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Her abrupt tone seemed to startle Jenna.
Charlie smoothed things over. “We’re in the process of investigating a man named Bruce Rockford, a principal with a security firm, Brock Marsh.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of them.”
“The firm?”
She nodded. “Tom mentioned them several times, but in passing. Like he was trying to figure out their angle—something like that.”
“Rockford is not a common name,” Charlie said. “So now I’m thinking Bruce and Chad are related. Regan?”
Regan did a quick search on her phone. “Yep. Looks like they’re brothers.”
“You saw them at brunch,” Charlie said. “Was it spontaneous? Why were you there?”
“This was a week before the robbery. Like I said, Becca was acting all strange, like she was rolling in money. I wasn’t happy because she owed me money for the property taxes on the house.”
“She owned the house with you?”
“It was left to us when our parents died. Their insurance paid off the mortgage, but we still have to pay property taxes and maintenance. I handled it, because Becca was never that responsible with her money. I had covered her for the taxes, but I needed her to pay me back. She told me to meet her at her apartment—she had an apartment in Arlington because she didn’t want to live with me, even rent-free.” Jenna looked at her hands.
“Jenna, it’s okay,” Lance said. “Whatever you’re feeling about your sister is okay.”
“I didn’t understand why she just threw money away like that. It wasn’t like she couldn’t get a teller job in Bethesda. Anyway, she told me to stop by her apartment Sunday morning—the Sunday before she was killed. She’d have the money for me. I did—she wasn’t there. I called her, she didn’t answer. I was so mad—I usually either work or visit our grandma on Sundays. I left and a couple blocks from her apartment, I saw her new car parked in front of a breakfast place. So I pulled over and went in to look for her. She was having brunch with Chad.”
“Did you confront her?”
“Of course. I went up and said did time get away from her? That we were supposed to meet an hour ago. She was really mad that I interrupted them.”
“Were they romantic?” Charlie asked. “Or did it seem like a business meeting?”
“Kind of both? I mean, they were sitting close together and Becca was being flirty and wearing a knockout sundress. Becca was beautiful. I mean, gorgeous. Petite, but without the big bones that I have. What people call vivacious. And I knew when she was being flirty. Chad’s a good-looking guy, but I couldn’t tell what was going through his head.
“Anyway, Becca pulled me aside, away from him, and said I was going to ruin everything and to go away. I reminded her she still owed me fifteen hundred dollars, and she said she’d be making fifteenthousandthis month and there was more if she got ‘the job.’ I asked what job would pay fifteen thousand a month? She didn’t answer. Told me to go away, she’d call me later. I was angry and left. She never called me...and then she was dead.”
Tears sprang to her eyes and she wiped them away. “I hate that the last conversation I had with my sister was an argument. Ihateit.”
“It’s okay,” Lance told her quietly. “You didn’t know.”
“Did the FBI ask you any questions about Becca at that time? After she was killed?” Regan asked.
Jenna shook her head. “Nothing. And to be honest, when they told me she was killed in a bank robbery, I didn’t remember, at least not to bring it up, not until Tommy asked me questions.”
“I’m going to show you some pictures,” Charlie said. “Tell me if you recognize these men. The photos aren’t great—they’re from a security camera—so if you don’t know just say so.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath as Charlie turned his phone around. “Oh. My. God. That guy. That guy there—he was the one who came to my door. I swear to God, that’s him. The other—it could be the taller guy. Could be, I’m not sure. They were both wearing sunglasses just like these. But the shorter guy? I hit him with mycar! I wouldn’t forget him, or that scar on the side of his neck.”
“Okay. That’s good.”
“Do you know who they are? Are they FBI agents?”
“They’re definitely not FBI,” Charlie said. “Can you sit tight in here while I talk to Regan in the hall?”
Charlie and Regan stepped outside. “Wow,” he said.
“That’s why Tommy thought she might be in danger,” Regan said. “Jenna saw Becca with someone from Legacy CPA the week before the bank robbery. Why was she with him? Because she was working with Hannigan to rob the bank? Tipped them off? We now know there’s a connection between Legacy and Brock Marsh—the Rockford brothers. Did Tommy find it? And if so, how does it connect to Grant?”
“Why didn’t Tommy bring this to me sooner?”
