“We can call Mrs. Cricket, who has her husband’s power of attorney. She herself is a lawyer, and a very good one at that, as I’m sure you know. That’s if you want to put it to the test. So, let’s have that report. I’m sure you keep a daily log. Just copy the logs from the day of the shooting and hand it over. Unless you don’t keep a daily log.”

“That’s not how I do things here.”

“You aren’t in the military anymore, Mr. Lomax. You’re overseeing a senior citizens’ residential community, and that’s how things are done in the private sector. Mrs. Cricket also wants to see a report for the past eight months or so on the tenants who moved out or relocated and the reasons why they left. Of course, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, but let me be the first to tell you that no one is irreplaceable. Mrs. Cricket asked me to relay that message to you should you prove recalcitrant about honoring her requests, requiring her to stop asking and begin demanding,” Jack outright fibbed. He did not like this guy.

“What? Are you implying I’m going to be fired?” The ramrod back stiffened even more. “I have a contract. Mr. Cricket hired me, not Mrs. Cricket.” Jack almost smiled as he sensed the bluster in the tall man’s tone and attitude.

“Power of attorney, Mr. Lomax. Power of attorney. Mrs. Cricket can do whatever she wants to do, including replacing you with someone who will honor her requests. She is a lawyer, as I pointed out earlier. All she wants to do is to get to the bottom of what happened to her husband. Why are you being so uncooperative? Could it be that you have something to hide? If not, I would think you’d want to do everything in your power to find out what happened that day.”

“Our records are confidential. Privacy and all that,” Lomax said in a more conciliatory tone. He turned to Bessie and instructed, “Make copies of what they want, nothing more. Is there anything else?”

“Are you in regular contact with Lionel and his boys?”

“Not if I can help it. Those boys are a thorn in my side. They serve no purpose. I understand that the tenants feel safe with them around, but all they do is get in the way.”

“In the way of what?” Ted asked, speaking up for the first time. “How do they interfere with the operation of the community?”

“The day-to-day workings of the complex,” Lomax snapped. “I run a tight ship here.”

“And yet your boss, the owner of this complex, was shot and almost died on your watch as you ran your tight ship. How do you account for that?”