Part 3 (2/2)
”Quite.”
”Is there anything you can tell us about Des that could be helpful?”
”His s.e.xual appet.i.te was conspicuous.”
Milo blinked. ”By conspicuous, you mean-”
”What I mean,” said Helga Gemein, ”is that Des was highly motivated toward maximal s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g. Was his death s.e.xual in nature?”
”How do you know that about him, ma'am?”
”If you're asking, in that peculiarly prudish American way, if I speak from personal experience, the answer is no. My information comes from the other women who worked here. Each of them discovered that Des had requested to screw her.”
”Requested?”
”Des was polite. He always said 'please.'”
”You didn't fire him?”
”Why would I?”
”That's pretty blatant workplace hara.s.sment.”
”Policeman,” she said, ”one can only be hara.s.sed if one contextualizes herself as helpless. Everyone said yes. Des is a handsome man. In an immature way.”
”How exactly did you learn about all this, Ms. Gemein?”
”That is a voyeuristic question.”
”My job can get that way.”
She touched a hemp earring. ”There was a staff meeting. Des was away from the office on something or another and Judah Cohen was in Milan, so no men. If you knew anything about women, you'd know that, plus alcohol loosens tongues. One of them had seen another go off with Des after work and wondered out loud. It didn't take long to compare notes. Everyone agreed he was attentive and reasonably endowed, but lacking in creativity.”
I said, ”How many women are we talking about?”
”Three.”
”Four women at the meeting, but only three were propositioned.”
”If you are asking in that American way if I am h.o.m.os.e.xual, I am not. Though I am not opposed to h.o.m.os.e.xuality on moral grounds. Why did I not screw Des? He did not appeal to me.”
”He never came on to you?”
Blinking, she caressed the top of her head. ”We maintained a professional relations.h.i.+p.”
Milo took out his pad. ”Could I please have the other women's names?”
Helga Gemein smiled. ”I will talk slowly: Number one, Sheryl Pa.s.sant, our receptionist.” Waiting until he'd copied. ”Number two, Bettina Sanfelice, a dull girl who served as an intern. Number three, Marjorie Holman.”
”Your former partner.”
”Correct.”
”Des didn't see the need for a professional relations.h.i.+p with her.”
”Marjorie and I disagree on many levels.”
”Marjorie has no problem mixing business with pleasure.”
”You're being simplistic, Policeman. Everything is business and everything is pleasure. It is Marjorie who fails to integrate the two.”
”What do you mean?”
”She insists on drawing arbitrary boundaries-creates imaginary rules so that she can delight in violating them.”
”Forbidden fruit,” said Milo.
”Marjorie is quite the nibbler.”
”Is she married?”
”Yes. Now I must go.”
Milo asked her for addresses and phone numbers of the three women. Marjorie Holman's, she knew by heart. For the others, she consulted a BlackBerry.
”Now I will walk you out.”
He showed her the female victim's death shot.
Helga Gemein examined the image. ”What is this?”
”A woman who died along with Mr. Backer.”
”So it was s.e.xual.”
”Why do you say that?”
”Des with a woman. What else could it be?”
Milo smiled. ”Maybe a meaningful spiritual relations.h.i.+p?”
Helga Gemein headed for the door.
We tagged along. I said, ”How well did Des do his job?”
”Adequately. Before we dissolved, I'd contemplated letting him go.”
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