Cheryl Bradshaw - Black Diamond Death

From the look on his face I could tell he was taken aback by my frankness, and I was just getting started.

“I’m sorry; I hope I haven’t messed up your day.”

I didn’t respond. There was nothing like a few moments of awkward silence to get things going.

He swung his arm in the direction of the hall, although it wasn’t long enough to call it that.

“Why don’t we step into my office?”

He continued on in and I got the sudden urge to powder my nose. I stepped into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror and did nothing. When I felt my time spent achieved its desired effect, I made my exit.

If his office offered any indication about his own personal style, he needed some. Everything was brown from the walls to the carpet. Even the trim was brown. One solitary window about the size of a cereal box offered the only light into the room.

“What can I do for you Mrs. Monroe?”

“It’s Miss. And you can tell me how you came to work for Vicki Novak,” I said.

“Sorry? I thought you came in on behalf of a client who needed some appraisal work done.”

“Let me get to the point Mr. Walker. We have a mutual client in common, Charlotte Halliwell. Know her?”

He made a face like someone who had just seen their mug shot on a television screen and had no idea they were wanted.

“The name sounds familiar, but I don’t work with her much.”

“And Vicki Novak?” I said. “What about her?”

He broke eye contact and shifted positions in his seat. I reached into my bag and pulled out the files. They made a slapping sound when they landed on the desk.

“Are you sure you don’t know Vicki, because I think you do.”

“What do you want from me?”

“How about the truth?” I said.

“And you think if you chuck a few files on my desk I’ll give you that?”

“It’s the least you can do for an innocent woman who didn’t deserve to die,” I said.

He shook his head.

“You’re crazy.”

“And you’re busted. Tell me Mr. Walker, was it worth it?” I said.

“I think you have me confused with someone else.”

“Right,” I said. “And I suppose you and Vicki were never romantically involved either.”

“Of course not!”

“That’s not what your daughter told me,” I said.

“I don’t care what she told you, she’s a teenager. They lie all the time.”

I picked the files up from the desk and leaned back in the chair and crossed my legs.

“Perhaps. I’m headed over to speak with Jack Montgomery. Since you claim you don’t know Charlotte or Vicki, I may as well let you know that he’s the one in charge at Ellis & Marshall. And after I speak to him, I’m going to give the real estate board a call.”

I stood.

“Nice meeting you Mr. Walker.”

I turned toward the door.

“Wait.”

CHAPTER 56

Travis Walker reached over, picked up the phone, and pressed the “0” key.

“Courtney honey, why don’t you go on home for the day? I’ll take it from here.”

He set the phone down and buried his hands in his face.

“Let’s start over shall we,” I said. “I’ll go first.”

I sat back down and started again.

“My name is Sloane Monroe. I am a Private Investigator hired to look into the murder of Charlotte Halliwell.”

His eyes widened.

“Figures.”

“Now you go,” I said.

“Straight to prison.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You’re here, which means you know already.”

I didn’t know, but I liked that he thought I did.

“Why don’t you indulge me for a moment?” I said.

“You women never let up do you.”

“Tell me how you know Vicki.”

He scratched behind the side of his ear.

“What do you want to know about first, business or personal?”

“I’ll take business for $1,000,” I said.

“About six months ago Vicki contacted me and said she’d heard good things about the work I’d done in the past and she wanted me to do a couple appraisals for her. If I did a good job she would use me on a regular basis. So I did two or three and they went well.”

“And then?” I said.

“She asked me on a date. Didn’t know if I had a wife and didn’t care if I did.”

“And you went out with her?”

“I told her I was married and that I had a daughter and said I wasn’t interested, but she didn’t take no for an answer.”

“So one day you said yes,” I said.

“Worst mistake of my life.”

“Why do you say that?” I said.

He grabbed a bottle of water off the side of his desk and twisted the cap off and downed the entire thing it in less time than it took me to put my lipstick on.

“If Vicki coerced you into doing something, maybe I can help.”

“No one can. It’s too late. I’ve lost my wife, my daughter, and my business. You don’t understand. I wanted to get out, and I told her I wouldn’t do it anymore.”

“How did that go over?” I said.

“She said I needed to keep my mouth shut or she would take me down with her. She threatened to tell my wife, but then I realized my wife already knew.”

“Mr. Walker, do you know who murdered Charlotte?”

Sweat formed in the creases of his forehead.

“I don’t know. I mean, I have my suspicions, but I didn’t do it, I swear.”

On the corner of the desk was a photo. I presumed it was his family. I picked it up and looked at it for a moment. They looked so happy, like most people do when they pose for a family portrait. Smile for the camera and we’ll all pretend not to see the cracks. I wondered about his life before Vicki entered the picture and destroyed it. I tried not to care. I knew whatever he did he brought on himself. But as I sat across from him I felt compassion, not so much for him, but for his wife and daughter.

“You have a lovely family. It’s a shame, what happened.”

I placed the framed picture in front of him on the desk.

“Don’t you owe it to your family to come clean?” I said.

He thought about it for a moment and I let him.

“I shouldn’t have allowed it to go this far. I thought if I kept my mouth shut, this would all go away, that I could have my life back like before, before that woman came around and destroyed it all. She played me, used me like some worthless piece of garbage and all for what, so she could have a few more dollars in her hand? It makes me sick.”

“Tell me what she did, and I’ll make sure she pays for it,” I said.

“What could you do for me now?”

“Connect you to the right people. If you help me I can promise you one thing. I will make sure Vicki goes away for a long time. And I will also speak on your behalf.”

He clenched his hands together and stared at them.

“Agreed?” I said.

He nodded.

“You told me you did a few appraisals for her and then she asked you out. What happened after that?” I said.

“We started having an affair and then one night at her house she told me she had some great business proposition for me and said if I wanted in, there would be money in it for me. She had an investor who would buy any home she offered him. All we needed to do was flip it and make a profit. I wrote the appraisals and she took care of the rest.”

“Sounds legitimate,” I said. “I don’t see the problem.”

“The appraisals were fraudulent.”

“In what way?” I said.

“Vicki would find an investment property, usually a short sale or a foreclosed home.”

“Or someone who was desperate to sell,” I said.

He nodded.

“She would get her investor to front the money and then once she closed the deal, we waited about four months and she relisted it.”