With Maddox tracing down the cash, and Solomon still looking into Mackleton's background and associates, I could turn my attention fully back onto my investigation into Sophie Takahashi. Before going to sleep, I puzzled again over her sudden manifestation from nowhere three years ago, and that was still on my mind as I walked into the agency. What did I miss?
I spent a few minutes idly searching for any recent records of a Sophie Gallo anywhere in Wisconsin but to no avail. As I leaned back in my chair, I briefly contemplated how annoying it was to try to track down people without any kind of social media presence. Even now, Sophie shied away from the limelight, just as her husband did. I wondered if that was part of what attracted Austen to her? A wife that wasn't prone to “conspicuous consumption” would naturally be desirable to someone as low-key as Austen.
Since her past was proving more difficult to trace, I needed to talk to the people in Sophie's life now. On the paperwork Austen completed, I knew Sophie worked in a museum gift shop when they first met. Montgomery wasn't overrun with museums; if people sought culture, they could easily head into Boston for the day. We had a big museum in the center of the city that was reserved for traveling collections when they rotated through the city on national tours. In addition, there were several other smaller museums; one was dedicated to the city history and another kept a charming collection of clocks and other rare timepieces in a townhouse. There was a contemporary art gallery that had a particularly nice gift shop, and several smaller private galleries. Unfortunately, after consulting my notes I had no clue which one previously employed Sophie.
I called Austen. "Any news?" he asked.
"I have an FBI contact looking into the cash," I replied, "but no news yet."
"The FBI? Is that a good thing? I mean, what if..."
"I understand your concern but you asked me to find out what's going on no matter what." I stopped, realizing how harsh that must sound to a worried man. Softening my voice, I tried to be more reassuring. "My contact is discreet. If he finds anything that raises a red flag, I assure you, he'll tell me first."
"That's what I'm afraid of. Raising red flags."
"'What-ifs will also drive you crazy. Be patient, let me help you. Don't forgot we're also looking for a legitimate reason for all that cash." I paused to change the subject. "How is Sophie today?"
"Actually there's some good news. An increase in her brain activity! Her doctor says that's very positive."
"Great! I'm glad to hear it."
"Do you have any other updates for me? I could really use some more good news right now."
"I wish I did. I actually called to find out which museum Sophie used to work at?"
"The city museum."
"When did she stop working there?"
“Shortly after we got married."
"Do you know why she left?"
"I think I can honestly say I don't know anything about my wife for certain, but she told me she decided it wasn't the right path for her because she didn't really enjoy retail work although she loved the museum. She was passionate about art and history. She read a lot about both subjects. I suggested she put her knowledge to work at a charity I could create but she said no. She wanted to do something else, possibly interior design after she found herself enjoying all the work going on at the house."
"Was she close to any of the museum employees?"
"She got on well with everyone. She spoke to Melinda and Brian the most. They came to our wedding. Her boss was called Laetitia."
"Great. I plan to talk to them all today," I said.
"Did you reach Zach?"
"I did at Sky Outdoors. He didn't seem all that thrilled to answer my questions." I paused before telling Austen some of the nasty things Zach said. "Why?"
"He stormed in here first thing and demanded to know why he was being questioned about his sister. I told him it was normal routine for insurance companies. I'm not sure he believed me though."
"Is there any particular reason you don't want to tell him why you hired me?"
"He's her brother. If she's hiding something, he probably already knows about it. And I don't like him. There, I've said it. I never liked the guy."
"If I speak to him again, I'll make sure to tell him I was sent by your insurers."
Austen was silent so long that I opened my mouth to prompt him, but before I could, he said, "Zach wanted to know what kind of insurance policy I had on Sophie."
"Do you mean life or unforeseeable injury?"
"He wanted to know how much money the payoff was," said Austen. "He said she promised to always make sure he was okay and then said he knew I would respect that. I didn't like his tone. Plus, he jumped straight into asking about the value of her life insurance policy. You could have been an agent from our home insurance for all he knew!"
"Did he directly ask you for money?" I doodled on the notepad, wondering why Zach wanted to know the value of the policy. Was he fed up watching his sister enjoy a lifestyle he could never afford? Did he feel entitled to some of her good fortune? As I doodled the dollar signs, another thought came to me. Was Zach more driven by money than his sister was? I couldn't imagine any of my siblings wondering what they might gain financially through my death. And Lily already knew she would inherit my entire closet.
