Here is chapter eleven.
Disclaimer: I-ay on't-day own-ay, his-tay how-say. :}
The Geico building loomed out in front of them. The actual company, however, was only on the third through fifth floors. As they women entered the lobby, the security guard eyed them thoughtfully.
"You got a pass to get in?" he asked through bites of doughnut. "Cuz, I can't let ya inside without a pass, you know?"
"Here." Catherine stuck out the pass the company had sent them earlier. "We're with the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Geico gave us that so we could visit them."
The security guard rubbed the back of his balding head. "Um… well, okay, then. They elevator is right down the hall."
"You sure made a show of getting us in," Sara whispered as they walked away.
"I just hate being treated like we're lower than people like him," Catherine said matter-of-factly.
The elevator was crowded with people going up to their floors. Many were talking on their cell phones ("No, I told you that that report is due when I get there. It better be on my desk in five minutes.") or drinking coffee. The elevator stopped at every floor until the fifth floor finally came around. Catherine and Sara got off and left the noise behind, to step into a long quiet hallway with many adorning doors. In the very front of the hallway was a small, cluttered desk. Sitting behind it was a woman with large, coiled brown hair, and thin, square glasses.
"Can I help you?" she sighed in an automatic voice. Obviously, she said the sentence often.
"Can you show us to the office of Mr. Geoffrey Carrey?" Sara said as she showed the secretary the pass. "We need to talk to him about Roxanne Theseus."
The woman jumped up from the chair and rushed to the other side of the desk, tripping over her own feet. "Oh," she wailed, "do you know anything about what happened to Roxanne? She was just a lovely person. It's a terrible thing—what happened to her!"
Sara nodded. "Yes, it is a terrible thing. Now can you bring us to the office?"
She had started to walk down the hallway and stopped at the last door. "This is Mr. Carrey's office. He is the head of this floor of the company." She knocked loudly on the door. "Mr. Carrey!"
"What? Who is it?"
"It's Liv—Miss Wilson," the woman stuttered.
"Oh, yes; come in."
The CSIs followed the secretary into the office. She closed the door behind them. In the middle of the room sat a large desk with piles of paper neatly stacked upon it. There were filing cabinets and bookshelves on both sides of the room. Everything was in its place; nothing was out of the way or in an odd spot. Sitting, then, on the chair behind the desk was a young man. His blonde hair was cut short and his wisp of a beard was neatly trimmed.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"Yes," said Sara. "May we ask you some questions?"
The man leaned forward in his chair and placed his elbows on the desktop. His chin rested on his hands. "May I ask who you are?"
"We're with the Las Vegas Crime Lab," Catherine repeated for the second time that day.
"Ah, of course," said Geoffrey Carrey. "You are here about Ms. Theseus, I presume. What a horrible, horrible loss. She was a fine secretary, and a very wonderful person." He smiled sickeningly. "It has been quiet a hassle trying to find a replacement for her."
This man gives me the creeps, thought Sara. He does not even seem depressed that a woman who worked for him has been brutally killed. He is more worried about how this will affect his job.
"How long had Ms. Theseus been working for you?" Catherine asked, ignoring the man's last sentence.
Carrey sat back in his chair and involuntarily brushed off his suit jacket. "I did not realize that I would be questioned…. No matter, I will answer," he said thoughtfully. "Roxanne Theseus had been working as the head of office's secretary for many years, though I do not know the specific number of years. I, however, have only had this job for two years. A promotion can work wonders." He added the last thought with a smile. "Like I said before, she was wonderful at her job, and she will be missed."
Sara and Catherine looked at each other questioningly. "Do you mind if we take a look around Roxanne's desk and ask some employees questions?" Sara asked.
"Do you have a warrant?" Carrey asked icily. He pulled out a pen from his shirt pocket and placed it on the desk, taking time to line it up perfectly with the edge.
"No," Catherine said warily. "Is there any reason that we might need one?"
The man placed his hands flat on the desk. "No, there is no reason that you might need one. I was just… curious, that is all. I must request, though, that you do not spend too much time talking to my members of staff, for they have work to do."
"Of course," Sara said, trying not to snarl. "Do you mind, then, if we examine your office?"
Geoffrey Carrey shrugged carelessly. "You may look, but please do not touch."
Sara immediately went to the bookshelves. From where she was standing, one book—blue and gold in color—stood out from the others. Surrounded by deep black books and binders, the volume was easily spotted. Sara read the spine and motioned Catherine over. "Was does this look like to you?" she whispered.
Catherine tilted her head sideways to read the spine. Greek and Roman Mythology.
The woman said nothing, but instead went on inspecting the room. Carrey watched their every move, never taking his eyes off them. When they were done, they thanked him and made their way out. The woman let the office door slam behind them on their way out. The hallway was so quiet that they could hear their own breathing. Before starting down the hall to find Roxanne's office, the women conversed about Roxanne's boss.
"That book!" exclaimed Sara. "It was of Greek mythology. Our killer has been killing off that and then Roxanne's boss has a book about it."
Catherine let out a long, tired sigh. "We cannot make accusations like that without full proof, even if our gut is telling us that. We need to find out more about him first. Anyone could have a book about mythology—it is a popular thing to study."
"But why would he keep the book at work?" Sara asked, more to herself than to Catherine. "It doesn't make sense. The way he talked about Roxanne being dead… it sounded as if he did not care about her. Then he asked if he had a warrant. He has something to hide."
"Now that I can agree on," Catherine said. "Did you happen to see what type of shoes he was wearing? Our killer stepped on Roxanne."
Sara shook her head. "The desk was in the way. Do you think that he wears Giorgio Armani Men's Perforated Leather Oxfords?"
"I don't know, but I could not see his feet either," she replied. "He probably could afford those shoes and it is the type of work place where someone might wear them. Someone just became our number one suspect," she mused.
The brown haired woman was still sitting at the front desk in the beginning of the hallway. When she saw the CSIs, she once again jumped up from her seat.
"Can I help you with anything?" she asked pleadingly.
"What is your name?" Catherine asked.
The woman stood up straighter when asked that. "Olivia Wilson, ma'am." Just as she spoke then telephone rang. "Ooh, excuse me one minute," she said as she picked up the phone. "Hello? Hello?" Olivia Wilson made a confused face.
Catherine started to chuckle. "You have to press that button on the phone pad." She pointed to the TALK button.
Ms. Wilson put her hand on her face and shook her head before pushing the button. "Hello?" she tried again. "Oh, yes, that's right… Yes, we have your appointment down for next Thursday…. No, it will not…. Yes, we will see you then." She put down the phone with a loud click. "I'm so sorry for that. I was promoted to the front desk. Julia is going to take Roxanne's job once the new week starts. I got Julia's job, here at the front desk, but I am still not quite use to the job—or the phones…. It was so bittersweet," the woman continued. "Because a coworker died, I get a better job." She stared down at the desk with a deep frown on her face. "Oh, now I'm sorry for telling you all of this. It isn't your problem."
"No," said Sara. "It is okay."
Catherine nodded in agreement. "Could you please show us where Roxanne's office is, then, Ms. Wilson?"
"Of course!" She started down the hall, not checking to see if they were following her.
"That was interesting," Catherine whispered. "We may have learned something very important, there."
"Motive," said Sara as they walked to the dead woman's workplace.
To be continued…
Suspects are starting to emerge. And, yet, the Chimera Killer still has one last piece of the statue. Who will be the next target?
R&R