The In Death Collection Books 26-29 - J.D. Robb [19]
“I’m very sorry, Mr. Luce, for your loss.”
He glanced back at her. “How many times have you said that to someone, to strangers?”
“Too many. Entirely too many. It doesn’t make it less true.”
He turned now, pressed his fingers to his eyes. “We were to play golf this morning. The indoor nine at Tommy’s club. He’s never late, but I didn’t think anything of it when he was. Traffic is so brutal, and I’d run into an acquaintance. We ended up chatting for some time, until the caddy interrupted to ask if I wanted to cancel or reschedule the tee off.”
“Did you try to contact him?”
“On his mobile—his personal mobile, but it went to voice messaging. So I tried his house.” He did sit now, big shoulders slumping. “Greta, the house manager, told me there’d been an accident. Told me Tommy was…”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“Three weeks ago. He and Ava were in London briefly. Tommy and I had a meeting, and we all went to the theater. We played golf at my club—he loves golf—while our wives went shopping, or something. Maybe salon. I don’t remember.”
“When did you get into New York?”
“Yesterday afternoon. My wife and I arrived about two. Our son, Tommy’s godchild, works for the New York branch. We had dinner with Harry and his family. They’ve just remodeled their brownstone, and wanted to show it off, of course. It’s quite lovely, our daughter-in-law…” He trailed off, looked back at Eve. “I have no idea why I’m telling you that.”
“When did you last speak to Mr. Anders?”
“On the flight over. We confirmed our golf date. The last thing I said to him, was: Brace yourself, Tommy. I’m going to clean your clock.”
His face reddened, his eyes filled. For the next few moments, he sat breathing hard as he struggled for composure. “Why are they saying such horrid things about him? Isn’t it enough he’s gone, that a good man is gone?”
“No, it’s not, and it won’t be until we know why. That’s my job. Who wished him harm?”
“I don’t know. He could be tough in business, but he was never unfair. He watched the competition, of course, and was a competitive man. But he played by the rules. He believed in rules.”
“And in his personal life? Did he play by the rules?”
The wide face reddened again, but with temper. “I won’t have you implying—”
“I’m not implying anything. Obviously you know something of the circumstances of his death. If you know who had access to his home, his bedroom, I need a name. Or names.”
He leaned forward, fierce as a lion. “Tommy would not cheat on Ava. On anyone.”
“A great many people engage in affairs and sexual activity outside marriage. And a great many of them don’t consider it cheating.” She shrugged. “Just sex, means nothing. Nobody’s hurt.”
His mouth tightened, pure derision. “Perhaps you can live your life by those standards. Tommy didn’t.”
“Then who might want me to think he did?”
“I don’t know. If anyone harbored such violent feelings toward him, if anyone had threatened him, he didn’t tell me.”
“Would he have?”
“I hope he would.”
“To your knowledge, did he fire anyone, rebuff anyone?”
“By rebuff, you’re speaking of a sexual proposition.” Luce let out a short laugh. “I can’t imagine a woman approaching Tommy that way. But I suppose…He was fit, charming in his way, wealthy. I suppose. But he never mentioned that sort of thing either. Of course, it’s possible he didn’t mention it in order to spare the other party the embarrassment and not to open the door to teasing. I would have teased him,” Luce admitted, “unmercifully.
“As to firing, most terminations would be up to the individual department heads and supervisors. I don’t know of any major dismissals, not recently. Ben would have a better handle on that.”
“Can you tell me who benefits financially?”
“I can and I will because this wasn’t about money. What was done to him…couldn’t have been about money.