Page 34 of Fury In Death

Eve noted the security camera, wondered if the car also recorded audio.

“Hopefully, Director O’Brian has some of the details from media reports. It’s a hard story to keep telling.”

For an instant, Peabody looked baffled, then quickly caught on. “Pleasant and friendly, the security officer said. That sure jibes with everything we’ve learned so far. Somebody got juiced up, decided to target Chu. Seriously bad luck.”

“Yeah, but we have to follow through. We can’t close off work-related until we follow through where he worked. A lot of years here.”

“His whole career. Yeah, we have to talk to people here. Maybe somebody wanted his job bad enough to kill him. Hell of a way to get promoted.”

Eve let out a half laugh just before the elevator doors opened.

The woman who stood in front of them would barely reach five-two without the three-inch needle-point heels. Her hair, a dense, thick black, fell razor straight and sharp to her jawline. She had skin the color of gold dust, eyes as black as her hair.

She extended a hand. “Lieutenant, Detective, I’m Director O’Brian’s coordinator. I’ll escort you to his offices.”

“What do you coordinate?” Eve wondered.

“Appointments, meetings, schedules.”

Eve supposed they stood in a kind of lobby. On the small side, a glass wall to the east—it held a couple of chairs, a workstation where one man zipped away on a muscular comp.

The coordinator led them past the glass wall, into an area of offices, cubes, small conference rooms.

A door at the end of the section opened into more offices, one on each side of double doors.

A woman rose from a workstation, stepped out. “Thank you, Mae.”

With a nod, Mae moved to the side.

“Margaret Reynolds, Director O’Brian’s executive assistant. We’re all simply flattened by what happened to Director Chu.”

She didn’t look flattened, Eve thought, but . . . gray. The blond hair coiled into a tight knot had gray undertones. The suit, military in style, a dove gray, the heels, deeper gray. The eyes, direct and humorless, a blue that leaned gray.

“We’re sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you. It is, a very deep loss. I know of no one in the company who didn’t hold Director Lawrence Chu in the highest regard.”

“Did you know him well?”

“I’ve worked for Banner-Wyst for nearly twenty years. I actually served as his coordinator when he was made director. A brilliant man, if I may say, and one devoted to his work and his family. He was well respected and regarded with affection by those who worked with him. This is a tragedy for his family, and for us, his work family.”

She held up a hand. “My apologies for keeping you from your duties. I’ll show you into Director O’Brian. Can I have Mae bring you a beverage?”

“How’s the coffee?”

Reynolds smiled, but it didn’t do much to soften her narrow, angular face. “It’s quite good. Director O’Brian spoils us.”

“Black for me, coffee regular for the detective. Thanks.”

“Mae?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’ll take care of it.”

“Sparkling water with lime for the director. Come with me.”

She walked to a set of double doors, rapped twice, then opened the one on the right. “Director, Lieutenant Dallas, Detective Peabody.”

“Come in, come in.”