where the woman worked? The one who died in the accident a few days ago? The one whose daughter was kidnapped?”
“How do you know that?”
“Um...” I fumbled for a response. “Actually, she lives—lived near me. On the North Shore. A good friend of mine is her neighbor. Christine Messenger.” I frowned. “Did you know her?”
“She was my boss.”
“You’re kidding.” I pretended to shiver. “How creepy.”
“You live in the suburbs?”
“That’s right. I told you, I came downtown for a meeting.”
“Then, how come you were taking the bus?”
“I—I’m supposed to meet a friend for dinner. She lives near North. I parked my car there earlier. Of course, I had no idea it would be coming down like this.” I made a sweeping gesture.
“Oh.”
“How about another?”
“Not yet.”
I drained my wine. “So Christine Messenger was your boss. You must be devastated.”
“I didn’t see that much of her. She was on one side of the floor. I was on the other.”
“Was she a good boss?”
He cocked his head. “I never had any complaints.”
“What a tragedy. Especially for the daughter. To go through something like a kidnapping, and then to have your mother die.” I shivered again, for real this time. I looked over, then paused as if a new thought struck me. “You don’t think... I mean... you don’t think the two events are related, do you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean the newspaper said it was an accident. But the little girl was taken just a week or so ago. The timing is—weird, you know what I mean?”
He leaned forward. “It gets even weirder,” he said softly.
“How’s that?”
“Her boss, the COO, Mr. Emerlich. He’s dead, too.”
I feigned shock. “You’re kidding.”
“His car smashed into a truck on the Eisenhower last week.”
“Oh man.” I signaled the bartender. “I need another. You?”
This time he nodded.
“Another round, please.” I ordered. “And a glass of water.”
He hesitated. “Look. I’m not supposed to talk about this. The police told us not to.”
“My lips are sealed.” I picked up my napkin. “It’s just so strange. First her kid is kidnapped. And released. Then her boss dies. Then she does.” I paused. “Do you think they were having an affair? You know, Christine and her boss?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“You never noticed if they came in or went out together or within a few minutes of each other?”
“No. Chris was always all business—at least with me.”
Our drinks came. Plump beads of sweat rolled down my glass of water. I pushed his draft toward him. “So you don’t think they were having an affair?”
“Like I said, I don’t know.” His guarded look came back. “Why are you so curious?”
I had to be careful. Cody’s brain might be mired in bits and bytes, but his antennae were sharp enough that he realized I was grilling him. “It’s just—like I said, it’s creepy. And to think we both knew her. I mean, these things just don’t happen to me. I live a boring life.”
“Me too.” He cocked his head and appraised me. Then, as if he’d made a decision, he leaned forward. “There’s something else.”
A wave of anticipation rippled through me “What?”
“I shouldn’t be telling you this.”
“Who am I going to tell?”
He took a long pull on his beer. “One of my friends is a supervisor in accounting. Turns out the bank started getting complaints from some of our customers last week.”
“What kind of complaints?”
“There was some kind of mysterious service charge on their statements.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “After a few calls Sandy—that’s my friend—decided it must have been some kind of computer glitch. So she went up to talk to Christine about it, but Christine wasn’t there. It was just about the time her daughter was released, and she was at home.” He paused. “So Sandy went to Emerlich instead.”
“Chris’s boss.”
“Right. And
“How do you know that?”
“Um...” I fumbled for a response. “Actually, she lives—lived near me. On the North Shore. A good friend of mine is her neighbor. Christine Messenger.” I frowned. “Did you know her?”
“She was my boss.”
“You’re kidding.” I pretended to shiver. “How creepy.”
“You live in the suburbs?”
“That’s right. I told you, I came downtown for a meeting.”
“Then, how come you were taking the bus?”
“I—I’m supposed to meet a friend for dinner. She lives near North. I parked my car there earlier. Of course, I had no idea it would be coming down like this.” I made a sweeping gesture.
“Oh.”
“How about another?”
“Not yet.”
I drained my wine. “So Christine Messenger was your boss. You must be devastated.”
“I didn’t see that much of her. She was on one side of the floor. I was on the other.”
“Was she a good boss?”
He cocked his head. “I never had any complaints.”
“What a tragedy. Especially for the daughter. To go through something like a kidnapping, and then to have your mother die.” I shivered again, for real this time. I looked over, then paused as if a new thought struck me. “You don’t think... I mean... you don’t think the two events are related, do you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean the newspaper said it was an accident. But the little girl was taken just a week or so ago. The timing is—weird, you know what I mean?”
He leaned forward. “It gets even weirder,” he said softly.
“How’s that?”
“Her boss, the COO, Mr. Emerlich. He’s dead, too.”
I feigned shock. “You’re kidding.”
“His car smashed into a truck on the Eisenhower last week.”
“Oh man.” I signaled the bartender. “I need another. You?”
This time he nodded.
“Another round, please.” I ordered. “And a glass of water.”
He hesitated. “Look. I’m not supposed to talk about this. The police told us not to.”
“My lips are sealed.” I picked up my napkin. “It’s just so strange. First her kid is kidnapped. And released. Then her boss dies. Then she does.” I paused. “Do you think they were having an affair? You know, Christine and her boss?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“You never noticed if they came in or went out together or within a few minutes of each other?”
“No. Chris was always all business—at least with me.”
Our drinks came. Plump beads of sweat rolled down my glass of water. I pushed his draft toward him. “So you don’t think they were having an affair?”
“Like I said, I don’t know.” His guarded look came back. “Why are you so curious?”
I had to be careful. Cody’s brain might be mired in bits and bytes, but his antennae were sharp enough that he realized I was grilling him. “It’s just—like I said, it’s creepy. And to think we both knew her. I mean, these things just don’t happen to me. I live a boring life.”
“Me too.” He cocked his head and appraised me. Then, as if he’d made a decision, he leaned forward. “There’s something else.”
A wave of anticipation rippled through me “What?”
“I shouldn’t be telling you this.”
“Who am I going to tell?”
He took a long pull on his beer. “One of my friends is a supervisor in accounting. Turns out the bank started getting complaints from some of our customers last week.”
“What kind of complaints?”
“There was some kind of mysterious service charge on their statements.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “After a few calls Sandy—that’s my friend—decided it must have been some kind of computer glitch. So she went up to talk to Christine about it, but Christine wasn’t there. It was just about the time her daughter was released, and she was at home.” He paused. “So Sandy went to Emerlich instead.”
“Chris’s boss.”
“Right. And
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