“I wasn’t there.”
“But you’re familiar with the café, know several of those who were killed or injured. Let’s try the visualization again.”
“For God’s sake,” Teasdale muttered.
“Look, Agent, we might get the same line on Curve with this.”
“Jeni?” Shock registered on Callaway’s face. “You don’t seriously suspect Jeni.”
“I don’t want to influence your memories here. Let’s just focus on yesterday. You stayed in for lunch?”
“Actually, I wanted some air, some head-clearing time, so I went out.”
“Do you remember what time you left the office? The building? If not, we can check logs and discs.”
“I think it was around twelve-fifteen. Near that time. I grabbed a pita—veggie and cheese, and a ginger ale from a cart about a block from the office. I’m not sure he’d remember me. He was busy.”
“Where did you go, what did you see? Take your time,” Eve encouraged. “Try to see it again.”
“I was thinking about Joe. It’s why I wanted the air, and some time to myself—out of the office. Thinking about him, his wife, his kids. I kept remembering how we’d sat at the bar just before … I didn’t want to say anything in front of Nancy, but Joe and I worked together quite a lot on the side. He often needed a little help on projects.”
“He’d come to you?”
“I was glad to help.” Callaway brushed that away, as if it didn’t need mentioning. “As I said, he has kids, and that long commute every day. A wife who, understandably, wanted his attention when he was home. Sometimes he had trouble keeping his head in the game—a spat with the wife, the kids acting up.”
“So he had trouble at home?” Eve asked, all attention.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” But his face clearly did. “But that added pressure, and demands on this time, his attention, so I’d give him some input, another set of eyes, you could say.”
“I’m sure he appreciated it.”
“It wasn’t a big deal,” Callaway said, glancing down in modesty. “I’m sure he’d have done the same for me if I’d needed his help. In any case, I just wanted to walk, so I walked and ate lunch. Nancy’s so emotional right now. She hasn’t been able to get a handle on things. I’m happy to lend a shoulder or take on some extra work, but I needed a break.”
“I understand. Were you ever in sight of the café?”
“I walked by it, on the other side of the street. I actually thought about going over, getting a latte, but I didn’t want to deal with the crowd, the noise. They’re always busy at that hour.”
“Exactly.” Eve shot Teasdale a look. “You’d know that as you’d had lunch there regularly.”
“Everybody at the office had, one time or another. I was just walking, trying to settle. I’d nearly gone the other way, to the bar, just to … but I couldn’t.”
“You were walking,” Eve prompted.
“Yes.” He stared up at the ceiling. “Just taking the air. It was brisk. Not as cold as today, and it felt good to be out, to be moving. There was so much on my mind. You can’t imagine how many people in the office want to talk about it, ask questions, ask for details.”
“Because you were there, right there.”
“Yes. Something I’ll never forget. Even if I could, people in the office, reporters, and of course, the police, ask questions, bring it all back.”
“Of you especially.” Eve tried to add a note of sympathy. “Steve left early, then Weaver left. But you, you were there almost till it began.”
“Yes. Just minutes before. I … wait, wait. I saw Carly.”
“Carly Fisher?”
“It had to be her, going into the café. The red jacket she wears, with the floral scarf. I caught a glimpse of the jacket and scarf as she went in. I didn’t really register, didn’t really think about it. But now I wonder if that’s another reason I didn’t go in.”
“You didn’t get along?”