“This could definitely be the man I saw turn and follow Amanda on the surveillance tape,” she said excitedly. “I see he was convicted of violating the order.”
“It was a relatively minor violation. He left a framed photograph of a roseate spoonbill in their mailbox, along with a note apologizing for what he called a ‘misunderstanding.’ ”
“A roseate spoonbill? What the heck is that?”
“A bird. Sort of looks like a pelican. They’re cute.”
“I won’t ask how you knew that.”
“Timmy Googled it.”
“You don’t even want to know the things I was imagining. A picture of a live bird? That doesn’t sound so creepy.”
“Not in isolation. That’s the whole point of stalking laws. Context matters. It really scared the Munsons. The judge wasn’t cutting Jeremy any slack. He found him in contempt and sentenced him to two years of probation with an extension of the stalking order. He warned him that one more violation and he’d be in jail.”
“Dad, if this Jeremy guy thought he’d found surrogate parents in his next-door neighbors, what kind of relationship did he imagine with a stunning beauty like Amanda?”
36
Laurie had been so engrossed in the conversation with Leo that she was almost late for the next filming session. They were interviewing Amanda’s brother, Henry, at the edge of the resort property, next to the ocean. By the time she walked all the way there, the cameras were already situated, and a makeup technician was adding a final dash of powder to Henry’s sunburned cheeks.
Last night, Laurie had sensed Henry’s discomfort in formal wear. Her intuitions were apparently correct. Today, he wore khaki pants and a short-sleeved camp shirt, and he seemed like an entirely different person than the man she’d met the previous night.
“Sorry I’m late,” she whispered to Jerry, who was attaching a wireless mic to Henry’s shirt collar.
“I knew you’d get here in time. You always do.”
Henry fidgeted in his chair, as though trying to find a comfortable spot. “Do you really think this show might help us find out what happened to Amanda?”
“No guarantees,” Laurie said, “but our two previous specials certainly paid off.”
Alex had also opted for a more casual look. Laurie made a mental note that his green polo shirt brought out the color in his blue-green eyes.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
Normally Laurie was the first person to show up on the set. “All good. I hate to throw a curveball at you, but can you be sure to ask Henry about the wedding photographer and his intern, Jeremy Carroll? I’ll explain it all later.”
“Henry,” Alex said once filming began, “can you start by telling us about the last time you saw your sister.”
“It was right around five o’clock on Thursday. The eight of us-Amanda, Jeff, and the wedding party-had met with the photographer for a few informal shots around the property. When we were finished, we all went back to our rooms for some downtime and to get dressed for dinner.”
“You joined Jeff and his college friends, Nick and Austin, at eight o’clock, correct?”
“That’s right. I thought it was sort of silly to split into separate bachelor and bachelorette parties, but I went along for the ride. With Nick and Austin involved, I was dreading some horrible antics involving scantily clad dancers, but Jeff insisted they keep the evening civilized.”
“Yet you still turned in early for the night.”
Henry nodded. “We had a newborn at home, so my wife didn’t come. The highlight of my trip was sleeping uninterrupted all night. Besides, I was a bit of a hanger-on with the rest of the boys. The three of them were buddies, but I only knew Jeff. Basically, I was just there as Amanda’s brother.”
“You mentioned the photographer,” Alex said. “Is that Ray Walker?”
Henry shrugged. “I don’t remember his name, but he was super-tall. Like, even taller than you, I think.”
“Do you remember an intern who was with him? His name was Jeremy Carroll.”
Laurie smiled. Alex had a way of making every question seem like it had suddenly come to him off the top of his head.
Henry squinted, and then a flash of recognition registered on his face. “Oh yeah, that guy. I do remember him. He was the one who came up with the idea of all of us standing at the edge of the pool, pretending we were about to jump. The tall photographer gave the pictures to my parents afterward as a gift, and that one was my favorite.”
“How long was the group with the photographers?”
“About forty minutes.”
“Did you happen to see them at the hotel after that?”
“No, but I wasn’t really around. I was in my room until I met the other guys in the lobby a little before eight, and we took the jitney to the Steak and Fin restaurant next to the golf course. I left when they were ordering after-dinner drinks. I went back to my room and called it a night.”
“You took the jitney?” Alex asked. “Did any of you have rental cars?”
Laurie was constantly impressed at how nimble Alex was in these interviews. Whether other members of the wedding party had access to cars was another detail that Laurie should have thought of before production began, but Alex had caught it immediately with one mention of a bus.
“I didn’t,” Henry said, “and neither did Charlotte. But I know Amanda and Jeff rented a car. She wanted to be able to go shopping on Worth Avenue without bothering with cabs.”
“Were you ever in the rental car?” Alex asked.
Henry nodded and then laughed. “Believe it or not, the guys had to take a shopping trip, too. We all managed to forget something-a belt, socks, shaving cream. The four of us drove downtown Wednesday afternoon.”
“Just to be clear, was this the same car that was missing when Amanda disappeared?”
“Yes, it was.”
“Did anyone else in the wedding party have a rental car?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Okay, returning to the subject of the photography intern, did you notice anything unusual about him?”
“Like what?”
They always tried not to lead their witnesses, but in a cold case, it was often necessary to refresh a person’s memory.
“Did he maintain a professional demeanor during your interactions?”
“Yeah, I’d say so. But, now that you mention it, I remember Kate saying that he was being a little too chummy.”
“How so?” Alex asked.
“Nothing striking. More like, he was around our age, especially compared to the head photographer, and seemed interested in hanging out with us, like he was part of the gang or something. I didn’t notice it, but I’m not exactly an expert on social etiquette.”
“You seem like an upbeat person,” Alex said.
“I like to think I am.”
“Is that part of the reason you wanted to go your own way and not work in the family business? I imagine that with siblings trying to run a company together, it could get a bit tense.”
“I went my own way because I like making wine more than ladies’ ‘foundational garments.’ ” Henry made air quotes with his hands. “I can actually partake in the merchandise.”
“But you’d agree, wouldn’t you, that there could be some rivalry between your sisters?”
Laurie could tell that Henry didn’t approve of the question, but in Laurie’s short phone call to him last week, he had alluded twice to the work drama between his sisters. He couldn’t deny it now.
“All siblings compete for their parents’ affections, and the way to my father’s heart was always his business. And, sure, everyone wants to be respected at work, and my sisters were no different.”