Night Smoke by Nora Roberts Read Free Book Online Page A

this?”
    “I’d prefer it.”
    Eating with one hand, he opened a desk drawer, took out a tape recorder. “You must have a closet full of those suits.” This one was the color of crushed raspberries, and fastened at the left hip with gold buttons. “Do you ever wear anything else?”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “Small talk, Ms. Fletcher.”
    “I’m not here for small talk,” she snapped back. “And stop calling me
Ms
. Fletcher in that irritating way.”
    “No problem, Natalie. Just call me Ry.” He switched on the recorder and began by reciting the time, date and location of the interview. Despite the tape, he took out a notebook and pencil. “This interview is being conducted by Inspector Ryan Piasecki with Natalie Fletcher, re the fire at the Fletcher Industries warehouse, 21 South Harbor Avenue, on February 12 of this year.”
    He took a sip of his coffee. “Ms. Fletcher, you are the owner of the aforesaid building, and its contents.”
    “The building and its contents are—were—the property of Fletcher Industries, of which I am an executive officer.”
    “How long has the building belonged to your company?”
    “For eight years. It was previously used to warehouse inventory for Fletcher Shipping.”
    The heater beside him began to whine and gurgle. Ry kicked it carelessly. It went back to a subdued hum.
    “And now?”
    “Fletcher Shipping moved to a new location.” She relaxed a little. It was going to be routine now. Business. “The warehouse was converted nearly two years ago to accommodate a new company. We used the building for manufacturing and warehousing merchandise for Lady’s Choice. We make ladies’ lingerie.”
    “And what were the hours of operation?”
    “Normally eight to six, Monday through Friday. In the last six months, we expanded that to include Saturdays from eight to noon.”
    He continued to eat, asking standard questions about business practices, security, vandalism. Her answers were quick, cool and concise.
    “You have a number of suppliers.”
    “Yes. We use American companies only. That’s a firm policy.”
    “Ups the overhead.”
    “In the short term. I believe, in the long term, the company will generate profits to merit it.”
    “You’ve put a lot of personal time into this company. Incurred a lot of expenses, invested your own money.”
    “That’s right.”
    “What happens if the business doesn’t live up to your expectations?”
    “It will.”
    He leaned back now, enjoying what was left of his cooling coffee. “If it doesn’t.”
    “Then I would lose my time, and my money.”
    “When was the last time you were in the building, before the fire?”
    The sudden change of topic surprised but didn’t throw her. “I went by for a routine check three days before the fire. That would have been the ninth of February.”
    He noted it down. “Did you notice any inventory missing?”
    “No.”
    “Damaged equipment?”
    “No.”
    “Any holes in security?”
    “No. I would have dealt with any of those things immediately.” Did he think she was an idiot? “Work was progressing on schedule, and the inventory I looked over was fine.”
    His eyes cut back to hers, lingered. “You didn’t look over everything?”
    “I did a spot check, Inspector.” The stare was designed to make her uncomfortable, she knew. She refused to allow it. “It isn’t a productive use of time for me or my staff to examine every negligee or garter belt.”
    “The building was inspected in November. You were up to code on all fire regulations.”
    “That’s right.”
    “Can you explain how it was that, on the night of the fire, the sprinkler and smoke alarm systems were inoperative?”
    “Inoperative?” Her heart picked up a beat. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
    “They were tampered with, Ms. Fletcher. So was your security system.”
    She kept her eyes level with his. “No, I can’t explain it. Can you?”
    He took out a cigarette, flicked a wooden match into