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“So Neil was really dedicated.”
“Yes, he really wanted to do well here and he put in for a CFO position after the acquisition. I’m sure Stan would have given it to him.”
I decided to be direct. “I don’t mean to be intrusive, but Mike told me you don’t think Neil died by suicide.”
“I don’t.” Lillian’s heartbroken gaze met mine. “Neil was depressed,it’s true, and he was lonely after he and Daniel broke up. Neil wanted to get married, but Daniel didn’t, and it ended before he came to Runstan. But Neil wasn’t down enough to…Well, you know. He wanted to travel more, see the world. We even talked about taking a trip together, to Scandinavia.”
I nodded, and she didn’t need encouragement to continue.
“They all think I’m in denial. Maybe I am, I don’t know.” Lillian stopped abruptly, and her eyes filmed with tears. “I just don’t think he would do that to himself or Mango. He loved that cat.”
I flashed on the ginger cat, sitting on the driveway.
“He lived for that cat.” Lillian reached inside a cardboard box and showed me a few cat pictures. “She was everything to Neil. I was at his house last night, and I swear, she knew he was gone.”
I realized Lillian must have been the person in Lemaire’s living room, with the yellow VW Beetle.
“She wouldn’t stop meowing, and she was walking all over the house, howling. That’s why I say that no matter how low Neil got last night, he would never leave her.”
“Maybe he thought someone would take care of her.”
“No, he knew better.” Lillian shook her head firmly. “Mango is unadoptable. She has to get insulin shots twice a day, under the skin. It’s hard and expensive. He would never leave her, risking she’d be put down. And now, what am I going to do? I can’t take her, I have an older cat and he’s very territorial. Nobody wants her.”
“I’ll take her,” I said, surprising even myself.
Lillian blinked. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.” Meanwhile I didn’t know if I could, I only knew I wanted to try. Maybe I wanted a cat to wait at the end of the driveway for me.
Lillian’s lips parted with hope. “Do you have pets? Mango doesn’t like other pets.”
“No other pets.”
“Kids? She doesn’t like kids, either.”
“No kids. I have a yoga mat. Is she okay with yoga mats?”
Lillian laughed, happy and relieved, and I felt my heart ease, so I kept going.
“How does she feel about yoga blocks? Also those weird straps.”
“I have to warn you, the injections are expensive.”
“I have money.”
“You have to inject her yourself. Do you know how?”
I heard about it in rehab, does that count?“Yes.”
“She’s at Neil’s. I fed her there this morning. When do you want her? I can bring her to you.”
“I’ll get her from Neil’s house,” I told her, realizing I’d stumbled into a golden investigative opportunity.
“How wonderful!” Lillian jumped up, came around the desk, and threw open her arms. “Thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome.” I rose and gave her a hug, but Lillian clung to me and began to cry, her head against my jean jacket.
“I miss him…so much. I wish he were alive…he should be alive. I wish I knew…what happened…if somebody did this to him.”
