me to sit tight and how a uniform will be down to interrogate me.”
“So who do you think did this? Someone who wanted the penthouse suite?”
“Hell no. Barlow’s only a figurehead,” he snapped. “He hasn’t had enough shares to make a vote go his way in a very long time.”
“Not a lot of people liked him apparently.”
“What’s to like? He was scum.”
“You feel pretty strongly about it.”
The foreman shrugged and stared at the door behind him. “How many other people are here?”
“The place is teeming with cops,” Johan said. “To be expected when a murderer is still on the premises.”
The foreman sat down with a heavy thud. “Of all the damn days to come in to get caught up on the paperwork.”
“Yeah, it would be much better if you were at home with an alibi,” Johan said.
“What about you?” he asked. “How come you’re not at home with an alibi?”
“Me and my partner found the body,” Johan said. “That changes things for us too.”
The foreman snorted. “Of course,” he said. “It doesn’t mean you’re not guilty. Maybe you two killed him and then called the cops?”
“Maybe,” Johan said, “but nope.”
“Chances are none of us will have a job now,” the foreman said.
“Why is that?”
“Because the board wants to sell the company. They’ve had a couple offers over the past few years, and Barlow was always against it.”
“But he didn’t have enough votes to stop it, you said.”
“No, but he had some friends on the board. Still doesn’t mean with him gone that anybody’ll give a shit.”
“And does selling the company really make a difference?” Johan asked. “When you think about it, often sales or takeovers are good for a company.”
“Sure, but it also means shuffling a lot of the staff around, so chances are I won’t have a job.”
“That’s pretty defeatist thinking,” Johan said quietly, as he looked around. “Do you know of anything criminal going on here?”
“No,” he said. “Why would I?”
“I don’t know that you would,” he said. “I’m just wondering. Something crazy had to be going on because, for that murder to have happened, there’s got to be a motive. If something was going on, it’s possible that Barlow found out and approached the person.”
“Barlow didn’t approach anybody,” he said. “He didn’t give a shit. And, if you paid him in scotch, he’d turned a blind eye. You could have stolen this place blind, and he wouldn’t have cared.”
At that, Johan pulled a seat up and said, “Tell me more.”
The foreman glared at him. “Why should I?”
“To save your job,” he said.
“And maybe it’s time to leave.” His shoulders sagged. “My wife’s been on me to retire anyway.”
“Do you like working here that much?”
“No,” he said, “but I’m bored stiff at home, so having a job of some kind makes me feel like I’m not quite so old.”
Johan had heard that before from other men. “Got it,” he said. “But, in situations like this one, it can get ugly.”
“It can, indeed,” he said frowning. “Look. I’ve known Barlow for over twenty years. The guy’s an asshole, free and clear. When the board of directors took over, they pretty well left him as a figurehead because he started the company, and it’s his face everywhere. But he never did. At least not since he became successful.”
“What does he do with his days then?”
“I think he played video games and went golfing, for all I know. I don’t care,” he said. “The company operated just fine without him, and, with any luck, it will now too.”
“You just said everything would change.”
“And I’m hoping maybe I’ll be wrong,” he said.
“Anything else you can tell me?”
The foreman sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “It doesn’t matter what I say. Anything I say will sound like it’s just sour grapes at this point.”
“Unless you know about the theft that’s been going on here.”
“Is there any going on?”
“Not only is there but it’s also coming through your area here. So either you’re heavily involved or somebody’s using you as a patsy.”
The foreman’s eyebrows shot up. “Hell no,” he said. “I’ve worked for the company since forever. There hasn’t been any theft that I know of in all that time.”
“So either you’re being duped, or you’re really foolish and don’t want to see what’s right before your eyes.”
“I don’t like what you’re implying,” the foreman said, standing now. “I don’t have anything to do with any theft here, and neither do any of my guys.”
“What’s with the three rooms full of