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“No. Never. I did get an email from Lucien, but I thought my assistant took care of answering it.”
Brogan eyed Lucien standing next to her at the counter. “I don’t think so. Lucien’s been waiting to hear from you, too. He wanted to ask you about Chad Pollock, that old ex-boyfriend who keeps popping up and won’t go away.”
“Tell me about it. Chad’s one of those people who doesn’t want to let anything go.”
“Did you know he hired us recently to look into his sister and brother-in-law’s murder back in 2001?”
“You’re kidding? That’s odd, even for him.”
“How so?”
“Well, that’s one thing I thought Chad would’ve put to rest by now. He wasn’t keen on me ever talking about it with anyone. And whenever I tried to bring it up, he’d change the subject.”
“Why do you think that was? Did you ever wonder if Chad could’ve been behind the murders?”
“Oh, Brogan, how much time do you have? That was so very long ago. But I know how he felt about Anna. He hated his sister. Surely you know that by now if you’ve been looking into the case.”
“Really? Hate’s such a strong word. How did he feel about Matthew?”
“Back in those days, Chad hung out with Matthew quite often. They were poker buddies who loved to get involved in a game at least twice a week. Those two always seem to have something on the horizon. They loved frequenting high-stakes games in and around Los Angeles or Las Vegas. They sometimes flew to Atlantic City if they thought the game was worth it. Both enjoyed playing the high-roller and rubbing elbows with other celebrities. Sometimes they got in over their heads, gambling-wise.”
“So Chad was just as big of a gambler as Matthew?”
“Absolutely. And when Chad had a bad game, oh, my God, he would lose his temper like a toddler and throw things against the walls. I remember one time he lost fifty grand in one weekend and was so upset he took a swing at me.”
“He hit you?”
“It wasn’t the first time. I look back at my life then and think, ‘what was I thinking?’ But I was so young when I met Chad. I was barely seventeen, and he was in his twenties. I fell hard for the big-time record producer. God, was I gullible and naïve, maybe even a little stupid.”
“Did he ever talk about Anna?”
“Look, what can I say? Chad was a bully. Period. He tried to browbeat everyone he came in contact with on a daily basis. You need to understand that he pushed Matthew around so much that I actually felt sorry for the guy. But Anna was a different story. Anna was a tough cookie when it came to dealing with her brother. She stood up to Chad all the time.”
“So they butted heads quite a bit? What was the reason? Ordinary sibling rivalry?”
“It was more than that. Anna knew how to take care of her money. She took her trust fund seriously. Chad and Matthew were always begging for a handout. Gambling is an expensive habit that sometimes forces you to ask for a loan from anyone you deem a soft touch. Anna wasn’t a soft touch. But things took a turn for the dark side right before Anna died.”
“What do you mean?”
Adelai let out a sigh. “Once, I came home in the middle of the afternoon and heard Chad saying horrible things about Anna. He often did that. But this was a new low, even for him. I remember Matthew taking up for his sister until Chad mentioned the trust fund. Chad said if Anna weren’t in the picture, then her share of the trust would go to Mack and Elliott. But if something happened to the husband and son, the inheritance would fall to them, meaning Chad and Matthew.”
“Did you ever hear Chad coax Matthew into doing anything to Anna?”
“I’m pretty sure Chad suggested to Matthew that he knew how to handle Anna better than anyone since Matthew and Anna seemed closer. But when it came to money, both brothers were vindictive and ruthless. That’s my take anyway.”
“We’ve come full circle, Adelai. I mean, after the murders, didn’t you wonder if Chad had anything to do with killing his own sister? Even though, at the time, you were his alibi.”
“That’s just it. I wasn’t really. Chad wasn’t with me like I told the police.”
Lucien started to say something, but Brogan put her finger to his lips to shush him.
“Let me make sure I understand what you’re saying, Adelai. The morning of June 7, 2001, you and Chad weren’t together at five-thirty in the morning, right? If that’s true, then why did you lie to the cops?”
“Because I was afraid of what Chad would do if I told the truth. I don’t understand why you’re investigating this at all, though. Chad told me that some detective out of Santa Cruz called him one day out of the blue and said the killer was a local teenager who killed them and took the little boy.”
“And you never questioned the logic of that?”
“Well, to be fair, have you questioned why Chad would hire you to look into the case if he had a hand in the killings?”
