“It’s a dreadful shame,” Puttwater said, straightening his back. “The officer told me who it was.” He shook his head and put his hands in his pockets. “Everybody liked Nina. Least, as far as I know.”
“Obviously someone didn’t,” King said.
Puttwater twisted his head and gave King an odd look then turned back to Hank. “Any idea who did this?”
Hank shook his head. “Not yet.” He pulled out a pad and pen from his inner jacket pocket, licked his thumb, and leafed to a blank page. “Tell me how you came to find the body.”
“I’m a substitute teacher here at Richmond North High School. I came to work early and found her here.”
“Did you touch anything?”
Puttwater shook his head. “Didn’t touch a thing. Just looked. Then I called you guys.”
“Did you know Nina White?”
“Not really,” Puttwater said, shrugging one shoulder. “Talked to her a few times. Said hello, but never knew anything about her.”
“Any other vehicles in the area when you got here?” King asked.
“Nope. Just the principal at the front of the school. I was the first to park in the back lot. Except for Nina’s car, of course.”
Hank got Puttwater’s contact information and handed him a business card. “An officer will take your complete statement. Contact me if you can think of anything else.”
Puttwater nodded and leaned back against the cruiser.
Hank spoke to King as they walked to their vehicles. “We have to find the maniac who did this, King. See what you can find out. In the meantime, I’d better see if Nina White has any next of kin and pay them a visit.”
“I’ll get on it, Hank.”
Hank watched King return to his vehicle and drive away before going to his Chevy. He figured the fastest way to find out more about Nina White was to visit the school office, which would undoubtedly have the information he needed to perform the uncomfortable task he now faced.
Chapter 6
Tuesday, 9:25 a.m.
JAKE EASED THE Firebird past the massive stone-and-wrought-iron gates and glanced up at the sprawling mansion where the McKinleys lived. It was set in the middle of five acres of prime real estate, exquisite landscaping extending in all directions. On the second floor, a huge balcony ran the entire width of the building, overlooking the front of the property.
He exchanged a glance with Annie. He wasn’t sure what she thought, but he knew this was a client who could pay. The value of the towering, French chateau-style home had to be in the millions. The four-car garage alone was bigger than their whole house.
He pulled up near the ten-foot-wide brick walkway and stopped the car. They got out and went up the walk, climbing onto a massive outdoor porch supported by a half dozen lofty pillars. Jake clanked the knocker on one of two solid oak doors and stood back.
The door swung open a moment later and a woman appeared in the doorway. Without the extra thirty pounds of weight, she would’ve been quite beautiful. And even with it, she would have no problem turning a few heads. Her long, wavy black hair alone was worth an admiring glance, as it framed a classic face, made up to perfection.
Jake and Annie introduced themselves and the woman motioned for them to enter. As they stepped inside the foyer, Jake gazed at the hardwood floor lining the main hallway, leading to a massive kitchen at the far end. To his right, a lavish double stairway soared upwards, probably to countless bedrooms.
Crystal McKinley’s long, perfectly fitted dress swished as she turned and led them through a wide arched doorway into a living room, extending from the front of the house to rear double doors facing the back of the property. She approached a group of overstuffed chairs, arranged in a circular pattern at the back of the room, and motioned for them to sit.
They sank into plush chairs and Jake glanced through the large rear windows. His eyes roved down a tiered, grassed area, past an Olympic-sized swimming pool, through a garden, to a tennis court beyond.
He turned back and faced Mrs. McKinley. She looked to be in her midforties and sat stiff-backed, her hands clasped together in her lap, her lips unsmiling.
The woman didn’t waste any time and got to the heart of her problem after the exchange of a few obligatory pleasantries.
“As I told you on the phone, I know my husband’s cheating on me,” she said, a dejected look crossing her face.
Jake took another glance around the opulent room. “Your husband’s a lawyer, Mrs. McKinley?”
“Yes. He’s a successful criminal defense lawyer. Mostly wealthy clients. He’s the managing partner at McKinley & Baker.”
A light dawned in Jake’s head. “I recognize the name now,” he said. He was well aware of the man. McKinley had taken the leadership role as a defense attorney on many high-profile cases and the man was almost unbeatable, though many of his clients were known to be on the shady side of the law.
“You mentioned you knew the … other woman?” Annie asked, removing a notepad and pen from her handbag. She made a note on an empty page.
A darkness appeared in Mrs. McKinley’s eyes. “Yes, I do. Her name’s Willow Taft and she’s a gold digger.”
Annie jotted the name in her notepad. “Do you have her address?”
Mrs. McKinley reached a hand toward Annie, pointing toward the notepad. “I can give you her address as well as the address and phone number of my husband’s firm.”
Annie handed the woman her pad and waited until Mrs. McKinley finished writing and handed it back.
Jake glanced over at the woman’s elegant cursive handwriting. She was obviously well educated. The woman had also written down a description of her husband’s favorite car, a red Mercedes Roadster—a convertible.
Annie spoke. “Mrs. McKinley, how can you be sure your husband is having an affair?”
The woman sighed. “I went to his office a few days ago when he wasn’t there. I suspected it already, but I wasn’t sure, so I went through his desk drawers and found a box of condoms. Strange, yes, but not enough.” She sighed again, this time deep and long. “So I dug a little further and found photos of that woman. Provocative photos, if you know what I mean.”
“Do you know the woman?” Jake asked.
She nodded. “Yes, he had an affair with her a number of years ago and I thought it was long past. But it seems to have been renewed.”
“Are you sure they weren’t old photos?” Jake asked. “And he kept them for some reason?”
Mrs. McKinley shook her head. “I know he’s having an affair. Whenever I give him a hug, I smell strange perfume on him. And his suit jackets have that same smell almost every day.” She dropped her eyes. “And … we rarely make love anymore.”
Jake looked at Annie and raised his brows. The woman seemed to have lots of evidence and now she wanted some undeniable proof.
The distraught woman raised her eyes. “I … I don’t want a divorce. I love my husband and I know he loves me. I only want to put an end to this and get our marriage back on track.”
Annie spoke. “And you think confronting him with the proof will change him?”
“I hope it will. My husband is a good man, but I’m desperate.”
Jake wondered if the woman wanted to avoid a divorce to keep from disrupting her extravagant lifestyle, but a look into Mrs. McKinley’s saddened eyes made him change his mind. She seemed to be sincere, trying to soothe her broken heart.
Annie closed the notepad and tucked it into her handbag. “We’ll see what we can come up with as soon as possible.”
Mrs. McKinley reached to a stand beside her chair and retrieved an envelope. She handed it to Annie. “I hope you don’t mind cash? I can’t write you a check for obvious reasons. I need to keep this a secret … for now.”