

  “Where is he right now? I need to know his address.”

  “He’s at Perrymead.”

  Damn it! Just when I thought I was close, I hit a wall.

  “How long?” I ask with disappointment.

  “He’s been incarcerated for three months.”

  “What was his sentence?”

  “Fifteen years.”

  “What did he do?”

  “Mr. Bradley and one of our accountants were caught fudging numbers. They pocketed half a million euros in less than six months.”

  I shake my head with utter disgust.

  “Okay, it wasn’t him,” Sam replies. “Maybe, it was the guy before him.”

  Thank you, Sam! “Georgia, I need a list of the construction inspectors that has worked for you the past ten years.”

  She wastes no time in finding the list on the computer and printing it out. As she hands it to me, she says, “You’ll find that two of them are dead. Mr. Bradley, as I’ve mentioned before,
is in prison. The fourth one has moved back to England to spend his retirement years with his daughter. He’s been there for three years.”

  I want to burn the paper. I want to ball it up and punt it into oblivion. Why can’t I get one single break? Why do I keep hitting walls? I need a window, a light at the end of the tunnel, something to point me in the direction of the killer.

  “I’m sorry I barged in on you. I was following up on a lead.”

  “You thought Ruby’s killer worked here?” she asks with understanding.

  “That was my hope.”

  “I wish I could have helped you.”

  “I have one question about Blake Bradley. Did he know that Ruby applied for this job? Would he have connections outside of prison to threaten her?”

  “I’m not trying to take up for him, but he didn’t care about who became the next construction inspector for this company. All he wanted was to line his pockets.”

  “What about Maisie Green? I know I’m on a tangent here but bear with me. Was she interested in this job at all?”

  “Maisie is eyeing for a bigger prize in the police department. She’s not interested in construction.”

  “What about you, Georgia? How did she feel about you?”

  “Maisie is a friend and nothing more.”

  “She never told you how she felt about you or Ruby?”

  “Maisie knew Ruby and I were in a serious relationship, and she respected that fact. Detective, did you know that Maisie is married?”

  “No.”

  “She’s married to a man, even though she’s a lesbian. Do you know why?”

  “For the same reason anyone would get married.”

  “It’s not because of love,” Georgia answers. “It’s because of her job. With her feet firmly planted in a traditional marriage, Maisie can operate within her profession without scrutiny and prejudice. Smart on her part, but it’s unfortunate she’s not strong enough to risk her career for her personal life.”

  “You’d have to stand in her shoes to recognize what she faces every day. Then you might think differently. I can see why she’s protecting her privacy. I’m a Native Indian, and while I don’t have the pressure she has, I do face some of the same things, though it’s not blatant in my face.”

  “It’s never easy, Detective, but one must do what they can in this life.”

  “Very true. Well, I better leave you to your work. I didn’t mean to intrude on your meeting. Well, yes, I did, but I thought I was going to close this case with the information from this firm.”

  “I apologize I couldn’t oblige. Next time, I hope you call ahead. I will clear my calendar to assist you.”

  “Thank you, Georgia. Good day to you.”

  As soon as we’re out the door, Ollie is in our path. Holding his arms out, he looks past us into Georgia’s office.

  “Is everything alright?” he asks nervously. “Georgia, darling, do you need a lawyer!?! She is innocent of whatever you think she did, officer.”

  “Ollie, it’s okay. She was asking about one of the applicants.”

  “Which one? Don’t hire whoever it is, Georgia. My company prides itself on hiring top-notch professionals and craftsmen in the trade.”

  “I’m going now,” I reply to him. “Everything was taken care of.”

  “Are you sure?” He watches as Sam and I head for the elevator. “Do I need to do something?”

  “No,” I respond with a wave. “All is good.”

  The elevator doors open with a ding. Sam and I enter with the guard. I feel like I can’t get away from this place fast enough.

  Chapter Thirty-Two.

  We’re on our way to Exeter on the Rydal University, or ERU for short. The campus is located in Exeter City Centre. The gated school is set apart from business and retail sections. It boasts numerous massive brick buildings with pillars and columns, grassy lawns, elaborate stone fountains, pavilions, and human-made lakes. Plants not indigenous to the area grow along a rectangular basin in the center of campus. A large arena is on the westside, right outside of the gate. Every manner of sport from archery to wrestling is done in the state of the art multipurpose facility. Student dorms and Greek houses are plotted along the road north out of the campus. To the east are businesses that cater to the young people of ERU.

  I came to this school once with my Dad when he worked here. I fell in love with what appeared to be unworried freedoms. It was something new. Something I’ve never seen before. I could feel the excitement of college life, and I wanted to be part of it. I made it known to my parents. Unfortunately, Dad said the cost was more than he could afford.

