Page 20 of Out of the Shadows
“How often would you say he misses work or leaves early?”
“Used to be at least once a week, but he was getting better the last couple months. Sure, he still comes in late near every day, but until Friday, when he just left at lunch without a word, he hadn’t missed work in weeks. I don’t mean to be ragging on him, I like Charlie. When I really need him—like when the monsoon came through here a couple weeks ago and we worked round the clock to fix the damage? He’s here, no complaints. If I didn’t like him, I woulda told Logan it wasn’t working out. And if the guys didn’t like the big boss, they wouldn’t put up with the special treatment Charlie gets being late and skipping out.”
Between Jack, Annette and Frank, Margo had a good picture of Charlie Barrett. “Did Charlie tell his coworker where he was going for lunch?”
“I don’t know. Julio didn’t say to me.”
“Do you mind if I talk to him?”
“I’ll need to translate. Julio doesn’t speak much English.”
“I’m bilingual,” Margo said.
“Hold on a sec.” Again, using one finger, Frank typed on his computer. “Okay—he’s out working on one of our flower beds. I’ll take you to him. Unless you have another question for me?”
“Does Charlie have a locker here?”
“We don’t have lockers.”
“Then I guess we’ll talk to Julio,” she said.
It took five minutes to take the golf cart to a flower bed adjacent to Bar Nine, an open-air full-service bar and coffee shop at the ninth hole. A foursome were drinking coffee at one of the patio tables, two golf carts parked in one of many slots.
Julio was fixing an irrigation issue on one side of the flower bed, the flowers dug up and placed carefully on the ground next to him.
Frank introduced them and told Julio to answer all Margo’s questions.
It didn’t take long to learn that Charlie hadn’t told Julio where he was going Friday afternoon. “Do you work with Charlie regularly?” Margo asked in Spanish.
“Yes,” he said.
“Do you get along with him?”
He shrugged. “Sure. He’s all right.”
“Does he often leave early?”
He shrugged again. “More often than most, but he tries to make it up.”
“His ex-wife can’t reach him. Other times he’s left early, where has he gone?”
“Don’t know. He doesn’t tell me. Not evasive, just says bye, see you tomorrow.”
“So he was planning to work Saturday?”
“Didn’t say he wasn’t. I don’t work Saturdays.” He glanced at Frank.
“Charlie didn’t come in this weekend.”
He frowned at the muddy flower bed. “Aww, that’s why this is so bad.”
Margo asked, “Has Charlie’s behavior changed over the last few weeks?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Has he been more secretive, leaving early more often, acting preoccupied? Any change of behavior.”
Julio thought. “He’s been on the phone a lot over the last week or so.”