"No, but he certainly made it clear that he expected to get some."
"But did he say that explicitly?" I pressed.
"No," Austen conceded, "he didn't. It was fully expressed in his tone."
"Have you updated him on Sophie's condition?"
"Not yet. I expect he'll be at the hospital today so I'll tell him the latest improvement then."
I said goodbye and disconnected, grabbing my purse, and heading downstairs. Not having a car to zip around the city sucked, and I knew it was an issue I would have to address soon. Until then, I called my favorite car service: Lily. Lily agreed to pick me up before dropping Poppy off at day care. "This is so exciting," she said when I got in the car after flagging her down from the sidewalk outside the agency. "We haven't cracked a case together in ages."
"Why is Poppy wearing a false moustache?" I asked, wagging my fingers at the baby. The moustache wiggled as Poppy flapped her hands in glee.
Lily bit back a smile. "She's in disguise."
"As what? The first baby with facial hair?"
"Maybe I just didn't want anyone identifying her later."
"Which explains the blue outfit." I leaned back and removed the moustache and tickled her chin. Poppy giggled. "She's not even coming with us," I pointed out.
"Not for lack of trying," said Lily.
Once Poppy was safely distracted at daycare, Lily said. "I knew you'd need my help. What's the plan?"
I explained that we were heading to the museum to ask a few questions and she beamed a huge smile. "I never used to look forward to our field trips to any museums," she said. "How my life has changed! Do you remember that time we went to the silent rave at a museum and had to wear those headphones and everyone was dancing the night away?"
"Was that the same night you stole a fossil from one of the exhibits?"
"Still have it." Lily beamed proudly.
"You should probably give it back. It's probably millions of years old."
"And yet I'm taking better care of it than they did."
I fixed her with a frown. "How so?"
Lily shrugged. "No one stole it from me!"
I considered debating my contrasting point of view with her but realized it was probably fruitless. Plus, Lily had a good point. She totally got away with the crime. What if she returned the fossil, only to be arrested? Since no one seemed to be missing it, did that mean the crime never really happened? That philosophy was one I couldn't ponder without my synapses exploding.
"So, is this a day out too?" asked Lily. "Are we exposing ourselves to more culture? We hardly ever get cultured. Perhaps we should do it more often. Serena signed Victoria up to art appreciation classes on Sunday morning."
"That poor kid gets enrolled in everything."
"True. So what are we doing?"
"We're investigating a former employee."
"For what?"
"So far, for nothing."
"Thrilling!"
"But they might have done something," I said, adding the highlights of the case as Lily's eyebrows rose in growing curiosity.
"So are we good cop, bad cop? I want to be the bad cop." Lily's happy demeanor dropped and she fixed me with a stern look. Then a curl shot loose from her ponytail and bounced around her face, quickly followed by a second one. I bit my cheek to keep from laughing as she merely blinked in surprise.
"We're not interrogating anyone. Just asking questions, politely."
"We could have lunch there. The café on the second floor is quite pretty."
I brightened. "Good plan."
"We can ask the employees that work at the café too. Multi-tasking," added Lily with a knowing nod. "Sandwiches and answers."
I had to agree that they were two of my favorite things but that devolved into a heated discussion about other foods before concurring in general, didn’t everything taste better when encased between two slices of bread? By the time we parked and walked up the museum's steps, we were both hungry. Unfortunately, it was long before any reasonable lunch hour.
As I reached for the heavy door, Lily put her hand on my forearm and whispered, "What are you going to tell them about the investigation?" she asked.
"Nothing," I decided. "I'll just say I'm a friend of hers with a get-well card that I would like all of Sophie's friends to sign."
"Did you bring a card with you?"
"I can buy one in the gift shop. Then I'm going to locate all of her colleagues, ask them to sign it, and question them at the same time."
"I wonder if Sophie knows what's going on around her. I've heard that sometimes people in comas can hear and understand conversations."
"Her husband talks to her. He barely leaves her side."
"He must be worried sick."
