"Amazing work.I’ll do what I can.”
“Have you found anything else on Hartley?"
"I'm still digging.Nothing that screams that he’s an obvious suspect yet, but I'm going through his social media, looking for any connection to Kane or the disciples."
"Keep at it.We're going to probably end up speaking with him tomorrow."
“Will do,” she said.Then, after a pause, she asked: "How's Miles handling the news?"
Vic looked at Miles again.He was staring at the muted television, watching the same footage replay for the hundredth time.His jaw was tight and his hands were clenched in his lap.
"Poorly," Vic said."Let's leave it at that."
"I figured.Tell him I'm sorry.This is awful."
"I will.Thanks for the list."
Vic ended the call and went to her mail app.She opened the file Kim had sent, starting at the thirty-seven names arranged alphabetically.She started at the top with the name Claudia Ashford--owner and operator of Ashford Fine Jewelers.She’d been convicted of fraud and racketeering, served eighteen months of a five-year sentence before being released on parole.
Vic clicked through to the background file Kim had compiled.The story was uglier than the news articles had suggested.Ashford Fine Jewelers had been in the Ashford family for four generations, passed down from father to son, mother to daughter, a Manhattan institution that catered to the city's elite.Claudia had inherited it from her father and run it for fifteen years before the fraud was discovered.
The charges were extensive: selling conflict diamonds, misrepresenting the origin of gemstones, and inflating appraisals for insurance purposes.When clients found out, the lawsuits came fast, and criminal charges followed.The business collapsed within six months.On the face of it all, it seemed like a pretty simple story.
Vic looked at Claudia's current status.She'd been released from prison two years ago and moved to Massachusetts for a bit.She'd eventually come back to New York and purchased a small jewelry store in Manhattan.She had two children, both teenagers.She pulled up more information and found that the jewelry store was legitimate, properly licensed, and had no complaints filed.Claudia had apparently learned her lesson.She was keeping her head down, raising her kids, staying out of trouble.
Or so it seemed on the outside.But Vic knew that exteriors could lie quite well for interiors if someone was dedicated enough.While on the outside it seemed that she was not the killer, there could be more complicated answers.For instance, maybe she had hired someone, but that seemed unlikely given her current financial situation.The bankruptcy had wiped her out.She was barely scraping by with her small jewelry shop.
She made notes as she worked through the list, eliminating names, flagging others for follow-up.It was tedious work, the kind of investigation that required patience and attention to detail.Behind her, Miles shifted on the bed but didn't speak.His complete lack of attention to the case was infuriating, but she supposed she understood.And as such, she knew she needed to give him a few moments to process it all.
After another half an hour or so, Vic had narrowed the list to eight names.These people consisted of those who still lived in the New York area, who had the technical skills to work with platinum, and who had lost something significant when Ashford collapsed.Hartley was at the top, but the others needed to be investigated, too.
With the list narrowed down, she turned in her chair."Miles."
No response.He was still watching the television.At some point, he had unmuted it but had tuned it to a low volume.
"Miles," she said louder.
He blinked and turned to look at her."What?"
"I've been going through the Ashford employee list.I've got eight other names we need to look at, including Claudia Ashford and Daniel Hartley."
Miles nodded but his eyes drifted back to the television.
"Did you hear what I just said?"
"Yeah.Claudia Ashford and Hartley are prime suspects."
"Are you going to help me look into them?"
"Yeah.In the morning."
Vic felt her frustration building.She understood he was upset.She understood Kane's escape was devastating.But they still had a job to do, still had a killer to catch, and Miles was completely checked out.And as much as she hated to think such a thing, she just didn’t have time for him to be pouting over something he had no control over.
"We need to talk," she said.
"Not now, Vic."
"Yes, now."She stood and walked over to his bed, putting herself between him and the television."You've been staring at that screen for two hours.You're not helping the investigation.You're not helping yourself.You're just sitting here torturing yourself with news coverage even when you know Hayes isn’t going to let you near it right now.So, what is that accomplishing, exactly?"