Page 9 of Done Dirty

“As well as a building manager knows a resident.” Her cheeks flushed and she smoothed the front of her blazer. “We were friendly. He always spoke and said hello. Many residents don’t. They just treat me like a piece of the furniture or like the concierge here to serve them. But Wade was different. Always attentive. He asked questions, and seemed to genuinely want to know the answers.”

“When did you last see him?” Jack asked.

“Yesterday evening. Around quarter to seven. He was coming in with grocery bags as I was locking up my office downstairs.” She folded her hands on the table. “He held the elevator for me. We rode up together.”

“How did he seem?” I asked.

“Fine. Normal.” She paused just a beat too long. “Happy, maybe. He was in a good mood.”

“Did he say anything about his plans for the evening?” Jack asked.

“Just that he’d had a long day and was ready to relax.” She glanced toward the window. “He was looking forward to the holiday weekend. It’s rare the studio is closed, so he was looking forward to time away. He asked if I had plans.” She hesitated and then added in a soft voice, “I don’t.”

“Was he alone?” Jack asked. “Did he come inside with anyone?”

“It was just him,” she said.

“You saw him go into his condo?”

“No, actually,” she said. “He walked me to my door and waited until I’d unlocked the door. He was a gentleman like that. I assume he went back to his place after.”

“Did you hear any unusual noises last night? Voices or shouts? Anything from his condo?”

“No, but I wouldn’t have. Every condo is soundproof.” She paused and said, “I wish I had heard something. Maybe he’d still be alive.” Her composure cracked and her hands fisted on the table as she looked down at them. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “I’m not usually this emotional. I’m having trouble processing.”

“It’s okay,” Jack said. “You never know how you’ll handle something like this until you have to. You’re doing fine. Did he have any regular visitors?” Jack wrapped his hands around his mug, but he still hadn’t taken a drink.

“I don’t track guests,” she said. “Residents are allowed to have however many guests as they’d like.”

“But you have someone at the front desk,” Jack said. “And cameras. Surely there are people you notice if they’re a repeat visitor?”

“The concierge is at the desk from seven to seven,” she said. “And then after hours the lobby is key fob entry only, or a resident can release the locks from their condo if they’re expecting guests. But to answer your question, yes, this is a small building. You do start to recognize those who come and go. We’re trained to be attentive and pay attention, usually because of theft.”

“And what have you noticed about Mr. Rivers’s guests?” Jack asked.

She picked at the edge of her thumbnail. “I told you before, he’s very friendly. Personable and a gentleman. And he was very attractive. That lends itself to a certain lifestyle.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“I mean Wade loved women, and women loved him. He wasn’t the kind of man who settled down. He gave everything to his career, and there was nothing left over for a real relationship.”

“So are you saying there were a lot of women in and out of Wade’s condo over the last four years?” Jack asked.

“Yes, but not all of them were romantic interests,” she said stiffly. “I know he also gave private Pilates lessons out of his condo. Which technically, he wasn’t supposed to do, but I didn’t report him. It wasn’t a big deal.”

“How many women?” Jack asked.

“I couldn’t say,” she said.

“How about in the last month?”

She paused and her lips tightened. “Things changed a few months ago. He moved a woman in with him. Paige Marsh. He filled out all the paperwork to add her to his condo and listed her as his roommate. He gave her a fob for the building and a key to the condo. I was shocked to say the least. I’d only seen her a couple of times before. I thought she was one of his clients. But he said she was a friend who was going through a hard time and needed a place to stay. He was a kind and generous man, and he was an easy target for those who’d take advantage.”

I arched a brow at the intensity of her loyalty. And also her obvious dislike for the woman.

“You think Paige was taking advantage of him?” Jack asked.

“Of course she was,” Jessica said adamantly. “She had a good job in the medical field of some kind. She was always wearing scrubs. And she drives a Tesla. She always had it plugged in at the chargers we keep in the covered parking. Four months is a long time to mooch off Wade’s hospitality.”