I tried not to check my watch constantly. I had to tell myself I wasn’t hungry, I wasn’t in a hurry, and I had no plans. Sometimes you can talk yourself into patience. I surfed the internet on my phone, checking Facebook to see if my kids had posted anything interesting. I also scanned Instagram for the same reasons. I heard the door. My head snapped up. But it didn’t look like Reggie Balfour. It was an attractive African American woman about thirty-five. She wore a pretty designer skirt and blouse and carried a briefcase that looked like it was designed by Vera Bradley—a symmetrical pattern with a lot of color on the sides of the case. Her professional hairstyle was fashionably short. The diamond earrings looked like they cost more than I made in a year.
She looked up from her phone and saw me standing at the rear of the Lexus. She stopped about halfway between the door and the car. I smiled to put her at ease.
The woman said, “Can I help you?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I was just waiting to talk to someone from the building.”
“I’m the last one in the building. Who were you hoping to talk to?” She was careful to keep her distance, and I noticed her take a couple of small steps backward toward the door.
I showed her my badge and said, “I was hoping to talk to Reggie Balfour for a moment. He’s not in any trouble or anything.”
She smiled and said, “I should hope not.”
“So you know Mr. Balfour?”
She had a wide, lovely smile. Like the girl next door. “I’m Regina Balfour. My friends call me Reggie.”
Now, this was a surprise.
Chapter 69
Caught completely off guard, I stared at the attractive woman, searching for the appropriate response.
Even in the low light of the parking lot her smile was remarkable. She let out a quick laugh. She said, “My real name is Regina Balfour, but my dad was a huge Reggie Miller fan. He started calling me Reggie when I was little, and it stuck.”
“It’s a good way to throw people off.”
“I noticed your badge is from the NYPD. What brings a detective from New York all the way down to Washington, DC? I hope it’s not just to ask me some questions. The high-tech contracts I work on really have nothing that could be criminal.”
“I actually wanted to ask you a few questions about Emily Parker.” Now it was my turn to spring a surprise. And it clearly wasn’t the surprise she had been expecting.
I thought I might have to catch her at the edge of the Lexus. Instead, she turned, set down her briefcase, and leaned on one of the car’s driver’s side doors.
Reggie Balfour said, “I’m sorry, still mourning. I’ve been so upset since I read about Emily. How did you know we were friends?”
“Her sister gave me your name. They were close, and Emily apparently spoke fondly of you.”
“We had fun hanging out. Good dinners, the occasional cigar—Emily was great. Sometimes it’s tough to find another professional woman who shares my mindset. She made me laugh. She got me.”
“When was the last time you saw her?”
Reggie Balfour looked off into space, concentrating. Then she shrugged her shoulders and said, “I’m not really certain. Maybe three months. I might’ve talked to her on the phone, but I didn’t see her.” She looked at me and asked, “Why is an NYPD detective working on a homicide in Washington, DC?”
I explained that I was a personal friend of Emily’s, then fudged a little bit, saying that I was helping the FBI with the investigation. “I’m also closer with her family, so I’ve gotten more personal leads. That leaves the FBI open to investigate other angles.” That seemed to satisfy her.
Reggie explained that she and Emily had met at a professional women’s group about two years ago. “There was a rumor that Emily and I were lovers. Emily thought it was funny and told me not to stop it. She got a kick out of people talking about her. She said it was like performance art. That was one of the reasons Emily was linked to so many people. She was an interesting and entertaining friend. But she didn’t care about labels. She didn’t care what people thought of her.”
“Were you aware of any threats against her or any concerns she had?”
“No, none at all. In fact, she seemed to be pretty stable in her relationships.”
We chatted for a few minutes more. I picked up a little bit here and there I might find useful later.
I asked, “Was there a reason you hadn’t hung out with Emily in the last three months?”