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Authors: Catherine Coulter
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Drexel. Actually, I'm very sure both of you knew him. He was an employee of Schiffer Hartwin, from their headquarters, a German national. His name was Helmut Blauvelt."
Mr. Drexel paled, then quickly lowered his eyes to his black loafers and muttered something under his breath.
As for Carla Alvarez, her hand went to her throat. She said slowly, "Helmut Blauvelt? No, surely that's not possible, surely-you're certain?"
"Very certain."
"We didn't know, I mean, sure, we've met Mr. Blauvelt, but we didn't realize-we just thought it was some stranger who was mugged and killed in the park. This is unbelievable, Agent. Mr. Blauvelt-it just doesn't seem possible."
"He was identified very quickly." She gave them no details. She turned. "Mr. Drexel, if you would please return to your office, I would like to speak with Ms. Alvarez alone. I'll be in to speak with you soon."
After Turley Drexel nearly ran from the office, Sherlock turned back to Carla Alvarez, studied her a moment, and said, "Men are dogs, aren't they, Ms. Alvarez?"
"Dogs? What is that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, Caskie Royal is married, he's got kids, and here he is sleeping with you. I wonder how many women, how many employees, he's talked onto his sofa? Surely you realize you're not the first."
"That's insulting. If I were a man, you'd never say anything like that."
"Depending on where I happened to be, and what I happened to find, sure I would. Ms. Alvarez, I understand you and Mr. Caskie Royal interrupted a break-in last night, in his office, and I was thinking it really strange that neither of you called the police, that the security guard did it some minutes later, with no prompting from you. Why is that?"
"What does it matter who called the police? They were called, weren't they?"
"Why don't you tell me why that wasn't the first thing you and Caskie did."
Alvarez shrugged. "We were anxious to see if the thief got away with anything valuable, like confidential files or e-mails. So the guard called. I repeat, who cares?"
"I'm thinking you guys didn't call because you were afraid the first question put to you would be why the two of you were there alone on a Sunday night."
"We were working on the budget-we had adjustments to make, production dates to change-"
"That doesn't sound all that urgent. So how long have you been sleeping with Mr. Royal?"
"I am not sleeping with him!"
"What did the thief take, Ms. Alvarez?"
"Nothing, as far as I know. That's what Mr. Royal told me last night. He hasn't said anything different to me today."
"How many times did you meet with Mr. Blauvelt?"
"Only once, when he was here three, four months ago, his first visit to our office, I believe."
"No, he's been here many times. All right, what was your meeting about during this visit several months ago?"
Sherlock saw Alvarez's face go utterly blank, then watched her brain snap to. Alvarez said, her voice ice chips, "Not that you'd understand, but we spoke of the reasons behind some budget overruns on drugs we distribute. It's all very involved. After our discussion, he met briefly with Mr. Royal, then, so far as I know, he returned to Germany, pleased that we had resolved the situation."
"You're lying to me, Ms. Alvarez, and I do hate that. You know as well as I do that Mr. Blauvelt wouldn't know a budget overrun from a Gesundheit ."
"I am not!"
"Why did Mr. Blauvelt come here this time?"
"I have no idea. I didn't even know he was coming."
"You must know Mr. Blauvelt was Schiffer Hartwin's enforcer, their messy-problem solver. Whenever he showed up, it meant there was a screw-up that needed his brand of fixing. This always involved people, Ms. Alvarez, not production problems. Who was he here for this time? Who was the problem, Ms. Alvarez? Were you the one he came to see?"
10
CASKIE ROYAL'S OFFICE
Savich studied Caskie Royal, sitting erect and confident in his executive leather chair behind his equally impressive mahogany desk, and watched him thread a
Mr. Drexel paled, then quickly lowered his eyes to his black loafers and muttered something under his breath.
As for Carla Alvarez, her hand went to her throat. She said slowly, "Helmut Blauvelt? No, surely that's not possible, surely-you're certain?"
"Very certain."
"We didn't know, I mean, sure, we've met Mr. Blauvelt, but we didn't realize-we just thought it was some stranger who was mugged and killed in the park. This is unbelievable, Agent. Mr. Blauvelt-it just doesn't seem possible."
"He was identified very quickly." She gave them no details. She turned. "Mr. Drexel, if you would please return to your office, I would like to speak with Ms. Alvarez alone. I'll be in to speak with you soon."
After Turley Drexel nearly ran from the office, Sherlock turned back to Carla Alvarez, studied her a moment, and said, "Men are dogs, aren't they, Ms. Alvarez?"
"Dogs? What is that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, Caskie Royal is married, he's got kids, and here he is sleeping with you. I wonder how many women, how many employees, he's talked onto his sofa? Surely you realize you're not the first."
"That's insulting. If I were a man, you'd never say anything like that."
"Depending on where I happened to be, and what I happened to find, sure I would. Ms. Alvarez, I understand you and Mr. Caskie Royal interrupted a break-in last night, in his office, and I was thinking it really strange that neither of you called the police, that the security guard did it some minutes later, with no prompting from you. Why is that?"
"What does it matter who called the police? They were called, weren't they?"
"Why don't you tell me why that wasn't the first thing you and Caskie did."
Alvarez shrugged. "We were anxious to see if the thief got away with anything valuable, like confidential files or e-mails. So the guard called. I repeat, who cares?"
"I'm thinking you guys didn't call because you were afraid the first question put to you would be why the two of you were there alone on a Sunday night."
"We were working on the budget-we had adjustments to make, production dates to change-"
"That doesn't sound all that urgent. So how long have you been sleeping with Mr. Royal?"
"I am not sleeping with him!"
"What did the thief take, Ms. Alvarez?"
"Nothing, as far as I know. That's what Mr. Royal told me last night. He hasn't said anything different to me today."
"How many times did you meet with Mr. Blauvelt?"
"Only once, when he was here three, four months ago, his first visit to our office, I believe."
"No, he's been here many times. All right, what was your meeting about during this visit several months ago?"
Sherlock saw Alvarez's face go utterly blank, then watched her brain snap to. Alvarez said, her voice ice chips, "Not that you'd understand, but we spoke of the reasons behind some budget overruns on drugs we distribute. It's all very involved. After our discussion, he met briefly with Mr. Royal, then, so far as I know, he returned to Germany, pleased that we had resolved the situation."
"You're lying to me, Ms. Alvarez, and I do hate that. You know as well as I do that Mr. Blauvelt wouldn't know a budget overrun from a Gesundheit ."
"I am not!"
"Why did Mr. Blauvelt come here this time?"
"I have no idea. I didn't even know he was coming."
"You must know Mr. Blauvelt was Schiffer Hartwin's enforcer, their messy-problem solver. Whenever he showed up, it meant there was a screw-up that needed his brand of fixing. This always involved people, Ms. Alvarez, not production problems. Who was he here for this time? Who was the problem, Ms. Alvarez? Were you the one he came to see?"
10
CASKIE ROYAL'S OFFICE
Savich studied Caskie Royal, sitting erect and confident in his executive leather chair behind his equally impressive mahogany desk, and watched him thread a
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