paper. “Thank you,” he told her as he read. “Those numbers are assigned to cell phones used by Mario Russo, Hailey Michaels, and Lindsey Jordan.”
“Employees?”
“Yes.”
Jackson committed the names to memory. “Have those individuals been with your company long?”
“We have a very low turnover. I keep my employees happy so they tend to stay. Everyone has been here three years or longer except Katie Roberts.”
Jackson gave the guy credit for bringing up the black mark on an otherwise clean operation. “Ms. Roberts filed a sexual harassment suit, currently ongoing,” he continued. “She was employed as a title clerk but wasn’t satisfied with just being an employee. She wanted social status. When I turned down her advances, she swore revenge. Alex says we have a solid case against her accusation.”
“Our mystery caller is female. Do you suppose Ms. Roberts could be desperate enough to threaten your attorney?”
Lucas exhaled hard. “I’d like to say no, but I’ve found she is quite spiteful. We were all like family here until she filed the action. She was very close to some of the ladies here. Probably still is.”
Mace steepled his fingers under his chin. “Close enough that they would offer use of their phones to call and threaten Alex?”
“I don’t want to believe that,” Lucas admitted.
“Since Alex received the calls outside of business hours, it is plausible that one of them loaned the phone.”
Lucas gave a very obvious sigh of relief. “The phones are only available for use during business hours. Each employee picks up their phone in the morning when they arrive and turn them in on their way out. That makes the labor board happy.”
“Where are they kept and who has access?” Jackson’s excitement built as they whittled away at suspects.
“They are kept in my secretary’s office. She has access, as well as myself; Mario, the accounts manager; and my wife, Jennifer Sebastian.
Mace raised an eyebrow. “Does your wife work here as well?”
“She’s not on the payroll, but sometimes she runs some of the more mundane errands and comes by after hours to leave supplies.”
Question marks crowded Jackson’s brain as he processed the new information. Lucas had given them a new start. He stood and extended a hand. “Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Sebastian. I’m sure the police won’t be far behind us. We may want to speak with your employees. Will that be a problem?”
Sebastian stood and returned the gesture. “No problem.” He offered a hand to Jake and then Mace. “I can personally assure you we will do all we can to help. Alex is more than a great attorney, she’s a good person.”
Behind Mace and Jake, Jackson left the dealership with determined footsteps. As much as he wanted to give each of his friends a high five, he knew they were a long way from solving the case.
Back inside the truck, no one held back.
“Actual suspects. Now we’re getting somewhere.” Mace laid his crutches in the back seat beside him.
Jake chuckled. “I think we can rule out the secretary.”
“What?” Mace drawled. “You don’t think a sixty-something granny of three would make threatening calls at all hours of the night?”
“How do you know she’s a grandma?”
“Just a guess, Turner.”
Jackson pulled the truck into traffic. “Sarcasm aside, we have six good suspects. Mace, you take Hailey Michaels and Lindsey Jordan. Jake, you take Katie Roberts and Mario Russo. I’ll look into Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian.” He drummed this thumbs against the steering wheel. “We’re getting close. I can feel it.”
***
Alex rolled over in bed, severely annoyed by the obnoxious banging on the front door. “Marnie!” she yelled from her cocoon of warm blankets. “Make it stop!”
A distinct thud resonated from the direction of Marnie’s bedroom, and several colorful words followed while her friend stomped to the front door.
With a loud exhale, she threw back
“Employees?”
“Yes.”
Jackson committed the names to memory. “Have those individuals been with your company long?”
“We have a very low turnover. I keep my employees happy so they tend to stay. Everyone has been here three years or longer except Katie Roberts.”
Jackson gave the guy credit for bringing up the black mark on an otherwise clean operation. “Ms. Roberts filed a sexual harassment suit, currently ongoing,” he continued. “She was employed as a title clerk but wasn’t satisfied with just being an employee. She wanted social status. When I turned down her advances, she swore revenge. Alex says we have a solid case against her accusation.”
“Our mystery caller is female. Do you suppose Ms. Roberts could be desperate enough to threaten your attorney?”
Lucas exhaled hard. “I’d like to say no, but I’ve found she is quite spiteful. We were all like family here until she filed the action. She was very close to some of the ladies here. Probably still is.”
Mace steepled his fingers under his chin. “Close enough that they would offer use of their phones to call and threaten Alex?”
“I don’t want to believe that,” Lucas admitted.
“Since Alex received the calls outside of business hours, it is plausible that one of them loaned the phone.”
Lucas gave a very obvious sigh of relief. “The phones are only available for use during business hours. Each employee picks up their phone in the morning when they arrive and turn them in on their way out. That makes the labor board happy.”
“Where are they kept and who has access?” Jackson’s excitement built as they whittled away at suspects.
“They are kept in my secretary’s office. She has access, as well as myself; Mario, the accounts manager; and my wife, Jennifer Sebastian.
Mace raised an eyebrow. “Does your wife work here as well?”
“She’s not on the payroll, but sometimes she runs some of the more mundane errands and comes by after hours to leave supplies.”
Question marks crowded Jackson’s brain as he processed the new information. Lucas had given them a new start. He stood and extended a hand. “Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Sebastian. I’m sure the police won’t be far behind us. We may want to speak with your employees. Will that be a problem?”
Sebastian stood and returned the gesture. “No problem.” He offered a hand to Jake and then Mace. “I can personally assure you we will do all we can to help. Alex is more than a great attorney, she’s a good person.”
Behind Mace and Jake, Jackson left the dealership with determined footsteps. As much as he wanted to give each of his friends a high five, he knew they were a long way from solving the case.
Back inside the truck, no one held back.
“Actual suspects. Now we’re getting somewhere.” Mace laid his crutches in the back seat beside him.
Jake chuckled. “I think we can rule out the secretary.”
“What?” Mace drawled. “You don’t think a sixty-something granny of three would make threatening calls at all hours of the night?”
“How do you know she’s a grandma?”
“Just a guess, Turner.”
Jackson pulled the truck into traffic. “Sarcasm aside, we have six good suspects. Mace, you take Hailey Michaels and Lindsey Jordan. Jake, you take Katie Roberts and Mario Russo. I’ll look into Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian.” He drummed this thumbs against the steering wheel. “We’re getting close. I can feel it.”
***
Alex rolled over in bed, severely annoyed by the obnoxious banging on the front door. “Marnie!” she yelled from her cocoon of warm blankets. “Make it stop!”
A distinct thud resonated from the direction of Marnie’s bedroom, and several colorful words followed while her friend stomped to the front door.
With a loud exhale, she threw back
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