Trigger Snappy (14 page)

Jane hesitated. "Okay," she said, muttering as we entered, "insider trading? Juliet?"

"That doesn't sound like something she'd do?"

"No. If she hadn't fired me, I'd say she was the most honest, most careful trader I ever met, and believe me, I've worked for a lot of them."

"Did you like working for Juliet?" I asked as Jane showed us into her living room. The old furniture and heavy framed pictures seemed entirely incongruous with the new, smart condo. It seemed like Jane was trying to turn a cookie cutter box into a Victorian parlor, and failing miserably.

"Yes, I did. She was fair and reasonable. She never expected me to do menial jobs; you know, like picking up her dry cleaning; and she was never an ass if her coffee wasn't waiting on her desk the minute she got in. She gave me a lot of autonomy and was very kind when my father was sick and I needed to cut my hours to help care for him. She even sent flowers when he passed."

"So getting fired came out of the blue?" asked Solomon.

"Yes, I couldn't understand it. She told me my work was substandard, and had been for too long, and she was sick of covering for me. She said she had no choice, but to let me go."

"In the email?"

"Yes, in the email!"

"Didn't that strike you as being way out of character?"

"I was too shocked to really think about that. Plus, she'd been a little strange for a couple of weeks preceding that."

"How so?" I asked.

"Quiet. Distracted. Jumpy."

"Do you know why that was?"

"I just assumed she was overworked. I told her, I said 'Juliet, you and your husband should take a long weekend. You deserve it.' She took the next day off, a Friday, so I figured she appreciated my advice; then I got fired and figured I must’ve overstepped the mark."

"You didn't take it up with her directly?"

Jane shook her head. "She was very clear about never contacting her again. I spoke to human resources and they told me Juliet said I quit!"

"Juliet told us you quit too."

"I didn't! I can prove it." Jane stepped around me, walking over to a desk with a beautiful patina and curved legs. She rifled through a concertina file box, and pulled a sheet from it triumphantly, passing it to me with a flourish. "There! I printed it."

Solomon read the controversial email over my shoulder. Like Jane said, it was rude, curt, and unequivocal: Jane was fired with immediate effect and forbidden to contact Juliet under any circumstances.

"You didn't think it was completely out of character based on what you know about Juliet?"

"For Juliet, yes. For a trader, no. They can be such asses."

Solomon looked solemnly at her. "Jane, I have to level with you. Based on the evidence we've amassed so far, I don't think Juliet fired you. I think someone was messing with you both."

"Why would anyone do that?" Jane asked, giving us both a perplexed look. "I got along with everyone there."

"We think it was aimed primarily at Juliet, not you. You were simply a casualty."

"I don't know what to think."

"It's a lot to process," I said, feeling sorry for the flustered woman. She didn't seem to know what to say now that her anger with Juliet had faded to abject confusion. "We believe Juliet is the victim of a stalker who can access many factions of her life in order to meddle."

"Whatever for? Juliet is a sweet girl, at least, that's what I always thought. Whatever could she do to someone?"

"As far as we can see, nothing."

"That's crazy!"

"Your account of her personality matches everyone else's. Perhaps you would be willing to help us find out who is doing this to her?"

"Well, yes, I guess so, as long as it doesn't get me into trouble. Maybe I should run it past them?"

"Please do," said Solomon. "We'll wait."

Jane kept us waiting the few minutes it took for her to call her former employers. When she hung up, she looked pale, but determined. "They put me through to Mark Lancaster and he advised me to help you in any way I could. I've never even spoken to Mr. Lancaster before! Will it help me get my job back?"

Solomon glanced at me. "I don't know, but we can put in a good word with Mr. Lancaster. I can't promise anything, but at least, he knows you're cooperating with us."

"I need a job. The severance check isn't enough to see me into retirement. What can I do to help?"

"Tell us everything about your time at Lancaster Friedland," said Solomon as I grabbed my notepad from my purse, preparing to take notes. After a moment of thought, I reached into my purse again and pulled out my cell phone. I hit the recording app. Life was too short to decipher my handwriting later.

~

"What do you think?" Solomon asked as we walked down the stairs from Jane's apartment.

"She seemed really confused."

"I don't think she had a thing to do with whatever is going on with Juliet."

"Me neither," I replied, trying not to sound despondent. I suspected Jane could have been the stalker, but it seemed unlikely. Her body language was all wrong for someone who felt under suspicion. Even though she had access to every part of Juliet's life, she lacked motive.

