2:09PM. We arrived by the NewYork Times headquarters. Jimmyand I got out of the car and headed up the 7thfloor. It was loud. Crowded with people stepping over each other'sfeet, as if stress as won. Iget journalism is not an easy job, but neither is being a homicidedetective. And I don't throw staplers at people over a cup of coffeewith milk when one asked for sugar. You get me? Anyways,we arrived at Zoe's office. Police already has swiped the ares forany prints of sign of struggle. Left with all files and electronics.Not much for us here. We joined Zoe's department's boss, a certainmister Ben Hart. Fancy name.
"Whatcan I do for you detectives," asked Hart while sitting in hischair.
"Weare here to ask you a few question about your employe Zoe Novak,"said Jimmy.
"I saw whathappened, it is all over the news. Poor girl."
"What makes yousay that?" I asked.
"Zoe certainly wasnot the best. You see out there," he points at the glass doorbehind us toward the zoo that was the journalists' main office, "gota lot of soldiers better than her. But still, Zoe was a determinategirl. She knew where she was going. She brought us good stories andpeople seemed to like her work. What more can i say? We will all missher, but that doesn't stop the sun to rise"
"Itstops it to shine for her family and friends," said Jimmy,referring to Kathryn.
"Tell us moreabout what she was working on," I said in an angrier voice. I hatedwhen Jimmy brings her back. He knows it, but I cannot blame him. Iknow he loved her too. Honestly, we all did.
"She didn't talkmuch about her current work. Like I said, she knew where she wasgoing. In this industry, if you don't stand out, you get stepped on,"Ben answered.
Well that explains alot, I thought to myself.
"All I know isthat if she got killed, it is not about her work. Zoe was a pacifist.She barely wrote about conflicts and gossip, and mostly focused onhappy ever after," he finished up.
"Do you knowanything that would help us in our investigation?" Jimmy asked.
"All I do know isshe broke up with her boyfriend few days ago. A story over secret and'liaisons', i would assume. Kids these days, you know," said Ben.
"Yeah, I know, wewill look into that," said Jimmy
"In the mean time,where were you last night between 12 and 1AM?" I asked before weleave.
"I was right here,in my office. I was here with 5 employes. You can check the camerasand everything you need. I have nothing to hide, officers." Bensmiled after he answered.
"Don't worry, wewill," I said, "in the mid time, if you have any moreinformation, please contact us," I said while giving him mybusiness card.
"Oh and by theway, it is detectives, not officers," I said while entering theelevator.
He winked and smiledback.
"Was thatnecessary?" asked Jimmy.
"Necessary? Iwould not say. Worth it? Yes," I said, smiling at him. He smiledback, and we headed back to the office.
--
I was driving backto the office with Jimmy by my side.
"There is aquestion that bothers me for a while and I never really dared to ask,may I?" Very slowly asked Jimmy, as not to offend me.
"Sure," I said,while keeping my eyes on the street.
"Where did you gotthe money to afford such a car? After all, we do the same job, don'twe? I Can barely afford a chocolate bar," He said, in a humanistictone, to make me feel more comfortable... I guess?
"Kathryn," Isimply replied.
"Oh, sorry Iasked"
"It's fine, it'snot your fault. She was pretty successful, indeed."
I found myselfsmiling, but it didn't took much for it to fade away.
The rest of the roadgot silence. Jimmy knows how much I hate driving with the radio on,so he simply looked out the window while I was driving us back to thepolice station.
As we arrived, wefilled in the team. We now needed to check into the boyfriend and seewhat he knows about the 'secret lover'. I headed to the white boardand wrote the new information.
