pretty. She’s fit, she energetic, she’s nice with the residents—older ones, especially. I always wished…” He shook his head.
“What, Jack?”
“When I saw her with Brandon, the way she fawned over him, and they way he treated her like she was just a plaything…it made me want to spike his drink.”
“And did you?”
His seriousness broke, and he laughed. “Just in my fantasies.”
A movement by the office caught Casey’s eye, and she saw the woman in Maria’s office accepting keys and grabbing a suitcase. She came out of the office and turned left, toward the elevator.
Casey slid off the stool. “So did you ever tell her?”
“Who?”
“Laurie. Did you ever tell her you think she’s pretty?”
“You crazy? Look at me. Do I seem like the kind of guy she’d want?”
Casey smiled. “Good-looking, energetic, nice with residents…sounds like a good combination to me.”
His face clouded. “Yeah, but you’re not like the other women here, are you? You really are who you claim to be.”
Casey gave a small laugh. “Oh, Jack. I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
He put down his knife and looked Casey right in the face. “Are you just pretending to be my friend? Or to care about Andrea? Or to be disgusted with the toxic atmosphere this place can produce?”
“No.”
“Then I don’t care about anything else. You know what’s important.”
“Do I?”
“Look in your heart, Daisy Gray. See what’s important there. That’s who you are. Not blond hair or tan skin or white teeth. Your wishes. Your desires. Your honor. Look in your heart and tell me none of that’s there.”
“And if I told you that everything you see in front of you is a façade? That I’m nothing like you think I am?”
Jack smiled. “Then I’d say you’re a liar. And I’d be right. Now, weren’t you needing to talk to Maria? Looks like she’s free.”
He tossed the lemon in the air, caught it, and moved down the bar, turning his back on Casey, the big, fat liar.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Casey wandered over to the office, trying to remember what she’d even come down there for. She took the seat the woman had just occupied. It was still warm. Maria looked tired, but was definitely back to her business-like self. Her nail polish wasn’t even chipped.
She glanced up. “Can I help you, Ms. Gray?”
“Um, new resident?”
“Yes. All the way from Iowa. Very sweet and…innocent.”
“Good for her.” She hesitated, still trying to get back to her thinking before the conversation with Jack.
Maria waited. “Ms. Gray?”
Oh. Right. “I was wondering if you could help me with a timeline.”
“Timeline?”
“Yes, the fitness guy before me. Brandon Greer. Exactly how long was he here?”
Maria frowned. “Why do you need to know this?”
“It’s not a secret, is it? I could ask the residents, but I don’t think you’d want that.”
Maria’s jaw clenched. “No, we wouldn’t.”
“So?”
Maria pulled up a calendar on her computer, tapping the keys with her fingernails. “He arrived the beginning of June, and left two weeks before you got here.”
“So basically, three months.”
“That was long enough.” Her face and voice were both hard.
“And the guy before him? Richie Miller, was it?”
Maria’s jaw tightened again. “Yes. He was here a little longer. He came…” She clicked back several months. “In November of last year.”
“So he was here six months?”
“Seven.” Maria clasped her hands together on her desk. “Ms. Gray, why is this important?”
“I don’t really know. Look, I heard from various people that Brandon was…unethical. That he was a cheat and a blackmailer. What can you tell me about that?”
Maria went white, then glanced at Sissy’s door and lowered her voice. “He hurt several women…in different ways. Mrs. Williams wanted to stop him before he hurt any more.”
Maria and Sissy included, although Casey didn’t say it. “Did you ever hear anything about Andrea being one of his victims? Or lovers?”
Maria’s eyebrows went up. “No. Never.”
“What about Andrea and Richie?”
Maria went red now. “She was not involved with him, either. What are you suggesting, Ms. Gray?”
“You’re sure about Richie? You sound very certain.”
“I never saw anything that would have led me to believe Richie was involved with Andrea Parker when he was here.”
So they’d hid it well. At least from the administration. “What about other women? Did he have any favorites?”
“This is not something I am free to discuss, Ms. Gray. Maybe you should wait until Mrs. Williams can talk to you.”
“Fine. I’ll wait. But while I’m waiting, do you have any photos of Richie? Or Brandon, for that matter.”
“Why would I?”
“I don’t know. Employee file, community activities…”