secretary
at the time of the murder. According to the receptionist at
Hastings' Real Estate, Romero had resigned a few years
earlier when she married the Reverend John Simms, the
new minister of her church.
I knew I was living right when I learned the current
receptionist also attended the same church.
Natalie Romero Simms answered on the first ring. At
first she seemed reluctant to grant me an interview, but I
assured her there would be no publicity, negative or otherwise, of this investigation. "It is for an individual client,
not the police. And a man's life is at stake," I added, experiencing a tinge of guilt in deliberately appealing to her
Christian compassion.
She consented, and fifteen minutes later I knocked on
her door.
As soon as she answered the door, I knew her husband
was a charismatic minister. She wore no makeup, and her
hair was pulled into a severe bun. She wore a high-necked, long-sleeved blouse, and her black skirt dragged on the
floor.
She invited me into her living room and offered tea.
With an open smile, I declined. "I know you're busy, Mrs.
Simms, so I'll be brief. I read the transcript of the trial.
You testified that Robert Packard entered the board room
without an appointment"
She nodded.
"Then what?"
Her eyes glazed over for a moment as her thoughts
drifted back ten years. She stared at the flowers on her
wallpaper as she recounted that day. "I hurried into the
boardroom after the man, but Mr. Hastings told me everything was all right. He could handle the situation, so I
went back out to my desk" She paused. Her cheeks colored slightly. "Then, I went into the ladies' room. I was
drying my hands when I heard three shots. Of course, I
didn't know that's what they were then. I hurried out into
the hall. When I did, I saw Robert Packard step into the
elevator." She paused once again.
"Go on, Mrs. Simms. You're doing fine"
Her lips quivered. She chewed on the bottom one as she
collected her emotions. "I hurried into the boardroom.
Mr. Hastings was lying on the floor, the front of his shirt
red with blood"
"Did you see anyone else around?"
"You mean, after I heard the shots?"
I hesitated. "Before or after."
"Well, when I headed into the powder room, an Asian
gentleman was stepping off the elevator. And then afterward, all I saw were those coming into the hall wondering
what the commotion was"
An Asian! Trying to keep the excitement from my
voice, I asked. "What about the boardroom? Did you see
anyone in there?"
"Besides Mr. Hastings, no"
"What about the Asian gentleman. Did you see him?"
'No.
Nodding slowly, I replied. "I want you to think back,
Mrs. Simms, to the boardroom. Other than the door to the
reception room, how many doors does it have?"
Her forehead wrinkled in concentration. "Let me think.
It's been a long time, you know."
I nodded.
"There was one going to the executive lounge and-let
me think-one, two, three. No-no, I'm wrong. There are
only two. One opens into a large storeroom and the other
to the executive lounge. That's right, there are two doors
in the boardroom not counting the main door-I'm certain," she added with a smile of satisfaction on her face.
"Did you ever go into the storeroom?"
"Oh, yes. Regularly"
"Did it have an exit other than into the boardroom?"
She shook her head.
I grinned sheepishly. "I don't suppose you ever went
into the executive lounge."
She blushed violently. "Oh, heavens no. I-"
"Sorry, Mrs. Simms, but I had to ask"
She smiled demurely. "That's all right, Mr. Boudreaux."
"One other question. There was a video camera in the
office, but there was no mention of it in the trial transcript. It seems to me that would have offered irrefutable
proof of the murderer."
"It most certainly would have, but one of the technicians had installed the tape incorrectly. It didn't expose,
or whatever it does"
Stifling my excitement at her last remark, I rose and
offered my hand. "I see. Thank you very
at the time of the murder. According to the receptionist at
Hastings' Real Estate, Romero had resigned a few years
earlier when she married the Reverend John Simms, the
new minister of her church.
I knew I was living right when I learned the current
receptionist also attended the same church.
Natalie Romero Simms answered on the first ring. At
first she seemed reluctant to grant me an interview, but I
assured her there would be no publicity, negative or otherwise, of this investigation. "It is for an individual client,
not the police. And a man's life is at stake," I added, experiencing a tinge of guilt in deliberately appealing to her
Christian compassion.
She consented, and fifteen minutes later I knocked on
her door.
As soon as she answered the door, I knew her husband
was a charismatic minister. She wore no makeup, and her
hair was pulled into a severe bun. She wore a high-necked, long-sleeved blouse, and her black skirt dragged on the
floor.
She invited me into her living room and offered tea.
With an open smile, I declined. "I know you're busy, Mrs.
Simms, so I'll be brief. I read the transcript of the trial.
You testified that Robert Packard entered the board room
without an appointment"
She nodded.
"Then what?"
Her eyes glazed over for a moment as her thoughts
drifted back ten years. She stared at the flowers on her
wallpaper as she recounted that day. "I hurried into the
boardroom after the man, but Mr. Hastings told me everything was all right. He could handle the situation, so I
went back out to my desk" She paused. Her cheeks colored slightly. "Then, I went into the ladies' room. I was
drying my hands when I heard three shots. Of course, I
didn't know that's what they were then. I hurried out into
the hall. When I did, I saw Robert Packard step into the
elevator." She paused once again.
"Go on, Mrs. Simms. You're doing fine"
Her lips quivered. She chewed on the bottom one as she
collected her emotions. "I hurried into the boardroom.
Mr. Hastings was lying on the floor, the front of his shirt
red with blood"
"Did you see anyone else around?"
"You mean, after I heard the shots?"
I hesitated. "Before or after."
"Well, when I headed into the powder room, an Asian
gentleman was stepping off the elevator. And then afterward, all I saw were those coming into the hall wondering
what the commotion was"
An Asian! Trying to keep the excitement from my
voice, I asked. "What about the boardroom? Did you see
anyone in there?"
"Besides Mr. Hastings, no"
"What about the Asian gentleman. Did you see him?"
'No.
Nodding slowly, I replied. "I want you to think back,
Mrs. Simms, to the boardroom. Other than the door to the
reception room, how many doors does it have?"
Her forehead wrinkled in concentration. "Let me think.
It's been a long time, you know."
I nodded.
"There was one going to the executive lounge and-let
me think-one, two, three. No-no, I'm wrong. There are
only two. One opens into a large storeroom and the other
to the executive lounge. That's right, there are two doors
in the boardroom not counting the main door-I'm certain," she added with a smile of satisfaction on her face.
"Did you ever go into the storeroom?"
"Oh, yes. Regularly"
"Did it have an exit other than into the boardroom?"
She shook her head.
I grinned sheepishly. "I don't suppose you ever went
into the executive lounge."
She blushed violently. "Oh, heavens no. I-"
"Sorry, Mrs. Simms, but I had to ask"
She smiled demurely. "That's all right, Mr. Boudreaux."
"One other question. There was a video camera in the
office, but there was no mention of it in the trial transcript. It seems to me that would have offered irrefutable
proof of the murderer."
"It most certainly would have, but one of the technicians had installed the tape incorrectly. It didn't expose,
or whatever it does"
Stifling my excitement at her last remark, I rose and
offered my hand. "I see. Thank you very
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