"He is. The nurses have to force him to go home every so often."
Humor left Lily's eyes. "That's really sad," she sighed, reaching for my hand and squeezing it. I didn't need to ask what she was thinking. I knew she flashed back to the time Solomon was rendered unconscious too.
"Let's go," I told her.
The museum was built more than a hundred and fifty years ago and famous for being one of the oldest buildings in Montgomery. The foyer was big and square with a stunning tiled floor and a horseshoe-shaped desk in the center. We paid our entry fee and walked into the main hall where several corridors led to rooms that opened into each other. As a kid, my parents brought me here often and I clearly remembered starting at one side, skipping through all the rooms, and eventually arriving at the other side. Then we took the grand sweeping staircase, lit by a huge glass dome ceiling, to the upper level and repeated the process. Part of me wanted to take the time to walk around and admire the familiar building but I had an important job to do.
"This way," I said, turning toward the gift shop, which occupied one of the long rooms at the front of the museum.
"The gift shop is my favorite part in the whole museum," said Lily.
"What about the dinosaur exhibit?" I asked. Lily shook her head. "The Fashion Through the Ages room?" I asked. Every time we visited, which wasn't very often now, we gravitated there.
"Nope."
"The butterfly room?"
"Pretty, but sad."
"The chocolate room?"
Lily paused and unfolded the map we received with the tickets, her eyes searching. "There's really a chocolate room?"
I bit back a smile. "Nope."
She stuffed the map in her pocket. "Then the gift shop is my favorite part."
Instead of heading directly for the cashier's desk, we browsed the cards and magnets and fripperies lining the thick shelves that spanned the walls. I briefly contemplated buying a few items from the bargain display for my nieces and nephews, then decided it would be nicer to bring them along for the afternoon and let them choose their own inexpensive trinkets. My oldest nephew, Patrick, would probably think it was lame but perhaps I could persuade him to come to the gaming exhibition scheduled for later in the year. At one of the rotating card displays, I selected a pretty card for Sophie and walked over to the desk.
"Is that everything?" asked the cashier when I slid it towards him. He had large, brown spectacles, a flop of unruly hair and his shirt was so appallingly awful that I figured it was probably in style.
"Actually, I'm buying this for a friend who used to work here," I explained as I paid. "She had a terrible accident and I thought it would be nice to ask her former colleagues to sign it. Her name is Sophie Takahashi. You probably knew her as Sophie Gallo."
"Sophie? Oh, gosh, yes, she used to work right here in the gift shop!"
"You must be Brian?" I asked.
He nodded, smiling as he slid the card into a paper wrapper and handed me my change. "That's right. An accident, you say? That's terrible. What happened?"
"She fell from a second-floor balcony."
His jaw dropped. "How awful. Was she badly injured?"
I nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. She's been unconscious for a week. It would be great if she knew how many people were thinking of her when she wakes up. Would you please sign this card for her?"
"Of course! Let me find a pen... Poor Sophie! She was such a darling when she worked here. We all miss her."
"She left right after she got married, is that correct?"
"Right. I thought maybe she was a bit old-fashioned to quit just because she got married but she said no, that wasn't it at all. She said she just wanted a change," volunteered Brian. He frowned as he stared at me "I don’t remember you from the wedding…"
"I’m a new friend. Did Sophie work here very long?"
"A few months. Mostly in the gift shop but she gave tours in her spare time too. She knew so much about history and art. Truthfully, her talents were wasted in the gift shop but there isn't much chance of a promotion here. I said she could give talks along with the tours, but she said she was too shy for that." Brian shook his head. "I know Laeticia was pushing her to give a few talks. She thought Sophie would be a great asset and I agree."
"Laeticia? Is she the manager?"
"Yes, that's right."
"What did Laeticia want Sophie to give talks on?"
"Sophie knew a lot about art history. Ask her anything about the pre-Raphaelites or post-modernism and she could go on for hours. As for her knowledge about American art, well, Sophie was an encyclopedia! I told her she should apply for a job at one of the big museums in Boston but she always laughed. I really meant it though. She could have gone to any university and aced the classes but she said she was too old for that now, which was crazy because she's like, not that old at all! What should I write?"
"About?" I asked, frowning.
