Death at the Orange Locks by Anja de Jager

Author:Anja de Jager [Jager, Anja de]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472130440
Google: W2LgygEACAAJ
Amazon: B086JNR9S2
Goodreads: 52715277
Publisher: Constable
Published: 2020-10-13T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Just as I arrived at Linde Lights’ front door, Karin came out. Stefanie wasn’t here yet to join me. I had only had to walk five minutes from the restaurant on the corner; she had to drive all the way from the police station. Most likely she was stuck in traffic somewhere, but she said she’d be right over when I called her.

I stopped Karin. ‘Can we talk for a minute? I have a few questions for you.’ We could always start and leave the more in-depth financial questions for when Stefanie arrived.

‘I have to go to a meeting,’ Karin said. ‘Can we do this later?’

‘Patrick’s company credit card bounced.’

‘Yes, I’m off to speak to the bank manager right now.’ She looked at her watch. ‘In fifteen minutes actually.’ She started walking in the direction of the little car park behind the office.

I followed her. ‘There are money problems then?’

Karin didn’t break her stride. ‘I don’t know what’s going on. People have clearly heard that he died and now they’re here like vultures, trying to claw their money back.’

‘There are a lot of debts?’

She bleeped her car unlocked. ‘It’s a cash-flow problem,’ she said. ‘Anybody who was owed money wants it now, instead of in ninety days as per usual, and anybody who owes us cash is delaying.’

‘But Patrick’s card bounced before his death.’

She opened her car door. ‘I really have to go. I’m going to talk to the bank and clear it all up. I’ll call you afterwards.’

‘Please do. You have my number.’ I gave her my card again to be sure. ‘If I haven’t heard from you by the end of the day—’

‘I’ll call you as soon as we’re finished.’

I had no reason to detain her longer. I wanted her to get answers from the bank and then she could report back.

She pulled the door closed and started the engine.

The voice in the back of my mind said that in other cases I had been more determined. I had also been more suspicious and would not have relied on one of the company employees to get this information for me. But then Karin had been extremely cooperative so far.

I had just got my phone out to call Stefanie and tell her to turn back when she pulled into the car park right next to me. She opened her door.

‘Sorry,’ I said with one hand on the car roof, to stop her getting out. ‘The person we needed to talk to has just left. Let’s go back.’

‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ she said. ‘I’ve come all the way here and now you’re telling me to leave again?’

All the way? It had only been a fifteen-minute drive. ‘The woman who’s in charge of the finances had to go meet with the bank. Until she’s got the information, there wasn’t much point in keeping her here.’

‘There’s never just one person at a company who knows that things aren’t going well.’ She got out of the car, slammed the door behind her and beeped the lock.

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