I called Em on the way home. I didn’t want to alarm her, but I thought she should know a little of what had transpired. After all, Carol Conroy seemed familiar with her and I was hoping to find out why.
“The smoke detector went off?”
“But no problem, Em. No one suspected a thing. It was amazing.”
“Skip, you could have been discovered. I mean, that’s a felony isn’t it?”
“I’m not a prosecutor, Em. Don’t know that much about the law. Anyway, it’s out of the office.”
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
I told her that James was passing along the transcript of the conversations Sandy Conroy had in his office. And I did mention that Carol Conroy asked if she was going to be at the apartment tonight.
“Carol Conroy knows about me?”
“Seemed to.”
“How?”
“It probably wouldn’t take much checking to see that you and I are seeing each other.”
“So, does she know that the Sarah relationship is a sham?”
“I don’t know. I was a little afraid to ask her.”
Em was quiet. I could hear her thinking. Really. When she thinks, you can hear those wheels spinning. “See what James has to say and call me back tonight. I want to get his take on it.”
“James?”
“That’s what I said.”
I about drove off the road. James and Em were starting to scare me. They both were seeking each other’s opinion. If I was a suspicious person, I’d almost wonder if they had something going on between them.
Pulling into the apartment complex, I parked next to James’s truck. The Chevy continued to cough and sputter even after I’d turned off the key and I wondered how much a tune-up would cost.
I opened the door and stepped inside. He was sitting on the sofa. “James. It’s all okay. Conroy had no idea that the smoke detector was a camera.” I laid the two halves of the malfunctioning smoke detector on the kitchen counter.
“Skip-”
“Hey, it went very well.” Turning to my roommate, I gave him thumbs up. “I mean, even Wireman had no idea. We skated on-” I heard the toilet flush in the bathroom and seconds later Carol Conroy walked out.
“You had a camera in his office?”
James looked at me and rolled his eyes.
“Hey, Mrs. Conroy. I didn’t realize you’d still be here.”
“Obviously.” She’d dressed down in jeans, jeweled sandals, and a frilly cotton top, but her attitude was still haughty and one of total control.
“So you got the transcript?”
“So you have pictures?” She shot back at me.
“Um, Mrs. Conroy asked if she could stick around till you got back. I didn’t see any problem, so I agreed.” James shrugged his shoulders.
“There was something you wanted to ask me?” I wanted to get off the camera conversation. My high had been brought back to earth in a hurry.
“A smoke detector that doubles as a camera? You’ve been holding out on me, Mr. Moore.” She looked right at me, standing there by the evidence.
“It… it malfunctioned. Doesn’t work properly. No film, just scratchy sound. That’s why I did the transcript.” The frown on her face told me she wasn’t buying it. Not 100 percent.
“Mr. Moore, can we talk outside?”
“We can. I have to tell you that James knows a lot about what’s been going on. He’s my partner and he’s helped with your project.”
Carol Conroy ran her hand over her forehead as if in desperation, and slumped onto the couch next to James. I sat in the remaining chair.
“My life is in danger.”
James leaned toward her, touching her hand. She allowed it. I was surprised, but she left his hand on hers. “Mrs. Conroy, Skip already told me that you think someone’s after you. That’s a pretty heavy statement to make. What makes you think that someone would be out to kill you?”
She shifted, still leaving his hand on hers. “I told Mr. Moore. The vice president of my father’s business was murdered. I’m certain of it. Ralph Walters was killed. I believe the man who developed the software that we are currently manufacturing, Tony Quatman, was killed. And I believe it’s possible that his secretary and her husband are either involved or dead as well.”
“Can you tell us why you believe this?”
She was softening up. “No.”
I stood up and went to the refrigerator. “Anyone want a beer?” I had a case in the car, but I wanted it cold. For some reason our refrigerator almost freezes the beer.
“Mrs. Conroy,” James had removed the hand, “you’ve got to tell us why.”
“I can’t. I don’t know why. It’s something to do with the project.”
No one had said that they wanted a beer, so I pulled one out and popped the top. “Can you tell us what the project is?” Sarah had told me it had to do with the Department of Defense, but I wasn’t supposed to know that.
“It’s a government contract. We’ve had them before. But this project, this one seems to be a little more special.”
“If you don’t know exactly what it is, then why would someone want to kill you? I mean, if you don’t know anything?”
“Because I know that Sandy is being very secretive about this specific job. Because I know that Ralph Walters found out something he wasn’t supposed to know, and the next day he was dead. Because my husband doesn’t trust me, just like I don’t trust him. And I believe that Tony Quatman found out that Synco Systems was going to do something illegal or unscrupulous with the software program, and he was eliminated.”
“Mrs. Conroy, even if all those things are true, it’s tough to believe that someone is going to kill you.”
“Oh, it’s not just someone.”
“Who is it going to be?”
“I know, you’re laughing at me.”
I shook my head. “No. I promise you that we’re not laughing. I think we’re both a little concerned that you’re going out on a limb here.” I took a deep swallow of beer.
“No limb. It’s going to be my husband or Feng.”
“Really?” James sat back and cocked his head.
“Really, James.” James? I was still Mr. Moore. James was now on a first name basis.
“Because of the aforementioned reasons.”
“Those. And the fact that he’s going to leave the company when this project is finished.”
I knew that. And I’d told James. But I didn’t get the impression it was common news.
“I think Ralph may have found out about that as well,” she said.
“Carol,” James was trying out the familiar style, “even if he’s leaving-”
“Boys, he is leaving. Let’s drop the charade, okay? I need your help. I’ve told you what I know. If you have any more information that you’re not sharing with me, please, give it to me. I understand that my case is weak, but I know what’s going to happen. And I want to stop it. I think that Sandler is planning on destroying my father’s company, I think that he’s going to find a way to kill me in the process, and I know that he’s going to take off with his little girlfriend, Sarah Crumbly.” She shot me a cold, hard glance. “Yes, Mr. Moore. I know that he’s seeing her. No more games. Either you’re with me or against me.”
It had been a day of ups and downs. I didn’t know what to say. But leave it to my roommate.
“Carol, we’re with you. No more games. We’ll give you everything we can get. Give us until tomorrow and we’ll lay out all that we’ve found.”
She stood, obviously a little shaken, and walked out of the apartment. A moment later I heard her Lexus start.
“It’s been a long day, pard.”
“It’s going to be a long night, James. We’ve got three hours of video to watch from the smoke detector, and the audio from Chen’s laundry to listen to.”
“Part of the job, Skip. We’re spies.”