NAILED by Elaine Macko Read Free Book Online Page B

wanted, Victor got. If only she had listened to Maddi and hadn’t gone with him. I’m sure Maddi had uttered those words more than once since her sister’s death. But then perhaps Victor would have found another way to kill his wife.
    I took the exit Shirley had written down in her notes, and followed her directions until I got to an area with some rather nice-looking two-story office buildings. I thought I’d be arriving at a more industrial setting, maybe even a construction site, but this was certainly more upscale. The parking lot had lots of trees and I was able to find a cool spot. Of course, nothing could be done about the humidity, but at least my car door wouldn’t be the temperature of lava when I returned.
    Connecticut Custom Homes was on the second floor, and I took the stairs in an effort to burn off some of the ham-sandwich calories. At the top of the landing, I turned right and followed the signs down the corridor to the last suite. The double doors were wide open and I entered into a tastefully done lobby. The carpet was plush and a deep nautical blue. The furniture was dark wood and the seat cushions were done in the same color as the carpet. On one wall were several prints of ancient nautical maps and on the other were professionally photographed pictures of stunning homes, which I assumed had been built by Connecticut Custom Homes .
    “Good afternoon. How may I help you?” a middle-aged woman with pale red hair and brown eyes asked me over the rim of her eyeglasses.
    “Good afternoon. My name is Alex Harris and I was hoping to speak with Mr. Hachmeister on a personal matter.”
    “He’s with some people right now.”
    “Do you know how long he’ll be?” I asked.
    The woman lowered her voice, though there was no one else in the lobby but the two of us. “He’s being interviewed, actually. A friend of his was killed recently. Just horrible. They found him on one of our sites. I don’t know how long they’ll keep him.”
    Just my luck. I felt I might get some good information out of this woman, but now wasn’t the time because I was afraid at any moment my husband might just walk into the lobby.

 
     
     
Chapter 15
     
     
    Mr. Hachmeister wasn’t being interviewed. He was being interrogated, and I knew who was doing the interrogation. It was bound to happen, running into John during one of my investigations, but he had to know that with my sister involved there was nothing he could say or do to keep me out of it. But that didn’t mean I wanted to run into him right now.
    “I don’t mind waiting,” I said to the receptionist. “Could you direct me to the rest room first?”
    “Back down the hall, third door on your left.”
    I high-tailed it out of there before John came out into the lobby. Of course, maybe it was someone else from the department, but even so, they all knew me and would have John on the phone immediately. My husband’s colleagues seemed to derive great pleasure in teasing him about my involvement with the murders in our little part of Connecticut.
    I ducked into the restroom and leaned against the wall right next to the door. With any luck I would be able to hear if someone walked by and could peek out and see who it was. I stood against the wall for six minutes wondering how much longer I could stay in here without the receptionist coming to check on me. And wasn’t she just a little Chatty Cathy letting it slip out that Mr. Sanjari was killed on one of their properties? I made a mental note to keep her as a possible source of gossip if my investigation led me anywhere close to Mr. Hachmeister.
    I heard voices. Male voices. As they drew closer I recognized one as that of Jim Maroni, John’s partner. I peeked out and saw my husband’s back retreating down the hall. I watched until he and Jim started down the stairs and then counted to ten and headed back to Connecticut Custom Homes .
    “I was getting worried about you. I thought maybe you left,” Chatty Cathy