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“We understand that your husband had inherited wealth, which has to be tended to,” Virgil said. “That brings up the question of whether he was involved in any business affairs, or investment affairs, where... you know, there might have been a problem. Like undiscovered fraud, embezzlement, some kind of scam?”
Cooper: “Not that I’m aware of. Alex was quite open about money, about our investments. I mean, between the two of us. If he’d spotted a problem, he would have told me. He insisted that I learn about the money in case something happened to him... which has. We gave a list of our financial advisors to the other team, and they’ve contacted them, but nothing came of it. Some of the interviews were perfunctory. I’ve been doing a review, looking for problems, but haven’t finished with it yet.”
“How soon will you finish?” Lucas asked.
“I have calls in this afternoon. One thing you should know is—this may be what has frustrated the other investigators trying tofind a motive in the money—is that Alex didn’t trust small companies,” Cooper said. “Our money is placed with major companies and banks, where the investment supervision is done by teams. Crimes like embezzlement would be almost impossible to pull off, and if something did happen, the company would make good.”
“That’s what people thought about the Madoff firm before it went up in smoke,” Virgil said.
“Madoff was small, compared to... I’m talking about J.P. Morgan, which has two and a half trillion dollars under management, not five or ten billion. Andweown the stock and bonds—the companies don’t,” Cooper said. She unconsciously put a ring finger up to her mouth and nibbled on a fingernail, and Melton reached out and pushed the hand down. Cooper barely seemed to notice, and continued: “Even if the companies fail, the investments are ours. We have real estate investments where we have the deeds locked away. We don’t manage it, but there’s no question about who owns the properties. It can’t simply be swindled away. Alex was extremely security conscious. He even took some seminars in how to protect your investments, especially from online thieves and scammers.”
“So you wouldn’t lose money, but an embezzler could go to jail if anyone found out what he’d done,” Lucas said.
“Yes, exactly,” she said. “I’ll push it hard this afternoon and call you if I see anything suspicious. We consult extensively with one local company, Barnes and Blue, but they don’t hold our investments. We pay them a fee for their advice, based on the value of the investments. They couldn’t steal anything even if they wanted to.”
Virgil patted the thick file he’d brought in with him. “Most of the financial information is in here, but Lucas and I haven’t had a chance to review the details yet. What we really need from you isn’t somuch hard facts. The other guys piled up a lot of those. What we need is more like... stories. What you think, what you suspect, little things that may have popped into your head... In one of the stories that Lucas and I have talked about, we were wondering ifyoumight have been the target. Because you got home late, the killer missed you.”
“I got home late, but I didn’t get home later than I was expected,” Cooper said. She stood up, turned around, restless, sat back down and reached over to Melton to touch the baby. “We have a play coming up and we rehearse late. Everybody knows that. Or, at least, anyone who was interested could find out.”
“Is there anyone who might have profited, or might have thought he could profit, from his friendship with you, if Alex was gone?” Virgil asked.
“If you’re asking if I had an affair, or if I’m having one, the answer is no. I haven’t had an affair. As far as I know, nobody is enamored of me, although...”
She hesitated, rubbed her nose...
“Tell us,” Virgil said. “Although what?”
“...Although, you know, I teach theater students. Talented students. They can be quite emotional. Theater is an emotional calling,” Cooper said. “From time to time, we will recommend certain student actors for auditions for commercial projects. Or, we have to decide who gets what role in a play—who gets to be a star, who carries a spear. We have to disappoint people. As I’ve said, they can be extremely emotional. Angry. Depressed. We’ve had people threaten suicide.”
Lucas: “Okay, that’s something. The BCA has interviewed your students. These are the theater people, the actors?”
“Yes. The BCA did interview them, but in a general way. You know, checking alibis. They didn’t have much to work with. The BCA isn’t too invested in the idea that I was the target.”
“Do you think you might have been?” Lucas asked.
“Thinking about it? Really? No, I don’t. I don’t think anyone dislikes me enough, hates me enough, and I don’t know anyone capable of doing this killing,” Cooper said. “I understand that people can suffer psychotic breaks, or perhaps are full-blown psychopaths and have kept that aspect hidden, but my whole life revolves around people who act... who create different characters for themselves. I would see a psychopath who was trying to hide his real character. I don’t know any—I don’t see any around me. I really see no profit for anyone in killing Alex and my boys. Certainly not to get at me, in any way.”
“You probablydoknow a psychopath or two,” Lucas said, mildly. “As many as two to four percent of successful business people are psychopaths... so...”
“That’s a little shocking,” Melton said. She turned her head to Cooper and said, “I’ve had some questions about Calvin Crater. The way he looks at women.”
“He’s a little odd, but I’ve never heard anyone complain,” Cooper said. “Except, you know, about that fucking accordion. And the fucking concertina.”
Melton shrugged.
Virgil asked, “Who is Calvin Crater?”
Lucas answered him: “He’s a psychiatrist. He plays an accordion in a New Orleans jazz band, and when the chamber orchestra needs an accordion, they get him, because he’s good. He’s not the guy we’re looking for.”
“You’re sure about that?” Melton asked.
“He’s about five-seven and portly. Maybe five-eight on his tiptoes,” Lucas said. “He wouldn’t be the shooter unless he was wearing stilts.”
Cooper nodded: “That’s true. How do you know him?”
“My wife is on the chamber orchestra board, and we know him that way,” Lucas said. “We’ve been to the same orchestra parties.”
Melton said, “Really. Your wife’s name is Davenport?”
