Her Frozen Cry (Detective Amanda Steele)

TWENTY

Amanda also made the call to Malone to request an officer watch over Rocco Lopez as Trent drove. She really didn’t want to think about the possibility of additional victims and tried to push it from her mind. But it was still there when she and Trent were waiting in the reception area of Acne Buster. Given their theory, Dale Reynolds might be behind the murders, not in danger.

“He’ll be down for you in one minute,” the receptionist had told them.

That had been about ten minutes ago. With every passing second, she half-expected to be told he was dead. But she did her best to distract herself, take in the aesthetics of the lobby. Modestly decorated but with more luxury touches than the acquisition office of Rocco Lopez, which had none. The furniture was comfortable and rather new, though nothing fancy.

“Detectives?” It was the receptionist calling out to them.

Amanda went over to the desk with Trent at her side.

“Mr. Reynolds has asked that I direct you to Conference Room A. He’ll meet you there shortly.” The woman proceeded to give them directions, which Amanda and Trent followed carefully. The structure was a maze of corridors and chopped up into several small offices. Just a guess, but Amanda didn’t think this was the manufacturing location for Acne Buster, but instead a headquarters for the administrative staff.

A man entered the room just as Amanda and Trent sat down at the meeting table. “I’m Dale Reynolds.”

“Detectives Steele and Stenson. Please, take a seat.” Amanda gestured to the chairs across from them.

Dale dropped into one. “All I know is you’re here about New Belle…?” His brow was wrinkled in confusion, his eyes telling the same story.

“You may have heard by now that Alicia Gordon is dead?” Amanda said.

“I have. Very unfortunate. She was a great role model for young women.”

Quite similar to what Harold Armstrong and Rocco Lopez had said. “That she was.” While there might be some less favorable things they’d uncovered about Alicia, she had founded a cosmetics empire and hadn’t let anyone tell her no along the way. “But Alicia Gordon didn’t die of natural causes.”

Dale’s eyes widened as he slipped his gaze from her to Trent, then back. “She was murdered?” The question seemed to scratch from his throat, his voice husky.

Please don’t tell us you were threatened too!“She was poisoned. Have you heard of pentobarbital?” Amanda preferred to temporarily, at least, peg him into the hole of killer.

“Quite sure that it’s used in putting down dogs.”

She nodded. It seemed a lot of people were familiar with that application, probably because they’d lost at least one beloved dog in their lifetime. “That’s right, but it’s also sometimes prescribed to humans to help with anxiety—small doses, short-term. Would you have access to the drug?” Amanda asked, searching his facial expression and body language for nonverbal answers. Both were saying nothing.

“Me?” Dale laid a splayed hand on his chest. “No, and what are you implying? That I had something to do with her death?”

“We’re now investigating two deaths, Mr. Reynolds, and there are certain questions we need to ask,” she told him.

“Two murders?”

“We’ll get to that. You made an offer to buy New Belle from Ms. Gordon?”

“I did.”

It seemed like every word coming from his mouth was forced and thoroughly considered first.

“A generous one, from what we’ve seen.” Amanda hadn’t actually seen the bid, but Dale didn’t need to know that.

“I really wanted the company. It would have done a lot for us.”

“Suppose that leads to the question of why Acne Buster would be interested in a cosmetics line,” Trent interjected.

“We wanted to branch out, diversify, that’s all.”

“So acquiring New Belle would have meant a lot to you?” Trent asked.

“It would have certainly helped our bottom line, but if you’re implying I did something to affect the way the bid fell…? I didn’t hurt Ms. Gordon. And what reason would I have? With her dead, what happens to her company now anyway?” His focus was back on Amanda.

His genuine inquiry removed him from Amanda’s suspicion, but she still had to roll through the questions. “I can’t disclose that. When did you last see Alicia Gordon?”

“Two weeks ago, when I made my offer.”

“And have you spoken with her since?” His number hadn’t been in the list of those Alicia was in recent contact with, but they could have communicated on another phone or in person.

“No.”

“Do you know Eve Kelley?” Trent asked, leaping there just ahead of Amanda.

“She owns Pixie Winks. Was she interested in New Belle too? Is that why you’re asking about her?”

It would seem he hadn’t been aware of the arrangement between Alicia and Eve. “She was, and she’d put in an offer.”

“I’m sure Alicia had a lot of interested parties. She built an incredible business.”

He certainly didn’t sound like the jealous type who would manipulate events to his favor, let alone resort to murder. Still, she wanted to see his reaction. “This is confidential for now, but Eve Kelley is dead.”

“Dead?” He undid the top two buttons of his collared shirt.

Amanda took note of his reaction. He was afraid of something, just like Rocco Lopez was. “What is it, Mr. Reynolds?” She didn’t want to come out and ask if he’d been threatened just yet.

“I… well, I received a disturbing letter earlier this week.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but maybe I shouldn’t have just dismissed it.”

“Do you still have it?” Trent asked.

Dale shook his head. “Honestly, I was pissed off and just sent it to the trash.”

“It was a hard copy?” Amanda asked.

“No, an email. I deleted it, and my email program then permanently deletes everything when I exit out of it.”

There went that lead, but they still had the email sent to Rocco Lopez. “What did it say? Do you remember?”

“I don’t remember the exact words, but it was telling me if I didn’t forget about buying New Belle, I’d be sorry. Do you think I have to worry? Why was Eve Kelley killed?”

“We’re still investigating the matter and whether her interest in New Belle was directly tied to her death, Mr. Reynolds,” Amanda said, remaining calm, hoping it would help him do the same. “But it would probably be due diligence on your part to be vigilant to your surroundings, for your own safety.”

“Well, I’d like to have the police watching out for me.”

“We’ll take care of it,” Amanda said.

Dale tugged on the lapels of his suit jacket. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” Amanda stood, and she and Trent left the building.

“Another bidder who was threatened, specifically with mention of New Belle,” she began as they walked through the parking lot. “I think we can safely rule out both bidders as the killer.”

“Agreed.”