"She has more access to Juliet than anyone else except Rob. She could access Juliet's work computer and could have sent that email to herself, maybe even made trades she shouldn't have. She mentioned she'd been to Juliet's home and she could have known Juliet's passwords for all that online shopping, but she seems so... nice," I finished lamely.

"Agreed. I don't get the feeling she could be our stalker. It should be easy to prove she isn't behind this."

"I have some evidence that might support Juliet," I told him as we reached the car. "That is, it's not evidence. It's more of an experiment. Remember the stuff about Juliet supposedly buying a ticket to Russia at the airport? Lily and I found a way to disprove that."

"Lily?" Solomon raised an eyebrow.

"Just watch," I said, browsing for the video clip I made earlier that day. I passed the phone to him and indicated he should hit
play
.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Just watch." I studied Solomon as he watched the video. Almost immediately, fake Juliet appeared on the screen, keeping her back to us, and the camera followed her across the terminal towards the desk where Kimberley waited.

"Where did you get this?" he asked. "That's Juliet. Is this the same day the photos were taken on the terminal cameras?"

"Keep watching."

"Do we get a better angle of her face?"

"Keep watching!" I waited as Solomon stood transfixed as the video played out. Finally, the camera started moving towards Lily. I watched my hand on the screen reaching across to Juliet and tapping her on the shoulder before hearing my squeak of surprise as she turned around.

Solomon laughed. "I should have guessed. You had me convinced. She looked just like Juliet in that wig."

"I know! She had me fooled too. She looks exactly like Juliet. Some of the little details are off. You know, the piping on her jacket, the dress..."

"That baby bump... If your best friend could fool us into thinking she was Juliet, someone else could fool a stranger into thinking they were too. All they would need were her passport and clothes that looked like hers for the cameras."

"Or maybe even her own clothes," I added with a little shudder. "This is good enough to prove it wasn't Juliet at the counter buying that ticket to Russia, right?"

"It’s enough for probable doubt, especially coupled with the airport photos we already have."

"And we have the fake email sent to Jane O'Dowd that was purged from Juliet's email account. That's another red flag. There was no need to purge it if it were real."

"We need to speak to the people Juliet worked with," Solomon decided.

"I tried that. Mark Lancaster spoke to me, but I couldn't get inside to talk to anyone else. They said they had their own agency on it and didn't want me in the way." I gave Solomon an expectant look.

He threw an arm around my shoulders and smiled. "I think I can get you an in."

"What will it cost me?" I asked.

Solomon popped a kiss in my direction and winked. I didn't need to wait for another hint. I leaned in, pressing myself against him, and dropped the softest of kisses on his lips. He pulled me closer, cradling the back of my head with one hand, the other pushing against my back as he deepened the kiss. "Shame we have to work," he murmured against my lips. "Shame we're outside."

"Perhaps we should take a half day."

"Perhaps we should solve the case first."

I kissed him again, my heart rate spiking. He just had that effect on me. Plus, now I wanted to win. "Race you to the finish line!" I whispered.

Chapter Thirteen

Solomon and I breezed past reception, our laminated visitor passes swinging from lanyards around our necks. Well, mine did anyway. Solomon's was neatly clipped to his belt. The receptionist who previously blocked my path barely gave me a second glance; she was too busy drooling over Solomon as he signed us in. It didn't bother me one bit, and I scarcely gave her a second thought when I accidentally stepped on her foot as she opened the door for us.

"I don't know whom to speak to first," I said as looked around the floor. Everyone seemed busy. A lot of people were talking loudly on their phones and plenty more were hurrying around. Many had multiple computer screens on their desks, the monitors flickering with line-after-line of data. "The boss is chatty for a man who doesn't want to talk. I hope that's the company ethos."

"You mentioned you spoke to him. When was this?"

"Earlier today. Does no one keep you informed?"

"I don't have eyes on the building," he said, not bothering to point out that I hadn't exactly mention any specifics earlier.

"Where do you have your eyes?"

Solomon looked down, his eyes resting considerably south of mine. That answered my question sufficiently.

"Why isn't our office like this?" I asked, thinking about how quietly we all worked. Sure, there was joking and conversation, but mostly the office was used for silently running information through the various databases at our disposal, or sitting around the big table in the boardroom, discussing strategies for tricky cases. Almost as soon as I said it, I realized my error. My current office was in the backroom of a bar and there was no one to talk to. However, cocktails were readily available, and Solomon couldn't offer that.

"Our?"

I flicked my hair and tried to look nonplussed. "Your."

"We're all too busy to try and just look busy."

I blinked. "You think they're all faking?"

"No, I think they just work in a different way. Let's talk to everyone. Juliet was senior in the firm. They must all know her, or know of her."

