He held out the tray of cookies. “Please, take one. Then I can tell myself I took one to be polite.”
When they both took one, he sat back with his.
“Surely you don’t suspect Nathan’s family in his death.”
“There was a break-in, but we have to close off all the avenues. Do you know the name Jenna Lynn Delaney?”
He pursed his lips, then slowly shook his head. “It’s not familiar.”
“She may have been involved with Henry Barrister.”
“Ah well. I certainly didn’t know all the names of Henry’s women, but I don’t recall that name.”
“Peabody.”
“If you’d look at this.” Peabody offered her PPC. “Do you recognize her?”
He looked, and Eve knew he looked carefully. “She’s his type, I’d say—any lovely young woman was. But I don’t recognize her. Milton and I did, on occasion, attend dinner parties, cocktail parties at Barrister House during Henry’s reign. He loved entertaining up until a few months before his death. But she doesn’t pop out for me. I’m sorry.”
“Not at all. What about the staff? Your opinion.”
“Henry trusted them implicitly, as did Nathan and the family. I never saw any reason to question that trust. In fact, I quite like them. I’ll add Henry was generous in his will to his staff at Barrister House. A year’s salary for every year of their employment, plus certain items he felt showed his affection.”
“And Nathan?”
“Adjusted his will when he decided they’d move into Barrister House, began the same. A year’s salary for every year of employment under him. You could say, from their point of view, the longer he lived, the more they’d benefit.”
“You could. Henry left Nathan the house, and its contents. Those would include the vault. Why didn’t he tell Nathan?”
“My opinion, again?” He let out a sigh, smiled just a little. “Henry simply refused to believe he could die. And while he lived, what was in the vault was his. Only his. While I believe he loved his children, in his way, he also knew them. He would have known Nathan would never go along with what was in that vault.”
He paused again. “I have a list of the contents, and I’ve spoken with Aileen, so I know what was taken. I also believe Henry would never have wanted his son to die for them. I’m more sorry than I can say that it came to that. Anything I or this office can do to help you find who’s responsible, consider it done.”
“Did anyone in this office besides you know about the vault?”
“No, not even Opal. No, not my partners, not my husband, not our children. Though Nathan and I became friends, he came to me as a client. And one in distress. I only wish he’d come to me sooner, and I had been able to act more quickly.”
“I appreciate the time, the information, and the discretion.”
“Whatever we can do.” He rose as Eve and Peabody did, extended his hand again.
Eve kept silent as they were escorted out, as they rode down to the lobby level.
“He’s telling it straight.”
“I agree with that. He does that stuff for you guys, too, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t guess he’d take on small potatoes like McNab and me. We have stuff now. I mean, not like buckets of it. But stuff, and we should take care of all of that. I liked how he was focused and real, you know?”
“Ask Roarke to set it up.” Eve pushed through the glass doors. “Nobody says no to Roarke.”
“He wouldn’t mind?”
“Why would he mind?”
“Then I’ll talk to McNab. I’ll start digging deeper on Delaney when we get back to Central.”
