Jack Montgomery sat at his desk with an assortment of papers in one hand and a half eaten pumpkin cookie in the other. His door was open, but I knocked anyway.
“Excuse me,” I said, “Mr. Montgomery?”
He set the pile of paperwork down on the side of his desk and looked up at me.
“And you are?”
“My name is Sloane Monroe.”
He leaned forward, extending his hand.
“I hoped to get an address from you for Charlotte Halliwell’s assistant,” I said.
He looked straight ahead at a large picture on the wall, studying it for a moment. From my vantage point it looked like Charlotte, Jack, Vicki, and two or three other people I didn’t recognize. The caption on the photo read: Top Agents of the Year.
“If you need any information, you can get it from my secretary.”
“Did you know Charlotte Halliwell wanted to transfer to another agency?” I said.
He squirmed in his chair like a schoolboy waiting for the recess bell to ring.
“She’s dead now. I don’t see why it matters.”
“She was the best-selling agent in the office, wasn’t she?” I said.
“Not just the office, in all of Summit County.”
“I imagine others vied for her talents then.”
“Charlotte was unparalleled, a one of a kind in our industry. I’ve never seen an agent with the same drive and ambition, and I don’t expect to, not for a long time.”
“With her track record I imagine the other agents were jealous of her success.”
“If they were, I didn’t know anything about it. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of friendly competition, but we’re all friends here.”
“Why do you think she wanted to leave?” I said.
He squinted. “She didn’t.”
“You don’t expect me to believe she didn’t have offers from other agencies.”
“Why is it so important to you?”
“I was told Charlotte planned to transfer to another agency.”
“That’s horse shit.”
“Why is it so hard for you to believe, Mr. Montgomery?” I said.
“I don’t know what your purpose is here, but I don’t have time to answer any more of your questions.”
“There’s no need for you to get defensive.”
He launched out of his seat, sending the chair spiraling backward. It ricocheted off the wall and tumbled to its side.
“I don’t know who you think you are barging in here with all these wild accusations, but I’ve had enough.”
A woman entered the office and handed a stack of papers to Jack. Once she noticed the look on his face, she backed out of the room, closing the door behind her.
“If I can just get Bridget’s address, I’ll be on my way,” I said.
He shook his head. “We’re done here. Leave, now.”
I left, certain of one thing: Jack Montgomery was lying. But why?