CHAPTER NINE
Ashley thanked the person she was speaking to on the phone, and ended the call. That morning, she’d discovered that Congressman Welsh’s former personal assistant Hazel Lewis, had stopped working for him halfway through his mayoral campaign. Her resignation had been immediate, and from what Ashley could work out, totally unexpected. For the last hour, she’d been trying to find her.
“Do they know where Hazel is working?” Bonnie asked.
“No. She isn’t listed with any of the large recruitment agencies in New York.”
Bonnie hunted through the papers in front of her. “She moved from her last known address six months ago. Her family live in Maine. I’ll call them and see if they know where she’s gone.”
“Good idea.” Ashley looked around the room they were using as their office. The hotel’s business center wasn’t large, but it had everything they needed.
Harry had left earlier in the morning. He had a photo shoot booked at Times Square and after that, an appointment with a fashion designer. His schedule over the next few days didn’t leave much time for investigating Congressman Welsh’s life, but he promised to fit in what he could.
Ashley re-read the information they already knew about Congressman Welsh’s family.
His wife was involved in a number of charities and volunteered at a local mission. Their son and daughter went to a private school. Apart from the photos taken during Congressman Welsh’s mayoral race, Ashley couldn’t find any information that would help them.
Bonnie left her phone on the desk. “You’re not going to believe this.”
Ashley’s eyebrows rose. “Hazel is living in Maine with her family?”
“No. It’s even better than that. She’s still in New York City. I spoke to her dad. Apparently, Hazel was fired from her job after she saw her boss with another woman. Congressman Welsh must have been desperate to make sure his wife didn’t know what he was doing.”
“Why didn’t Hazel tell someone?”
“She was afraid she wouldn’t get another job.”
Ashley tapped her pen against her chin. “Did her dad say where she’s working?”
“No, but I’ve got her phone number. I’ll contact her now.”
While Bonnie called Hazel, Ashley called Jasmine Alfredo. A lot had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and she wanted to know if she was okay.
But Jasmine wasn’t answering her phone, and neither were any of the staff at The Reaching High Foundation. With the number of people working in the building, it was unusual for everyone to have gone.
“Grab your bag,” Bonnie said as she leaped out of her chair. “Hazel can see us in half an hour.”
“Where is she?”
“At the Manhattan Center. She’ll meet us in the ground floor café.”
Ashley logged off her laptop and slipped it into its case. “I tried calling Jasmine at the Foundation. No one is answering their phones.”
Bonnie picked up her bag. “Hazel will know what’s going on.”
“Why would she know what’s happening at The Reaching High Foundation?”
“Because she works there.”
Ashley froze. “She works with Jasmine Alfredo?”
“Not directly, but she has worked on some projects with her.”
“What about Congressman Welsh?”
Bonnie frowned. “I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out why she’s working at the Foundation.”
Ashley closed the door and followed Bonnie across the hotel foyer.
She had no idea whether talking to Hazel would lead to more stories or a dead-end, but either way, they were about to find out.
***
Hazel Lewis was a bubbly, twenty-something woman. Her dark brown hair swung forward as she nodded at something Bonnie said.
For the last ten minutes, she’d been telling them about working for the Foundation.
Regardless of how Hazel felt about her job, Ashley still couldn’t understand why she’d decided to work for Jasmine Alfredo. With Congressman Welsh being on the board and a senior project leader, Hazel must have seen him or even worked with him.
“Did you enjoy working with Congressman Welsh as much as you do with the Foundation?”
Hazel hesitated before replying. “At times, working for the congressman was extremely interesting. But when we had back-to-back meetings or social engagements, it could get tedious.”
Bonnie sipped her latte. “I imagine there would have been lots of social engagements when Congressman Welsh was running for mayor.”
“There were.” Hazel took a deep breath and looked at Ashley. “What you said in your article about him didn’t surprise me. He always seemed to live bigger and better than the next person. His salary as a congressman wouldn’t have allowed him to do half the things he did. I always thought his wife must have had lots of money.”
“Why do you say that?” Ashley asked.
“She always seemed so self-assured. Money was never an issue. While the mayoral campaign was running, they hired stylists and PR consultants to help them. They had a team who monitored everything they did, right down to the food they ate at the gala dinners and functions they attended.”
Bonnie frowned. “Why would they worry about what they ate?”
“Food is big business here. Some of Congressman Welsh’s biggest supporters were in the restaurant and hospitality industries. He didn’t want anyone thinking he favored one caterer, restaurant, or chef over another.”
