The Price of Greed

CHAPTER 31

At precisely nine forty-seven, Charlotte arrived at her front door and stopped short in annoyance as Hood stood up from the steps and greeted her.

"Very commendable Miss d'Bouvier. Right on time, just like you said."

"I'd like to get in, Detective, if you don't mind." She started past him and he framed a smile.

"Of course... Mistress Nightwalk." She stopped so quickly she nearly stumbled and Hood saw her hand tighten on her purse, the knuckles turning white. "You just never really know people do you, Charlotte?"

She ignored the personal address and glared daggers at him. "What has that anything to do with you?" The voice was tempered steel.

"Well for openers, it could give you a reason to say, alibi Victor Enland... your old client." Her mouth vanished into a single straight line and her eyes iced over.

"What exactly do you want, Detective?" her warnings to Victor melting away like the remnants of winter.

"Well I could press you for all the delicious details of your relationship with your, uhmm- boss, but instead I'll settle for some truth about his whereabouts on the night of Grover Metcalf's killing."

"To my knowledge he was meeting with other business associates. I already told you."

"Was that a regular occurrence? Late at night I mean."

"It was." She chewed on her lip hoping he wouldn't press that path any further.

"And what did Mrs. Enland think of that?"

"You'll have to ask her."

"I'm asking you, Charlotte. You were with her in the evenings... when she was home."

"Mrs. Enland didn't seem to mind. She understood Vi- Mr. Enland's unusual business relationships."

"I'll bet. How about you, Charlotte, did you understand his unusual relationships?"

Her face closed and she shot him dead on the spot with a quiver full of arrows. "Is that all?"

"For now. Oh, by the way. Did Enland know that his wife's brother worked in the same software field?"

"I would have no idea about that."

"How about that his wife even had a brother?"

"Detective, these are area in which I have no kn—"

"Oh come of it, Charlotte. You're telling me that when old Victor is panting over you in your leather and vinyl costume that he doesn't tell you everything that fills the corners of his mind. I bet he blathers on without even being coaxed."

The last had to be shouted as Charlotte stormed up the steps and into her apartment, slamming the door with finality.

"That went well." He stepped down to the sidewalk and crossed the street to his car.

********

Victor sat in his chair a long time, gasping and swallowing with a dry throat. He stood and wobbled to the sideboard and lifted out a bottle of brandy from the cupboard. Two quick glasses and he felt the fire drive feeling back into his limbs and his breathing settled to a more normal state.

He carried the bottle back to his desk and sat again, sipping a third glass more slowly as he thought through the mess that was accumulating around him. When he could think no more and his fourth glass was empty, he wrestled with his cell phone and punched the speed dial for Charlotte.

"He was here! He knows!"

"Who is he, Victor?"

"That Detective!"