Snow White and the Seven Murders Page 5

  The best part about contacting Evie was that Sara had set up Evie with her current husband, Dan. If it wasn’t for a thoughtful introduction from Sara, when the three of them were eighteen, Evie wouldn’t be with Dan to this very day.

  Evie owes me one, Sara thought. I’ll call her on my way to the mine.

  She was eager to see the condition of the road where Matt had crashed.

  There were several routes that would get her from 302 Charles Street to the Peak Mine, and in considering the options she realized that one of them would take her straight passed Amir Malick’s house. A bit of snooping around online had uncovered his residential address rather quickly the night before, and she was curious to see what kind of home a regular guy/prince lived in.

  She dialed her friend, pulled away from the curb, and headed in the direction of Amir’s.

  The call went to voicemail. “Hi, Evie, it’s Sara White. I know we haven’t spoken in a while, but I have a favor to ask you. I’m working on an article about the Peak Mine, and I need some information about Matt Ferris’s death. Specifically, I want to know what was on his tox screen. I hope that you and Dan are doing well. I always say you two are the happiest couple I know.”

  She smiled as she hung up the phone. That should do the trick, she thought.

  A right on Center Circle and then a left on Ridgeway took her farther west in Washton, closer to Amir’s address.

  Soon she found herself on his street. The house looked even bigger than the Ferris’s sprawling mansion from the front, and she could tell that it extended back amidst thick foliage, and even expanded, out of sight.

  A rounded drive filled with white pebbles circled a large statue of a bronzed eagle in flight. Along the driveway several cars were parked. Sara noted a silver Cadillac SUV, a red Audi coupe, a white Porsche, and a black Tesla.

  Could these all be his? she wondered. She peered at the license plates, squinting so that she could read. They were all vanity plates. “SOARHGR1” read the Cadillac’s plate. “SOARHGR2” read the Audi. The rest of the plates followed in a similar fashion.

  The house beyond the driveway was very stately and grand. It was three stories high, and massive white columns decorated the front facade. As she ogled the many shining cars, manicured grounds, and beautiful architecture, the front door opened, causing Sara to jump in her seat. Was Amir about to step outside and catch sight of her lurking around his house?

  She held her breath while a woman in a housekeeping uniform stepped out, waved a small carpet several times as if freeing it from dust, and then returned inside. Sara breathed a sigh of relief.

  Her heart felt all fluttery. She felt as though she was back in high school, waiting with anticipation for a boy she liked to enter a party.

  “This is crazy,” she whispered to herself, pulling away from the curb.

  The last thing she’d want was to have to explain what she was doing lurking outside of his house. “Stalk much?” she chided herself under her breath. “I haven’t even seen the guy. He’s probably hideous. Not that it matters.”

  She sped up, and made it to the main road that would take her towards the mine.

  Gradually her nerves cooled down, and by the time she turned onto Kilmor Drive, the road on which Matt had died, she was once again her calm, composed self.

  She expected the road to be narrow, winding, and steep. Her father had brought up the fact that the road might be worn due to trucks carrying loads of minerals, and she was expecting potholes that might throw her around violently or could jostle the car off to the side of the road.

  Instead, she found a smooth, wide, freshly paved road with a gradual incline.

  She consulted her notes, on which she’d written down the location of the crash that the Washton Weekly had listed.

  Pulling over to the side of the road, she found herself looking out at a straight section of road. You’d have to be a terrible driver to crash here, she thought. Unless another car was involved, or the vehicle malfunctioned, or the driver was impaired, there was really no reason for a car to crash.

  What happened that night? she wondered, as a glinting white spot of reflected sunlight caught her eye. She crouched down and found a piece of glass embedded in the grass. She picked it up and examined it. It looked like it could have belonged to a car windshield or window. There were several other fragments in the grass—the last remaining pieces of the totaled car.

  She sat for a moment, taking in her surroundings. Then she returned to her car and continued driving towards the mine.

