Read Online The Silver Anniversary Murder by Lee Harris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lee Harris
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electronics outlets, and he is easily enticed.
“What’s on your agenda today?”
“I want to talk to the building manager. I know the police have questioned him, but I’d like to do it myself.”
“Aren’t you the gal who said she was keeping out of this case?”
“You know me, Jack. No self-restraint.”
“Well, I think the building manager’s a good idea. You may pick up something they overlooked. See you later.”
I drove over to the apartments and found him just walking into his office. “Mr. Stone, I’m Chris Bennett Brooks. We met last month when I came over with Detective Palermo.”
A frown smoothed into a welcoming look. “Mrs. Brooks, yes, I remember. That was the day we found the apartment empty.”
“Right.”
“Sit down. What can I do for you?”
“I suppose you heard that Mrs. Mitchell’s body was found last week.”
“Yeah. And his body turned up a coupla days ago.”
“Right.”
“Have they figured out for sure if it’s Mr. Mitchell’s yet?”
“I don’t know. I’m kind of assuming it is.”
“Stands to reason.”
“I’m interested in this case because I got that phone call last month, the day I came over with Detective Palermo.”
“Sure.”
“The case has been moved to the sheriff’s division.”
“I know. And they’re a pain in the rear, if you know what I mean.”
“How so?”
“They’ve questioned me about a hundred times. I keep telling them I don’t know anything and then they come back again and ask the same things. It’s like they think I’m keeping something to myself and I’m not.”
“I’m sorry to hear it,” I said, thinking that could be quite an annoyance. “I wonder if you’d mind talking to me about the Mitchells. I promise I won’t bother you.”
He gave me a grin. “That’s OK. I wasn’t complaining about you. But I don’t know what I can tell you. They kept to themselves and I didn’t see them much. They were generous at Christmas, I’ll tell you that.”
That didn’t surprise me. They wanted to keep on good terms with this man. If anyone ever came asking questions, he might not answer them if he thought it would jeopardize his end-of-the-year gift. “Did anyone ever ask about them? When they were alive, I mean?”
“Not that I recall. They must have paid their bills on time. They didn’t have a beef with anyone that I know of.”
“Did anyone ever come looking for them?”
“Never.”
“Were packages for them left with you?”
He thought a minute. “Maybe once in a while. Yeah. I think so.”
“Do you remember where those packages came from?”
“Uh, no. One was UPS—I’m sure of that.”
“How long ago?”
“Coupla months.”
“Any sent by mail?” I was desperate for a return address.
“Could’ve been. I just don’t remember. I get a lot of packages here. I just wait for folks to come around and pick them up. I don’t really look at the packages.”
“Do you know if they had visitors? Either overnight or just for the evening?”
“I can’t even see their entrance from here. I wouldn’t know. That woman who lives across the way would be your best bet.”
“How long did they live here, by the way?”
“Almost two years. There’s only a couple of months or so left on their lease.”
“Do you know where they came from?” I knew the building management company would have ordered a financial report on the Mitchells and that the police would have already gotten their rental file.
He got up and went to the file cabinet in the corner of the office. “Out of state,” he said, reading from a file folder. “They didn’t have any local references, but they gave us three months’ rent in advance so we gave them the apartment. They never paid late and they always paid in cash—you wouldn’t believe how many checks bounce in this place, and these people are supposed to be so rich— so I’d say they were good tenants. We didn’t make a mistake.”
“Do you know if they had
“What’s on your agenda today?”
“I want to talk to the building manager. I know the police have questioned him, but I’d like to do it myself.”
“Aren’t you the gal who said she was keeping out of this case?”
“You know me, Jack. No self-restraint.”
“Well, I think the building manager’s a good idea. You may pick up something they overlooked. See you later.”
I drove over to the apartments and found him just walking into his office. “Mr. Stone, I’m Chris Bennett Brooks. We met last month when I came over with Detective Palermo.”
A frown smoothed into a welcoming look. “Mrs. Brooks, yes, I remember. That was the day we found the apartment empty.”
“Right.”
“Sit down. What can I do for you?”
“I suppose you heard that Mrs. Mitchell’s body was found last week.”
“Yeah. And his body turned up a coupla days ago.”
“Right.”
“Have they figured out for sure if it’s Mr. Mitchell’s yet?”
“I don’t know. I’m kind of assuming it is.”
“Stands to reason.”
“I’m interested in this case because I got that phone call last month, the day I came over with Detective Palermo.”
“Sure.”
“The case has been moved to the sheriff’s division.”
“I know. And they’re a pain in the rear, if you know what I mean.”
“How so?”
“They’ve questioned me about a hundred times. I keep telling them I don’t know anything and then they come back again and ask the same things. It’s like they think I’m keeping something to myself and I’m not.”
“I’m sorry to hear it,” I said, thinking that could be quite an annoyance. “I wonder if you’d mind talking to me about the Mitchells. I promise I won’t bother you.”
He gave me a grin. “That’s OK. I wasn’t complaining about you. But I don’t know what I can tell you. They kept to themselves and I didn’t see them much. They were generous at Christmas, I’ll tell you that.”
That didn’t surprise me. They wanted to keep on good terms with this man. If anyone ever came asking questions, he might not answer them if he thought it would jeopardize his end-of-the-year gift. “Did anyone ever ask about them? When they were alive, I mean?”
“Not that I recall. They must have paid their bills on time. They didn’t have a beef with anyone that I know of.”
“Did anyone ever come looking for them?”
“Never.”
“Were packages for them left with you?”
He thought a minute. “Maybe once in a while. Yeah. I think so.”
“Do you remember where those packages came from?”
“Uh, no. One was UPS—I’m sure of that.”
“How long ago?”
“Coupla months.”
“Any sent by mail?” I was desperate for a return address.
“Could’ve been. I just don’t remember. I get a lot of packages here. I just wait for folks to come around and pick them up. I don’t really look at the packages.”
“Do you know if they had visitors? Either overnight or just for the evening?”
“I can’t even see their entrance from here. I wouldn’t know. That woman who lives across the way would be your best bet.”
“How long did they live here, by the way?”
“Almost two years. There’s only a couple of months or so left on their lease.”
“Do you know where they came from?” I knew the building management company would have ordered a financial report on the Mitchells and that the police would have already gotten their rental file.
He got up and went to the file cabinet in the corner of the office. “Out of state,” he said, reading from a file folder. “They didn’t have any local references, but they gave us three months’ rent in advance so we gave them the apartment. They never paid late and they always paid in cash—you wouldn’t believe how many checks bounce in this place, and these people are supposed to be so rich— so I’d say they were good tenants. We didn’t make a mistake.”
“Do you know if they had
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