Flawless(69)

She hesitated and then took it.

Mike was out of the car, as well, but only to take the front seat now that she was out of it.

“It’s broad daylight on a Sunday morning,” she said, and managed a rueful smile. “We should be at church. On Sundays Finnegan’s opens with a traditional roast at one, and we only serve a limited menu. We have a lot of good Catholics among our clientele,” she told him. “Of course, this is New York. We also have a rabbi who comes in, and pretty much every other religion, even atheists and—”

“You’re babbling,” Craig interrupted. “Let’s get you up to your apartment.”

Craig didn’t follow her in this time. He was all business, with his sunglasses and FBI-sanctioned suit.

“Lock yourself in,” he said, then waited to be sure she followed his order.

She started to, but he suddenly put a hand on the door, stopping her. “Kieran, call me. Please, call me if you think of anything at all that might be helpful.”

“Of course.”

“And keep your door locked and bolted.”

“I will.”

That time he let her close it, but she knew he was still waiting in the hall as she slid both the bolts.

Then he was gone.

And she was alone.





CHAPTER

THIRTEEN

SYLVIA MANNERLY WAS almost too easy to read, Craig thought.

She was terrified that her company was going to wind up looking bad, that maybe Maria had been into something illegal, which had led to her death.

But through Ms. Mannerly they’d found another contact—Jilly Bowen, a young woman from the Bronx who had been friends with Maria Antonescu. They hadn’t managed to reach her the night before, and today she seemed scared to be talking with the FBI, but she agreed to meet him and Mike at a coffee shop in the Diamond District.

Jilly was young, only a girl. Maybe nineteen. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life and had started with Clean Cut Office Services right out of high school. “I have the Manning building. No diamonds to steal,” she said. “God! I can’t believe what happened to Maria. She was so nice, and she worked so hard. All she cared about was work and school. Not me. I’m stashing away my savings. I’m going to backpack through Europe before I decide on school or anything else. But Maria...she had a goal. Very little fun. Until...”

Her voice trailed off, and she looked nervously from Mike to Craig.

“Until?” Craig pressed gently.

Jilly let out a sigh. “You can’t tell her aunt!”

“We already know about her secret lover,” Mike said, smiling. “And not to worry. A young woman seeking the companionship of a young man is a pretty natural thing.”

Jilly smiled at that. “Joe,” she said softly.

“You know the guy’s name?” Craig asked, surprised. From the way Alicia Rodriguez had fallen apart, he’d been sure she must have been Maria’s best friend.

But she hadn’t known the boyfriend’s name.

Jilly nodded. “She didn’t tell me on purpose. She was on the phone with him, and she was a little upset. I heard her call him Joe and say something just wasn’t right.” She stopped speaking, and her eyes widened. “You can’t believe Maria was in on the robbery! She would never have done anything like that. You didn’t know her. She was the most ethical person I’ve ever met.”

“We’re not casting aspersions on Maria,” Craig assured her. “Okay, so tell me, did you ever see Joe?”

Jilly shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

“You said she talked to Joe on the phone.”

“Yes, her cell phone. Didn’t you find it?”

Craig shook his head.

“I can’t believe Miss Mannerly didn’t have a conniption fit when she didn’t get it back,” Jilly said. “We all have company phones. Cheap pay-as-you-go things. Miss Mannerly gets them for us, and we’d better answer them at all times when we’re working. She’s a jerk. Cheapest service, hardly any data, no games, no watching the latest movie trailers. I’m surprised she didn’t demand that you find it and give it back to her. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad place to work. We’re paid a decent wage, and we even have insurance. But, boy, she’s a tigress when it comes to the rules.”

“Not always a bad thing,” Mike said. “Though she does sound pretty tightfisted.”

“She’s just careful with the company’s expenses,” Jilly said, softening a little. She shook her head. “You should have known Maria. She was wonderful. She’d help anyone in a pinch.” Tears filled her eyes. “I heard that Mr. Belvedere is going to have a funeral for her?”

“When the body is released,” Craig said.

“He sounds like a nice man. Maria liked working for him.” Jilly sighed. “I need to go. I work Sundays for a few hours. Is there anything else? You can call me anytime if you think of something. I’d do anything to help catch Maria’s killer.” She shivered. “I still can’t believe they just shot her that way, point-blank.”

“Unfortunately there are a lot of terrible people in the world,” Mike said. “Thank you for your help.”

“You’re welcome,” Jilly said. “It’s all just so scary, you know?”