“That’s the way it used to be but I told the owners no way would I split with someone like Kat. They value me so they agreed and I ended up making around three times as much as Kat.”
“Is commission a big part of your salary?”
“Seventy percent.”
“So Kat wasn’t exactly raking it in.”
“And boy did she complain about that. Constantly. It made no sense. All she had to do was be nice.” She bit her lip. “I know it sounds like I’m putting her down but that’s the way it was. That’s why after she stopped coming in and didn’t return calls, the owners figured she’d flaked out. After three days, they fired her.”
“Who are the owners?” said Milo.
“Mr. and Mrs. Leibowitz,” she said. “They made money in the florist business and retired. It started as a hobby for Laura – Mrs. L. They’d travel to Paris each year and she’d bring back great stuff that her friends adored.”
“We talking absentee owners?”
“For the most part. I’m the manager and Kat is – was the assistant manager.” Past tense made her flinch. “Do you have any idea who did it?”
“Not yet,” said Milo. “That’s why we’re here.”
“I can’t imagine who would do something like that.”
“Kat ever get into an altercation with a customer? Or anyone else?”
“No, no, our clientele is sophisticated.
“What about the men in Kat’s life?”
“Never met any of them,” she said, “but from what she said she’d been through plenty of losers and was swearing off men.”
“Anyone in particular?”
“Uh-uh, we never got to the name level. She’d just make remarks. She was a big one for remarks.”
“About men?”
“Men, her job, life in general. Her mother – she talked about her mother a lot. Said there was all kinds of pressure to conform and she hated it. From what I could tell, she had an unhappy childhood. Basically, she struck me as an unhappy person. That’s probably why she drank.”
“On the job?”
Silence.
“Amelie?”
“Sometimes she’d come in with way too much mint on her breath. A couple of times she forgot the mint and I smelled the alcohol. I started keeping mouthwash for her.”
“Partying hard?”
“I guess,” she said. “You know who can answer these questions better than me? Her friend Beth. She works at a jewelry store up the block. She’s the one who told Kat about the job opening.”
“Thanks for the tip,” said Milo.
“Anything I can do to help.”
She walked us to the door, straightening garments along the way.
Before Milo’s hand touched the knob, she said, “This is probably nothing, but maybe there is something I should tell you. About a customer.”
We stopped.
“It’s not really an altercation, but – I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Everything’s helpful, Amelie.”
“Okay… About a month ago, maybe five, six weeks, I was off for the morning and came in after lunch and found Kat was in a real goofy mood. All giggly, which wasn’t like her. I said what’s up and she said the most hilarious thing had happened. A customer – a man – had just come in and started pawing through the sale items. Kat assumed, just like I did with you guys, that he was looking for a gift. Kat ignored him like she always does. The guy kept examining the goods, concentrating on the larger sizes. After a while, it made Kat nervous and she finally went over and asked if he needed help.”
“What made her nervous?”
“Being alone with him, how long he was taking. We’re not some huge department store, how much time does it take to go through the merchandise? And most guys have no patience at all, they’re in and out or asking for help. Anyway, this guy said he was fine and Kat returned to the counter. But something gave her a funny feeling and she checked him out again. Couldn’t see him, but heard him behind one of the double racks and she went over and peeked. The guy had taken out a dress and was holding it up against his own body. Stroking it – like fitting it on himself. Kat said she couldn’t control herself, she just broke up and the guy heard it and nearly fell over himself putting the dress back. But instead of apologizing, Kat just stood there. And instead of rushing out, the guy turned and stared at her. Being… blatant. Like he needed to show he wasn’t ashamed. Kat told me that really pissed her off, she wasn’t going to take shit from a weirdo, so she stared back. I guess you could call that conflict.”
“Sounds like an assertive weirdo,” said Milo.
“Kat thought it was hilarious,” said Amelie. “I was appalled. Everyone’s got their secrets, why make them feel stupid?”
“Then what happened?”
“The guy stared some more, finally gave in and left quickly. Kat said she made sure to laugh some more. So he could hear her as he slunk away. It’s probably nothing, but you asked about problems.”
“Did Kat describe this guy?”
Black-rimmed eyes rounded. “You think it
“I’m sure there’s no connection, Amelie. We just need to collect as many facts as possible.”
“That would really freak me out,” she said. “The thought of being here with-”
“You’ll be fine, Amelie. Did Kat describe him?”
“No, no. She just told the story and laughed. It kept her giggly the whole rest of the day.”
CHAPTER 17
A jewelry store named Cachet was visible at the end of the block.
Milo said, “Being a big-time hoohah detective, I’m willing to guess that’s where Beth Holloway works. But first, blood sugar therapy.”
I followed him into the coffee store. The place was nearly empty but it took a while to get the attention of the iPod-wearing kid hiding behind the espresso machine.
Milo bought two Frisbee-sized bagels smeared with creme fraiche, filled a small paper cup with free water, brought his bounty to a corner stool.
One bagel down. He wiped his chin. “Been a while since I worked a case with
Years ago, he’d reported to a captain who’d made sure to assign him every homicide with “unconventional overtones” that came through the division. Meaning anything but male on female, the more lurid the better.
Kat Shonsky’s body bore the signs of a lust homicide – blitz-attack head wound, overkill knifework, sexual positioning, the contemptuous placement of the driver’s license. But nothing suggested it was anything but male on female.
“I’m not sure I see overtones, Big Guy.”
He smiled.
“What’s funny?”
“Wherever it leads.”
Glitter and temptation filled the jewelry store’s windows. A spade-faced young man in a dark suit studied us before buzzing us in. Once we entered, he kept his hands beneath the counter.
Milo identified himself and asked for Beth Holloway and the guy relaxed.
