Charlotte paused, sensing that Laurie was putting on a brave face, but then changed the subject to an upcoming fashion segment she had planned for the Today show the following week.
The moment had passed without further emotion, but, inside, Laurie’s heart was sinking.
14
The following morning, Laurie arrived to find Grace already at her desk, even though it was well before nine. Grace’s makeup was flawless, as usual, but today, she wore her long, shiny black hair in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Instead of one of her standard clingy dresses, she had on a bright green silk blouse tucked into wide-legged black pants.
“You look like you’re going on a job interview. You’re not quitting on me, are you?” Laurie asked. She couldn’t imagine losing Grace.
“I’m toning down my look for a change. My sister said people would take me more seriously. We’ll see.”
Laurie felt a pang of guilt. It had never dawned on her that Grace, one of the most confident people she knew, worried about how she was perceived by others.
Before she could say anything, Jerry arrived for their scheduled status conference to discuss the next edition of the series. “Are we ready?” he asked.
“Let’s do it,” Laurie said.
Jerry began by running down the items they could already check off their to-do list. He was working with the museum’s legal department so they could film on-site. “You’d think we were filming at the Vatican with all these hoops, but it’s manageable. I’m more worried about getting the Wakeling family on board. What do they have to gain?”
“I have the same concerns,” Laurie said. “It’s only been a few years, and it’s clear that Ivan’s still the number one suspect. If they realize Ivan has a personal connection to Ryan, they’ll never trust us.” Laurie was reminded once again how much she wished Alex had never left. “But Brett made it clear that this is our next case, as long as we get at least one member of the family to participate. I can’t stand the idea of telling him that I struck out.”
“So then we won’t let that happen,” Jerry said confidently. His phone buzzed against the coffee table and he checked the screen. “Perfect timing. The car is here.”
Their appointment with Ginny’s daughter, Anna Wakeling, was in twenty minutes. Laurie noticed a shadow fall across Grace’s face as she headed back to her desk. She thought about what Ivan Gray had said about Ginny’s assistant, Penny. She was loyal, but felt unappreciated.
Laurie realized that Jerry had ascended from an intern fetching coffee to being a valued part of the production team. Grace, however, remained in the same position.
“Can you join us, Grace?” Laurie asked. “You always have a good read on people.”
Grace’s smile was infectious. “Absolutely.”
15
The offices of Wakeling Development occupied two floors of a converted warehouse in Long Island City overlooking the East River. As they waited in the reception area, Laurie realized that she could see Alex’s apartment across the water. She wondered whether he was home or at his office, or maybe in court or in a meeting. She remembered when they used to talk on the phone every single night about nothing in particular if they didn’t see each other in person.
The appearance of a young woman through a set of double doors pulled her from her memories. “They’re waiting in the conference room for you.” She offered neither a name nor a handshake, and began leading them down a long hallway.
“You’re not Penny Rawling, are you?” Laurie didn’t know yet where Virginia’s personal assistant had landed after Virginia’s death. Jerry, the resident social media researcher, had located a Facebook profile for a Penny Rawling in Astoria, but her page had the highest privacy settings available. No access to photos, posts, or background information unless you were a Facebook friend of hers.
The woman who greeted them appeared confused by the question and explained that no, her name was Kate. She walked them into a luxurious conference room with a marble table and white leather chairs. A row of three people flanked one side of the table, the lone woman stationed in the center.
Laurie recognized her from media reports as Virginia’s daughter, Anna. She had shoulder-length, honey-blonde hair and wore a perfectly tailored navy blue sheath dress and four-inch nude heels. On one side of her was her husband, Peter Browning, whom the media described as a brilliant but quiet lawyer who quickly became a trusted member of the Wakeling family once he married the beloved daughter, Anna. On her other side stood her older brother, Carter. He was now forty-one years old based on Laurie’s count, but his appearance was boyish. His sandy-blond hair was tousled, he had remnants of a tan even though it was January, and, according to the social pages, he was still very much a busy bachelor.
“I’m Anna Wakeling.” She still used her maiden name, Laurie noticed, and she barely bothered to introduce the men at the table with her. “I appreciate your coming out to Long Island City to meet. So many Manhattanites refuse to cross a bridge or tunnel.”
Laurie made a point to admire the view from the corner windows. “I remember when this area was primarily industrial. I can see why your father was so proud of the mark he made.”
“Which is exactly why our company is still located here. Daddy would never have wanted us to leave.”
Laurie already knew from her phone conversation with Anna that she was familiar with Under Suspicion. Laurie had also explained that their show was interested in reinvestigating the circumstances leading to Anna’s mother’s death.
Once they were all seated, Laurie steered the conversation to the subject of the family’s primary suspect. “Our understanding is that your family was of a single mind when it came to Ivan Gray.”
Anna answered immediately. “That man murdered our mother. End of story.”
“Yet the police have made no arrest,” Laurie said. “Didn’t he have more to gain from marrying your mother than harming her?”
Anna waved a dismissive hand. “Please, she said they’d get married ‘when the time was right,’ but my mother was never going to marry him. He was a phase, a distraction.” Laurie couldn’t help but notice that both Carter and Peter were deferring to Anna. “I hate to say this, but we were embarrassed for her, running around town with this boy toy on her arm. She was old enough to be his mother.”
“Our understanding is that their engagement was imminent. There was even a ring.”
“Which my mother paid for, I’m sure,” Anna said. “And which she did not wear, at least not in public. I’m sure she enjoyed being seen with him, but it was a dalliance, and Ivan knew it. That’s why he stole that money to start his ridiculous gym. When I think about how my father would have reacted. I even told her, ‘Daddy’s the one who worked for this money. He would be destroyed if he could see the way you are spending it.’?” She shook her head at the memory. “That was the day before she died.”
Her husband, Peter, reached over and touched Anna’s hand to comfort her.
“Mr. Browning,” Laurie began—