THIRTY-FIVE
Amanda and Trent convinced Howard Gabay to let them speak with his employees and fellow partners. He told them one of the senior partners, Harris Finch, was in court today but the rest were in the building. They requested to speak with Gabay’s son, Sullivan, first.
Howard took them to Sullivan’s office and walked right through the open door, interrupting two men behind the desk. One was a close image of Howard in his early thirties, and the other was in his twenties with blond hair and green eyes. Sullivan was in the chair while the other man was on his knees next to him. He shuffled to his feet holding a computer drive in one of his hands. He must have been working on a CPU that was under the desk.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Howard said. “Sullivan, this is Detective Steele and Detective Stenson from the Prince William County PD.”
The drive fell out of the man’s hand and hit the floor.
“Hell, Corey, watch what you’re doing,” Sullivan griped, still not paying any attention to Amanda and Trent.
Corey scrambled to pick up what he dropped.
Howard grimaced and resumed talking. “They’re here with some questions about Dominique Sharp. If you could spare them a few minutes of your time, I’m sure they’ll be in and out before you know it.” Howard shot her and Trent a look that said he was doing them a favor. But he must know if he blocked them from talking to his son or others in the firm it wouldn’t look good.
Corey shuffled out from behind the desk and went to step past Amanda. She moved in front of him and offered a pleasant smile. “What’s your role here, Corey?”
“You don’t need to bother him, Detective. He’s IT.” Howard shifted his focus to his son. “Let me guess. You click on something else you shouldn’t have?”
“Whatever,Howard. Why don’t you leave so I can talk with the detectives, then? That way they can be ‘in and out before I know it.’”
Howard pointed a finger at his son, but turned and left without a word. Sullivan shook his head at his father’s retreating figure.
Corey had slipped out during the standoff between father and son.
“We never got Corey’s last name,” she said to Sullivan.
“Why would it matter? As my dad says he’s IT. He doesn’t know anything about Dominique Sharp, aside from the fact her name’s being flung around here.”
“I like to be thorough. If you’d like, I could go after him and find out for myself.” She jacked a thumb over her shoulder, not caring for Junior’s attitude.
“It’s Shea, but if you could just get on with your questions, I’m very busy.” He gestured with a sigh toward two chairs facing his desk, and they sat down.
His office was much smaller than his father’s, and there wasn’t a secretary posted outside the door either. Regardless of the family name on the letterhead, it didn’t seem nepotism heldany power here. If anything, Howard might be harder on his son than his other employees.
“Yes, out of respect for your time, I’ll get right to the point. There was an attempt made on Dominique Sharp’s life yesterday morning.” She skipped over the murdered real estate agent and Dominique’s injured friend.
“That’s horrible, but I’m not sure what that has to do with me.”
Amanda crossed her legs, getting more comfortable. “We have cause to believe someone ordered a hit on her.”
“Wow. Really? So a real-life hit man is after her?”
It was a touch disturbing he seemed fascinated by the idea. She didn’t correct the gender and said, “Uh-huh. What do you make of that?”
“Clearly someone has it out for her. I mean, it’s one thing to kill someone yourself, and another topaya person to take care of it.”
“That’s what we think too,” Trent told him. “Do you know of anyone who might wish Dominique Sharp dead?”
“I’m not the best person to ask about this.”
“Why is that?” Amanda asked.
“Well, I don’t know the woman personally, so I can’t comment on who she might have wronged.”
“We were thinking more along the lines of the acquisition. A professional slight,” Amanda clarified.
“Ah, like me? Dear Daddy told you I was getting my walking papers. Let me clear this up right now.” Sullivan pulled out his top desk drawer and dropped a small magazine onto his desk in front of her. “Go ahead, look.”
