Hidden Truth

Four

"She had her speech really well prepared, hadn't she?" Mark gave words to what both of us thought.

"Absolutely, we'd better put someone to watch her. And let's hope the judge gives us a warrant to wiretap her cell phone."

"I'll call him. And now, what do you prefer, going to the victim's office or going to Bethesda?"

"The office first I think, maybe they have a clue about why Sampson went to Bethesda."

"Okay, let's go then." 

Sampson Enterprises was located in Woodinvville, a high class residential area in Washington. The main building, probably dated in the early years of twentieth century was an impressive house made in stone, which a huge garden surrounding it. There was a small modern building adjacent to the main one, and some little children were playing in front of it. 

"We're detectives Mitchell and Davidson," Mark announced us to the woman in the reception desk. "We would like to talk to Alan Sampson."

"Yes, he told me you would come. What a tragedy, Michael will be terribly missed. "

"How was he as an employer?" I asked. The woman felt like talking and we couldn't miss that chance.

"He was a kind boss, if you mean that. The idea of the kindergarten was his, in fact. Some of the female workers in here got pregnant at the same time and he thought it would be better for them to have their children here. "

"And did he have any kind of trouble with any coworker?"

"No, not at all. I know it may sound stereotypical but we're like a family here. I've been working for the Sampson family since 1990 and will be sorry when I retire. "

"So, there have been no dismissals, or any one holding a grudge against Michael?"

"No, the only recent dismissal was Michael's secretary, but it was an agreed dismissal. As a matter of fact, she went to work with one of Michael's friends, a lawyer."

Mark and I looked at each other, that could be an interesting clue "Would you give us her name?"

"Crystal Nichols. But as I say, she wasn't exactly fired. It was all agreed." The woman sounded reluctant now, as if she regretted having told us the girl's name.

"Yeah, don't worry about that." Mark reassured her. "Thanks so much."

"We'll have to talk to this Crystal, maybe the dismissal wasn't so agreed as this woman said." We went in the elevator until the third floor, where the offices were. Alan Sampson was already waiting for us and led us to his son's office. 

"Nathalie, these detectives have total access to my son's computer and agenda. " He just said to the secretary." If you need to make me some more questions, please don't hesitate to do it. My office is that, the last door by the window." He sounded broken, as if he had just realized his son had been killed.

"As a matter of fact, we would like to ask you something." I tried to sound sympathetic.

"Yes, yes...come this way please." He guided us to his office and closed the door behind him. "What do you need to know?"

"The receptionist told us about your son's former secretary." Mark said.

"Yeah...Crystal, she was a good secretary and had been with us for two or three years. To be true, it caught me by surprise but I never asked my son why she had left. All of children have complete freedom to hire and fire their team, I never get involved in their decisions."

"Okay, that's all we need to know for now. We will take a look at your son's office now."

The victim's agenda indicated he was a well organized man. He had detailed every reunion and meeting he had had in the recent times, as well as the phone numbers he called to more often. His sisters, his parents, his wife...and C. 

C for Crystal?

"Looks like Sampson didn't lose this girl's trace. I wonder why he fired her in the first place."

"Let's see what her current employer can tell us, hopefully he knew what kind of relationship they had."

Susan, the receptionist gave us the name and address of Crystal's new employer, a lawyer named Simon Norton. He had his office in Bethesda, not too far from where Sampson had died.

That couldn't be a coincidence.