“She said something strange had been going on at the Atherton Prep construction site the week Jason was killed. Jason was preoccupied about holes in the trees. Do you know what that means?”
“Possibly. Jason said someone was digging on the site, and he was worried that there was an environmental issue that would impact our ability to get the final building approval and break ground on time. I assured him that all the EIRs had been filed, that there was nothing to worry about. And when I went out to the site, I realized he was concerned about the grove of redwoods on the west side of the property—more than a hundred yards from our construction perimeter. I didn’t pay much attention after that—haven’t even thought about it until you brought it up.”
“You were close to Jason.”
“Yes. Gordon Cho and I have been friends since we were kids. His parents sent him to Bellarmine, not ACP, and we lost touch then and during college, but we both settled back here and I’m his daughter’s godfather. I knew Jason had a gift, he was very talented, and I hooked him up with Gordon to intern as soon as he was in high school. He would have made a wonderful architect. It’s truly a great loss that he’s gone.”
“The Robeauxs—Brian and Sara—come from modest means and, honestly, you come from money. You weren’t raised in the same town, didn’t go to the same schools, and they’re older than you. How did you become a partner in Evergreen?”
“You’ve done your research.”
“That’s a comment that usually means you don’t want to answer my question.”
He sipped his wine. “Hardly. I hired Evergreen ten years ago on one of my first buildings—it was a renovation project, and Brian underbid. I was skeptical that he could get it done at cost, but I liked his no-nonsense attitude. He did an amazing job, and after the fact I learned he hardly made any money on the project. He’s not a money guy. I made a proposition that I’d be a silent partner and help with his financing and bids—I know how businesspeople think, I know the market. The problem was that Brian, though gruff on the outside, has a soft streak. The economy really hit him harder than most. So I approached Jackson about putting together the funding for the new sports complex, and he hooked me up with his grandfather, Archer, and the rest is history.”
“And the no-bid project?”
“Evergreen was cut a break. It happens all the time. Brian didn’t know until after the fact—Jason and I kept it from him. If he thought it was competitive, he would have completely undercut the project and Evergreen would have completed it, and Brian would never earn a dime. I have an interest in the company, but it’s small compared to my other businesses. ACP is getting a fabulous project and a very good deal. You know how it is—business is about who you know.”
“How did Brian feel when he realized you and Jason had gone behind his back in bidding on the ACP project?”
Jasper stared at her. “How do you know about that?”
“Confidential sources,” she replied.
He assessed her before answering. “Brian was upset at first, but I convinced him it was best for the company. Jason had graduated from college with a degree in architectural design and a minor in environmental impact, he had experience with Gordon Cho, one of the most respected design firms in the country, and, to be blunt, me. I couldn’t continue to funnel money into Evergreen if Brian was going to turn down clients because he didn’t like their politics or because he didn’t like how they talked to him. Jason had a personality that made everyone like and trust him. I really liked the kid—I hope to someday have a son just like him.”
He had an odd look in his expression as he looked at the candle flickering on the table. Forty, single, lamenting the lack of a prodigy. Max’s urge to fall into bed with him for a brief fling went from hot to cold in a snap.
She asked, “Could Brian have killed him?”
“Why?”
“You didn’t say he wasn’t capable.”
“Anyone is capable of murder under the right circumstances,” Jasper said. He poured the rest of the wine into both of their glasses. Max stopped him before he finished with hers. Jasper sipped, then said, “Brian didn’t kill Jason. I would stake my reputation on it. He loved Jason like a son. Jess and Jason were like his own children. He’s truly only a nice guy around them, and Sara. He’s angry and bitter about the economy and his struggling business, but he works harder than anyone I know. Physically hard labor that he’s not up to anymore, but he does it anyway. He can be judgmental and rigid, but when it came to Sara and her kids, he was kind and even flexible. Honestly, if I didn’t admire his work ethic and job quality, I would never have put up with Brian all these years. But I understand him now, after working with him for so long. He had the patience of a saint teaching Jason the tools of the trade. If Brian had killed him, it would have been an accident, heat of the moment, and he would have confessed immediately. He’d never forgive himself. I just don’t think he could do it. Not that he couldn’t kill, but he couldn’t kill Jason.”
Jasper’s assessment had a ring of truth. More, he had an insight into people that Max appreciated.
“So, are you done?” His eyebrow arched, making him appear even more charming and handsome.
“I’m certain Detective Santini asked you all the standard questions—did Jason have any enemies, was he worried about anything specific or vague, how was his relationship with the employees, et cetera.”
“Yes, he did.”
“Anything come to you now, five months later, that you didn’t think about then? Particularly in reference to the trees that Jason was obsessed about.”
“I wouldn’t say obsessed.”
“Dru Parker thought she was dying—and she’s still not out of the woods—and the last thing she said to me before she lost consciousness was about how Jason thought there was something odd about holes in the trees. Maybe that’s why he was there late Saturday night.”
“Maybe we should go look at them.”