“Is that what you call it?” Carillo asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Were you with him at the Mulberry Bar in Depew the night his wife went missing?” Carillo asked.
Bollman’s face flushed. She didn’t answer.
Kozak had the photos cued up on her tablet. She turned it toward Bollman.
“Isn’t this you next to Greg Griffin at the Mulberry?” Kozak asked.
Bollman stared at the screen without speaking.
“Brooke? Isn’t that you?” Kozak asked again.
“Who gave you those pictures?” Bollman asked as her soda arrived in a glass with ice. She flicked her eyes to Polly in thanks then looked at the detectives for an answer.
“That’s not important right now,” Kozak said. “We know you sent Greg a text an hour before Jennifer Griffin was last seen.”
“Are you involved in her disappearance in any way?” Carillo said. “If you are, now’s the time to tell us the truth, Brooke.”
Bollman’s face reddened; tears stood in her eyes. She looked out the window, shaking her head.
Thirty-Six
Buffalo, New York, Whispering Valley
Greg woke up angry that morning.
It had fused with his fear for Jenn, forcing him to grapple with the ugly possibility that Kat had raised.
Was Jenn having an affair with Porter Sellwin?
The question hammered at him as he showered, dressed, then went downstairs. He was heading for his office and laptop when Kat called him to the kitchen where she was making breakfast.
“Jake’s vice-principal called while you were in the shower to say he can go back to school if he likes. Even for half the day,” Kat said. “They have a school psychologist there, if he wants to talk her. Or they could send her here. They think it might help if Jake resumed his routine, saw his friends. Makes sense to me. I could take him, if you like.”
“Let’s ask him.” Greg called Jake to the kitchen.
Jake appeared. Greg lowered himself and took his hands.
“Son, would you like to stay home today, or go back to school? If you want to go to school, even for a half day, Aunt Kat will take you.”
“I miss my friends.” Jake shrugged. “But what if Mom comes home and I’m not here?”
“I’ll be right here to tell everybody,” said Vince, who’d joined them from the living room. “Then we’ll bring you right home.”
“Where’re you going to be today, Dad?”
“I’m going to look for Mom.”
Jake took his time, looked at everyone and weighed his choices before deciding. “Okay, I’ll go to school for a little bit today.”
Greg hugged Jake and Jake hugged him back, hard.
“Hey, what were you doing in the Christmas decorations?”
“Mom likes them and I remembered she got a new one, an angel thing. I was looking for it.”
“Why?”
“Maybe I could make a wish on it for Mom to come home.”
“I see.” Greg nodded, glanced back to Kat. She’d covered her mouth with her hand. Greg swallowed hard and said, “Good idea. We can look for it later.” He buffed Jake’s hair and everyone got on with things.
With Vince returning to the living room to watch news, Greg went to his office and worked on his laptop, going to Jenn’s social media pages. He was certain there was something there when he found a group photo of a fundraiser—Jenn with Porter Sellwin. She was smiling up at him as he held up a large check.
Greg went to the school’s Facebook page, searching all the photos before finding one of the Parent School Support Committee being congratulated by Porter Sellwin of the board. Sellwin was shaking her hand, another hand on her shoulder. Again, she’s smiling at him.
So what? he thought.
But the caption said something about another improved policy. “After many long hours, co-chair Jennifer Griffin and board member Porter Sellwin achieved the new...”
Many long hours.
Greg dug deeper online.
Sellwin was a Realtor with Levey & Warensk Partners. Greg found the agency’s site, and its Facebook page, raced through all posted pictures with Sellwin. Many were congratulatory events, house deals, sod turnings, or renovations. In most, he flashed that white-toothed smile with women; with his hand on a shoulder, or arm around a waist, or kissing a cheek.
Has he kissed Jenn?
Uncertain what to make of it, Greg’s pulse increased as he replayed Kat’s account of what she’d witnessed, her words prodding him.
Greg, you didn’t see it the way I did, their body language... Sellwin’s a handsome man with a reputation with women.
I can’t let this go, Greg thought. I need to talk to Sellwin, get a better hold on this.
Greg called Levey & Warensk Partners to arrange to see him.
“Porter’s out,” the woman who answered said. “Not sure when he’ll be back. He’s with the school group, searching for the missing woman.”
“Do you know which area?”
“I’m sorry, we don’t. Who’s calling?”
“That’s okay.”
“If this concerns a property, I can have him call you?”
“No. Thank you.”
Greg needed to do this face-to-face. Getting ready to leave, he found his father near the front window.
“Those press people have been out there since Kat left with Jake.” Vince turned to Greg. “Want me to go with you?”
“No, you stay here, Dad. Who knows what could happen. Don’t talk to any reporters or let them in.”
“I won’t.”
“But keep an eye on the news, alert me to anything, you know.”
“I know.” Vince took Greg’s hand, clutched his upper arm. “Don’t give up hope, son. We’ll find her.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Greg’s pickup was in the garage. The absence of Jenn’s Corolla meant more room, a cold reality. Greg took advantage of it as the automatic door lifted and he backed out, pulling his ballcap down further.
On the sidewalk, half a dozen newspeople with cameras, phones, and microphones flowed around both sides of the cab calling out his name and questions. He kept the windows up, gave a short wave and drove off.