But you know what? I don’t care. When cops ask questions, I answer. And if Sam asks me point-blank whether you came to me, I’m not going to lie to him either.”
“No one’s asking you to lie, Kristen.”
“Yeah, okay, but whatever. He’s not going to ask. I’m sure that was your intention in coming here instead of the office. I was just saying, there’s no way he’d hurt Robo, if that happens to be what you’re thinking. So go ahead and ask whatever you want. I’ve got no problems with you guys.”
She was about as straightforward a witness as two detectives could ask for. Loyal to her boss, but not so loyal that she’d want to lie.
“We’re going back to the very beginning,” Ellie said. “Making sure we didn’t miss anything. We wanted to talk to you again about Mancini reserving the apartment for that night.”
“Okay.”
“So the way you explained it to us, you keep a calendar for the 212?”
“Right. Sam offers the penthouse to various business associates when they come to town. More impressive than a hotel. I keep track of it all so I can make sure the maid service comes and cleans up after guests, changes the linens—that kind of thing. And that requires knowing when people are there and for how long.”
“And then Sparks lets employees use the place, too?”
“Yeah. Not a lot, but, you know, it’s the occasional little perk. I told you, he’s not the evil shit you think he is. Everyone knows not to take it for granted.”
“And who’s everyone?” Rogan asked.
“Not corporate employees, but more of just the personal staff. Me, the bodyguards—I mean, protection specialists ,” she said, smiling. “I think he even lent it to his contractor once.”
“And none of these people has a key, right?” Ellie was pretending that she needed to hear all of this information again.
“No one keeps a key. There’s a coded key compartment that hangs from the apartment door. You flip the digits around to match the code. The box pops open, and the apartment key’s inside. One of my responsibilities after someone stays is to reset the code.”
The night of Mancini’s murder, they had found the door unlocked and the key inside on the kitchen counter. Mancini had not locked the door behind him.
“So when someone wants to use the apartment, they contact you to reserve their spot on the calendar and get the code.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay, and when did Mancini reserve the apartment for the night of May 27?”
“May 27 was the night of—the night he died, right?”
Ellie nodded.
“He called me that day. I think I told you before it was around two, but I wasn’t sure.”
In fact, Ellie and Rogan had pulled Kristen’s call records from the cellular phone company used by Sparks Industries. Mancini had placed a call to her at 2:32 that afternoon.
“And it was just for that night?” Ellie asked.
“Yeah. It’s always just one night when we’re using it. Like I said, we don’t want to take advantage.”
“And did you tell anyone that Mancini would be using the apartment?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head.
“Not even a housekeeper to get the place ready?”
“Nope. The apartment had been cleaned two weeks earlier. For the CEO of General Electric, I would have had a fresh cleaning. Robo could live with a little dust.”
“And where were you after two o’clock?”
“Me?”
“Like I said, we’re covering all the bases. Sorry,” Ellie said, offering her best supportive head-tilt.
Ellie had no interest in Kristen’s whereabouts, but focusing on the assistant’s schedule gave them a back door to talk about her boss’s timeline. And if Kristen was on the defensive, she might not notice the maneuver.
“I was in my office taking care of a ton of details for a party Sam was having the following week. Finalizing the bartenders, the catering menu—I swear I wish the man would get married so his wife could take over his social affairs.”
“Married?” Rogan
“No one’s asking you to lie, Kristen.”
“Yeah, okay, but whatever. He’s not going to ask. I’m sure that was your intention in coming here instead of the office. I was just saying, there’s no way he’d hurt Robo, if that happens to be what you’re thinking. So go ahead and ask whatever you want. I’ve got no problems with you guys.”
She was about as straightforward a witness as two detectives could ask for. Loyal to her boss, but not so loyal that she’d want to lie.
“We’re going back to the very beginning,” Ellie said. “Making sure we didn’t miss anything. We wanted to talk to you again about Mancini reserving the apartment for that night.”
“Okay.”
“So the way you explained it to us, you keep a calendar for the 212?”
“Right. Sam offers the penthouse to various business associates when they come to town. More impressive than a hotel. I keep track of it all so I can make sure the maid service comes and cleans up after guests, changes the linens—that kind of thing. And that requires knowing when people are there and for how long.”
“And then Sparks lets employees use the place, too?”
“Yeah. Not a lot, but, you know, it’s the occasional little perk. I told you, he’s not the evil shit you think he is. Everyone knows not to take it for granted.”
“And who’s everyone?” Rogan asked.
“Not corporate employees, but more of just the personal staff. Me, the bodyguards—I mean, protection specialists ,” she said, smiling. “I think he even lent it to his contractor once.”
“And none of these people has a key, right?” Ellie was pretending that she needed to hear all of this information again.
“No one keeps a key. There’s a coded key compartment that hangs from the apartment door. You flip the digits around to match the code. The box pops open, and the apartment key’s inside. One of my responsibilities after someone stays is to reset the code.”
The night of Mancini’s murder, they had found the door unlocked and the key inside on the kitchen counter. Mancini had not locked the door behind him.
“So when someone wants to use the apartment, they contact you to reserve their spot on the calendar and get the code.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay, and when did Mancini reserve the apartment for the night of May 27?”
“May 27 was the night of—the night he died, right?”
Ellie nodded.
“He called me that day. I think I told you before it was around two, but I wasn’t sure.”
In fact, Ellie and Rogan had pulled Kristen’s call records from the cellular phone company used by Sparks Industries. Mancini had placed a call to her at 2:32 that afternoon.
“And it was just for that night?” Ellie asked.
“Yeah. It’s always just one night when we’re using it. Like I said, we don’t want to take advantage.”
“And did you tell anyone that Mancini would be using the apartment?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head.
“Not even a housekeeper to get the place ready?”
“Nope. The apartment had been cleaned two weeks earlier. For the CEO of General Electric, I would have had a fresh cleaning. Robo could live with a little dust.”
“And where were you after two o’clock?”
“Me?”
“Like I said, we’re covering all the bases. Sorry,” Ellie said, offering her best supportive head-tilt.
Ellie had no interest in Kristen’s whereabouts, but focusing on the assistant’s schedule gave them a back door to talk about her boss’s timeline. And if Kristen was on the defensive, she might not notice the maneuver.
“I was in my office taking care of a ton of details for a party Sam was having the following week. Finalizing the bartenders, the catering menu—I swear I wish the man would get married so his wife could take over his social affairs.”
“Married?” Rogan
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