Family Secrets

Lane put her hands on her face and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips.

“You’d better take something for that,” Meg said as she walked out of the room and closed the door.

Lane reached in the top right drawer of her desk and pulled out a BC Powder.  She poured the powder on her tongue and took a healthy drink of Diet Dr. Pepper.  It was an all too familiar routine and she knew she’d repeat with Tylenol in a couple of hours.

The door opened and Meg showed Mick into the office.  Lane motioned him toward a chair opposite her desk.  As Mick opened his mouth, Lane held up her hand in the international halt sign.

“Ben’s about five seconds behind you.  I’d like to tell the story only once.”  As she continued saying “You don’t mind, do you?”

Ben entered the room.  He went to Lane and embraced her. He looked past her to Mick. “She’s okay, isn’t she?”

She wanted to stay in his comforting embrace forever and she wanted to pick him up and slap him while saying “hello, I’m right here, I can talk you know.”

“I just got here and she didn’t want to tell the story twice, so I don’t know any more than you do.”  What Mick wanted to say was “If you’ll stop hovering over her, we can find out.”

Lane let go and gave Ben a gentle nudge toward the visitor’s chair next to Mick.  “Okay,” she said, “How about if I tell you what I know and then you can ask questions?”

Both men nodded and Lane continued, “I got back from lunch around one o’clock, parked the car, and came into the office.  At about four-thirty, Meg and Kyle Paulson, he’s the evening head security guard for this building, came into my office.  Kyle told me there’d been a fire in the parking garage and the only thing damaged was my car. Kyle said he’d called property management and that they would call the authorities.” She paused and took a drink.  “I haven’t gone to see the damage yet.  Meg called the two of you and I’ve just been waiting.”

Mick and Ben exchanged a glance and she thought she saw Ben give a slight nod in Mick’s direction.

“Of course, you know Telco Unlimited’s offices are in Overland Park and not in my jurisdiction.  However, in light of the murder investigation, you were right to call me.  I’d like to talk to Paulson, see how he came upon the fire.”  Mick tried to give Lane a reassuring smile.  He had no doubt, based on her demeanor, that she had a throbbing headache.  He also had no doubt that she was over medicating in an attempt to keep the pain at bay.  Mick knew all about tension, and wasn’t sure that was really the cause of her headaches.  He wished he could persuade her to see a doctor.

“I’ll have Meg call Kyle and the Property Management person in charge.  You’ll probably want to talk to them too.”  Lane buzzed Meg and asked her to make the calls and to let them know when everyone got there.

“Lane, was your car locked?”  Ben was familiar with Lane’s theory that anyone who wants to get into a convertible will get in and her habit of leaving it unlocked.

“Yes, but, Ben, the top was down.  It’s in a secured underground garage that is equipped with state of the art video surveillance.  Besides, we don’t know what caused the fire or where in the car it occurred.  It may have just been an electrical malfunction.”

Ben almost smirked.  “Red, you’re a fanatic about that car.  It’s never missed a scheduled maintenance visit not to mention that every couple of weeks you treat the mechanics and detailing crew to Krispy Kreme and they give it a good once over in exchange.  There’s no way this just happened.”

Before Lane could respond, Meg opened the office door, came in with coffee, and iced tea.  “I thought y’all might like something to drink.  I’ll take suggestions for ordering take out if you’re going to be here late.”  She walked through the office and placed the tray holding the carafe of coffee, pitcher of iced tea, bucket of ice, cups, and glasses on the credenza in Lane’s conference room.

“Kyle Paulson and Sam Holt from Property Management are on their way.  Do you want to see them together or separately?”  Meg had posed the question to Lane, but was not surprised when Detective McGuire responded.

“Separately.  Sam Holt first.  Paulson last. If you can keep them apart, that would be good too.”

Meg nodded and closed the office door.

Lane, Mick, and Ben went into the conference room.  Lane was glad that she’d opted for a round conference table.  In a situation like this one, she didn’t want either Sam or Kyle to feel like they were being ganged up on.  She hoped that the seating arrangement at a round table wouldn’t make them feel surrounded.

“Before either of them arrive, I think we’d better discuss a strategy for interviewing them,” Lane said as she glanced from Ben to Mick.  “My suggestion is that I introduce you both as friends.  That should put the men at ease.  I can ask the easy questions like what time the fire was discovered, what time Sam got the call, to whom he reported the incident.  Then either one of you can jump in and expand if you’d like.”

Ben smiled.  He’d told her more than once that she was as good a strategist and cross-examiner as he’d ever seen in or out of a courtroom. “Works for me, Red.  Is this chair okay for me?”

Lane smiled.  “You’re fine.  I’ll take the seat closest to the door.  Mick, that leaves you across from the interviewee.  Okay?”

Mick nodded.  Lane had set the room up just the way he would have.  He wondered where Lane had gotten the ability to size up a room. He closed the window blinds and took the seat facing the window, thus making sure the interviewee was blocked in the room with no easy escape, just as Meg rapped on the door.

“This is Sam Holt.  He’s a Senior Manager in Property Management.”

Lane stood and extended her hand.  “Lane Parker,” she said as she shook his hand and motioned him to the empty seat.  “Sam, these are my friends, Ben Bellini and Mick McGuire.  We’d like to ask some questions about the fire.”

Lane gestured toward the tray on the credenza.  “May I offer you something to drink?  Coffee or iced tea?”  Sam opted for the tea.  Lane filled a glass with ice and poured the tea.

“I was just wondering what time it was when you were made aware of the fire,” she said with a smile as she placed the glass in front of Sam and took her seat.  Corporate America is all about politics.  She knew the senior manager was probably intimidated sitting with, and being questioned by, someone who reported only to the Chief Executive Officer.  Basically, in corporate terms, that made her next to God.  She sipped from her glass of Diet Dr. Pepper, and did her best to put the poor man at ease.

“I received the phone call from Paulson just after four o’clock this afternoon.  He said he’d seen it just as he was making his first round in the parking garage.  He also told me the fire was contained to just one vehicle.  I understand it was your car, Mrs. Parker.  I’m really sorry.”

Lane smiled.  “It wasn’t your fault, Sam.  Tell me, did you phone 9-1-1, or did you call the fire department directly?”

“Well, Paulson had already notified the fire department.  I understand the fire was out when the fire truck arrived.

Hmm, that was odd; Kyle had specifically told Lane that Property Management had notified the authorities.  Perhaps Kyle was just confused by the question, or maybe to Kyle the fire department wasn’t the authorities.

“Sam, did you examine the scene yourself?”

“Yes Ma’am.  The damage was contained to a red BMW convertible.  It appeared that the driver’s seat somehow caught fire.  The interior was shot, but that’s the only damage I saw. I’m sure the fire inspector will have more information.”

Lane glanced toward Mick and Ben to see if they had questions for Sam.  Both men made gestures telling her they didn’t.  She thanked Sam for his time and his concern and then praised him for the good job he’d done before she dismissed him and walked him to the door.  She told Paulson that she’d need just a minute as she closed the conference room door.