The interrogation room was tiny. There was a small oblong table and four chairs, two on either side. The two-way mirror was on the wall opposite the door. Dylan pulled out a chair for Kate, but he remained standing as they waited.
Carl turned out to be a surprise. Dylan had made a couple of snap judgments about the man, but as soon as Carl walked into the room, he knew he was wrong.
Carl was extremely happy to see Kate, and before Dylan could stop him, he hugged her.
'Thank God you're safe. This is all my fault, darling. I'm so sorry.'
She quickly disengaged herself and made the introductions. Once the formality was dispensed with, she sat down, and Carl took the seat across from her. She put her hand out and he clasped it.
'You look tired,' she said.
'I am tired. That's why I went away. I need to rest and rejuvenate, but I've been so worried.'
Kate was sympathetic. 'It must have been upsetting for you to find out that the police were looking for you.'
'Yes, it was most distressing.' His eyes welled up with tears. 'But not nearly as upsetting as it was for Delilah. My fiancee worries about me, you see,' he added. 'I should call her. I'm allowed one phone call, aren't I?'
Dylan pulled out a chair next to Kate and sat down. 'You can make as many phone calls as you want. You're not under arrest.'
'Am I a suspect?'
'Yes.'
'No,' Kate said at the same time.
'Depends on what you have to tell me,' Dylan explained.
'I should be arrested. I'm responsible for everything that's happened to Kate.' He looked at her and summoned a weak smile. 'It's so good to see you.'
'It's good to see you, too,' she said. 'Would you like something to drink?' Oh my, she was sounding like Isabel again.
'A decaf latte would be lovely, but I don't suppose there's a Starbucks close by.'
'No, sorry, not yet.'
Dylan had had enough of the chitchat. 'Tell me why you think you're responsible.'
'Because it was my idea.'
'What was your idea?' His voice took on a sharp edge. He wanted some answers now.
'It was my idea to display Kate's products at the event I was hosting. All of Charleston's elite were going to be there. They wouldn't dare miss,' he explained. 'And I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to present her.'
'Present her?'
'Launch her.'
'Still not getting it.'
'Though I know this is going to sound egotistical, it's a simple truth that if I endorse a product, it skyrockets.'
He was right. It did sound egotistical.
'That makes you a very powerful man, doesn't it? You can make or break a career.'
Carl shook his head. 'I have never tried to destroy anyone. It would be vulgar. If I don't approve of a product or a person, I keep silent.'
So he only used his power for good? Did he think he was Superman? Dylan suppressed a laugh.
'And what did you have to gain from this?'
'Satisfaction,' he said.
'What about the warehouse? Why didn't you want Kate to know you owned it?'
'I'm only one of the owners,' he corrected. 'But I do have controlling interest.'
'Answer the question.' Dylan was tired of being accommodating. He was about to tell Kate to leave, but Carl surprised him by beating him to the punch.
'Kate, darling, would you please give us a moment alone?'
She didn't want to leave; she wanted to stay to make sure Dylan didn't tromp all over Carl's feelings, but she knew it would be rude to refuse. 'Yes, of course.'
Both men stood when she did, and Dylan opened the door for her. She gave him a warning look as she walked past and whispered, 'Be patient with him.'
The audio control for the interrogation room was on the wall in front of him. Dylan decided to turn it off.
Carl had resumed his seat and arrogantly gestured for Dylan to do the same.
'If Kate knew what I was about to tell you, she would be embarrassed, and so I would appreciate your discretion. In return I shall be completely frank with you. Now then, I didn't want her to know that I owned the warehouse because I was going to offer it- through a Realtor, of course-at a substantially reduced price. I was trying to help Kate,' he explained. 'She is the dearest lady, and what I have seen happening to her this past year has been heart-wrenching. She was on the fast track, you know, and she had such grand plans. She was going to move her company to Boston. She has so many connections there. Within a year, I guarantee you, her company would have become a giant in the industry. Within five years, her products would have been sold all over the world. She could have accomplished unparalleled success.'
He carefully adjusted the collar of his white shirt before continuing. 'She won't move her company now. She's responsible, you see. Always responsible. Everyone comes before Kate. She will stay in Silver Springs because that's the responsible thing to do. For a long while she stayed for her mother, and now she'll stay for her sister. Isabel is the youngest, but of course you know that, don't you? Kate will stay here for at least another two, perhaps three, years.
'I would love it if she stayed permanently and expanded her company from here. She could put Silver Springs on the map. It would probably take her longer to achieve international success from here, but with her drive and her determination I have no doubt she'll get it… if that is what she wants. She'll do magnificent things wherever she is, but this is where Kate belongs.'
'How did the other owners feel about reducing the price of the warehouse?'
'I don't know. I didn't ask them. I have controlling interest,' he explained. 'And the others will do whatever I want them to do. Together we own several blocks, and now that the renovation is under way and the rebirth has begun, they know they'll make a fortune. Silver Springs is a small community, and because it offers people a slower pace and a safer environment, it's becoming the place to live and play. We want to attract local business, so helping Kate by reducing the price will be seen as goodwill.'
'I'll need the names of the other owners.'
'Yes, of course.'
'So you reduced the price because it was a smart business move.'
'Yes, but also because I knew Kate was in financial trouble.' Dylan sat back. 'Oh? How did you know that?' Carl ran his fingers across the smooth surface of the table while he thought about the question. 'I'm not sure how I knew,' he admitted. 'Someone told me. Yes,' he said, nodding. 'Someone must have told me, and now you'll want to know who that person was, and for the life of me, I can't remember. There have been so many cocktail parties and dinners, and people tell me things- in the strictest confidence. I hear things, often secondhand, and everyone knows how much I love Kate. I boast about her company all the time so I can get people talking and buzzing about her lovely candles and her body lotions. My Delilah adores them. Her signature perfumes are divine, and there's a new one coming in December that I believe is the most divine of all. It's called Sassy.' He bit his lower lip to restrain his emotion.
Dylan had never questioned anyone quite like Carl before. He was prone to digression, but Dylan was determined to keep him on track. 'If I were to ask you to write the names of the people who knew you owned that warehouse…'
'Impossible,' Carl said. 'I've been heavily promoting the area. I swear I've told half of Charleston and Silver Springs and Savannah-'
'Why Savannah?'
'I have many friends,' he explained. 'I spend a great deal of time there.'
