Page 46 of Committed
“That’s just Laz being overprotective. Until he knows who’s gunning for him, he wants me protected.”
The right corner of Prentice’s lips lifted into a crooked smile. “And you thought he didn’t care about you.”
Journey grinned back at him. “Is this you trying to get me to say—you were right?”
“I don’t need to hear it. I already knew how crazy in love that man is with you. I’m just surprised that you were having doubts.”
“Not any longer. We’re back on track.”
At least, for the most part, she thought.
Once she closed the Dennis Stratton and Leverage Construction case, Journey planned to seriously consider her future in the DA’s office. Yes, she would love to make a run for the DA’s position after Gaines retired, but not at the expense of her family. She had taken Laz and Arielle for granted, which would never happen again.
A short while later, Journey and Prentice entered the conference room. A man about her age with dark, spiked hair graying around the temples stood when she walked in. The sprinkle of freckles on top of his nose and cheeks stood out against his pale skin. He was around 5’10, with a slim build and a slight beer belly.
“Mr. Hayes, I’m assistant district attorney Journey Dimas,” she said, extending her hand and shaking his. “And this is our investigator, Prentice Johnson. Thank you so much for coming in this morning to meet with us. Please, have a seat. Can I get you more coffee or something else to drink?”
“No, this is good,” he said, lifting a cup of coffee that Casey had probably given him.
Journey and Prentice sat on the other side of the table across from him. “I’m sure you have plenty to do, and I’ll try not to keep you long. We hope you can tell us something that might help our case.”
“I’ll help any way I can to make sure that monster who killed my wife rots in jail. What do you need from me?”
“First, please accept our condolences. I’m sure this has to be hard on you and your children,” Journey said, and immediately her thoughts went to Laz and Arielle.
She could be the one on the other side of the table answering questions. She was so glad the situation hadn’t turned out any worse because instead of being at work, she could be the one planning a funeral.
Shaking the thought from her mind, Journey opened the file in front of her, where she had a few notes. Before she could pose one, Prentice spoke.
“Mr. Hayes, has your wife had any problems with the CEO of Leverage Construction?”
He shook his head. “Not as far as I know. I’ve been wracking my brain the last couple of weeks, trying to determine if I missed some signs of trouble. I can’t believe she’s gone,” he whispered the last part.
Journey’s heart went out to him. They had three grade-school kids who now had to grow up without their mother, and for what? Something so senseless as an argument at work.
“Mr. Hayes,” Prentice prompted.
“I’m sorry,” he sniffed. “Talking about her in the past tense…. Some days her death doesn’t seem real. My sister says I’m in shock, but—”
“Maybe this is too soon,” Journey said, putting herself in his shoes. “If—”
“No. I’m sorry. Let’s do this. I want to help. Maybe making sure her killer stays behind bars…. Or if he turns out to not be the killer, hopefully, I can say something that can find the real killer. I—I want justice for my wife.”
“And you’re going to get it,” Journey said with conviction. She would do whatever she could to make sure that happened.
“Has she been distracted or upset about anything at work?” Journey asked. Something was going on at that company, and when she found out what, she’d be able to build a solid case against the CEO.
“She was a little stressed the last few months, but I didn’t realize she even knew the CEO. As far as I know, he wasn’t her direct supervisor. She reported to Marta Polczynski.”
Journey scribbled that bit of information on the tablet in front of her. She assumed Marta had been a coworker, not Joyce’s supervisor. Marta never said otherwise.
“My wife was always serious about her work, saying that accountants were the backbone to any successful business.” Mr. Hayes gave a little laugh. “She was a dedicated employee who hated missing any days.”
“Do you know if she had problems with anyone at work?”
The man rubbed his chin for a few minutes and stared at the table while he thought about the question. Journey hoped he could give them something they could use. Anything.
“Actually, a few weeks ago, she mentioned that she might have to find another job because she didn’t agree with some of the things her boss wanted her to do. I didn’t think much of it because she considered looking for work at a smaller company every few years.”