The Next Accident - Lisa Gardner [94]
Luke shook the man’s hand. Mitz winced.
Oh boy, Rainie thought. When your stalker cares enough to send the very best . . .
Mitz sat down. He slid his briefcase onto the seat beside him. It took up half of the booth, but he seemed determined not to let it go.
“Thank you for seeing me,” he told Luke crisply.
“No problem at all,” Luke drawled, his voice magically two octaves lower and eight beats slower. “You seemed like an earnest fellow. I figured it would be easiest to meet in person, shake your hand, and address all your questions at once.”
“Well yes, of course. Face-to-face is always nice. I only hate to intrude. . . .”
“Oh you know how it is in small towns. We got plenty of time and we’re always happy to meet new folks.”
Rainie rolled her eyes. She thought the Andy Griffith routine was laying it on a bit thick, but Mitz seemed to relax a fraction more, his spine actually making contact with the back of the booth.
“It’s a simple matter really,” Mitz said briskly. “I’m running a routine background check on someone who used to live in this town. Lorraine Conner. I understand she was a police officer here.”
“Yes sir. I believe she was.”
“She lived here?”
“Yes sir. I believe she did.”
“For how long?”
“Oh . . . for a long time. Years. Yeah, definitely years.”
“Mmmm, yes. And her mother was Molly Conner?”
“Yes sir. I believe that is correct.”
“Do you know how old Lorraine is?”
“Oh no, sir. I’m much too smart to ask a woman her age.”
“You must have it in the files, though. Personnel records, something like that.”
“We might. But she left with our previous sheriff, Shep O’Grady. You’d have to ask him. He’s not here anymore, of course. Lives somewhere else now.”
“Shep O’Grady.” Mitz made a note.
Luke said, “So what’s this all about, sir? We don’t often get lawyers asking about our former officers.”
“It’s a routine background check.”
“She’s applying for a job?”
“Uh . . . no.”
“She’s applying for a credit card?”
“I’m a lawyer, Sheriff. I assure you I don’t get involved with credit card applications.”
“Of course, pardon me. So when do you get involved?”
“That’s confidential. Something I will share with Ms. Conner when the occasion arises.”
“Fair enough. I would never ask a man to compromise his principles. Say, just out of curiosity, what is your specialty?”
Mitz, however, was no dummy. “That would also be something for me to share with her when the occasion arises. So Lorraine Conner served as a police officer for how many years?”
“Several,” Luke obliged.
“I understand she resigned last year.”
“Yes sir.”
“A bit of scandal or something? About a fifteen-year-old incident?”
Luke shrugged. “Officer Conner resigned in good standing, Mr. Mitz. We’re all real proud of her.”
“Well,” Mitz said briskly. “That’s good to hear. Of course, as long as I’m in town, you won’t be offended if I ask others the same question?”
“Ask away,” Luke said graciously.
“Yes, well. What about the rest of her family?”
“What about them?”
“She has other family?” Mitz sounded surprised. For the first time, Luke hesitated, clearly caught off guard.
“Not that I know of,” Luke said hastily, abandoning the drawl. “But you asked the question.”
“So she doesn’t have an ex-husband, half-siblings, children?”
“Not that I know of. Why do you ask?”
“Line on the form,” Mitz said curtly. He began to make a note again, but Luke caught his hand. The Andy Griffith routine had vanished. Luke’s face was hard set, and his voice had grown stern.
“These are very personal questions for a routine background check, sir, and even if Rainie doesn’t live here anymore, she’s a good friend of mine. Now I’m asking you one more time, what is this all about?”
“And I’m telling you one last time,” Mitz said stiffly. “I’m not at liberty to say.”
Rainie decided that was her cue. The conversation was going no place, plus good cop was about to beat the crap out of Mr. Mitz, which would give her role a tough