Every Second

17

Roseoak Park, New York

Gabe Atwater’s Jeep Patriot accelerated down Orchard Boulevard. Destination: Dixon Donlevy Mutual Life Insurance, Lori Fulton’s employer.

Kate eyed the dashboard clock.

Like all reporters, she worked to a perpetual deadline ticking down on her. Most would be writing their story right now. They would’ve made a quick phone call to the company, plugged in its response and filed.

Not Kate.

She was old-school and still believed in digging for information face-to-face, abiding by the wisdom a rumpled old police reporter in San Francisco had once passed to her. Phone somebody, you get one story. Talk to them in person, you’ll get more than one story.

“Almost there,” Gabe said, glancing at his GPS.

Kate would make her deadline. She was a fast writer. She reviewed her notes, mentally shaping her story, still vexed by Tilden and Varner for jamming her at the Fultons’ house. Why were they in her face? Especially Varner, the good-looking FBI agent. Why was he being a hard-ass when she was only doing her job?

Maybe I’m getting close to something…

“Here we go.” Gabe stopped in front of a six-story rectangle of blue-tinted glass that reflected the small plaza across the street. “You’re on your own, Kate. I’ve got to get to another job in Brooklyn. Call the photo desk if anything breaks. We got plenty of freelancers in Queens.”

“That’s fine. I’ll write in the coffee shop in there-” Kate nodded to the plaza across the street “-then cab it back to the office. Thanks, Gabe.”

Dixon Donlevy was on the fifth floor of the glass building.

As the elevator rose, Kate weighed the pros and cons of making a cold visit. Sure, showing up without an appointment wasn’t ideal, but her competitors may have already called-even been here in person. She had to keep moving.

She stepped from the elevator, went down a polished hallway and passed through the brass-plated doors of Dixon Donlevy Mutual Life Insurance.

The lobby floor gleamed against the dark wood desk where the receptionist sat. A huge shield encircling a mountain range against a blue sky and the company’s name graced the wall behind her.

“Can I help you?”

“Hi, I’m Kate Page. I’m a reporter with Newslead.” She placed her card on the counter. “I’d like to speak with Lori Fulton’s supervisor. It’ll only take a moment.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No. Sorry, but I’m facing a tight deadline.”

The receptionist took Kate’s card and examined it.

“Please, have a seat,” she said, nodding to the waiting area.

The cushioned chairs were inviting, but Kate chose to stand by the gurgling water of a hanging wall fountain.

“Excuse me?” The receptionist called to Kate a few minutes later, her hand over the phone’s mouthpiece. “I’m told we’re not making any statements to the press at this time.”

“I understand, but it’s important I speak with someone while I’m here, to ensure my story is accurate concerning this company. Someone could talk to me now, or explain to their boss why they didn’t after the story is published.”

“One moment.”

Kate couldn’t hear what the receptionist said into the phone, so she turned back to the fountain until she ended her call.

“Someone will be out shortly.”

“Thank you.”

Kate moved from the fountain, admiring the landscape paintings, the palms in the floor planters, all the while shaping her story and checking the time. She was glancing at a glossy travel magazine featuring treks across Iceland on the cover when a tall woman in a well-cut navy skirt suit arrived.

“You’re Kate Page?”

“Yes.”

“Denise Marigold, with Corporate Communications.”

“Thank you for seeing me. In the wake of what’s happened, I just had a few questions about Lori Fulton, an employee of yours.”

“We’ve only just been informed about what’s happened by police and really can’t comment at this time.”

“I just need to confirm how long Lori Fulton’s been employed here.”

“Unfortunately, given the gravity of the situation, we really can’t discuss her employment here or her previous employment, the whole situation. We have to refer all questions to the authorities. Okay?”

“I understand. Can you offer any statement at all?”

Marigold’s face creased in thought. “We can say this-we’re deeply concerned for Lori and her family, and we’re cooperating fully with police in every way possible.”

Kate wrote down every word.

