Page 35 of Operation: Sharp Angel

“Or wait in the lobby and make it known to all their visitors the FBI is here,” Jackson said with a laugh. “She was horrified by the thought of us talking to anyone.”

Five minutes later, a woman in her sixties dressed in a black pant suit came into the room. Her face had a lot of work done to it, and her lips looked like a recent Botox session had gone a bit wrong. “Hello, I’m Shirley Craig, V.P. of Human Resources.”

Neither man had sat. Tessman again displayed his badge. “Hello Ms. Craig. Agents Jackson and Tessman, FBI. Thank you for taking the time to see us. We’ll be brief.”

“I’d appreciate that.” She motioned to the table. “Please sit.”

They all sat, Shirley Craig on one side of the table, the two men on the other.

“We’re investigating the deaths of Nick and Nicole DeSoto and their children,” Jackson said.

Shirley Craig looked confused. “I thought that was ruled a murder-suicide?”

“New information has come to light, and the investigation has been reopened. Nick DeSoto did not kill his family,” Tessman stated as fact.

This news visibly upset Shirley Craig. “And why is the FBI investigating it and not the Schaumburg Police Department like the first time?”

“I’m sorry, we’re not at liberty to say,” Jackson said. “We’d like to see their personnel files and speak with their immediate supervisors and coworkers or be provided their names to follow up with them outside of work.”

Shirley Craig appeared shocked. “I, I can’t provide that information. Do you have a warrant?”

“We can have one in about ten minutes,” Jackson said. “We’d prefer you cooperate with any part of our request. Let’s start with their personnel files. Is there a reason you wouldn’t allow us to see them?”

“I’d have to take the time to redact our confidential information. Nick was a lead researcher and worked on the development of proprietary drugs.”

“Then Nicole’s file. Surely there isn’t confidential information in a marketing associate’s file,” Tessman said.

“I’d have to review the file to ensure that is the case.”

Jackson and Tessman exchanged side glances.

“You do realize that if we get that warrant, we see all the info in those files and any other info we deem relevant,” Jackson said. “We will take a lot more than we actually need.”

Shirley Craig’s face hardened with a stare that told them she dared them to do that.

“How long have you been employed at Well-Life?” Tessman asked.

She looked disturbed that she was being asked about herself. “Ten years.”

“Then you knew Nicole DeSoto’s mother, Dr. Madeline Fuller.”

“Yes, her death was a great loss to the organization,” Shirley said.

“Why didn’t Nick DeSoto get promoted to her position after her death? We were told he would have been her choice and was in line for it.”

“You were told wrong,” Shirley said, looking flustered. “He was never considered for the management position.”

“So, a lead researcher wasn’t considered for a management position,” Tessman said, reminding her that she’d just said that Nick was a lead researcher.

“Not Nick DeSoto,” she said with no explanation.

“Why not?” Tessman pressed after a pause when she did not continue.

She blew out a huff. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but Nick was excellent at what he did, but he wasn’t a people person. He was actually very abrasive with his coworkers, no one we’d want in management.”

Tessman knew they’d ask Becca about that, about all of Nick’s personality traits. “Were there any specific incidents noted in his personnel file?”

“No, nothing noted. Madeline would never have allowed that to happen,” she answered.

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