7026d51896537f7070e55fc097206916

“I actually came here to talk to him—him and his partner.”

“What about?”

“Both of them were probably involved in a historic hit-and-run case that killed a little girl. The mother asked me to take a look at the case, and hopefully identify the driver.”

“And you think Wissinski and Morro were involved?”

“They were both part of a group of men who were picked up that night. They’d been out joyriding, and one of them must have driven the car that hit Poppy Careen.”

“Careen,” said Chase, frowning. “Name doesn’t seem to ring a bell.”

“That’s because it happened thirteen years ago.”

“And they never caught the guy?”

“Nope. And it destroyed that family.”

“I can imagine.”

They both studied Wissinski, who tried to bring the plastic cup of coffee to his lips with shaking hands, then finally managed to take a sip.

“Mr. Wissinski?” said Chase, stepping up to the guy.

The insurance broker looked up.“Yes?”

“I’d like to take your statement now, sir.”

“But I already told your colleague everything.”

“I know, but sometimes more details spring to mind a second time.” He’d taken out his notebook and held his pencil poised. “So can you tell me what happened here, sir?”

Mr. Wissinski swallowed.“I was on the phone with a client when two men walked in.”

“Description?”

“One was tall, the other short. They were wearing black masks. Immediately one of them took out a gun and pointed it at me. Said he wanted me to open the safe for him.”

“What did the gun look like?”

“Just… a handgun, I guess? I’m no expert,” he added apologetically.

“Go on.”

“I led the man with the gun to the safe, and opened it. Then suddenly I heard a loud crash, but before I could look over, he hit me over the head and I fell down. When I came to, the safe was empty, the men were gone, and when I staggered back into the office, I saw that Jona…” He gulped a little, and I could see the terror in his eyes as he pictured the scene in his mind’s eye. “Jona was…”

“I understand,” said Chase. “Jona Morro was your partner?”

“Yes, we started this business together.”

“Why do you think they killed him?”

“I have no idea,” said Mr. Wissinski with a helpless shrug.

“Do you think they had some kind of beef with him?”

“It’s possible, I guess.”

“Did you recognize the men?”

“No, I’ve never seen them before.”

“But it’s possible that Mr. Morro knew them.”

“Yes, we each kept our own list of clients.”

“So when a new client walked in…”

“We divvied them up on an equal basis.”

“I see.” Chase jotted down a few notes, while Mr. Wissinski looked on, deeply impressed by the whole business. “Lot of valuables in the safe?”

“Some money, some securities we kept for some of our clients.”

“Very daring robbery,” said Chase, as he fixed the man with a steely gaze. “In broad daylight. Do you have a camera in the office?”

“No, unfortunately we don’t. I’ve told Jona many times we should have one installed, but he didn’t like the idea. Said it would scare away potential customers. You see, we get a lot of wealthy clients in here—and they’re very attached to their privacy.”

“I will need an inventory of what was taken. And I’d like you to work with a sketch artist for the robbers. I’ve checked and there is an extensive security system in the mall, so we should be able to pick them out of the crowd as they were entering and leaving the office.”

“Thank you, Mr. Kingsley,” said the insurance man as he shook Chase’s hand with quaking fingers. Obviously the man was completely undone, and it wasn’t hard to see why.

“And now my wife would like to ask you a couple of questions, if you don’t mind, Mr. Wissinski,” said Chase.

“Oh, of course.”

“This is actually not connected with the robbery,” said Odelia. “I don’t know if you remember Mrs. Careen—Mrs. Kristina Careen?”

Omar Wissinski shook his head.“Not again with the hit-and-run business.”

“Kristina Careen seems to believe that you and your friends had something to do with the death of her daughter,” said Odelia. “Is there anything you can tell me about what happened that day?”

“No, nothing,” said the insurance man, giving her a sad look. “Look, I said all I had to say ten years ago.”

“Thirteen,” Odelia corrected him gently.

“I wasn’t there. None of us were. We were all questioned, and questioned again, and finally the police had to admit we had nothing to do with the whole business. I don’t know who killed that little girl, Mrs. Kingsley. I know it wasn’t me. And I feel terrible for the parents. But hounding us won’t do them any good.”

“You filed a restraining order against the Careens?”

“I had to. Dominic Careen kept harassing us. Calling us, showing up here, showing up at my house… Finally I just couldn’t take it anymore and so I made sure he kept away from me. That man is a forester, Mrs. Kingsley. He chops wood for a living. And once he showed up here wielding a very big ax, threatening us.”

“What did he say?”

“That if we didn’t confess he’d make us.”

“But the police have determined that you were joyriding that night.”

“I’m not denying that. But we were nowhere near the place where that girl died.”