“Later than I thought. How say we wend our way to the lounge, do whatever it is you feel is important. Then we can all be on our merry ways.”
Diamond Aviation’s waiting area was thirty feet high, walled in glass, with air spiced by cinnamon-flavored air-freshener. A man in a white jumpsuit dry-mopped the black marble floor. No jet-setters occupied the puce leather seating; off to the side, a couple of bored-looking pilots studied a computer terminal. One said something about weather in Roseville. The other said, “Maybe we’ll get delayed enough to stick around and try that sushi place.”
Without being asked, the same cute concierge addressed Helfgott by name as she set down a glass of soda water and lime.
“Change your mind about coffee, guys?”
“No, thanks.”
“Anything else, Mr. Helfgott?”
“Not for the moment, Amy. Thank you.”
“Anytime, Mr. Helfgott.” She sashayed away. He drank, rotated his neck yet again.
Milo said, “Are you in pain, sir?”
“Chronic condition exacerbated by age and too-frequent air travel, Lieutenant. Yoga helped for a while, then some unfortunate personal training led to sprains precisely where I didn’t need them.”
He eyed Myron Wydette’s jet through the glass, now being fueled by a tanker truck. Held his gaze and inhaled, as if yearning to be aloft.
“Nice piece of machinery, Mr. Helfgott.”
“Work of art, Lieutenant. I won’t pretend it’s not immeasurably superior to commercial aviation, but in the last analysis, flying is flying. One strives to eat properly, stretch, hydrate oneself. Nevertheless, the hours of enforced immobility take their toll. As soon as we wrap up whatever it is you feel you need to do, I’m going to swim, then settle in a warm bath and pop off to sleep.”
“Sounds good, sir. What have you been told about this meeting?”
“Mr. Wydette’s office called me midflight to inform me that poor Elise Freeman had passed on and the police had requested to speak with me. I took that to assume an irregular death.”
All the emotion of a Chia pet. He continued admiring the Gulfstream until his eyes lost focus. Somewhere else; maybe thinking about his bath.
Milo said, “If by irregular you mean other than old age, that’s true, sir.”
“How dreadful,” said Helfgott. “May I ask when and where it occurred, and the particulars?”
“Several days ago, at her house, sir. The particulars remain the big question.”
“I’m not sure I understand, Lieutenant.”
“Mode of death hasn’t been determined.”
“So there’s no obvious crime.”
Milo didn’t answer.
Helfgott finally swiveled away from the jet field. “And you requested to speak with me because…”
“Elise Freeman worked at Prep.”
“Surely you can’t imagine her passing has anything to do with her job.”
“Was she happy at Prep?”
“Why wouldn’t she be?”
“Any job can be stressful, sir.”
Helfgott put his water glass down, removed his specs. His eyes were small, diminished further by heavy lids, with watery hazel irises. “I don’t customarily deal with faculty issues but if there’d been a serious problem, I assume I’d have heard about it. In fact, she seemed quite pleased at the contract we offered her. After I received Mr. Wydette’s call, I immediately phoned Headmaster Rollins and she confirmed that fact, as well as the fact that Ms. Freeman had been happily and uneventfully employed.”
“Sounds like you wondered yourself if her death had anything to do with Prep.”
Back went the glasses. “Not at all, Lieutenant. I am not a brilliant thinker and I attempt to compensate for my intellectual deficits with meticulousness. That’s a lesson I try to pass on to our less inspired students. Rara avises though they are.”
“Prep’s website says you graduated cum laude from Brown.”
Helfgott smiled. “You’ve researched me?”
“I read the website.”
“Well, Lieutenant, that was a different Brown. Now, what else can I help you with?”
“When did you offer Ms. Freeman her contract?”
“She came on as a per diem temporary employee four years ago. A year later, we offered her more steady employment. I remain puzzled by that term—mode of death.”
“She’s being processed by the coroner as we speak.”
“How grim sounding. So it could be a medical condition, one of those rough patches—an aneurysm.”
“At this point, anything’s possible, Mr. Helfgott.”
“Then why, may I ask, am I talking to homicide detectives?”
“We investigate any unusual death.”
Helfgott tucked his handkerchief tighter. “I see. When can we expect some definitive answers as to mode of death?”
“I really can’t say, Mr. Helfgott.”
“Are we talking days, weeks, an inordinate amount of time?”
“I really can’t answer that, sir.”
“Surely some kind of narrowing—”
Milo leaned in closer. “Sir, I know from your website that Prep’s got a great mock-trial team. Maybe the best in the country, you guys took high national honors last year. All those big-time lawyers’ kids, no surprise. But right now, it’s best if I ask the questions.”
Helfgott’s manicured fingers grazed the tips of the handkerchief. “Mea culpa, Lieutenant, I didn’t mean to upset your investigatory routine, I was simply thinking of our students and faculty. The news of Elise’s death is going to be upsetting, particularly if the mode is… unusual. Ergo, the sooner we can offer accurate information, the sooner closure will arrive.” Faint smile. “I should point out that the captain of that extraordinary debate team was the daughter of a neurosurgeon, not an attorney.”
“I stand corrected, sir. So Ms. Freeman’s employment was uneventful.”
“We paid her handsomely, her duties were light, no reason for her to be unhappy.”
“What was her salary?”
Helfgott’s hand waved. “I don’t get involved in that kind of thing, but typically, our salaries are the best in the preparatory school universe. Do you work regularly with the chief of police, Lieutenant?”
“We talk when necessary.”
“I ask that because when Myron—Mr. Wydette—requested that I meet with you immediately as a favor to the chief of police, I was surprised.”
“Why’s that, sir?”
“Mr. Wydette emphasized the chief’s affection for Prep and how it’s benefited his son, Charlie. Who, if you weren’t aware, is a graduating senior.”
Milo remained silent.
Helfgott said, “Until now, the chief and Charlie’s mother have been rather low-profile members of the Prep parent community.”
No participation, no donations, no ass-kissing.
“Have you met Charlie, Lieutenant?”
“No, sir.”
“Not a social boy, but bright.”
We’re not easily impressed, so tell your boss not to push it.
Milo pulled out his pad. “So, to your knowledge, Ms. Freeman never complained about any problems with students or faculty—with anyone at Prep.”
“Lieutenant, we seem to be hovering over a single issue and not moving forward appreciably. Are you saying you’re aware of a complaint—let me amend that to a statement. It sounds as if you doubt my word about Ms. Freeman’s sanguine employment history.” Hard glint behind the eyeglasses.
“Not at all, sir, and sorry for implying that. Like you said, you don’t usually get involved in faculty issues. But unfortunately, we’ve become involved in just that.”