  Another mile and a half up the road, she came to a huge beige sign that stood eight feet tall and lined the road. In bold letters the sign stated, “Peak Mine”.

  Just beyond the sign, there was a guard house.

  She wasn’t sure if the guard would let her in. In fact, she was doubtful. They were concerned with keeping the grounds safe and secure, not letting in nosey, unannounced reporters.

  I have to try, she thought, taking a right and entering the small parking lot.

  There was only one other car in the lot.

  At first she thought it must be the security guard’s vehicle, but then it occurred to her that it was likely too nice for a guard to afford. It was a black BMW convertible, and as she got closer, she was filled with a giddy sensation in the pit of her stomach. She had a feeling about who the car belonged to. The car’s vanity plate gave it away. “SOARHGR4” it read.

  Amir Malick.

  She smiled, involuntarily, as she pulled in next to the Black BMW. She was curious about what Amir might look like, and it seemed today was her lucky day.

  She was about to find out.

  5

  Sara parked and sat in her car for a moment, thinking about how to move forward.

  She wanted to talk to the security guards and see if they would be able to tell her exactly when Matt left his office, as well as when he left the mine property. Matt told his wife he’d be home around 5:00, surely in time to make their 6:00 dinner reservations, yet his car accident had not happened until 10:45 at night.

  What had held him up?

  Could one of the HiTech Minerals employees have paid him a visit?

  The Peak Mine office buildings and grounds likely had security cameras. The guard building looked modern.

  Everyone has security cameras these days, thought Sara, as she pulled down the visor and glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

  I’ll just ask if I can see it. I can tell them that I’m writing an article. I won’t have to say anything about my suspicions of murder.

  She reached into her purse and pulled out a tube of red lipstick. After applying a few quick swipes, just to freshen up her appearance, she examined her reflection once more.

  Almost there, she thought. Just a touch up on my eyes.

  She applied the mascara quickly, and then fluttered her lashes to judge the effects.

  Why am I fussing so much over my looks? she wondered, as she screwed the mascara brush back into the bottle. Is it because I might meet Amir?

  She glanced over at his car again, and then surveyed her surroundings. As she looked at the gate house again, she saw the door open.

  A man stepped out of it.

  She knew, right away, that it was Amir.

  The sight of him took her breath away.

  The cliche phrase “tall, dark, and handsome” described Amir to a T. His muscular, lean frame was clad in black slacks and a pale blue button up shirt, rolled up to his elbows. A gold Rolex glistened from his wrist, matching a signet ring on his pinky and the gold rims of his aviator glasses. His dark hair was stylishly cut and a faint hint of a beard covered his jawline.

  Sara turned quickly in her seat, so that she was facing away from the gate house. She flicked her eyes up to her rear-view mirror, where she could see Amir’s reflection clearly.

  He stepped down the three steps from the gate house onto the parking lot, and began walking swiftly towards his BMW. Sara felt her heartbeat speed up
as she reached out for the door handle and pushed the car door open.

  As she stepped out of her car, she caught Amir’s attention.

  He glanced her way, and gave a friendly nod, but didn’t slow down. He had almost reached his driver door now.

  “Excuse me... Hi!” Sara said, holding a hand up to wave.

  This slowed him down. “Hi,” he said. “Do I know you?”

  “No,” Sara replied, stepping around the back of Amir’s car, so that she could face him. Now only a few feet from him, she saw that his features were as well-proportioned as the rest of him.

  He’s as handsome as a prince in a fairy tale, she thought. She extended her hand. “We haven’t met yet, in person,” she said. “But I believe that I may have spoken to you yesterday on the phone. I’m Sara White.”

  He smiled. “Ah! Sara White. Yes—from the newspaper. Amir Malick. Nice to meet you.” His handshake was warm and strong. Sara felt a pleasant shiver run up her spine.

