“It’s okay, Blake,” Julie comforted. “If you know anything, you need to tell them.”
Blake sniffed. “I think she got flowers, and there were a couple of times she got phone calls when we were working on ads where she would leave the room and... I don’t know. It’s hard to explain, but she blushed a little. I think she was interested in somebody, but she didn’t confide in me. I have no clue.”
Mia nodded. “We’ll have to get a dump on her phone.”
“I already have approval for the warrant and sent in the request,” Kurt said. “Hopefully, the results should be in within the next couple of days. They’re backed up again.”
“Yeah, they’re always backed up.” Mia gestured for Blake to sit and then ran him through a series of questions that didn’t reveal anything interesting. So she moved on to the bigger picture. “Do either of you know a Claudia Chantal? She was a nurse in Seattle.”
Blake’s eyes widened. “Another Seattle woman? Was she murdered, as well?”
“Yes,” Kurt confirmed. “Have either of you heard of her?”
They both shook their heads.
So much for that lead. “What about Linda Keelson from Kentucky, Vicki Leeton from Nebraska, or Jane Tottum from Wyoming?” Mia asked.
Julie frowned. “Are they also victims?”
“Yes, but we don’t know if the cases are related, and we’re trying to find a connection.” Mia watched them closely.
Julie shook her head. “Never heard of them.”
“Me, either,” Blake said. “Were they nurses or ad execs?”
“No,” Mia answered. She ran them both through more questions, but they didn’t have anything else to add. She did learn that Lori worked mainly with Julie and Blake and wasn’t close to anybody else at work, unfortunately.
Finally, she stood, and Kurt followed suit. “I think more FBI agents from Seattle will be here later today or tomorrow to interview the rest of your employees,” Mia said. From the sounds of it, there wasn’t much more to discover about Lori at the agency, but she’d never discount any avenue for a lead.
“Everyone will be happy to cooperate.” Blake also stood, his eyes still watering. “I hope you find the bastard who did this and make him pay.”
Julie nodded. “If we can do anything else, please let me know. I’ll show you out.” She stood and walked them through the office to the main door. They let themselves out of the agency and then paused on the landing.
Kurt sent off a quick text. “I want a background check on both of them, but I’m not feeling anything. You?”
Mia shook her head and started down the stairs. “No. But I do want the background, especially on Blake.” She rolled her neck and tried to get rid of the tension from the drive. “I’d like to go through the notes from the apartment searches for both local victims again.” There would be plenty of time on the flights east.
As she walked out of the building, it took her a second to find Erik and Todd. They’d flanked the street in a way that allowed them to view the entire area and get to her quickly if needed. It was too bad they didn’t want to work for law enforcement because they’d be good at it.
The ride to the airport was a little calmer since Lionel wasn’t in the car, and Todd didn’t have to glare at him over Mia’s head the entire time.
“We’re sorry to have to leave you.” Mia didn’t mean a word of it. “If you want, you can pick us back up after our return flight.” Which had to be the next day. Where was she going to stay in DC?
“Oh, that’s okay. We’ve got you covered.” Erik drove around the airport to a smaller field where a Learjet waited.
Mia’s heart sank. “What is happening?”
“It’s the Volk family jet,” Erik said cheerfully. “We’re flying in that. Don’t worry. The snack cupboards are fully stocked.”
Chapter25
After putting in a shift at the mine and making sure everything was running smoothly, Seth climbed the three flights of stairs to the top floor of the sheriff’s building and stopped short. He’d only had Jenny on the job for about six hours or so, yet the place was already cleaned out. Both offices and the conference room had furniture. The place smelled like pine-scented cleanser, and it was mild enough that he didn’t mind.
She was bustling around what could only be considered the reception area and dusting off old, faded green chairs that looked like they were from the seventies.
“You’ve done an amazing job,” Seth said. He’d lucked out in hiring her.
She looked up, dirt marring her nose. “We had this old furniture up at the mine, and I asked some of the guys to bring it down after I had them clear out the place.” She grinned. “This is a fantastic office. The windows are wide, and they look out to Main Street on one side and the forest on the other. Plus, it’s close to all the schools. This is going to be a great place to work, Seth.”