  I make the last turn heading toward the Finance Building, and I happen to catch Sam. He’s deep in thought or enjoying the scenery, and he’s quiet.

  “You okay?” I ask.

  “Disappointed, that’s all. I thought we were close to catching the guy that killed Ruby. Two dead construction inspectors, one in prison, and the other retired in England. Does it ever get easy?”

  “Robinson makes it look like it. I’ve seen him solve a case in two days.”

  “Yeah, probably best he works with you instead of me.”

  “Well, he’s got his cases to work, and Green is not pairing detectives.”

  “Speaking of Green. You surprised me back there when you were talking about her.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You took up for her.”

  “When?”

  “Knight said that Green wasn’t strong enough to risk her career for her personal life. You told Knight she had to understand Green from her point of view. Well, you didn’t exactly speak those word, but that’s what you meant.”

  “I wasn’t necessarily taking up for her.”

  “Yeah, you were,” Sam replies. “It’s alright though, but I tell ya, you’re better than me. If Green had threatened to demote me or fire me, I would let people say what they want about her.”

  “No matter how I feel about what she’s done, it doesn’t change the fundamental truth. Green can’t make mistakes because of who she is, and if she does, it’s a bigger deal for her than it would be for her peer. She has to protect her life, and if that means not taking risks by conforming to tradition, then that’s what she has to do. No one else will protect her.” I park and turn off the car. “We’re here. ERU Finance Building.”

  “You really believe that?” Sam asks.

  “Yes, it says Finance Building on the sign right there.”

  “No, Victoria, that’s not what I’m talking about. Do you really believe brass is out to get her because she’s black and a woman?”

  “Doesn’t matter what I believe. It’s what she perceives.”

  “Nah, it’s not true. I’m telling you, they protect her. She can do no wrong in their eyes. She has that position because of the very reason she thinks they’re against her. No other individual on the force can get away with what she has. Can you name one person of color who’s in a position of power, and has the same leverage as she does?”

  “No, I don’t know anyone else on the force like her, to be honest.”

  “Well, Green is untouchable. I don’t care what she says. They will protect her in that position. They don’t want her to fail, and they won’t allow it.”

  “Okay,” I remark. “But that’s your point of view.”

  “What do you mean? My point of view. It’s a fact.”

  “Is it? Based on what? Have you seen her do something wrong? Have you seen brass cover whatever she’s done so she won’t get in trouble?”

  “I’ve heard about a couple of questionable things.”

  “But have you seen those questionable things get covered up yourself?”

  “No, not exactly.”

  “Then it’s not fact. It’s a rumor, and rumors are a far stretch from the truth.”

  “Green played you, Victoria.”

  “Now what does that supposed to mean?”

  “She used the race card to gain your sympath
y, and it would have been easy considering you’re a Native Indian woman.”

  “Do you realize what you’re saying, Sam?”

  “Absolutely, and I’m being honest.”

  “Simply because you don’t believe it, her truth cannot be disregarded. Have you ever lived in her skin?”

  “Of course not but it…”

  “Exactly. So how can you sit there and say she’s pulling the race card when the men she works with reminds her of race every time she walks in the door? It’s easy for you to sit there and say that the brass sticks up for her because she’s a black woman. Be in her shoes for a day, a week, a month, and you tell me once you’ve lived her life would you be saying the same thing? Believe me, Sam, DS Green knows when someone is sizing her up by the color of her skin. She knows when someone doesn’t think she’s worthy because she’s a woman. Her gut doesn’t lie. People’s actions and mannerisms don’t either, and she understands the language. The daily scrutiny she faces says it all. Open your ears to more than one opinion, and you’ll see that rumors are nothing but lies.” I huff and shake my head. “You heard about it? I mean, seriously, what is it anyway? What exactly has she done that the brass has covered up?”

  He can’t or won’t answer. It doesn’t matter.

  “Whatever,” I say with a flip of my hand. “I can’t do this with you.”

  “Victoria, no one is racist to her. You’re getting emotional about a woman who wants to fire you.”

  “No, I’m getting emotional because I thought you were a compassionate human being.” I open the door and reply, “Stay in the car. I can handle this next interview by myself.”

  With Sam’s narrow-minded views and Green’s cut-throat mentality, my feelings are pulled in every direction possible. I’m learning though. People are good for the most part, but when it comes to specific issues, they won’t always see things the same way as I do. I shouldn’t be mad at them for being themselves, but I am. Human nature, I guess.

  Chapter Thirty-Three.

  Professor Zoe Dawson is Ruby’s finance teacher, and she’s in the midst of instilling the wonders of investments. I take a seat at the back of her class, watching as she moves back and forth, spewing a language of numbers far beyond my understanding. Her students are focused, gobbling up every bit of her lecture.