Page 49 of Justice Delayed

Livingston:Did you work there often?

Ms. Alonso:I didn’t work at the club. I worked for Mrs. Thompson, and she needed me at the club to help with the fundraiser.

Delaney:Why was that?

Ms. Alonso:Someone with the catering company called in sick. Mrs. Thompson insisted that I go to the club to help. She promised to pay me extra.

Delaney:You worked at the gala that Mr. and Mrs. Thompson went to that night?

Ms. Alonso:Yes.

Livingston: What exactly did you do that night?

Ms. Alonso: I picked up dirty plates and cups, napkins. People leave them all over the ballroom, hallways, porches, and gardens.

Livingston: So you were in and out of the ballroom all evening?

Ms. Alonso: Yes.

Livingston: Did you see either one of them leave the premises at all during the evening?

Ms. Alonso:Mrs. Thompson danced and danced. She was quite popular with the gentlemen because she was such a lovely dancer. Mr. Thompson spent most of his time talking. He did get a phone call, go outside, then come back, maybe an hour later. I don’t know where he went. The weather was very nice for June, so many people went outside to enjoy the gardens at the club.

Brogan tapped the table, then opened up Google Maps on his phone to discover the distance between the country club and the Thompson home.

“Want a snack?” Melender slid a plate with apple slices and a small dish of hummus on the table before settling back in her chair.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had apple slices dipped in hummus.”

“I worked in the kitchen for a time, and the cook introduced me to this treat.”

Brogan reached for an apple slice, dipped it in the hummus, then popped it in his mouth. As he munched, he traced the route from Crescent Moon Drive to the country club. Google Maps indicated the trip would take 10 minutes by car.

“Find something interesting?”

“I’m not sure.” He ate another slice. “According to the nanny’s interview, your uncle left the gala for around an hour. She thinks he was talking on the phone outside in the gardens.”

“The club is close to the Thompson home.” Melender blotted her lips on a napkin. “Quentin could have left the club and driven home.”

“Did your attorney look into Quentin’s business and finances? He obviously had enough to pay the kidnappers a million dollars in cash.” He sipped his iced tea.

“I don’t think my attorney did much of anything.”

“That was Dan Stabe, right?”

She nodded. “Sometimes, I wish I had used some of Sudie’s insurance money to pay for a lawyer other than a public defender, but by the time I realized Stabe wasn’t mounting much of a defense, the trial was over.”

“Most defense attorneys work with private investigators to dig into the background of the witnesses, key players, and so on. Did Stabe?”

“Not that I’m aware of.” She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, drawing Brogan’s attention back to how her hair had felt so soft, like a fine silk scarf. “Do you think that’s significant?”

Yanking his thoughts back to the matter at hand, he made a note to follow up about the PI question. “Probably not, but it’s something to ask Stabe. Have you had any contact with him since your release?”

“No. He stopped accepting my calls and letters years ago.” She polished off the last apple slice. “Right around the time he joined the firm of Davis, Ramsey, and Stevens.” Her eyes met Brogan’s. “That’s the firm—”

“—that represents Thompson Energy.”

ChapterTwenty

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