Murder Inside the Beltway - Margaret Truman [36]
“It’s Deborah.”
“Hi.”
“Can you talk?”
“No. I’m in a meeting.”
“When can we talk, Jerry?”
“I don’t know, I—”
“Jerry, we have to talk.”
THIRTEEN
With Matt Jackson still at her side, Mary called the first Craig Thompson on her list, the bachelor-consultant.
“Mr. Thompson, this is Detective Mary Hall with the MPD. I’m trying to reach a Craig Thompson who was a friend of Rosalie Curzon. Ms. Curzon was a murder victim and—”
“You’re calling about Rosalie?” he said quickly, his voice slightly distorted through the speakerphone.
“That’s right, Mr. Thompson.”
He cleared his throat. “I read about it in the papers, just a small piece. How did you know to call me?”
“Ms. Curzon’s father was here at police headquarters this afternoon. He mentioned you.”
Silence on Thompson’s end.
“We understand that you and Ms. Curzon were romantically involved at one time.”
Another silence, followed by, “We were engaged to be married.”
“Engaged? Her father said you’d wanted to marry her, but I didn’t realize that you were formerly engaged.”
“I don’t know whether it was a formal engagement,” he corrected. “I suppose what I meant to say was that we were serious about it.”
“You knew that she worked as a prostitute,” Mary said.
“Unfortunately.”
“That was why you sought out her father and asked him for help in persuading her to give up that life.”
“That’s right. He wasn’t helpful.”
“So he admitted. Mr. Thompson. How long ago did you and Rosalie break off your relationship?”
“A few years ago, not long after I returned from seeing her father. She was furious at me for doing that. I’d given her an ultimatum, but it was a waste of time. The minute she learned that I’d talked to her father, she ended the relationship. She felt I’d betrayed her.”
As Mary thought of the next question to ask, Jackson jumped in. “Mr. Thompson, I’m Detective Jackson, Detective Hall’s partner in the investigation. Have you had any contact with Ms. Curzon since the breakup of the relationship?”
“No,” was his quick, emphatic answer.
Jackson looked at Hall, whose eyebrows went up.
“No contact at all, sir?” Matt asked.
“None. Absolutely none.”
“Are you married, sir?” Mary asked.
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Just to get a more complete picture of whom I’m speaking with,” she replied.
“Well, I haven’t married, and I haven’t seen Rosalie. Any other questions?”
“Not at the moment,” Jackson said, “but we know where to find you if we do.”
The line went dead.
“What do you think?” Mary asked Matt.
“I think I don’t especially like the guy. Let’s find out more about him.”
They pulled up every file they could on Craig Thompson, including three photographs—on his driver’s license; a mug shot from his only arrest, for disturbing the peace outside a D.C. nightclub; and a picture from the Washington Post of Thompson with two other men, following a meeting at the Pentagon. Thompson was identified in the caption as having attended the meeting to discuss the progress of a new weapon being developed for the military.
They studied the photos. Thompson was a chubby, middle-aged man, his face fleshy, his mouth weak.
“So, how does he end up proposing marriage to a hooker?” Matt mused, placing the printed downloads in his briefcase. “He must have spent a lot of time with her, gotten to know her pretty well.”
“More questions for him,” Mary said.
“Yeah, more questions for him.”
They were about to leave when a white shirt from upstairs came to where they sat. “Where’s Hatcher?” he asked.
“He wasn’t feeling well,” Matt said.
“He really looked lousy,” Mary added. “He threw up this afternoon and—”
“I don’t need the gory details. You two interviewed Officer Manfredi at the school?”
“Right.”
“Hatcher mentioned it was you two. It’s stayed here, right?”
“Stayed here?” Jackson said. “If you mean did we tell anyone about it, the answer is no.”
“Good. Keep it that way. When you talk to Hatcher, tell him the chief wants to see him ASAP.”
“Okay.”
Matt and Mary left headquarters and went to where they’d parked their cars.
“Where for dinner?” he asked.
“Mind