Ashley glanced at the clock on the wall. Hazel would need to return to work soon and they hadn’t covered half of what she needed to know. “Why did you resign from your role with Congressman Welsh?”
Hazel looked at her hands. “I saw him…he was in his office…with another woman. He must have thought everyone had gone home. At first he was embarrassed and apologetic, but then he became angry. He made it impossible for me to work with him. I was already working long hours and I didn’t need more stress, so I left.”
Bonnie tilted her head to the side. “Who was he with?”
Hazel bit her bottom lip. “I promised I wouldn’t say anything.”
“You don’t owe Congressman Welsh anything. He defrauded The Reaching High Foundation of hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Hazel picked up her bag. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you.”
Ashley’s eyes narrowed. If Hazel wasn’t protecting Congressman Welsh, it had to be someone else that had the power to make her life better or worse.
“Was it Jasmine Alfredo?”
Panic replaced the worried look on Hazel’s face. “No. It wasn’t her.”
Ashley blocked Hazel’s exit from their table. “It wasn’t your fault. Why are you protecting her?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hazel whispered. “Jasmine hasn’t done anything wrong.”
After listening to Jasmine’s heartfelt words in Bozeman, Ashley wasn’t so sure. “Did you know that Jasmine came to Bozeman to see me? She swore she knew nothing about what had happened until she hired a private investigator to look into Congressman Welsh’s life. I wrote a story about what an amazing woman she is and how her work had been sabotaged. I believed her when she said her charities meant everything to her.”
“They do. It’s just…”
“Just what?” Bonnie asked.
Hazel’s hands gripped the strap of her bag. She looked around the café and sat down. “Jasmine called me the day after I resigned from Congressman Welsh’s team. She told me she had a vacancy at the Foundation. The job wouldn’t directly report to her, but it was a senior position with a much higher salary than what I had been paid.”
“You didn’t think she was bribing you to keep quiet?” Bonnie asked.
“I did at first, but she told me she wasn’t. She said that what I’d seen shouldn’t have happened and it wouldn’t happen again.”
“And you believed her?” Ashley’s voice rose in surprise. This conversation was getting more bazaar by the minute.
“I had no reason not to.”
Bonnie leaned forward. “You didn’t think to ask other staff what they knew?”
Hazel bowed her head. “I needed the job. I help support my family. If Jasmine was having an affair with one of her senior board members, it wasn’t any of my business.”
“What about Congressman Welsh’s wife?” Bonnie said. “Do you think she should have known?”
Hazel blinked. “She did know.”
Ashley held out her hand. “Let me get this straight. Stephanie Welsh knew about her husband’s affair with Jasmine, but she didn’t say anything?”
Hazel nodded. “Jasmine said it was a marriage of convenience. That’s why I thought Mrs. Welsh had lots of money. She wanted to be a congressman’s wife and her husband could make that happen. Why else would they stay together?”
Ashley had no idea, but she had to find out.
“I really need to leave,” Hazel said as she looked at her watch. “I hope Congressman Welsh gets everything he deserves.”
Hazel left the café, and Bonnie shook her head. “Were we ever that naive?”
“Probably.” Ashley sighed. “It looks like we’ve opened a hornet’s nest of issues. Where do we start?”
“At the top,” Bonnie said decisively. “If Stephanie Welsh knew about her husband’s affair, she wouldn’t have liked the story in the paper today. Jasmine sounded like a saint. How about we track Stephanie down and find out what she thinks about Jasmine Alfredo?”
Ashley picked up the bill. “I think you’re enjoying this more than you should.”
“Aren’t you?”
Ashley frowned. She wasn’t, and that worried her more than Congressman Welsh’s fraud and adultery.
***
Matthew walked into the foyer of the Madison Hotel. After a six hour flight from Bozeman, it was good to stretch his legs and clear the airplane fog from his brain.
Before he’d left home, he’d called Jason to tell him what he was doing. Within half an hour, he had the name of the hotel where Ashley, Bonnie, and Harry were staying.
It was just as well the taxi driver knew where to go. Matthew hadn’t been to New York in years, and as they drove through the crowded streets, he could see why.
Even at ten o’clock at night, the bright lights, noise, and never-ending line of yellow, honking taxis were enough to give him a headache. He didn’t know how Ashley lived here, how she managed to think straight with eight million people living in such a small area.
“Good evening. Can I help you?”
