clearing up paperwork before the weekend.’
‘How did he seem that morning?’
‘No different to any other day. Said something about thank God it’s Friday, and he would see me home here around six.’
‘Six. Is that his normal arrival home time?’
Michelle nodded. ‘Normally, yes. Sometimes on a Friday he would try to leave the office earlier, so he got home around five-thirty, but six was the normal time.’
Leroy asked, ‘Did you speak to him during the day?’
‘I did, yes. He normally phones me around lunchtime. Between twelve and one. Just to ask how my day was going and that he would see me that evening.’
‘When he called Friday, did he give any indication of where he was?’
‘No. He always used his cell phone, and would say if he was out anywhere. So I guess he was at the office. Why, have they said anything different?’
‘Not spoken to them yet. We came here as soon as we identified him.’
‘How did you know it was him?’
‘I compared the photo we had with the one you provided when you filed the missing person report. He had no ID on him. I’m guessin g he always carried ID with him.’
‘Of course. In his wallet. His drivers licence and his money. Why? Were they taken?’
Leroy glanced over at Domingo and shifted in his chair. ‘When he was found, he wasn’t wearing anything. Well, just a pair of red shorts. I take it that was his normal underwear?’
Michelle shook her head, slightly puzzled. ‘Well… yes, it was. Why was he only wearing those? What had happened to his clothes?’
‘We don’t know at this time,’ Domingo said.
‘Where exactly was he found?’ Michelle asked.
‘He was discovered in a Century City parking garage. An underground garage,’ said Leroy.
‘His work garage?’
‘Still to be confirmed. We’ll be calling on his office later, and will ascertain if that was the garage under his firm’s building.’
Michelle nodded and blew her nose.
‘Another thing we need to ask you, Michelle,’ said Leroy. ‘Did either of you - well, maybe I should say just Lance - use recreational drugs?’
‘Drugs? No, of course not. Well, not recently.’
‘Not recently?’
She rested her hand on her stomach. ‘I’ve not touched anything like that since we started trying,’ she said. ‘And Lance – well, he’s the same.’
‘But you used to?’
‘Years ago, when we first met. We used to smoke a little dope now and then, and…’ She paused a moment, trying to find the right word. ‘I forget what they’re called. Those little bottles.’
‘Poppers?’ ventured Domingo.
‘Yes, that’s it. Poppers.’
‘Poppers,’ repeated Leroy. ‘Amyl nitrite. Use d during sex.’
‘That’s when we had them. But neither of us have touched anything like that for years now. Especially not…’ She rubbed the palm of her hand over her belly. ‘Why, is that what…?’
‘No. Not poppers,’ said Leroy. ‘But his body did contain a high dose of recreational drugs.’
Michelle put her hand to her mouth. ‘Oh, my God. No.’
There was a moment’s silence, then Leroy said, ‘Look Michelle – this is all the information we need at this time. It’s quite likely we will have other questions as the investigation progresses, but we’ll contact you at the time. One thing which does remain to be done, however, is for Lance’s body to be formally identified. Maybe your mother can bring you when she comes over?’
Michelle nodded.
Leroy and Domingo stood up to leave.
‘One more thing,’ Leroy said. ‘I’m guessing Lance used a laptop for work?’
Michelle nodded again.
‘I’m also guessing he took it with him to work.’
‘Yes, he always did.’
He looked around. ‘Do you have a home computer?’
‘Yes we do; it’s in one of the bedrooms.’
‘Did Lance use it? Or did he stick to his laptop?’
‘He never used that. I was the only one. He would always use his own laptop or his tablet, or his phone.’
‘Okay,’ Leroy said,
‘How did he seem that morning?’
‘No different to any other day. Said something about thank God it’s Friday, and he would see me home here around six.’
‘Six. Is that his normal arrival home time?’
Michelle nodded. ‘Normally, yes. Sometimes on a Friday he would try to leave the office earlier, so he got home around five-thirty, but six was the normal time.’
Leroy asked, ‘Did you speak to him during the day?’
‘I did, yes. He normally phones me around lunchtime. Between twelve and one. Just to ask how my day was going and that he would see me that evening.’
‘When he called Friday, did he give any indication of where he was?’
‘No. He always used his cell phone, and would say if he was out anywhere. So I guess he was at the office. Why, have they said anything different?’
‘Not spoken to them yet. We came here as soon as we identified him.’
‘How did you know it was him?’
‘I compared the photo we had with the one you provided when you filed the missing person report. He had no ID on him. I’m guessin g he always carried ID with him.’
‘Of course. In his wallet. His drivers licence and his money. Why? Were they taken?’
Leroy glanced over at Domingo and shifted in his chair. ‘When he was found, he wasn’t wearing anything. Well, just a pair of red shorts. I take it that was his normal underwear?’
Michelle shook her head, slightly puzzled. ‘Well… yes, it was. Why was he only wearing those? What had happened to his clothes?’
‘We don’t know at this time,’ Domingo said.
‘Where exactly was he found?’ Michelle asked.
‘He was discovered in a Century City parking garage. An underground garage,’ said Leroy.
‘His work garage?’
‘Still to be confirmed. We’ll be calling on his office later, and will ascertain if that was the garage under his firm’s building.’
Michelle nodded and blew her nose.
‘Another thing we need to ask you, Michelle,’ said Leroy. ‘Did either of you - well, maybe I should say just Lance - use recreational drugs?’
‘Drugs? No, of course not. Well, not recently.’
‘Not recently?’
She rested her hand on her stomach. ‘I’ve not touched anything like that since we started trying,’ she said. ‘And Lance – well, he’s the same.’
‘But you used to?’
‘Years ago, when we first met. We used to smoke a little dope now and then, and…’ She paused a moment, trying to find the right word. ‘I forget what they’re called. Those little bottles.’
‘Poppers?’ ventured Domingo.
‘Yes, that’s it. Poppers.’
‘Poppers,’ repeated Leroy. ‘Amyl nitrite. Use d during sex.’
‘That’s when we had them. But neither of us have touched anything like that for years now. Especially not…’ She rubbed the palm of her hand over her belly. ‘Why, is that what…?’
‘No. Not poppers,’ said Leroy. ‘But his body did contain a high dose of recreational drugs.’
Michelle put her hand to her mouth. ‘Oh, my God. No.’
There was a moment’s silence, then Leroy said, ‘Look Michelle – this is all the information we need at this time. It’s quite likely we will have other questions as the investigation progresses, but we’ll contact you at the time. One thing which does remain to be done, however, is for Lance’s body to be formally identified. Maybe your mother can bring you when she comes over?’
Michelle nodded.
Leroy and Domingo stood up to leave.
‘One more thing,’ Leroy said. ‘I’m guessing Lance used a laptop for work?’
Michelle nodded again.
‘I’m also guessing he took it with him to work.’
‘Yes, he always did.’
He looked around. ‘Do you have a home computer?’
‘Yes we do; it’s in one of the bedrooms.’
‘Did Lance use it? Or did he stick to his laptop?’
‘He never used that. I was the only one. He would always use his own laptop or his tablet, or his phone.’
‘Okay,’ Leroy said,
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