Jules met his gaze without blinking. “Oh, you might be surprised at what I can make happen, Mr. Greene. And I’ll keep in mind the fact that you didn’t tell me why you sought out Ms. Imerson after her husband’s accident, which means I’ll be doing even more digging for answers. Goodbye, and I wish you the best in the election.”
She then turned and headed toward the front door but paused to say casually, “Oh, there is something else I’m curious about. You and your parents ran into Caden Granger at a party a couple of months ago, and I understand that the three of you weren’t all that friendly toward him. Any reason for that? Even if he is Sylvia Granger’s son, he was a child during the time of his mother’s affair with your father. Why the animosity?”
Ivan’s eyes blazed in fury. “Yes, he was a child then, but he’s a full-grown man now.”
“Meaning?”
“I guess that’s for me to know and for you to try to figure out, Ms. Bradford.”
*
Dalton approached the security station in the main lobby at Granger Aeronautics. The man at the desk watching the monitors on all the floors and elevators was George Gillum, a sixtysomething man who would be retiring next year. Not only did Dalton need to get George engaged in a conversation for about thirty minutes, but he also needed to switch off the video in the elevator that Bruce would be using. In the event it was played back later for some reason, they needed no evidence that Bruce had been on site.
Percy had visited accounting earlier and marked the computer in question. The computer had been assigned to a young woman by the name of Ramona Oakley. Single, pretty and a dedicated employee of five years. She had a good work record, good attendance and a bubbly personality. It was rumored that last month she had begun dating an older man.
The woman sounded a lot like Brandy Booker. Dalton couldn’t help remembering when Brandy had mentioned to him that she was dating an older man, one who was at least twenty years older than she was. He couldn’t help wondering if perhaps there was some older man out there preying on the younger women who worked at Granger. First Brandy and then Ramona? Were there others? For some reason, he had a nagging suspicion it was the same man. That was a possible angle he would mention to Marcel.
George Gillum glanced up with surprise when Dalton approached. “Mr. Granger, I’m surprised to see you down here.”
Dalton gave the older man a megawatt smile. “Yes, I thought it would be nice to get to know the employees, those we consider essential to the company. And you are first on my list.”
George beamed, evidently feeling pretty darned important. “Thank you. I appreciate that. Do you want to know what I do every day?”
That was the last thing he wanted, Dalton thought. He didn’t want George focused on any of those monitors for now. Not for at least thirty minutes. “No, that won’t be necessary. But I need to know how things are going with you personally. I know you’ve been with the company close to twenty-five years.” Dalton deliberately went to stand in front of the monitor that scanned the accounting floor to prevent George from seeing it.
“Yes, and it was your daddy who hired me. Good man, that Sheppard Granger. And he did what you’re doing now. Got to know his employees. He knew I liked strawberries, and every once in a while he would bring me some that were grown right on your family estate.”
Dalton couldn’t help but laugh. “So Dad was the one sneaking into my grandmother’s strawberry patch. I think she thought it was my brothers or me.”
George chuckled. “Sorry about that, but they were so good.” Then the smile eased from George’s face. “They stopped coming when your dad left.” He paused a moment. “Just so you know, I never believed your father capable of harming anyone.”
Dalton nodded. “Thanks. That means a lot.”
“I send your father a card every holiday to let him know I’m still here.”