  “What brings you up here to the mine?” he asked. His voice was even richer, now that she was hearing it in person. A subtle English accent hovered around the edge of each syllable, and his tone was deep and smooth.

  “Research,” Sara said. “How did yesterday go for you? Were the lawyers able to agree on anything?”

  Amir nodded. “You are looking at the proud new owner of Peak Mine,” he said, as his full lips stretched into a happy smile. He slipped his hands into his pockets.

  “Congratulations,” Sara replied. She tried to sound bright, but Amir’s news, along with his relaxed manner, only made her feel more tense. Seven other mine owners had died, simply because they owned mines that HiTech wanted.

  Was Amir going to be next?

  “Thank you,” Amir said. “And if you want a second interview, I’d be more than happy to give it. Though I’m sure you’re busy now. What kind of research are you hoping to do today?”

  Sara hesitated. “Amir, there’s something you should know.” She paused, trying to think about how to put her suspicions into words.

  At the sound of Sara’s serious tone, Amir removed his sunglasses. His eyes, a piercing blue, drilled into Sara, taking her breath away. “What’s that?” he asked.

  “I may have come across something, in my research yesterday,” Sara began. Dear Lord, I hope I don’t sound like a paranoid fool, she thought. She forced herself to continue. “You mentioned that HiTech has a monopoly on rare earth element mines. I looked into it, and found that they’ve bought up quite a few in recent years. In fact, I found six acquisitions in the last two years.”

  “Yes, I’m aware of that,” Amir said.

  “Are you aware that all of the owners died in car accidents, at night?” Sara asked.

  Amir frowned. “Really? No. That can’t be right.”

  “It is. I was very careful to get my information from reliable sources. I do this for a living, Amir.”

  “Seven accidental deaths. What are the chances?” Amir asked.

  “Extremely low,” Sara said.

  “What is your theory?” Amir asked.

  “I think HiTech might be behind the accidents,” Sara said.

  “You think the mine owners were killed? By the same person?”

  “Or persons,” Sara said. “There could be a group of them. I don’t know.”

  “You think this person, or persons, works for HiTech?” Amir asked.

  Sara nodded. “It makes sense. If they gain a monopoly over this industry, they’ll benefit greatly. They thought that if they got Matt out of the way, they could buy up the mine. They weren’t expecting you to outbid them. It’s enough motive for murder.”

  Amir’s intense eyes didn’t leave Sara’s as he asked, “Have you gone to the police with this theory?”

  Sara shook her head. “Not yet,” she said. “I need to get some proof first. I’m sure each and every one of those deaths was investigated, individually. Washton PD treated Matt’s death as unusual circumstances, and conducted an autopsy and an examination of his vehicle. I’m sure other departments did the same thing. If I bring up the fact that Matt and the others may have been killed, it’s the same thing as calling the PD incompetent at their jobs. Before I do that, I’d better have something to show them.”

  “Something... like what?”

  “I don’t know, exactly,” Sara said honestly. “I’m looking for any evidence of foul play. Matt’s wife said that he was due to be home around five. His car crash didn’t happen ‘til almost eleven. What was he doing between five and eleven? That’s the first thing I want to know.”

  “I can help you figure that out,” Amir said.

  “You can?”

  “Sure. I own this mine now. These security guards work for me. Let’s go see what kind of camera footage they might have.”

  He turned, heading for the gatehouse. Sara fell into step with him. It felt surprisingly natural to walk at his side.

  “I was thinking about security cameras too,” Sara said. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to see his office, but that would be a good place to start. Hopefully we can catch him walking out to his car, getting in, and driving away. I’m wondering what time that occurred.”

  Amir looked down at her. She could feel his eyes on her as he said, “You’re good at this, Sara.”

  Her name sounded so nice on his lips. She wanted him to say it again.

  She felt her cheeks flush. “I wouldn’t go that far,” she said. “I’m just a reporter.”

