"Nothing in here?"
"Her laptop is password protected, so I can't get on it. I don't see anything in her files, which seem to be personal bills and such. But there is this one folder." She tapped the manila folder on the desk and then pushed it across the glass to Tyler. "It looks like an itinerary for a trip to Tajikistan. There's a note on the last page with the words danger and cost, with a question mark."
Tyler opened the file and read through the few pages inside. "Dominic Ashford's company is going to break ground for a bridge and highway project through a treacherous mountain region in Tajikistan, connecting poorer parts of the country with the city center." He paused and looked up. "I'm not surprised someone wrote danger and cost, because this project will disrupt the smuggling routes in that area. That will make many people unhappy."
"Maybe Samantha was concerned about Dominic's safety, and that's why she wanted to talk to Max Malone."
"Malone would be knowledgeable about that part of the world."
She nodded. Despite feeling like they'd found a clue, it really didn't bring them any closer to what had happened at the café. "This may not tie in at all to the bombing. Tajikistan is a long way from here."
"You're right. Hard to see the link between what happened at the café and this folder."
"Exactly. Let's go talk to Dominic Ashford and see if he can clear up a few of our questions."
"I thought we were waiting for his assistant to get back to us on a time," Tyler said dryly.
"Waiting time is over. If Dominic wants to find out what happened to Samantha, he'll talk to us."
Chapter Four
The global headquarters of Ashford Industries was located in a twenty-five-story high-rise in midtown that Dominic Ashford had built several years ago. While the top five floors of the building were reserved solely for Ashford Industries, the rest of the building was leased by other large and successful companies.
After passing through security, Kara and Tyler were escorted upstairs by a suited man who had little to say except that he'd take them to see Mr. Ashford.
When the elevator doors opened, they stepped into a luxe office suite, where their escort conversed with the receptionist before asking them to take a seat in the reception area. They didn't bother to sit down. She was determined to see Dominic as soon as possible and was prepared to use her badge to force her way into the office if she had to. Thankfully, the receptionist got up from her desk and took them through a pair of double doors and down a short hallway to Dominic's office.
Dominic got up from behind a massive mahogany desk and came around to greet them. He was a very attractive man in his mid-thirties, impeccably dressed in a gray suit, his blond hair perfectly styled, his face clean-shaven. He had that executive glow that spoke of expensive skin products. After they'd introduced themselves, he waved them toward a corner where two black leather sofas surrounded a coffee table.
"Please sit down," he said with a British accent.
"First, we're very sorry about what happened to Samantha Barkley," she said as they sat down. "We understand the two of you are romantically involved."
"Yes," he said shortly. "How can I help you?"
"How long have you been seeing Ms. Barkley?" she asked.
"About three months. We met at a charity fundraiser." He paused, his blue-eyed gaze reflective. "I have to admit I wasn't looking to date a lawyer. But Samantha was beautiful, smart, and passionate about her work. I couldn't resist. That said, I can't imagine the details of our relationship would be helpful to your investigation."
"Samantha texted Max Malone, who I believe works for you," she continued. "He claims he didn't know what she wanted to speak to him about. Do you know?"
"I don't. I was surprised she reached out to him directly. She must have had a question about something related to her caseload."
"Do you think she felt threatened?" Tyler interjected. "She didn't mention anyone with whom she had a problem?"
"No. Samantha is a strong woman with little patience for incompetence. I would venture to say she could have been easily annoyed by many people."
She didn't find that difficult to believe, remembering the dirty look Samantha had thrown her when she'd moved into her personal space.
"What about her current case?" Tyler continued. "Did she talk to you about it?"
"She mentioned that members of a renowned accounting firm in the city were under indictment, and she was going to prosecute them for fraud. We didn't discuss the details. I know you're looking for a lead, but I don't have one. Maybe one of her coworkers or the DA would know more, especially if this attack was related to her work."
His tone was smooth, his answers seemingly helpful, but he also wasn't telling them much. She needed to shake him up a little. "What if the attack was related to you? Do you have enemies who might see your girlfriend as a way to get to you?"
He stiffened at her words, but he quickly composed himself. "I haven't received any threats in recent weeks. And I pray she didn't get hurt because of me. I don't think I could live with myself if that were the case."
"We found a file in Samantha's apartment," she continued. "It appeared to be an itinerary for your upcoming trip to Tajikistan. There was handwriting on the last page; I don't know whether it belonged to Samantha or to someone else. But the note had two words: danger and cost, with a question mark."