He pulled his suitcase closer to the registration desk. “Hi. I’m Matthew Gray. I booked a room this morning.” He took a sheet of paper out of his pocket and handed it to the woman behind the counter. “Here’s my booking number.”
“Thank you, Mr. Gray. Let me find your room number.”
The elevator bell pinged and Matthew glanced over his shoulder. As soon as he had his room key, he’d call Ashley. She didn’t know he was here and he wasn’t sure how she would react.
“We have a room ready for you on the twenty-fourth floor. A newspaper will be delivered to your door each morning. There is a complimentary gym on the tenth floor and if you’d like to use room service, a menu is available on the desk in your room.”
“Thanks.” Matthew took the plastic key card and turned it over.
“The elevators are behind you. You’ll need to swipe your card before pushing the button for the twenty-fourth floor. Would you like a staff member to take your luggage upstairs?”
“No. I’m okay.”
“Enjoy your stay. If you need anything, our hotel concierge will be happy to help.”
Matthew stepped out of the way as a group of people headed toward the registration desk. The sooner he found his room, the faster he could contact Ashley.
He just hoped she hadn’t moved from the hotel.
***
Ashley opened a takeout container of crispy fried chicken and handed it to Bonnie. Harry had just arrived with dinner, and they were all exhausted. “No one’s talking about Congressman Welsh’s affair except Hazel. Someone else must have known what was going on.”
Harry sat on the chair in her room and sighed. “They’re closing ranks.”
“Unless it wasn’t true.” Bonnie poked one of her chopsticks through a piece of chicken.
Ashley opened a container of fried rice and tipped some into a bowl. “Why would Hazel lie?”
“She stopped working for Congressman Welsh. Maybe she didn’t resign. Maybe she was fired.” Bonnie held her chopstick in the air. “If the affair did happen, Congressman Welsh’s wife wouldn’t want to be embarrassed, especially if she has political aspirations. Stephanie could be the person stopping everyone from talking.”
“Or it could be Jasmine,” Harry added. “She had an affair with a married man who was a senior board member, a criminal, and a congressman.”
Ashley looked at her two closest friends. Bonnie had gone with her to see Stephanie Welsh. A lot of good that had done. Stephanie didn’t want to see anyone, especially the reporter who had uncovered her husband’s illegal activities.
Harry had finished his contract work, then joined them in the late afternoon. They’d tracked down more employees from The Reaching High Foundation, but no one would speak to them.
“So what does that leave us with?” Ashley asked.
Bonnie opened a bottle of juice. “A congressman who has been arrested, a wife who’s keeping silent, and a socialite who’s charities are under investigation. Oh, and an affair we can’t verify.”
Ashley frowned. “Is that someone’s cell phone?”
“It’s mine,” Bonnie said as she reached for her bag. “I put it on vibrate.”
While Bonnie was talking on the phone, Ashley found her file on Jasmine. She’d already identified the times when Congressman Welsh and Jasmine had been at the same social events. They had Hazel’s statement, including her belief that Stephanie Welsh knew about her husband’s affair.
Asking the people closest to Jasmine and Stephanie about Congressman Welsh’s relationships had gotten them nowhere. There had to be an easier way of knowing if Jasmine was as innocent as she kept telling everyone.
Bonnie put her phone down. “We’ve got a visitor.”
Harry stopped eating. “No one should know we’re here.”
“This person does. Matthew is in the hotel.”
Ashley’s eyebrows rose. “Matthew Gray?”
Bonnie nodded. “Before you get all righteous and annoyed, just remember that he helped you out of a sticky situation.”
“I’m not annoyed, just surprised. Why is he here?”
“You can ask him yourself in a few minutes. He’s on his way down from the twenty-fourth floor.”
“He’s staying at the hotel?”
“It sounds like it,” Bonnie said. “It’s just as well we bought too much takeout.”
Ashley looked at the containers of food covering her desk. Making sure Matthew had something to eat was the least of her worries.
***
Matthew knocked on the door of room 1411. He’d tried calling Ashley’s cell phone, but it kept going to voicemail. Out of desperation, he’d called Bonnie’s number. It was just as well Ashley had left her friend’s phone number with him in case there was an emergency.
The door opened and Ashley stood in front of him. “Hi.”
Heat stained her cheeks. “Hi. You didn’t have to come all this way.”
“Yes, I did. I tried calling you, but I couldn’t get through.”
“The FBI doesn’t want me to use the phone Harry gave me. I bought a new one today.” She took a step toward him. “Why did you come to New York?”
“I’m worried about you.”