"Everyone?" I looked around and counted almost fifty people.

"Everyone. Let's split up. It'll be quicker."

I started with the person closest to me. Flashing my PI license, I got my pen and notepad ready for revelations that I hoped would soon be spilled. Most everyone who knew Juliet was nice about her, expressing genuine surprise at her suspension and arrest. They were similarly surprised about Jane O'Dowd's departure, though few could agree on the real story. A couple of workers were new and didn't know either Juliet or Jane. There were also a couple of mildly nasty comments from colleagues, but I figured that was predictable, given an office of this size; Juliet must have stolen someone's milk at least once.

"You should really ask Penelope," said the young man standing in front of me. His suit was less expensive than Lancaster's, but still looked higher than what my salary could afford. The name plate on his desk read
Tom Oliver
and his desk had a window position.

"Penelope?"

"Penelope in legal. She was good friends with Juliet, I think. I didn't like Juliet much."

"How come?"

"A couple of promotions came up at work a month ago. I emailed both of the account managers about them. Anyway, Juliet emailed me back, saying she wouldn't give someone like me the time of day, and I shouldn't waste my time applying."

"Did you ask her what she meant?" I inquired, making a note of the strange email, which sounded fishy to me.

"No. I was too taken aback. I don't even know what she meant by 'someone like me.' I guess I figured she didn't like gay guys," said Tom.

"Did you consider complaining to someone else? Possibly her superior?"

"I thought about it, but I got an interview for the other promotion; and the next week, I was offered the job. I didn't think anymore of it. Plus, Juliet congratulated me in person later, and told me I was the perfect choice."

"Didn't you think that was weird after her email?"

Tom nodded. "At the time, I thought she was being sarcastic. I just said thanks and figured I'd forget all about her email. Maybe she believed I was better suited for the job I got."

"Do you have a copy?"

"Of that email? Yeah, I do. I downloaded it at the time and stuck it in my PITA folder," he said, reaching into his desk drawers.

"PITA?"

"Pain in the ass."

"Could you email that to me as well?" I asked him, handing over my business card in return for the copy.

"I would if I could find it. I can scan and print it."

"Perfect." With the print of the scathing email tucked in my bag, along with my notes, I found Penelope next. Her desk was ensconced in a shady spot, far away from the glossy, light-strewn offices the executives worked from. Her head was bent over a stack of typing, which she seemed engrossed in as I approached.

"Penelope?"

"Just a... oh, Lexi. Hi! I didn't realize you were here. Let me just hit save... done!" She smiled up at me. "What are you doing here? Did something happen?"

"No, all's fine. We're just conducting a few interviews."

"We?"

"My partner and I."

"Well... great. What can I do to help? Do you need someone to take you around? I know pretty much everyone here."

"That's kind of you, but I'm almost finished."

"Would you like a coffee? We just restocked the kitchen, and if you're lucky, there will be some cookies left."

"No, thanks. I was hoping to talk to you again for a few minutes."

"Well, sure. Grab that chair. I'm almost due for my break. What can I help you with?"

"I'm trying to get a sense of Juliet's working life. Most people seem surprised about her arrest."

"We all were, at first. You know, I think we still half expect her to just walk back in. I suppose people are being nice because they have to be about a senior executive." Penelope clapped a hand across her mouth. "I can't believe I just said that. I feel awful."

"Juliet is very senior."

"Yes, she was only a year or two away from making VP."

"I heard there was a promotion in her department available recently?"

"Yes, but I don't think it's been filled yet."

"Were there many applicants?"

"I don't work for Juliet, and she never mentioned it, so I don't know," Penelope said quickly with a shrug. She turned to her stack of papers, shuffling them into a neater pile, apparently rapidly losing interest.

With Penelope quickly shutting down, I changed tactics, hoping by focusing on Penelope, I could encourage her to be more talkative. "What do you do here?" I asked.

"I'm a paralegal."

"There's a legal department?" I looked around, and the nearest desks appeared vacant.

"I wouldn't call it a department. There's just the company lawyer and me. I help out by looking over contracts for employees and sometimes other stuff too."

"Sounds interesting."

"It's easy more than interesting."

"It must get hard to be a working mom."

"It is. I don't have a lot of help; and it wasn't easy finding a job that I could fit around my son's school. The aftercare program isn't the best, and summer camp is so expensive."

"Doesn’t his dad help?"

"Sure, when he can, but he has a demanding job; so mostly, it's just me."

"You don't have family to help out?"

"No. Sorry, what does this have to do with Juliet?"

