Page 15 of Lost Without You
She nodded and he gently touched her arm, trying to reassure her. They followed Dean around the corner and into a conference room.
“They’ll be right with you,” Dean said and left them alone.
Ethan glanced around. Forty or so chairs surrounded the longest conference table he’d ever seen. Beyond that, another floor to ceiling glass window provided much needed natural light. A flat screen TV on the opposite wall and a side table were the only other pieces of furniture in the stark room.
An older woman with a grey bob and tortoiseshell glasses walked briskly into the room. Her cool green eyes surveyed them quickly and widened a fraction when she turned to look at Rachel.
“Good afternoon, I’m Helen Iris. Lloyd will be here shortly, he’s just finishing up a call. How can I help you?” she asked and took a seat opposite them.
“I’m Ethan Blackwell and this is Rachel Desoumas. I’ve been hired by Ms. Desoumas to investigate the disappearance of her father, Walter Hoffman. He worked here until 1989 and Mr. Harrison thought you might be able to tell us a bit about him. I realize it’s been a long time, but we would appreciate your help.”
Helen tapped her hands on the table and gave a quick smile to Rachel. “I do remember your father. You look a lot like him. The blue eyes,” she paused, “Walter was quiet, hard-working, very intelligent, and honest to a fault. A good auditor. But he wasn’t an ambitious man. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but this firm usually attracted people who wanted to rise in their career rank. Walter wouldn’t allow his job to take over his entire life. Family came first. I admired him for that, but it didn’t make him popular. Other than that, he kept to himself a lot.”
“Do you happen to know what he was working on around that time?” Ethan asked.
Helen sat back and shook her head. “I’m sorry, it was so long ago. And even if I did, there’s client confidentiality.”
“Did Walter talk about any issues at work or home?”
“No. Often in meetings he would be silent until asked a question. When he did talk, it was to make a very succinct point with all the facts. Other than work, he mostly talked about his wife, his family. He seemed very happy,” She paused and adjusted her glasses. “There were a few employees in the audit group that didn’t approve of Walter. Finley Hatch and Derek Salitzo. Derek left the firm in the late nineties. I’m not sure where he ended up. Florida, I think. Finley passed away shortly before your father left, an accident at home.”
“Why didn’t Walter get along with them?” Ethan asked.
“They were your typical 80s finance guys—brash, cocky, and narcissistic. Derek more so. Finley idolized him, followed him around. They’d do just about anything to get ahead. Walter didn’t trust them. And to be fair, he may have been on to something. Derek was the subject of an investigation at one point.”
“1998?” Ethan said.
“Yes, but he was cleared in court.”
A knock on the door interrupted them and a man in his thirties walked in. Like a younger version of Harrison, but with black hair and a practiced smile, the man strode in with confidence and swagger.
“Lloyd June, how do you do?” he said and outstretched his hand.
Ethan grasped it and felt the man’s strong grip, almost crushing in an attempt to show off. Ethan let him win that one and pulled his hand back quickly to put the man at ease.
“I’m…”
“Harrison filled me in, Mr. Blackwell. Or Ethan, if I may call you that?”
Harrison was quick on the phone this morning. The entire firm probably knew who they were by now.
“Ethan is fine. This is Rachel Desoumas. We had a few questions about the work that her father, Walter Hoffman, did as an employee of this firm. We understand that he worked under your father until 1989.”
Lloyd looked over Rachel with avid interest and his gaze lingered on her far too long. Ethan’s protective instincts wanted to unleash. He used all his professional training to keep himself in check.
“Yes, the mysterious disappearance. My father mentioned it to me when I started working here. Strange.”
“Did your father ever mention what types of clients they were working with at that time?”
“No, but even if he did, I couldn’t tell you. Client privacy,” he paused and gave a slick smile. “Nothing mattered more to him than the firm so it’s a shame he isn’t here to talk to you.”
“Did your father personally oversee every case in his department?” Rachel asked and Lloyd’s expression sharpened.
“No, he did not. He wouldn’t have had time. There were two managers that reported to him, each had ten auditors under them.”
“Do you have the names of those managers?” Ethan asked.
“No, but I can get them to you, or you can ask Zoe. Our historical archives would probably give some reference to what was being worked on at that time. But unless this is an official investigation, I’m afraid I can’t let you access those files. Confidentiality. You understand.” His smile was all teeth.