Three names appeared on all three lists: Janelle Warner, Andre Demell, and Richard Basque.
Just three names.
The violent nature of the crimes made it highly unlikely that a woman would be the killer. Yes, we would speak with Janelle, but I wanted to start with the two men on our list.
“Which one first?” I asked Corsica. “Demell or Basque?”
“Let’s go with Mr. Demell.”
We asked the receptionist to try his office number, but when she consulted her appointment book, she informed us that he would be out most of today meeting with some of their clients.
“But he is here in town?” I said.
“Yes.”
We set up an appointment for four thirty.
Janelle Warner would meet with us at one fifteen.
“What about Richard Basque? Is he in?”
The receptionist sighed and I got the impression she was growing tired of helping us, which didn’t bother me one bit as long as she got us the meetings we needed.
She rang Basque’s office, spoke for a moment on the phone, and then announced that he would be out in a minute. Somewhat impolitely she flicked her hand toward the chairs in the reception area. “You can have a seat if you like.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Corsica told her with a slight touch of attitude. “If it’s only going to be a minute.”
I folded up the flight manifests and slid them into my pocket.
And thought of the best way to frame the questions I was going to ask Mr. Basque.