“It wasn’t much of an application at that time, but you revised it, and I asked everybody to complete the new form, so I’ll send you both.”
“Was he married?”
“No, but he had a girlfriend who seemed to be living with him.”
“Her name?”
“Jasmine. I can’t remember a last name.”
“Okay, shoot me the information I asked for, and I’ll get the investigator on it right now. She may need to get in touch with you. Her name is Harp O’Connor, and don’t call her Harpie or Harpo.”
“Thanks, Herb.”
“Glad to be of help. I’ll get back to you as soon as I hear something.” Herbie hung up and dialed Harp’s cell number.
“Speak to me, Herb,” she said.
“I’ve got you a skip tracer job for a very important client. Can you start right now?”
“I’ll have to make a few calls, but I can start in half an hour. Give me the rundown.”
Herbie described his conversation with Mark Hayes. “I’ll e-mail you his employment application, any letters of recommendation, his contract, and the name and address of his attorney.”
“What do you want me to do when I find him?”
Herbie liked it that she said, “when,” and not “if.” “If he’s in town, I want to see him, face-to-face, at the earliest possible moment. If he’s in Silicon Valley or anywhere else, I’ll send you to talk with him. At the very least, I want to talk to him on the phone.”
“Gotcha. As soon as I make my calls and get his documents, I’ll hit the pavement. See you tonight?”
They had seen each other nearly every night since they had met, and she had slept at his apartment most of them. “You may be too busy,” he said. “We’ll talk. Bye.”
“Bye.”
They both hung up. Now, Herbie thought, I’m going to find out whether she’s as good as she says she is.
23
Harp O’Connor looked through the two employment applications Jimmy Chang had filled out, one on joining the company, another two years later, when the document was expanded. The first told her little, except his current address. She would start with that, but first she read the later document.
This listed his parents’ names and addresses, in two different California towns, San Mateo and San Rafael, both in the San Francisco area. It also listed his previous employers, but she didn’t reckon they would have any idea where he was, and she didn’t think that his parents were likely to rat him out; they would be a last resort. She phoned Chang’s attorney’s office, got the man on the phone, and requested Chang’s current location and phone number. She was stonewalled, so she took a cab downtown to Chang’s most recent address. She found a six-story apartment building with an “Apartment for Rent” sign outside. A man was standing on the doorstep, looking at his wristwatch.
Harp paid the cab and walked up the steps. “Good morning,” she said.
“Hi. You here to see the apartment?”
“Sure,” she said.
“Are you with John Trefford?”
“No, but I’m interested in the apartment.”
“Well, he’s late, so I’ll show it to you.” He unlocked the street-level door and they stepped inside and took the rickety elevator to the top floor. Some paint cans and folded drop cloths and a ladder were in the hallway outside the door.
“The painters will come back for that stuff,” the man said. “They just finished yesterday.” He opened the door for her, and they stepped inside. It was a very nice two-bedroom apartment with high ceilings, windows overlooking a planted garden, and a good kitchen. It was devoid of any evidence of the previous occupant. Even the wastebaskets were empty. The man told her the rent.
Harp sighed. “Too rich for my budget,” she said, “but thanks for showing it to me.”
“Maybe you’ve got a friend who’s looking for a place?”