asking questions, but Ellen made them leave.”
“Good. She should have finished the job and removed them from the parking lot. I don’t want this stress to be a problem for you, Debby. It’s not good for your pregnancy.”
She smiled at him. “I feel okay.”
“Well, put your feet up if you don’t. Doctor’s orders.”
Walter walked back through the hallway and stood in the open door of Ellen’s office.
“Good morning, Walter,” she said. She was wearing a dress in aturquoise and navy print. Her blond hair was pulled back into a bun that sat low on her neck.
He stood stiffly before her. “I was hounded by the press in the parking lot.”
Ellen frowned. “I asked them to leave.”
“That may be, but they didn’t. I’ve asked Debby to call the police.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
Walter exhaled loudly. No matter what he said, Ellen always seemed to twist things to her advantage. He hadn’t been asking her opinion but rather stating what she should have done already.
“I’d like the management team to meet today to discuss this situation,” he said.
“Already done.” Ellen tapped her pen on her blotter. “I’ve told everyone to meet in the conference room at ten.”
Walter nodded. “Good.”
He left and walked down the hall to his larger, more luxurious office. Walter had a corner office with windows on two walls and room for a large desk and a bookcase that displayed the honors he’d received throughout his career. One wall was covered with baby pictures, girls and boys of every shape and size who existed only because Heritage had made their conceptions possible. There were a number of these displays throughout the bank; Walter liked visitors to constantly be reminded of Heritage’s higher purpose. Yes, the cryobank was a business, but the most important thing they made was families.
There was a small closet in Walter’s office, and before taking off his coat, he went into it and unlocked the bottom drawer of a gray metal filing cabinet hidden inside. He pulled out stacks of files and deposited them in empty banker’s boxes. Once two boxes were packed and safely tucked under his desk, Walter took off his coat and settled down in front of his computer.
There. One less thing to worry about.
• • •
“What took you so long?” Carl asked when Fina arrived.
Fina sat down on the couch. “What, are you kidding? You called me an hour ago.”
“You only live ten minutes from here.”
“Do you really want to hear the details of my morning routine? Well, first I had to pee.”
Carl grimaced. “At least tell me you have more information than what they’ve got.” He gestured toward a flat-screen TV that was playing the local news.
“I called one of my contacts in the coroner’s office. Hank Reardon was found around three A.M. in the parking garage of his company, Universum Tech. Looks like death from blunt force trauma.”
“Who found him?”
“Security guard.”
“What else?”
“Nothing else. The body is barely cold.” She rested her head against the back of the sofa and studied the ceiling. “Are we to assume this has something to do with us?”
“It seems like a safe assumption.” He exhaled loudly. “It means I’m going to have cops crawling all over my ass.”
“Probably. Have you spoken to Renata today?” Fina asked.
“I got a voice mail from her, firing us.”
“Really? Well, that solves some of our problems.”
“According to our contract, the relationship can only be terminated in writing.”
“And you’re going to hold her to it?”
Carl shrugged and was silent for a moment. “You think she has it in her to murder Hank Reardon?”
Fina moved her head back and forth. “Maybe.”
“She’s a small woman.”
“Blunt force trauma is an equal-opportunity means; with the right weapon, anyone can do a lot of damage.”
“You better go see her, figure out if she needs a criminal attorney.”
Fina stood. “You still
“Good. She should have finished the job and removed them from the parking lot. I don’t want this stress to be a problem for you, Debby. It’s not good for your pregnancy.”
She smiled at him. “I feel okay.”
“Well, put your feet up if you don’t. Doctor’s orders.”
Walter walked back through the hallway and stood in the open door of Ellen’s office.
“Good morning, Walter,” she said. She was wearing a dress in aturquoise and navy print. Her blond hair was pulled back into a bun that sat low on her neck.
He stood stiffly before her. “I was hounded by the press in the parking lot.”
Ellen frowned. “I asked them to leave.”
“That may be, but they didn’t. I’ve asked Debby to call the police.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
Walter exhaled loudly. No matter what he said, Ellen always seemed to twist things to her advantage. He hadn’t been asking her opinion but rather stating what she should have done already.
“I’d like the management team to meet today to discuss this situation,” he said.
“Already done.” Ellen tapped her pen on her blotter. “I’ve told everyone to meet in the conference room at ten.”
Walter nodded. “Good.”
He left and walked down the hall to his larger, more luxurious office. Walter had a corner office with windows on two walls and room for a large desk and a bookcase that displayed the honors he’d received throughout his career. One wall was covered with baby pictures, girls and boys of every shape and size who existed only because Heritage had made their conceptions possible. There were a number of these displays throughout the bank; Walter liked visitors to constantly be reminded of Heritage’s higher purpose. Yes, the cryobank was a business, but the most important thing they made was families.
There was a small closet in Walter’s office, and before taking off his coat, he went into it and unlocked the bottom drawer of a gray metal filing cabinet hidden inside. He pulled out stacks of files and deposited them in empty banker’s boxes. Once two boxes were packed and safely tucked under his desk, Walter took off his coat and settled down in front of his computer.
There. One less thing to worry about.
• • •
“What took you so long?” Carl asked when Fina arrived.
Fina sat down on the couch. “What, are you kidding? You called me an hour ago.”
“You only live ten minutes from here.”
“Do you really want to hear the details of my morning routine? Well, first I had to pee.”
Carl grimaced. “At least tell me you have more information than what they’ve got.” He gestured toward a flat-screen TV that was playing the local news.
“I called one of my contacts in the coroner’s office. Hank Reardon was found around three A.M. in the parking garage of his company, Universum Tech. Looks like death from blunt force trauma.”
“Who found him?”
“Security guard.”
“What else?”
“Nothing else. The body is barely cold.” She rested her head against the back of the sofa and studied the ceiling. “Are we to assume this has something to do with us?”
“It seems like a safe assumption.” He exhaled loudly. “It means I’m going to have cops crawling all over my ass.”
“Probably. Have you spoken to Renata today?” Fina asked.
“I got a voice mail from her, firing us.”
“Really? Well, that solves some of our problems.”
“According to our contract, the relationship can only be terminated in writing.”
“And you’re going to hold her to it?”
Carl shrugged and was silent for a moment. “You think she has it in her to murder Hank Reardon?”
Fina moved her head back and forth. “Maybe.”
“She’s a small woman.”
“Blunt force trauma is an equal-opportunity means; with the right weapon, anyone can do a lot of damage.”
“You better go see her, figure out if she needs a criminal attorney.”
Fina stood. “You still
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