'He's been bedridden ever since?'
She nodded.
'And you have a daughter?'
'Angelica. She's twenty-one, a junior at UC. Studying physics.'
'Mrs Stoddard, how long did you work for Delaney? Delaney Enterprises?'
'Seventeen years.'
'And how long were you Delaney's executive secretary?'
'Nine.'
'Were you happy in that job?'
At first she looked a little confused by the question. Then finally she said, 'Yes. It was a wonderful position. Mr Delaney was… very helpful, sympathetic, when we had the accident.'
'You say 'was', Mrs Stoddard,' Irving said. 'Is that because Delaney is, uh, deceased?'
'I was… Yes.'
'You was about to say…?'
'Nothing.'
'Ain't it true, Mrs Stoddard, that you were about to retire? That today was to be your last day here?'
She hesitated for a moment. 'Yes.'
'So when you say 'was', you really meant you don't work here no more, is that correct?'
'I don't see that… I mean…'
'I think what Detective Irving is driving at here is that you were leaving the firm,' Johnson said softly.
'Yes, that's true.'
'And were you satisfied with the arrangement? Retiring, I mean?'
She did not answer. She fiddled with her fingers and her lips trembled. Irving could see her beginning to crumble and decided to go for the throat.
'Mrs Stoddard, you had a key to Delaney's penthouse on Astor, didn't you?'
'Yes.'
'Go there often, did you?'
'It was part of my job. Mr Delaney didn't like to work here in the office. Too many disruptions.'
'So you were familiar with the surroundings there, at the penthouse, I mean?'
'Yes, of course.'
'And you could more or less come and go as you please, right?'
'I only went when I was told to go there.'
'Uh-huh. Point is, ma'am, you had free access, din'cha?'
'Well, I guess you might say that.'
'And how many other people do you know had keys and access to the apartment?'
'I don't know, I wouldn't know that.'
'So what you're sayin', what you're tellin' us is, as far as you know, nobody else had that kind of access to the premises? As far as you know?' said Irving.
'As far as I know.'
'Did Mrs Delaney have a key, as far as you know?'
'I wouldn't know… I mean, I assume… uh…'
'Ain't it a fact, Mrs Stoddard, that you know she don't have a key, didn't even know the place existed? Isn't that right?'
'That really wasn't any of my business.'
'Uh-huh. Well, ain't it a fact you were told not to talk about that apartment? That it was kinda a secret place for him?'