"On her card." Brian waited, his pen poised.
"Anything you like," I told him. "I'm sure she'll be pleased by whatever you write."
"Okay..." Brian tapped the pen against the desk, his eyes drifting off into a faraway look.
"It sounds like you two were good friends?"
Brian tilted his head from one side to the other. "We didn't really hang out beyond work but yeah, we got on pretty well. She's a sweetheart."
"You probably met her brother? Zach?"
Brian glanced up at me, pausing in his written message. "He came by a couple times," he said, looking down again as he resumed writing.
"I only met him a couple of days ago," I continued. "Not the friendliest guy."
"You can say that again." Brian folded the card and slipped it back into the paper bag before pushing it over to me. "I can't imagine how the same DNA could be divided so differently between two people. He always seemed pissed and she was always so sunny. He was rude and she was sweet. She always made an excuse for him, but I mean, every single time? C'mon, girl!"
"I'm sure," I said, nodding along. "He's a real character."
"That's a nice way of putting it. I thought Sophie was scared of him. Hey, how is Austen doing? He must be so worried," Brian asked before I could pick up on his previous comment.
"He spends most of his time at the hospital."
"Please tell him I asked about him. We were all delighted when Sophie met him. We didn't even know what a big deal he was until Laeticia told us he donated a huge sum to the museum last year."
"We?"
"All of us here. Sophie seemed surprised too when it came up in conversation but maybe it embarrassed her."
"They met at the theater, right?"
Brian cocked his head to one side. "I think so. Sophie is a big theater fan. Austen took her all the way to New York once just to attend opening night of a new Broadway show. She said they stayed in a fancy hotel and rode in a horse-drawn carriage through the park. Isn't that romantic?"
"Very," I agreed, noticing a father and his two young children joining the queue, and realizing I was holding them up. "Do you know where I can find Melinda or Laeticia?"
"Melinda is probably at the front desk. Laeticia will be in her office. I'm sure Melinda will take you there if you tell her about the get well card. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"
"Lexi," I said. "It was so nice meeting you, Brian."
"And you too! Please tell Austen I'd like to visit sometime."
I agreed I would and went in search of Lily. I found her perusing a selection of scarves. "I was trying to decide whether to get one of these for my mom's birthday until I realized I can't remember her new address," she said as she stroked the material. "I'll email my dad and maybe come back later."
"Good idea," I told her. "I'm sure she'll appreciate whatever you send her."
"Hmph," snorted Lily but I knew better than to answer. Lily's parents were never hands-on. Since we became friends, she probably spent more time with my parents than her own. Lily’s parents traveled incessantly and often forgot they had a daughter. "What did you find out?" she asked as we left the gift shop.
"Only that Sophie and Brian were friendly and he liked her and Austen, but not Zach. Also, Austen is super romantic," I added, retelling Brian's Broadway story as we left the gift shop.
"I like Austen," said Lily. "Any man who does that is a keeper, so long as he's actually normal."
"Weird that you needed to qualify that."
"Have you met any people lately? Awful people can do wonderful things."
"I think Austen might just be one of the nice ones," I replied, wishing I was that sure about Sophie. If it weren't for all the odd things Austen suspected, and the pile of cash, I'd have a hard time imagining her as anyone who did anything out of the ordinary. She seemed to live a very quiet life as a stay-at-home wife. As we approached the front desk, I thought most people would have been pleased to have their skills recognized in the workplace. Especially when offered the chance to use them in a more active way and with some kind of accolade. Yet Sophie shunned any recognition for sharing her knowledge at all. Could it be that she simply didn't want to work harder? It wasn't inconceivable. Perhaps she just wanted a simple life and a job she could leave behind at the end of the day. Unlike me, her job did not have to occupy most of her waking hours.
"Hi, are you Melinda?" I asked the woman we bought our tickets from.
The woman moved her collar and tapped her name badge. "I am. How may I help you?"
"I'm Lexi, this is Lily. Brian referred us to you. We're friends of Sophie Takahashi. She's in the hospital after having an accident and we thought she would appreciate a get well card from all of her friends."
Melinda sat a little straighter, smiling. "And you thought of me? I'm happy to sign it, although I haven't seen Sophie for a couple months. We all miss her around here."