  “You’re inquisitive. I like that,” he offered, as he pulled the door open for her. She stepped inside. Was he flirting with her?

  She could still feel his eyes on her.

  There was definite tension between them. It’s not just me, she thought. He feels it too—this strange connection between us. I’ve only just met him, yet it feels like I’ve known him for so much longer. It feels so good to stand at his side.

  A desk filled half of the small room, and behind it sat a woman in her forties, wearing round, wire rim spectacles. She had short cropped hair, and severe features, which were bathed in the pale blue glow of the computer screen in front of her. She looked up, away from the screen, and stood at the sight of Amir.

  “Mr. Malick, sir,” she said. “You’re back.”

  Then she glanced past Amir to Sara. “Ma’am,” she said, with a curt nod. “What can I do for you?”

  Amir stepped up to the desk and placed his hand on it. “Miss White would like access to the security footage from the evening that Matt Ferris died,” he explained.

  “And... you’d like me to give it to her?” the guard asked.

  “Yes, please.” Amir said. “And actually, I’d like to see it too. We’d like to locate him before five pm, and watch him until he leaves the grounds, whatever time that may be.”

  The guard looked a little put out at this request. Her shoulders sagged and she glanced at her clock. “It’ll take some time to find it,” she said, making sure that Amir knew it was extra work she was assigning her.

  Amir remained silent.

  She continued. “Which is no problem, of course, sir. You do know that the cops already checked on the footage, right?”

  Sara nodded. “Yes, we’re aware of that,” she said. “They may have missed something important, though.” She added this more for Amir’s benefit than for the guard’s.

  “I’m sure they saw it all,” the guard said. “I even watched the tapes myself. He leaves at quarter to five.”

  “You’re sure?” Sara repeated.

  “One hundred percent,” the guard said. “You can see for yourself, if you really want to. He gets into his car and drives off,”.

  “Yes, I’d like to see it, if you don’t mind” Sara asked.

  “You got it, lady.” The guard pushed her rolling chair away from the desk and stood. She hitched up her blue cargo pants, which were fastened with a belt, but weighed down by a heavy radio. She walked to the other end of the desk, where three more monitors were located.
She stooped over the desk and began navigating the screens by moving a computer mouse in her right hand.

  “Here we go,” she said after a minute. “Here’s the afternoon of the 28th. Four o’clock, you wanted?” She looked up at Amir.

  Amir, in turn, looked at Sara, giving her the chance to answer for him.

  “Four thirty,” Sara said. “That’s when he called his wife to say he’d be leaving soon. I want to see what he did after that phone call.”

  “Can we come around to your side of the desk?” Amir asked.

  “You’re the boss,” the guard responded.

  Sara and Amir walked towards an opening between the desk and the wall. As they reached the opening, Amir placed a hand on the small of Sara’s back, guiding her ahead of him into the opening wide enough for only one. Sara felt her cheeks flush at the sensation of warmth from his palm.

  Quarters were cramped on the other side of the desk. It was clearly a space designed for one body, not three. The view of the computer monitors was excellent, and soon Sara’s senses were tuned into the action on the screen rather than the delicious smell of Amir’s cologne.

  She recognized Matt from the articles she’d already read about his car accident as well as the photograph at the Ferris’s house. He was an average build, balding, and wore a suit, minus the coat, with a striped tie.

  “Where was this footage taken?” she asked the guard.

  “This camera is up in one corner of his office,” the guard said. “There are other views, but like I said, we’ve been through all of this with the cops and this view is the best.”

  Amir pointed to the screen. “There—he’s taking out his phone.”

  “This must be when he called his wife,” Sara said, glancing at the time on the footage. 4:31, the blinking digital numbers announced.

  Matt seemed upbeat as he spoke on the phone. The conversation lasted only a minute, and then he placed his cell back on his desk and began typing on his computer.

  “He does this for about ten more minutes,” the guard said. “Then he puts his sport coat on, and leaves. Want me to speed it up?”