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Chapter14
SHE LOOKED UP AT HIM,recognition flitting across her features as he stopped her on the sidewalk.
“I remember you.”
“Amos Decker. I investigated the death of your husband when I worked on the Burlington police force.”
“That’s right.” She frowned. “And I heard on the news that the man who killed him came back to town. And that he was found murdered.”
“That’s right. Meryl Hawkins.”
She shuddered. “Well, I can’t say that I was sorry. But I thought he was in prison for life. What was he doing here? The news didn’t say.”
“They let him out because he was terminally ill with cancer.”
She had no reaction to this. “And what are you doing here?” she asked.
“I just have some questions for you.”
“Do you still work for the police? I thought I heard that you left town.”
“I work for the FBI now. But I’m still a sworn officer in Ohio.” He showed her his official credentials.
“And what exactly are you investigating?”
“Hawkins’s murder. And that of your husband and the other victims at the Richardses’ that night.”
She shook her head, looking confused. “Weknowwho killed my husband and the Richards family. Meryl Hawkins.”
“We’re taking another look at it.”
“Why?”
“There are some anomalies we need to sort out.”
“What sort of anomalies?”
“Do you want to go somewhere to discuss this rather than out on the street? Or we can go down to the police station.”
She looked around at several passersby staring at them. “My condo is right over here.”
He followed her into the building, which had a concierge, and they rode up in an elevator to her floor.
“Didn’t know they had places like this in Burlington,” noted Decker as they walked down the plush corridor. “At least they didn’t when I lived here.”
“We just completed this a year ago. I’m actually involved with the development company that renovated this building. We’re working on two others. And I’m also working with another group in several new projects around town and a slew of businesses, including some restaurants. We have big plans for Burlington.”
“Economy finally turning around?”
“Seems to be. We hope to get several large companies to come here. We’re really rolling out the red carpet. Two Fortune 1000s have already started building regional headquarters in the area. And a high-tech start-up just opened its headquarters downtown, which brought in a lot of young, affluent people. It’s a lot cheaper to live here than in, say, Chicago. And we enticed a hospital system to build a new facility. And we’re well along to getting a parts supplier to the Big Three in Detroit to build a new factory on the north side of town. Those people have to live, shop, and eat out somewhere. New restaurants and places to live downtown are already popping up, in addition to what I’m working on. So, yes, thingsarelooking up.”
“Great.”
They entered her condo, which had an open floor plan and lots of twenty-foot windows. Decker watched as Katz used a remote to open the shades to let in the fading light.
“Beautiful place,” he observed, looking at all the expensive architectural details, like exposed beams and repointed brick walls, slate floors, high-dollar appliances in the kitchen, and oil and acrylic paintings on the wall. The furniture was big enough not to be overwhelmed by the large footprint, with several comfortable seating areas laid out.
“It was featured inLuxe,” she said. “That’s a design magazine,” she added when Decker looked blankly at her. “Targeted to the very affluent.” She paused. “Sorry if that sounded snooty.”
