“Until recently?”
“Yes.” She glanced over as Aiden brought in the coffee, with a dish of thin cookies, on a tray. “Thanks, Aiden. Do you know what Realtor the senator was using?”
“No, I don’t, not since he severed ties with Greenbaum.”
“Check with Liddy, would you? See who he had an appointment with regarding the Spring Street property yesterday.”
“Of course.”
“And close the door please, Aiden. You believe whoever he met assaulted him?”
“He was assaulted in the house. His cousin Dennis Mira entered the property, followed the sound of voices to the study. He saw Edward Mira, injured, started in to assist him, and was himself attacked from behind.”
“Dennis?” Her fingers lifted to the white frill at her bodice. “Is he all right?”
“You know Dennis Mira?”
“Yes, very well. You can’t possibly think he had anything to do . . . Of course you don’t.” Now she pushed at her hair. “You work with his wife, you know him. And from everything I know about you, the two of you, you’re not idiots, so you know Dennis would never hurt anyone. I’m sorry to keep interrupting. I can’t sit.”
She rose, began to pace. “I’ll handle it better on my feet.”
Since Eve generally felt the same, she nodded. “When Dennis Mira regained consciousness, the senator was gone. Unless he’s shown up since we came in here, he hasn’t been seen since.”
“Kidnapping? But no demand for ransom? You’ve spoken with Mandy, surely. If there was a ransom demand it would go to her, or come through here.”
“Yes, I’ve spoken with her. She wasn’t able to offer any information.”
“He has a house in the Hamptons, and an apartment in East Washington. But you’ve checked.”
“I have.”
After a brief knock, Aiden opened the door. “The senator didn’t give Liddy a name, just told her he had an outside appointment. A four-thirty with a new Realtor. He left shortly after four. Vinnie drove him to the Spring Street property. The senator told him not to wait, he had transportation from there. Liddy doesn’t have any information about a new Realtor.”
“Thank you, Aiden. Would you tell Wyatt to put aside whatever he’s doing and come in here?”
“Right away.”
When he left, Tressa squared her shoulders, came back to sit, picked up her latte. “You’ll need to know where I was yesterday. Four-thirty?”
“Let’s make it from four to six P.M.”
“I was in meetings here until about a quarter to five. Wyatt, Aiden, and several others can verify. I had drinks scheduled for five with Marcella Candine at Bistro on Lex. We were there until shortly after six. I took a cab from there to my mother’s. It was my sister’s birthday, and we had a dinner party. Family dinner.”
Wyatt Book didn’t knock. He simply strode in, an imposing man twenty years Tressa’s senior with a shock of hair in an improbable inky black. His crisp suit mirrored the color, as did his eyes. They flicked off Tressa, zeroed in on Eve.
“What’s this about?”
“Edward’s missing.”
“‘Missing’? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Have you seen or spoken with him since yesterday afternoon?” Eve asked.
“No, but that hardly means he’s missing, and he certainly won’t appreciate having the police hound him or blather gossip to the media.”
Eve started to rise, but Tressa beat her to it. “Wyatt, sit down, be quiet for a minute. Edward was attacked in his grandfather’s brownstone, and now he’s missing.”
“‘Attacked’? Absurd. Where was Vinnie?”
“Edward dismissed him. He went there to meet someone, supposedly a new Realtor. Dennis Mira was also attacked.”
“Ha.” The mild concern faded into mild amusement. “The two of them probably finally took swings at each other.”
“Now who’s being ridiculous and absurd.”
“For God’s sake.” Irritation flashed over his face as he pulled out his ’link. “I’m sending a nine-one-one to his private number, which he won’t appreciate, either. But it will stop this malarkey.” But he frowned. “It’s not going through, even to v-mail.”
“Which tells me whoever has him is smart enough to destroy his ’link,” Eve put in. “Who’s the new Realtor?”
“I have no idea, and that’s more malarkey. He’ll go back to Silas once they both cool down.”
“They had an altercation?”
“Edward fired him a couple weeks ago because Silas refused to list or show the property.”
“Which Silas can’t do,” Tressa continued, “as Edward doesn’t own the property outright.”
“I’m aware. Does Senator Mira have any enemies?”
Wyatt let out a derisive snort, plopped down on the couch. “Whose coffee is this?”
“Go ahead,” Eve told him. “I haven’t touched it.”
“He’s a lawyer who became a judge who became a senator.” Wyatt gulped down coffee. “He made an enemy every time he woke up in the morning.”
“There have been threats,” Tressa said more frankly. “As long as I’ve known him. Anything serious was investigated. But that’s certainly eased off since he retired from Congress.”
“Anyone stick out?” Eve waited a beat. “Any of the women he’s been involved with? Someone he severed ties with there, or a spouse who didn’t appreciate the relationship.”
“I stay out of Edward’s personal life,” Tressa said coolly, but Wyatt leaned forward.
“We can’t have any talk of extramarital affairs and dalliances leaked to the media.”
“I’m not interested in gossip, Mr. Book. I’m interested in finding Senator Mira. Investigating his personal life is part of the job, nothing more or less.”
“I’m warning you—”
“You want to be careful about warning me when it comes to doing my job. Who’s he seeing now?”
“She’s an artist.” Tressa stopped Wyatt’s protest with a hot look. “Finding Edward’s more important than pretenses. She’s young. I don’t know her name. I really do try to stay out of it. Aiden can find out.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got that one already. And, surprise, there’s been no media bulletin. Detective Hanson will follow up.” Eve got to her feet. “He’s leading the missing persons investigation. If you have any more information, you can contact him or me.”
“Is there anything we can do in the meantime?”
“Find out the name of the Realtor,” Eve suggested. “Thanks for your time.”
4
They wound their way out.
“You don’t want a look at his appointment book, his calendar?” Peabody asked.
“The place is thick with lawyers. We’re not getting a look at anything without a warrant. Once it’s murder, I’ll get one. Hanson has to run his angle from here—so send him the name of the driver and the former Realtor. We’ll talk to the list of women, his son and daughter,” she began, checking the time. “Later. This took longer than I planned.”
“We’re heading in? We’re not going to miss Trueheart?”
“We’re heading in.”
“Yay!”
“Hold the yay. Impressions, observations, conclusions,” Eve said as they rode down.
“The whole place is big on status, and that sort of thing usually comes from the top. I thought places like this—political think tanks, activists, and the like—would be lower key, even a little sweaty. I didn’t get any vibe from either of them, or Aiden, at least not this time around. MacDonald seemed genuinely worried. Book, not so much.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“I’d say Book doesn’t care as much about the senator, not personally. What? You don’t think that’s it?”