being told no,” Estrada said, sounding truly worked up for the first time. “That might have set him off. Otis presents a very cool, unruffled vibe, but I’ve seen him pissed off. It’s not pretty. He has this coldness to him. Even if he wasn’t upset, I could see him killing her just for the hell of it, to know what it feels like to snuff out the life of another human being. He’s not wired like the rest of us, Ms. Hunt.”
Jessie sat with that for a moment. Beto Estrada wasn’t exactly an objective analyst, but he knew Otis better than her and his views couldn’t be dismissed, even if they sounded outlandish.
“And where were you last night?” she asked, turning on a dime.
“Is this the part where I need to ask for my lawyer?” he wondered, now calm again.
“You certainly can,” she said.
“That’s okay,” he replied, waving off the idea. “I was here. I did a little prep for a case I have this week, then watched a movie.”
“On a streaming service?” she asked.
“That would have been helpful for an alibi, I suppose,” he answered. “Easier to confirm, right? But no, I threw in an old DVD—Sneakers starring Robert Redford. You ever see it?”
“Can’t say that I have,” she said.
“Oh, you should check it out. It’s a fun thriller.”
“But unable to be verified,” she noted.
“I suppose not. It’s still in the machine, if you want to check. But I guess that doesn’t help. I could have watched it a month ago and just left the DVD in there and you’d never know.”
“You understand the problem,” she said.
“Well, Ms. Hunt, I wish I could provide you with a more rock solid alibi to prove I didn’t murder my ex-wife, but I didn’t know I’d need one. Can’t you just ask people who were there, show my picture around? There must be security footage. Surely my presence would be noted. As you know, we were a pretty high profile couple.”
“Rest assured, we’ll be doing all of that, Mr. Estrada,” she said, standing up. “Something else I’d like to do is look through Millicent’s work files. Are you able to help with that?”
He thought about it.
“I can’t permit you to actually look in the files. That would be a breach of client confidentiality. But I don’t see why you can’t review her client list and what their cases were. Of course all of that is public record, but it would save you time to go straight to the source. If you think that would help with the investigation, I can expedite it.”
“I’d appreciate it,” she said.
“You should go today then,” he told her as he walked her to the door. “It will be quieter on a Sunday, with fewer bureaucratic hoops to jump through. We have a weekend receptionist. I’ll tell him to expect you. Security will have to remain with you at all times to ensure client privacy. But with those limitations, you’ll have free access to whatever you think will help.”
“Thank you,” she said, hiding her surprise. Either Beto Estrada was sincere about wanting to find his ex-wife’s killer or he really wanted to project that image.
She got in the car and was about to back out of the driveway. As she tried to think of the best route to the offices of Halsey, Burt, Tyler & Estrada, a sudden, terrifying thump on her window made her jump in her seat.
Beto Estrada was standing by the car. He looked winded and his eyes were wild. He had something in his hand, which he raised in her direction. She thought about going for her gun but knew she didn’t have time. If he wanted to shoot her, he wasn’t likely to miss.
CHAPTER NINE
Though she knew it was pointless, she dived forward, hoping the steering wheel might offer some protection from a potential bullet. She was preparing to put the car in reverse and punch the accelerator when a voice called out.
“It’s not a gun.”
She looked over. The object in Estrada’s right hand, which he held out to her with a wildly flailing arm, was a thumb drive.
Jessie, ignoring the rush of adrenaline that made her extremities tingle, put the car in park and rolled down the window.
“You almost got shot,” she said.
“I’m sorry,” he said, breathing heavily. “I wanted to make sure to catch you.”
“What is this?” she asked, a little short of breath herself.
“I wasn’t going to tell you about this, but then I asked myself why I was