“If Templeton knew Hunter was onto him, that would be a powerful motive to silence him.”
“I just don’t see it.” He continued passing the ball from side to side. “White-collar types don’t like to get their hands dirty.”
She resisted the temptation to list all of the stories she’d worked on that challenged his assumption. “Can you ask around or not?”
“Like I said, no problem.”
She had thanked him and was almost out of his office when she heard his voice behind her. “Laurie, think fast.”
He looked surprised when she effortlessly caught the ball headed her way. “Thanks,” she said, slipping it into her jacket pocket. She smiled as she returned to her office. Maybe she’d even give it back to him at some point.
She was about to leave work when she got a text from Charlotte. Short notice but time for a drink?
Laurie barely remembered the days when she could do whatever she wanted after work. My kid may stop recognizing me if I don’t go home. Want to swing by my place?
She felt silly the second she hit send. She couldn’t imagine that Charlotte would want to spend a Friday night in her apartment with her son and father.
Only if your cute dad will be there, too. I’ll bring the wine.
Laurie smiled. Now that was a good friend.
41
“Should I open another?” Leo was holding up a bottle of Laurie’s favorite Cabernet.
Charlotte held up her empty glass. “Well, let’s see. The three of us just finished an entire bottle of wine.”
“So that’s a no?” Leo asked.
“Of course not. Pop the cork, Lieutenant Farley.”
“Actually,” Laurie corrected, “Dad retired as first deputy police commissioner.”
“My apologies for the demotion, Leo.” As Timmy cleared the last dinner plate, Charlotte looked impressed. “That’s some young man you’ve got there.”
Laurie could feel herself beaming.
“If you guys are having more wine, does that mean I can have ice cream?” Timmy asked from the kitchen.
“I suppose that’s fair,” Laurie responded.
Timmy was back with one scoop of chocolate and one scoop of vanilla by the time Leo was finished pouring the wine.
“So tell us more about the fashion show you’re planning, Charlotte,” Laurie said.
“Are you sure? I can’t imagine the men want to hear about that.”
“Of course we do,” Leo said, even though Laurie knew her father was definitely not interested in the logistics of a women’s fashion show.
“It’s not the typical runway show. Because we do sportswear for real women, we’re using famous athletes and actresses instead of typical models. We’ll even feature some of Ladyform’s employees and their friends. Just normal people.”
Timmy’s teeth were stained with chocolate when he smiled. “You should use my mom. She’s a normal person, depending on your definition of normal.”
“Nice,” Laurie said.
“JK.” It was Timmy’s new version of just kidding. “Where’s it gonna be, Miss Pierce?”
Charlotte smiled again at Timmy’s good manners. “In Brooklyn. Does anybody know where DUMBO is?”
Leo jumped in. “That’s Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.” Then he explained the nickname to Timmy.
The area was between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. It used to be a wasteland known mainly for its ferry landing. Then a savvy developer bought it and turned it into a hotspot for galleries and tech start-ups, and gave it the trendy name. Now DUMBO was a haven for hipsters.
“We found the perfect spot,” Charlotte said excitedly. “It’s one of the last real, open warehouses. It’s been cleared out for a condo conversion, but the developer hasn’t found financing yet. So for now, it’s three stories of concrete floors and exposed bricks and beams. Very industrial. We’re going to have a different theme on each floor, and people will walk through the whole building, instead of watching models on a catwalk. I feel like we’re putting on a Broadway production.”
When Timmy finished his ice cream, Laurie announced, “All right kiddo, it’s time to hit the hay. It might be Friday night, but you’ve got soccer practice in the morning.”
“And I’m going to be there cheering from the sidelines,” Leo said, “so I’m heading home. It was nice to see you again, Charlotte.”
Charlotte insisted on helping Laurie wash the wineglasses before leaving. “Thanks for a very lovely night, Laurie. You may have ruined my life, though. I think I need to have a kid.”
“Really?”
“No,” she said with a laugh. “Or ‘JK’ as he would say. But seriously, he’s a keeper. I guess I should go. I’m dreading tomorrow. I have to call a guy from Accounting at home on a Saturday and tell him he’ll be attending sensitivity training first thing Monday morning. I’m sure that’ll go over well.”
“What did he do?”
“Looked at some extremely inappropriate websites on his company computer. Our Information Technology Department runs a monthly list of Internet usage.”
“Wow. Is that typical?”
“These days, it’s practically required. Your studio probably does, too. I’m sure the policy is buried in the small print of an employee handbook somewhere. Anyway, I’ve got to nip that sort of thing in the bud, and I insist on doing it myself. We’re still a family-run business. I’m responsible for maintaining the culture of the office. Hey, before I leave, I wanted to ask how things are going with Alex.” Laurie had mentioned to Charlotte that things had been awkward between her and Alex lately, but hadn’t given details. “Any updates there?”
She shook her head. “That’s a long conversation that we shouldn’t start now. I’m sure everything will be fine.”
Once she closed the apartment door behind Charlotte, Laurie checked the screen of her phone. No new calls.
She was not at all sure that everything with Alex would be fine.
42
Two days later, Laurie stood in the Cipriani ballroom. She remembered coming here with Greg when they were choosing a venue for their wedding. Despite the astronomical prices, her parents had insisted that they look at it. “Are they crazy, Greg?” she had asked, as she marveled at the size and beauty of the space. “We could invite every person we know and still fill only half the room. This place is fit for royalty, with a price tag to match.”
Despite Leo’s protests of you’re my only daughter and this is the only wedding I’ll ever pay for, they had insisted on using a more reasonably priced place. And everything had been perfect.
She remembered Greg smiling at her as Leo walked her down the aisle.
A voice pulled her back into the present. “It’s very festive, isn’t it?”
“Beautiful,” Laurie echoed. In fact, the only thing in the room that was not festive was the person standing next to her, General Raleigh’s assistant, Mary Jane. The woman looked as though her face might crack if she tried to smile.
“At the General’s instruction, I had the tables decorated early so you could film prior to our event tonight. As you requested, we even used decor similar to the gala that took place the night before Hunter was killed.” Mary Jane’s deepening frown conveyed her disapproval.
Laurie did not remind her that her studio had agreed to make a generous donation to the foundation, which more than covered the expense. “The family was seated at the head table,” Mary Jane said, gesturing toward the round table closest to the dais.
“And by the family, you mean…?” Laurie already knew who was seated there, but she wanted to hear what Mary Jane had to say.