Free Raven: A political thriller by J.J. Franck Page B

than a nanny of
sorts.
    Mrs. Maxfield had to be in her mid-thirties. Her hair was combed but
nothing more. She wore no makeup and looked heavily sedated. The bags under her
blue eyes contested to a woman who was in great turmoil. Don’s heart went out
to her, yet he had to keep an open mind at least until he heard her voice.
    Don walked up to her and cleared his throat. Mrs. Maxfield finally
looked up as if just realizing he stood in front of her. She clearly was not in
her right mind.
    Fred on the other hand just stood inside the room and shut the door
behind him.
    Ellen smiled politely and then said, “Susie said you were here on
official business.”
    “Yes,” Don replied. Given her present state of mind he wasn’t so sure
she would be of any help. And even though she spoke only a few words, Don knew
now that she was not the woman who left the threatening phone messages at
Raven’s work or at her home.
    “Is this about Willie?” she asked with a puzzled look on her face.
    “No, not exactly,” Don said.
    “Then what,” she asked, seeming a little confused.
    “Raven VanBuren. Did you hear about what happened to her?”
    “Yes, it was awful.”
    “We’d like some information.”
    Mrs. Maxfield continued to stroke the cat as if by doing so she could
concentrate on what she was supposed to say. “I don’t understand any of this.”
    “Your husband is missing, his assistant has been murdered.”
    Suddenly the cat let out a screech as Mrs. Maxfield suddenly clenched
her fingers into the cat’s back. It quickly jumped off her lap and scurried
across the room.
    Fred took notice but did nothing, just kept a close watch on what Don
was up to.
    “When was the last time you saw Ms. VanBuren?”
    Ellen fidgeted while twisting her fingers around a tissue that she
took out of her pocket. She proceeded to tear it into shreds. “I can’t remember
what day it was. Everything is such a fog lately,” she said as she tried
focusing her eyes.
    “Please try.”
    Ellen appeared deep in thought for the longest time and then glanced
up, as if suddenly coming out of he fog. “It was the last time I saw Willie. I
think it was last Friday. He called from the office,” she said and then waved
her hand before continuing. “The doctor has me on these pills and it’s hard to
concentrate.”
    “Madam, your husband has been missing for almost two weeks.”
    Don looked suspiciously at Mrs. Maxfield, as she seemed genuinely
surprised by what he had just said. He knew she wasn’t faking it, either. He
had seen enough people lie to him, but Mrs. Maxfield really looked out of it.
    “Has it been that long? I told the police all of this already.”
    “I know, but I need you to think back. It’s important to the case I’m
on.”
    “You think Willie’s disappearance is somehow connected to Raven’s
murder?”
    “We’re not sure.”
    Fred looked out the window at the kids playing. In the distance there
were tennis courts. It looked like everyone was dressed for swimming, but he
couldn’t see the pool and guessed it was hidden behind the fence near the
tennis court. Fred turned to Mrs. Maxfield.
    “Why did your husband call you?” Fred asked before Don could. Fred
sensed they had to keep the woman on task if they were going to get any
pertinent information out of her.
    “He wanted to meet me for lunch. When I got there he had to cancel. He
sent me home with his briefcase.”
    “Didn’t that seem a little odd?” Don asked.
    “Not in the least,” Ellen said, a little puzzled by his question. “He
wasn’t sure he was going back to the office.”
    “Then you didn’t actually meet at the office?” Fred asked.
    Ellen glanced over at Fred with a confused look on her face and then
she replied, “Why no, he was with Raven at the restaurant.”
    “Do you still have the briefcase?” Don asked.
    “Yes, it’s upstairs in the bedroom.”
    “Could I see it?”
    “I’m not sure,” she said with a concerned look on her