Part 24 (2/2)
”Here they come.” Mike rose, and the elevator pinged. Jill got to the elevator as its stainless steel doors slid open, letting out Ivan, Officer Mulvane, and Officer Yokimura, his talkative young partner.
”Well?” Jill asked, and Officer Mulvane smiled in a rea.s.suring way.
”Nothing to worry about, and your kid isn't up there. It's all in order. Clean as a whistle.”
”What did you see? What does it look like?”
”It's a typical guy apartment.”
Officer Yokimura added, ”A typical rich guy apartment.”
Officer Mulvane didn't comment. ”There was nothing suspicious. Ivan did a walk-through, answered all our questions, and told us what we needed to know. Neat and clean. Refrigerator empty except for water and beer. Stack of newspapers and bills on the table.”
”What name's on the mail?”
”Neil Straub.”
”No other?”
”No.”
”Except for Current Occupant,” Officer Yokimura deadpanned.
”Any mail from a business, like one he owned?” Jill asked.
”Not that Ivan noticed.”
”What's the oldest date on the mail, do you know? Or the oldest newspaper?”
”About a week ago, that Ivan saw.”
Jill turned in frustration to Ivan, who had walked to the front desk. ”Can't you please tell me more about him, like what you have on file, from when he subletted?”
”No, I can't.” Ivan's thin lips made a flat line. His wiry frame seemed lost in his blue jumpsuit, and he had mournfully dark eyes. ”Like I told you, I do what the board president tells me. He's not givin' out any info without a warrant.”
”But Neil Straub is only a subletter.”
”Makes no never mind.”
Jill turned back to Officer Mulvane. ”We can't get a warrant?”
”No. No probable cause. No crime. No nothing.”
Jill knew when she'd lost a fight. ”Was there any sign of a woman living with him, like things in the bathroom, medicine chest? Or stray jewelry? He has a young blonde girlfriend, and it would help if I knew her name.”
Officer Yokimura grinned. ”h.e.l.l hath no fury, eh?”
Jill turned to Officer Mulvane. ”Well?”
”Ivan did see some things that belonged to a woman. Clothes in the closet, that sort of thing.” Officer Mulvane crossed to the front desk. ”Hey, Mike, how does the mail get upstairs?”
”When the resident is out of town, we bring it up every few days. We always do that for Mr. Straub because he's usually gone so long, it clogs up his mailbox. About ten percent of the building is absentee; they got second and third homes in Florida, or they're foreign. We're white glove here. Bring up the dry cleaning, water the plants, too. Whatever they need, we do.”
Officer Yokimura smiled. ”Must be nice.”
Officer Mulvane asked, ”When was the last time Straub was here?”
Mike consulted a log book on the desk. ”I found the entry, when you were upstairs. Last Monday, he left at 10:20 A.M. I was on the desk, I remember, because I filled in for Enrique. He didn't say when he'd be back.”
Jill felt her gut tense. Monday was the day before William died. Neil Straub wouldn't be back, because William Skyler was dead. ”Was he alone?”
Mike hesitated.
Officer Mulvane asked, ”Was he?”
”Yes,” Mike answered.
Officer Mulvane patted the desk, as a farewell. ”Thanks for your trouble.”
Jill came over. ”Officer Mulvane, can we check out his car, too? I just want to see if it's here.” She'd asked before, but maybe he'd forgotten. ”He has a silver Mercedes, but we can't get into the garage unless they let us in.”
Ivan looked over at Jill, annoyed. ”You're an instigator, you know that?”
Jill smiled at him. ”Hardly, but are you single? Because I've got the girl for you.”
Chapter Thirty-nine.
Jill felt her eyes adjust to the darkness as she walked past one expensive sedan after another, their chrome fenders gleaming under the low lights in the garage ceiling. Reflective numbers painted on the concrete floor behind each car bore an apartment number, and they were at 4-B.
”Hey, Doc.” Officer Mulvane turned to Jill as they walked together with Ivan and Officer Yokimura. ”You understand, we can't search his car without a warrant.”
”I know. I just want to see if it's here.”
”Fine. Then we're done.”
”This is it.” Ivan stopped, gesturing with his jingling keyring at a silver Mercedes that sat in one of the parking s.p.a.ces a.s.signed to 4-D. The other s.p.a.ce was empty, and William's car had a New York license plate, JU 5359. Jill took a pen out of her bag and scribbled the number on a sc.r.a.p of paper, since she didn't have her BlackBerry to take a picture.
”We done here?” Ivan scowled.
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