“I suppose not.”
“And it’s not just the units, of course. Just look at those windows.”
Jasper’s condo was located at the front of the building. The windows were about six feet high and four feet wide.
Daisy tried to be positive. “I suppose you’re lucky to have a front-facing condo. These windows let in a lot of light.”
“Maybe. But see how the one’s cloudy? They are supposed to be double sealed for heat efficiency. Maybe the glass is but the way they were installed . . .” He shook his head. “Cold air comes in around the whole window in the winter, and in the summer it’s the same with heat. They look great from the outside and they’ll draw in customers to rent. But living here is another matter.”
“Why do you stay?”
“Because I signed a lease, and breaking the lease would cost more than I’m willing to pay. So I’m on the phone most days just trying to make this place comfortable. I don’t have it as bad as Ward, though.”
“You mean Ward Cooper, the lighting technician from the play?”
“Exactly. Rowan offered him an empty condo to stay in while he was in town. But Ward’s condo has different problems than mine.”
“Does he have insufficient heat?”
“Oh, yes, but he doesn’t seem to mind that. What he does mind is that his appliances don’t work as they should. And he hears scratching in the kitchen wall at night. You know what that means—mice. But he can’t complain because he’s staying there free. I have to admit Rowan did replace the microwave but the oven on the stove doesn’t work. I think one of the heating elements went out.”
“Is Glenda staying in a condo too?”
“Heavens no. I guess Margaret knew about the problems with these condos. She found Glenda a first-floor apartment in an old house on Spruce Street. The whole place has been completely renovated, and the landlady lives in the upstairs apartment. From what I understand, Glenda is quite happy with it.”
“Do you know if Ward, Keisha, Glenda, and Margaret were all friends in New York?”
Jasper gave a shrug. “I don’t know for sure. But apparently there are bars and restaurants where the artistic types go. My guess is they ran into each other someplace like that, though I did overhear Margaret and Glenda talking and I think the two of them have a history.”
“A pleasant history?”
“Again, I’m not sure. They bickered a lot but that was mostly about the play. Both insisted on having control so neither of them did.”
Thinking about the building again, Daisy asked, “Do you know if other renters have problems with their condos?”
Jasper crossed one leg over his knee. “I’ve heard rumors. Scuttlebutt says that some of the renters have been paid off not to file lawsuits.”
When Jonas had looked into public records, he hadn’t found any information about lawsuits against Rowan. “That sounds serious.”
“An older woman slipped on a wet floor and she threatened to sue, but the matter was settled out of court. It just seems ridiculous that someone with the amount of money Rowan Vaughn has can’t find adequate repairmen to take care of his properties. Keisha Washington is staying in one of his other buildings but I don’t think she’s had any problems. My guess is it all depends on the manager of the building.”
“Can you tell me if the local people are getting to know Keisha and Ward and Glenda very well?”
“Keisha and Ward seem to have their own little club. Glenda and Margaret palled around sometimes but now that Margaret’s gone—” He looked forlorn for a moment. “I just can’t imagine why anyone would do that to her.”
“I can’t either. She’d been away from Willow Creek for so long, I can’t imagine she’d make that many enemies in the few years she was back here.”
“It’s easier to make enemies than friends, and you’ve got to admit, she did have an attitude. She acted like she and Rowan were better than anyone else. People with money are often like that.”
“Margaret didn’t always have money.”
“You’d never know that, though, would you? You’d never know she’d been raised Mennonite.”
“Do you know her sister Vanna?”
“I do. Vanna is like a sweet spring day. Margaret was more like a tropical storm. Controlled but a storm no less.”
“I didn’t know Margaret well but Vanna and I are friends,” Daisy confided.
Jasper eyed her with consideration. “Why did you really come to talk to me, Mrs. Swanson?”
Before she could answer, he snapped his fingers. “I get it now. I read that story the reporter did on the last murder investigation in Willow Creek. He quoted you several times. I got the feeling you were in on the investigation. Do you work with the police and just don’t tell anyone that?”
“I’m not working with the police. But if I do find anything out, I share it with them. If I think it’s important.”
“You date a former cop.”
“I do.”
“Jonas seems to be an upright guy. He knows his way around a saw.”
Daisy laughed. “Yes, he does. And a sander.” Now Jasper cracked a smile. “I admire men who work with their hands. It’s a marrying of intellect and creativity. Few people appreciate that.”
“Why did you decide to audition to be in the play?”
He wiggled his brows. “Don’t I seem like the type?”
“I’m not sure if there is a type. I know getting up on a stage terrified me when I was in high school.”
“Believe it or not, when I was in school, I liked English. I was good at it. One of my teachers in high school encouraged me to audition for a play. I did, and I liked being part of the cast, putting something together that was much more than the sum of its parts.”
“So how did you become an expert in HVAC?”
He uncrossed his leg, put his elbows on his knees, and leaned forward. “My dad started the business. He was a pragmatic man. He told me I
