Maybe they had just left the murder scene.
As Tony drove, Jake read directions from a page he had printed off the hotel’s website. After getting lost twice, they asked a middle-aged man out for a run to point them in the right direction. An hour after leaving Chang Industries and taking a tour of some of the finest Saipan residential neighborhoods, the SUV stopped in front of the hotel.
“This place is a dump,” Tony said flatly as Jake got out of the vehicle.
“When you are paying the bill, you can choose the hotel,” Jake answered.
Jake and the small team of pasta lovers approached the hotel’s front desk. An unattractive island native with dark skin and shark teeth smiled over his wire-framed glasses as Jake placed one hand on the desk. “Welcome to The Dunes. How may I help you?”
“My name is Jake Patrick and we have a reservation for three rooms.”
“Mr. Patrick, just one moment please.” The front desk manager vanished behind a doorway and returned a few seconds later. “There is a message for you, Mr. Patrick. Please take a minute to read it before you check in. I was told it is important.”
Jake read the message with a single glance. “Thanks,” he said before turning to Tony. “Back in the car. Change in plans.”
Tony took one long look at Jake and tilted his head toward the car. The Castello brothers started bitching and Tony put them in line. “The sooner we are done here, the sooner our lives get back to normal.”
Chapter 40
“Please have a seat, detectives,” Peter said with a powerful voice. “Can I get you something to drink? Coffee perhaps? My secretary Shelly makes a fine espresso. We have a machine right in the breakroom.”
“I’m fine,” Nguyen said.
“I would love an espresso,” Wallace said, not missing the opportunity to create rapport. It was something Nguyen would learn with time on the job. If a person-of-interest in an investigation offers you a dish of fried crickets, you did your best to choke them down.
Peter went to the entrance of his office and gave the order to Shelly from the doorway. He found his seat at his desk and looked over at his guests.
“How can I help you this morning?” Peter asked, knowing damn well what the detectives wanted.
“We want to discuss the photograph we left with you last week.”
“Ah, yes. The photograph. I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I have been in and out of the country on business.”
“That’s what your receptionist told us,” Wallace said.
“Have to work to pay the bills.”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
Detective Wallace pulled out a copy of the photo and placed it on the desk. No one needed to be reminded of the photo, but Wallace did it to measure Peter’s reaction.
There wasn’t one.
“I have the copy of the photo right here in my desk,” Peter said.
“Mr. Winthrop, do you recognize the man in the photo?”
“Sure I do. He works for a business associate of mine. A garment manufacturing facility in Saipan.”
“You wouldn’t know his name would you?”
“Detective…?”
“Wallace.”
“Detective Wallace. I only met the man once. He was a new employee. I don’t remember his name. The man who runs the facility in Saipan is named Lee Chang. I can call him first thing in the morning, Saipan time.”
“That would be helpful.”
Detective Nguyen flipped to the page in his notebook from the detective’s interview with the senator. “We met Senator Day last week. He referred to the man in the photo as the ‘Mountain of Shanghai.’ Does this ring a bell?”
“Yes, I do recall the senator gave the man a nickname. He has one for everybody. Unfortunately, his geography isn’t so good. There are no mountains in Shanghai. It’s a port city. Pretty flat.”
Wallace ignored the comments. “Any idea why this man is in D.C.?”
“None. But he works for Lee Chang, and the Chang family has business interests around the world. Not unlike myself. He is probably in town on business, visiting some lobbyist on the K Street corridor.”
“Mr. Winthrop. The night that picture was taken was the night your former secretary had her accident. That photo, as I explained on the note, was taken from an ATM across the street from the Metro station where she died.”
“Are you saying this man had something to do with Marilyn’s death?”
“That is why we are here. We were hoping you could answer that question,” Detective Wallace said.
Peter didn’t flinch.
“I thought her death was ruled an accident?” Peter asked. He spent enough time with lawyers to know how to ask his own questions.
“That was the original finding.”
“Well, detectives, I have been doing business with Lee Chang and the Chang family for years. I assure you they are not interested in killing my secretary.”
Wallace didn’t have an answer for the seemingly simple statement.
“Do you know anyone who would want to harm your secretary? A boyfriend? Disgruntled employee?”
“Not that I’m aware of. She wasn’t dating anyone recently that I know of. As for a disgruntled employee, we are one big happy family here at Winthrop Enterprises.”
Shelly knocked on the edge of the doorframe and delivered the espresso to the desk for Detective Wallace.
“Are you familiar with St. Michael’s Catholic Church?”
“I hope so. I was married there. As much as I would like to forget it.”
“Are you a parishioner?”
“No, no. My ex-wife was. I was raised a Baptist. But my wife came from a strict Catholic family. It was a concession on my part. You have to pick your battles when it comes to marriage.”
Detective Wallace smiled with understanding.
“So you haven’t been to the church recently?”
“Not since my ex-wife’s funeral.”
“Let me ask another question.”
“Please, that’s why we’re here.”
“How well do you know your son?”
“Well enough. We haven’t been as close over the years as I would have liked, but he has been working here this summer. He is a good kid.”
“Your son works here?”
“Yes.”
“Can we speak with him?”
“He’s not in the office today. He has been out all week, getting ready for school to start next month. Registering for classes, whatever it is you have to do these days.”
“We would like to speak with him as well. It’s rather urgent.”
“What does my son know about all this?”
“We don’t know. We went to his apartment but his neighbor said he was out of town.”
“Out of town?”
“That’s what his neighbor said.”
“News to me.”