"I was just curious. My friend, Lily, is going to be a mom soon, and I never really thought about what it was like to be a working mom."

"Is your friend married?"

"Yes, to my brother."

"I hope he helps out. It's easier when two of you are working together than being a single parent."

"I think they'll be okay. I never really thought much about school terms and vacations and childcare."

"I'm not sure anyone really does until they have to. I was a stay-at-home mom for a few years, and it was only when his dad and I split that I had to look for a job. I never thought I'd be in the workplace again. I wanted to be a homemaker and always be there for my son. Do you know who offers jobs to lawyers who take a five-year career break and need to leave at two-thirty every day? No one."

"You're lucky to find a part-time job that allows you to do that."

Penelope sniffed. "Yeah, lucky."

"It must be nice to work with a friend."

"Who? Oh, Juliet? Sure, it's nice to know someone."

"And have lunch with," I added brightly, thinking back to my temping days when no one wanted to have lunch with me. Come to think of it, I didn't have anyone to lunch with now on a regular basis.

"We didn't socialize much at work."

"At least, you can discuss being moms together. That must help."

"Juliet is not a mom."

"I mean a step..."

"Hardly the same thing," Penelope cut in.

I sucked in a breath. This wasn't going well. "How did you get the job?"

"Juliet recommended me for the position. I interviewed, and they offered it to me on the spot."

"That's great!"

"Well, I'm just so lucky to be overqualified and cheap," Penelope snipped. "So what did you want to ask me about Juliet?"

"Could you show me where her office is?" I asked, deciding I'd exhausted my time with Penelope.

"Oh, sure. Come this way." Penelope walked around the desk and motioned for me to follow. I did, admiring the cut of her business suit. The jacket was tailored well, accentuating her slim frame. The skirt was a knee-length pencil and she wore very high heels that made her calves look incredibly toned. She didn't wear any jewelry except for a pair of small gold studs. She looked very chic and more expensive than I would have thought someone on a paralegal's part-time salary could afford. I caught the scent of perfume, light and floral, as she walked past me. It smelled familiar.

"That's a great suit," I told her.

She smoothed a hand over the jacket, her mood lightening at the compliment I paid her. "Thank you. Don't buy cheap, I say. Buy once and buy good. I will admit, however, that I got it on sale."

"I like that philosophy, and any sale is good."

"You learn not to make mistakes as you get older. No more cheap clothes that fall apart for me. It's quality all the way. Dress for success. Can you tell I've been thinking a lot about this?"

"Since it's working for you, I'll say your thinking is successful."

Penelope smiled at the compliment and stopped outside a door. She tried the handle, but the door didn't budge. "This is, or was, Juliet's office. It's locked. I'm not sure whom to ask about a key, or getting access," she added, looking suddenly worried.

I spied Solomon walking towards us, his face full of purpose. "Don't worry about that," I told her, "my colleague will smooth things out with the right people."

"Do you need anymore help?" she asked.

I didn't get a chance to answer as Solomon came to a stop next to us. Penelope gave him a fast appraisal before glancing towards me, clearing waiting for an introduction. "This is my colleague, Solomon," I told her as Solomon gave her a nod. "This is Penelope Cera. She's a good friend of Juliet's." This time, Solomon stuck out his hand and gave hers a gentle shake.

"You work here?" he asked, skipping all pleasantries.

"Yes, I'm a paralegal."

"Do you work with Juliet?"

"Not directly. Like I told Lexi, I work with the firm's lawyer, looking over contracts. Juliet didn't send many my way, but she called on me from time-to-time if she had any legal questions."

"Good to know." Solomon produced a key and smiled. "Lexi and I need to take a look inside."

"Oh sure, yes, of course," said Penelope, sidestepping out of the way. "Do you need any help? I can show you around if you like?"

"No, thanks," said Solomon. "We can find our own way."

"Oh, yes, I didn't mean the office. I meant the computer and the firm's internal systems. It takes a little getting used to."

"Thanks for the offer, but we'll be fine." Solomon stuck the key in the door and the lock clicked open. He stepped inside.

"Perhaps a coffee? I don't normally offer, but since you're here to help Juliet..."

"We're fine," said Solomon, pushing the door open.

"Thanks," I told her. "I really appreciate your help, but we'll take it from here."

"Well, okay then, just shout if you need anything. Or dial 25 on the extension." Penelope gave us a little wave before turning to walk back the way she came. I shut the door, closing us into the office.

"How was your interview?" I asked as Solomon looked around.

"Didn't turn up much. People seem to like Juliet and are surprised by her recent nefarious activities. You?"