Denise Marigold didn’t give her much, but it was something, Kate thought as she hurried across the street to Fredrico’s Coffee Shop. She got a coffee and an apple muffin, found an empty table and began writing. Shutting out the noise of the busy shop, Kate entered her zone, concentrating as she wrote on her phone. Her story came together quickly as she firmed up the structure, inserting the quotes and details she’d managed to gather.

She proofread it twice, then sent it to Reeka Beck.

Kate checked the time. She’d made her deadline. She reached for her coffee and muffin to savor a small celebration. As she ate, something Denise Marigold had said niggled at her. She looked at her notebook, rereading the words she’d underlined, previous employment. Kate replayed Marigold’s comment on her recorder: “…can’t comment on her employment here or her previous employment…”

That’s an odd thing to say. Is Lori’s previous employment somehow a factor?

Kate gave it consideration before growing cognizant of the conversation people were having at a table behind her.

“…he robbed his own bank…they can’t find Lori…”

Kate withdrew her compact mirror from her bag and made as if to check her hair. Tilting it, she saw the two women and a man who were talking about the case. They had to be Lori Fulton’s coworkers, she thought, as one of the women continued.

“…my sister lives on the same street. I was talking to her this morning, she told me Lori didn’t show up for work…”

Kate put her mirror away and sat a little straighter, eavesdropping until they prepared to leave. Keeping her back to them, she cleared her table, put her garbage in the trash and left ahead of the group. She waited in the street, and when the group exited, she went toward them.

“Excuse me. But by any chance, do you happen to work in that building?” Kate indicated the glass office complex across the street.

“Yeah,” the man said.

“I’m looking for people who work at Dixon Donlevy Insurance.”

“Why?”

“Do you guys work there?”

“Maybe. Who are you?” the man asked.

“Kate Page. I’m a reporter with Newslead.” She took her Newslead ID from her bag and showed it to them. “I’m covering the robbery at the SkyNational bank. I’ve been to the bank, the Fulton home and I’ve spoken with Denise Marigold. I’m looking for people who know Lori Fulton. Do any of you work with her? Maybe you know her and her husband, Dan? He’s the manager of the bank that was robbed.”

The man and women exchanged silent looks as if waiting to decide who among them would answer.

“We don’t know her that well,” one of the women said. “She works in another department-insurance fraud.”

“I worked with her for a short time when I was in fraud,” the second woman said.

“Could I talk to you folks for a minute?” Kate took out her notebook. “I’d be happy to tell you what we know.”

“Did the police find them?” the second woman asked.

“Not yet.”

“Dear Lord,” the woman said. “We’d heard that Dan was forced to rob his bank, that someone took Lori and Billy hostage. Is that true?”

“From what I’ve heard, it’s true,” Kate said. “What can you tell me about Lori?”

“She’s a good person. They love her here. I think she’s involved at her son’s school and never misses a ball game.”

“How long has she been with the company?”

The woman looked to her friends. “Five years, maybe?”

The others nodded and shrugged. “Around that, I think,” offered the man.

“You say she worked in fraud. Did she ever receive any threats from one of her cases?”

The group exchanged concerned looks.

“We haven’t heard anything like that,” the women said.

“Do you know where she worked before coming to Dixon Donlevy?”

“No idea,” the woman said.

“I think they lived in Nevada, or Arizona or someplace around there,” the man said.

“Do you know what Lori did when she lived there?”

“No,” the second woman interjected, “but I heard from someone in our section that the family had some tragedy out there.”

“Really? What kind of tragedy?”

The three of them shook their heads and shrugged.

“And it was in Nevada or Arizona?”

“Not sure,” the second woman said. “I did hear that Lori didn’t like to talk about it.”

It wasn’t much, but office gossip counted for something. As Kate made notes, the man looked at his phone.

“We should be getting back,” he said.

“Can I get your names before you go?” Kate asked.

“Not mine,” the man said. “I don’t want to be quoted.”

The women declined to give their names, as well, and started to cross the street with the man.

“Wait, please,” Kate said. “Let me give you my card. I’d be happy to share any information we have on the case as it develops. Please, call me if you hear anything more. Please. Thanks.”