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Jones stepped back for Finley to enter. Once the door was closed, she led the way to the sofa area of her open-concept living space. Big windows, lots of light. Soft, pale yellows and creams. Nice place.
They settled in seats opposite the coffee table.
“How can I help?” Jones asked.
“Tell me how Jarrod Grady came to be in your employment.”
The impatience that flared in her eyes announced that she had already answered this question and didn’t enjoy repeating herself.
Welcome to the world of murder investigations.
“I was short staffed as the biggest wedding season of the year approached,” she explained. “I couldn’t complain; we had weddings every weekend for the months of May, June, and July. Saturdays and Sundays. Birthdays and other celebrations had us sweating. Particularly the really big ones like Ellen Winthrop’s. I checked in with a staffing agency I use from time to time, and they didn’t have anyone available. Lucky for me, Jarrod showed up looking for work just after Mother’s Day.”
Just ahead of Winthrop’s party.
“Did you verify his credentials?” Finley asked.
“Of course,” Jones replied in a clipped tone. “I would never hire, even temporarily, anyone whose credentials weren’t verified. Imagine It is my baby. I don’t trust my baby with just anyone.”
Okay. Finley opted not to go into the reality that credentials could be faked. Grady was a perfect example. “Tell me about your interactions with him.”
“He was smart. Charming. Very handsome. A big flirt.” She shrugged. “He did a great job, and clients loved him.”
“How long did he work for you?”
“He was gone by mid-July.” She shook her head. “Married himself a billionaire.”
Ellen Winthrop.
“You never saw him speaking to or hanging out with anyone—another employee or a friend—who might have exchanged personal life stories with him? I’m looking for anyone who may have learned personal details.”
“No.” She shrugged. “He was very friendly, but he didn’t socialize with any of the other employees. Detective Ventura interviewed me and all of my employees at length. None of us ever saw him with anyone. He kept his personal life away from work. A lot of people do, so I didn’t think anything of it.”
“Did he at any time do or say anything that made you uncomfortable or set off warning bells of any sort?” Finley nudged, hoping for something ... anything.
“Never.” Jones shook her head but stopped midshake. “Wait, there was this one thing I found surprising.”
Finley would take it. Any new detail she could learn about Grady might prove useful.
“I was having a difficult time with this new program my CPA installed, so I called and left him a voice mail. I guess Jarrod overheard enough of the voice mail I left for him to get the gist of my issue. Anyway, he mentioned that he thought he could help.”
“With accounting software?” Finley asked for clarification.
Jones nodded. “He recognized the problem immediately and took care of it for me. It was crazy, but his expertise really saved my skin that day.”
Crazy for sure.
Jones checked her cell. “I really have to get ready for my meeting. Do you have any other questions?”
“Not at this time, but I hope you won’t mind me calling if the need arises.”
“Of course.” She gave Finley a card with her personal cell number.
Finley thanked her. Next on her agenda was the Winthrop housekeeper.
14
10:45 a.m.
