And in doing so, he confirmed it: the man with the torn garment was indeed Fairfax.
“No, really,” Pawlowski said. “In private.”
“Can I ask what for?” Fairfax asked, finally speaking for the first time.
“No, no, just give me a moment,” the other man said. He gathered up his papers and placed them in a briefcase that also sat on the desk. As he did this, Fairfax studied Ava and Pawlowski, still saying nothing. Ava could see the concern in his face and waited for him to request that his friend stay behind. But he remained quiet as the man said his goodbyes and made his way out. Ava and Pawlowski parted through the doorway as he left.
“Okay,” Fairfax said. “Enough of this guessing. Who are you, and what do you need?”
Ava showed her badge first, then Pawlowski. “We need to speak to you about any dealings you had with a man by the name of Alfred Perkins.”
“Perkins? Yes…I know him. He works over on 40 Wall Street.”
“Have you ever worked alongside him?” Ava asked.
“Not officially, no.”
“And when was the last time you saw him?” Pawlowski asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe a week or so? We had lunch.”
“Have you ever met with him over at the Chrysler Building?” Ava asked.
His facial response pretty much gave him away. He looked shocked and terrified, as if someone had slapped him hard across the face. “No,” he said. “No, I don’t believe so.”
“Haveyouever been to the Chrysler Building?”
Fairfax looked very confused, but Ava was pretty sure it was an act. He slowly started to pace along the opposite side of the desk. When he reached their side, he took a seat and looked up at them. “I’m sorry…whatisthis all about?”
“That’s a nice shirt,” Ava said. “Under the jacket, I mean. Did you tear it recently?”
This time, his eyes went wide and there was no hiding the fact that he was not only scared, but deeply confused. “What?”
Ava reached into her pocket but didn’t pull out the scrap of fabric yet. “Mr. Fairfax, were you aware that Alfred Perkins died two nights ago?”
Fairfax didn’t answer. In fact, he was starting to look a little angry. He kept looking back and forth between Ava and Pawlowski. To Ava, it almost looked like he was sizing them up. From where he sat, he had a fairly direct line to the door. Pawlowski could easily step in his way if it came to that and from there, it would be a simple two-on-one confrontation.
“Everything about the death suggests it was a suicide—that Perkins jumped from the very top of the Chrysler Building. But there were just enough uncertainties to make us look a bit closer. And in our digging, we discovered thatthiswas found in his hand when he fell.”
She removed the scrap from her pocket and tossed it on the table.
“We also know that he was meeting with you to discuss something related to the Empire State Building. You may be interested to know that he was also meeting with people from the Chrysler Building.”
“So, you’re accusing me ofwhat, exactly?”
“I’m not quite sure yet,” she said. “But I sure would like to take a closer look at that shirt of yours.”
“Let’s see it, Fairfax,” Pawlowski said. “Take the jacket off and untuck your shirt.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Do it,” Ava said, “or we’re going to arrest you and walk you out in front of those men that just walked out of here. You’ll bein handcuffs, caught by two dames. Not a good look for you, for sure.”
“Fine,” he hissed. He stood up from the chair and eyed them both with such malice that Ava could feel it burning into her. He started to remove his jacket, taking his right arm out first and then working on his left.
It was then, as he still had one arm in the jacket, that he moved so unexpectedly and in a strange way, that it caught both Ava and Pawlowski off guard. He stripped the jacket off of his left arm and, in the same motion, threw it as hard as he could at Ava. It felt silly but was also so out of the blue that it took Ava a full two seconds to understand what had happened. She slapped the jacket away as she felt Fairfax rushing by her.
She got it away from her face just in time to see Fairfax collide with Pawlowski at the door. He slammed Pawlowski against the wall but even then, Pawlowski managed to drive her elbow into the side of his head. It sent Fairfax stumbling to the side, but he managed to deliver a quick left-handed jab as he staggered and caught his balance against the doorframe. The punch connected, catching Pawlowski in the top of the head. As she hit the wall again and tried to keep from sliding to the floor, Fairfax took off into the hallway.