Page 84 of Mission: Possible

"Ms. Halliday said you might ask that. I have. A lovely lady. A little shy. She helped my daughter with her art homework on several occasions."

"That was nice of her."

The chauffeur smiled. "Shethought it was nice of my daughter to let her help. Mrs. Takahashi knows a lot about art. My daughter wishes her high school teachers were more like her. Here we are. Ms. Halliday will meet you in the lobby." The car drew up alongside a glass-fronted building with a central revolving door. The chauffeur got out and opened the door for me. Mercifully, this time, I managed not to whack my head. I thanked him for the ride and he smiled and nodded.

A few people milled around the lobby, looking relaxed, dressed in slacks and informal shirts and blouses. I didn't see any ties but a lot of smiles. I got the feeling this was a happy place to work, which made it better than ninety percent of the firms I temped for.

A tall woman, her black Afro peppered with gray and held back by a black band, was wearing mulberry pants and a pale pink blouse. She waited for me by the keycard machines that allowed access to the main building. She smiled when she saw me and walked forward, her hand outstretched. "Ms. Graves, thank you so much for coming. I appreciate your swift response on such short notice. I'm Katrina Halliday."

"It's no problem at all," I said, warming to her friendly demeanor and fabulous taste in clothing.

"I hope I can answer your inquiries. Austen has kept me pretty well informed of your investigation. I told him we should probably have spoken sooner but his mind has, naturally, been focused primarily on Sophie's wellbeing."

"You only came up as someone to speak to very recently," I told her as she swiped us through the machine. We took the stairs to the second floor and I followed her along a light-filled corridor.

"Austen mentioned his brother-in-law's accusations. I probably shouldn't have laughed but I did." She ushered me into an office and closed the door. Like the rest of the building, the walls were white, the carpet medium gray, and two wide windows overlooked a courtyard. A wall of glass with a door in the center, separated this office from the one next door. "That's where Austen sits," she explained. "We work in close proximity to each other, given my role, but privacy is guaranteed with the smart glass."

"It's a very nice office," I said looking around at the sleek furniture.

"It is," she agreed. Taking a seat on one of the sofas, she politely offered me the other. Someone left a tray with a carafe of water and two glasses on a low coffee table but I declined when she asked me if I cared for any. "So how can I help?"

"I'd like to start with Zach's accusation that you and Austen are having an affair."

"Jump directly into it. I like a forthright woman," said Katrina, nodding approvingly. "The answer is no. There never has been, is, nor will there ever be, an affair between my boss and me. I am Austen's assistant, and I like to think I’m his friend too, but neither one of us has the slightest inclination to pursue anything beyond that."

"Why do you think Zach would make such an accusation?"

"I only met Zach twice. First, at Austen and Sophie's wedding; and later at a company event that he crashed."

"What was your impression of him at their wedding?"

"He spent the whole time making comments about what peoplehadrather than learning about who they were. He came off to most people as brash and crass although I think he amused some of the guests with tall tales of his Army days."

"Can you remember what he said?"

Katrina shrugged. "Apparently, he enlisted in his twenties. Did a couple of tours in Iraq, or so he said. He sounded bitter but I suppose many of our young servicemen and women underestimate what they ultimately sign up for."

Oh, boy, did I know that better than anyone! Fortunately, the Army and I switched paths at boot camp. "Bitter? In what way?"

"He whined the country hung him out to dry after he left the military. Barely any pension, no opportunities, and their 'thank you for your service' was nothing but a ‘warm glow with a cold sting’. His words, not mine. Then he said something that troubled me, not like the other things didn't."

"What was that?"

"He said moving to Montgomery was a new start for him and Sophie and he was very pleased that their fortunes had finally turned. Not Sophie's.Theirs.I thought it was an unusual choice of words but I convinced myself otherwise. I pretended Zach meant he hoped Austen would start some kind of charity or new initiative for men like him. Men who gave so much to the country only to receive so little in return."

"Did Austen establish anything like that?"

"It never came up again. I suppose he might have helped Zach privately but I'm not privy to Austen’s personal interests or transactions."

"Like his home renovations?"

"I liaise with his contractor, Mr. Ortega, on occasions, when Austen asks but it’s not my purview."

"Did you note any complaints from Mr. Ortega or his work crew?"

She frowned. "Nothing was brought to my attention. Mr. Ortega is always pleasant to speak with."

"What about the work event? You mentioned Zach showed up there too?" I asked. My purpose for being there was to ask Katrina about Austen and Sophie, yet Zach dominated our conversation and I was curious as to where it would go.