"Brian was just talking about how knowledgeable Sophie was on the subject of art. I never knew!" I handed Melinda the card and she opened it, laying it on the desk as she scanned Brian's message.
"Oh, yes. We were all so impressed by her unlimited scope in the field of art appreciation. I told her once she could have been an art professor. It's a shame she didn't stay on."
"I don't remember why she left..." I prompted.
"I can't say I know either but it was right after she got married. You must know Austen? Such a nice guy and their wedding was beautiful. I thought they'd have a big, fancy affair but it turned out to be modest, pretty and intimate. Now I think about it, I guess that's more Sophie's style anyway."
"How so?"
"She was never flashy and even though Austen is very rich, she's still not like that." Melinda put her hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry. That sounded so crass. I really like Austen."
"I understand," I told her. "It must be strange to marry someone with a lot of money. I think it has the ability to change a lot of people."
"The only thing that changed about Sophie when she met Austen was her burst of confidence. She was kind of meek before, but of course, you probably already know that. Or maybe it was just at work. Regardless, we really miss her very much but not that brother of... oh! I'm sorry. I was being crass again."
"You mean Zach?" I asked.
Lily leaned in. "He’s a jerk if you ask me," she said quietly with a knowing nod.
Melinda nodded along. "Isn't he? How the two of them could come from the same gene pool boggles the mind. He was always so domineering and crude. I told Sophie she shouldn't let him speak to her like that. Laeticia said she didn't want him coming around. He gave her the heebie-jeebies."
I feigned conspiratorial shock. To be fair, it wasn’t difficult since my first impression of Zach was not very flattering. "What about?" I asked.
"I don't know but she got really rattled one time right before Sophie quit. She wouldn't say anymore about it." Melinda ducked her head down as she wrote a note in the card. Glancing up, she asked, "Should I promise to visit soon? I'd like to do that. Do you know what kind of flowers she prefers?"
"Flowers?" I asked, momentarily confused.
"To take when I visit Sophie in the hospital."
"Oh, yes. I'm sure she would appreciate anything that blooms. She's not conscious yet but her doctors are hopeful she'll come around very soon," I added as Melinda folded the card and returned it to me.
Melinda raised her eyebrows. "Goodness, that must have been a terrible accident! Perhaps I could bake something for Austen?"
"I'm sure he'd appreciate the gesture. Do you know where I can find Laeticia?" I asked.
"You're in luck. That's her right over there." Melinda pointed behind us. "The lady in the white suit."
We thanked Melinda and followed the suited lady, almost losing her when she moved into one of the galleries. "Wearing a white suit is a real power move," said Lily. "I would spill something on it within the first ten seconds."
"Me too," I agreed, "but Laeticia looks great in it."
Laeticia was a tall, curvy woman with dark black skin, a closely shaved head and luminous eyes. I had to wonder if she'd been a model in a former life. I could only aspire to look that flawless. We stopped her in front of a still life painting and explained who we were.
"I had no idea," she told us when I produced the card. "Poor Sophie. Will she recover soon and be okay?"
"The doctors are very optimistic," I told her, offering her a pen. "We thought it would be nice for her to know how many people were thinking of her when she wakes up."
"She's very lucky to have friends like you. I hoped she would make some friends when she started working here. She was so shy at first."
"I don't think her dominating brother was much help," said Lily, shooting Laeticia a knowing look. "He's kind of a jerk, if you know what I mean."
"Oh, I certainly do," agreed Laeticia with a weary shake of her head. "He seemed nice at first... anyway, I told her he couldn't come here anymore. I didn't like his attitude."
"Why's that?"
"It seems silly now, and I'm sure he was joking around, but at the time, I was worried that he actually meant what he said. Then Sophie met Austen and Zach stopped showing up anymore. I almost forgot all about it."
Lily and I exchanged glances as Laeticia contemplated the card. "Did he threaten Sophie?" I asked, my heart thumping in anticipation of her answer.
"Not exactly. I suppose Sophie could have told you already so it won't matter what I say. I overheard Zach telling Sophie she should take a close look at the museum security because some of our stuff was so rare and valuable that he could get good money for it." She handed me the card. "He said it would solve all their problems."