Ashley’s eyes softened. “What about the ranch?”
“Nathan’s employed another ranch hand while I’m gone. I read your article about Jasmine. It was good.”
“Maybe too good.”
“What do you mean?”
“Jasmine may not be the person we think she is.” She waved him into her room. “Come in. We’re planning tomorrow’s schedule.”
Bonnie and Harry were sitting in her room with Chinese takeout in their hands. His stomach rumbled when he saw the food.
Ashley smiled and passed him a bowl. “Help yourself.”
Harry stood and held out his hand. “I’m Harry Kingston and this is Bonnie Adams.”
“Hi. I’m Matthew.” He shook Harry’s hand and smiled at Bonnie. He’d seen photos of them in the file that Jasmine had brought to the ranch. The man with his arm around Ashley was no longer a mystery. It was Harry.
He would have recognized Bonnie anywhere. With her bright red hair and dimples, she looked exactly like the photo he’d seen.
Ashley was watching him. “Bonnie said you want to help us.”
“Now that the stories about Gareth Welsh and Jasmine have been published, every two-bit reporter will be after a new angle on the story. I don’t know much about being a reporter, but I’d make a useful bodyguard.”
“Anyone wanting to write another story will need a lot more luck than we’ve had,” Bonnie said. “No one’s talking except a woman who said Jasmine was having an affair with Congressman Welsh.”
Matthew nearly dropped his bowl. “If she was having an affair with him, he must have said something about the money.”
“That’s what we think,” Harry said before he ate a pork ball.
Bonnie nodded. “But we need proof. We also heard that Stephanie Welsh, the congressman’s wife, knew about the affair.”
“How are you going to prove that?” Matthew asked.
“We don’t know.” Ashley sat beside Bonnie.
“Do you need proof?”
Bonnie turned to Ashley.
“Yes we do,” Ashley said firmly. “I won’t write a story that isn’t accurate.”
Harry reached for a glass of juice. “What about Jasmine’s story? She twisted the truth to suit her own agenda.”
“And I fell for it.” Ashley sounded disappointed.
Matthew sat on the last empty chair in the room. “If it’s any consolation, I believed her as well.”
Ashley looked at her dinner. “I don’t want to make the same mistake again.”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
“Mistakes are part of what makes us human.” Matthew kept his voice low. “Everyone makes mistakes.”
“I need to report the truth.”
“You once told me that the truth depends on whose shoes you’re wearing.” He watched her face, hoping she remembered the words she’d said so many times. But unlike three years ago, Ashley was pinning her entire career on this story. Any false reporting could ruin the reputation she was determined to earn.
Bonnie handed him a glass of juice. “Tomorrow we’re wearing Stephanie Welsh’s shoes.”
Matthew sipped the juice. “How are we going to do that?”
“I don’t know. Do you have any ideas?”
“My sister Sally can be the most secretive person I know. If I want to know what’s happening in her life, I ask her husband. Does Stephanie have a sister or friend that she spends a lot of time with?”
Ashley left her takeout on the table. “I think her sister lives close to Stephanie’s apartment.” She opened one of the folders that he recognized from the ranch. “Here it is…her sister’s name is Ann-Marie Dimitri. She lives a couple of blocks away from Stephanie.”
“If Ann-Marie cares about her sister, she won’t tell anyone what she knows,” Harry said.
Bonnie grinned. “True, but sometimes the most innocent question can spark an interesting answer. I wonder if Ann-Marie goes anywhere for coffee in the morning.”
“Maybe we could find out,” Ashley said slowly.
Harry rolled his eyes. “Not another stake-out. Last time I did one of those I was stuck with Bonnie for three hours.”
“Hey!” Bonnie said. “Who bought you jelly donuts?”
“You watch too many police shows on TV.”
“It didn’t stop you from eating them.”
Harry crossed his arms. “I was hungry.”
Matthew pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll call Jason. He might be able to find out if Ann-Marie has a car registered in her name.”
“Or her husband’s.” Ashley turned the folder around. “This is his name.”
Bonnie rubbed her hands together. “I’ll go on the Internet and find a map of the streets around her home. There must be somewhere we could sit to watch her apartment building. If she leaves, Harry could follow her in his SUV.”
“I can only help you until nine-thirty.”
Bonnie patted his arm. “That should be more than enough time.”
Matthew held his phone to his ear and waited for Jason to answer. If Stephanie’s sister was difficult to find he had another idea that might work.
The hardest part would be getting Ashley to agree.