Tal’s stoic face softens, and a corner of his mouth quirks upward. It quickly fades, though, and the sober expression returns. I’m curious to know what homework he’s done on us. But then, information is part of the man’s business, so I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised.
“Please, call me Lieb,” he says, then, as if reading my mind, adds, “I spoke with Senator Barlow, and he told me I should expect a visit from you at some point. I assume you are here to talk about Ashley’s disappearance.”
“We are,” I reply. “What can you tell us?”
He shakes his head. “Sadly, nothing. On days Ashley has her piano lessons, her father does not want me shadowing her, preferring to give her some small bit of freedom, so I always pick her up at the studio at five p.m. sharp. I arrived to pick her up yesterday, and she was not there. I spoke with her instructor, and he said she did not show up for her lesson. I phoned Senator Barlow immediately after that to let him know.”
His story jibes with the one Violet told us. Lieb seems like a straight-forward kind of man who tells it like it is. Facts without embellishment or emotion. His demeanor is brisk and direct. Almost curt. I respect and appreciate that.
“Are you aware of anybody who might have been watching or following Ashley?” Astra asks. “Anybody she’d been having trouble with?”
He shakes his head. “No, she wasn’t having trouble with anybody,” he said firmly. “Nor was anybody stalking her.”
“Would you know for sure?” Astra presses.
“It is my job to know.”
“I do have a question about that, Lieb,” I say. “Your business has taken off. You’re very successful, and your company has a sterling reputation. And yet, you still insist on personally protecting the Barlows. Why is that?”
“Senator Barlow took me on when I was a nobody. When I was just getting started in the industry,” he replies. “He showed me loyalty when he didn’t have to. I choose to return that loyalty by continuing to serve…”
His voice trails off, and he looks away, an expression of sadness and shame crossing his features. He seems like a man who keeps his emotions in check, but cracks are forming in the façade of his self-control. I don’t need to be a clairvoyant to see how hard he’s taking this or how much he’s blaming himself for Ashley’s abduction. This is personal for him.
My gut is telling me he’s not our guy, but before I take him off my suspect list, I still have questions that need answers. He clears his throat and looks up at me, his expression stony. That moment of raw emotion has passed, and those cracks in the façade are suddenly patched over. He’s back in firm control of himself once more.
“Lieb, how would you characterize your relationship with Ashley?” I ask.
“What do you mean?”
“Were you two close?”
“I am very fond of her, yes,” he replies.
“What would you say if I told you somebody thought you two might have been a little too close? Or were perhaps behaving a little inappropriately with her?”
His face grows scarlet, and his jaw muscles flex as he grits his teeth. Fire burns in his eyes, and his expression darkens as he stares at me, the offense he’s taking to my questions more than clear.
“Then I would tell you somebody is spreading filthy lies,” he says, his voice low and tight. “I’ve known Ashley since she was a little girl. I’ve watched her grow up—”
“But that’s not completely unheard of in adults who have inappropriate relationships with kids. In fact, it’s relatively common,” I point out.
His hands ball into fists, and he looks like he wants to tear something in half. Maybe us. Lieb exhales a long, shaking breath, and it’s like I can see him physically pushing the emotion away as he gets himself back under control. He forces his hands to open and unclenches his jaw.
“I have never wanted children of my own, Chief Wilder,” he says with anger still dusting his words. “In some ways, though, I feel like Ashley is my child. I watched over her from a young age. I protected her. I value her safety and well-being more than my own. If somebody is telling you it was something more than that, they’re lying to you.”
He seems genuine to me. His emotions and reactions seem authentic, and they ring true in my ears. Lieb studies me as I study him, and in that brief moment of silence, I see the light of recognition dawn in his eyes as he realizes nobody had ever really said that about him and Ashley. Which, of course, they hadn’t. I simply needed to gauge his reaction. He frowns and shakes his head. He’s a very sharp, very perceptive man.
“I see,” he says. “So, I passed your test?”
“You did,” I reply.
“I do not like being manipulated.”
“I wish we didn’t have to play games like that, but it’s sometimes necessary in our line of work to get to the truth of the matter,” I tell him.
He nods. “I understand.”
He may understand, but Lieb’s distaste for our methods is loud and clear. I would tell him that I’m sorry for deceiving him, but it would be yet another lie. It’s my job. Uncovering the truth is all that matters to me, and I will do everything I have to do, employ every tactic in my bag of tricks no matter how shady, deceptive, or underhanded, to cut through the lies and find that truth. To save lives. And for that, I will never apologize.
“May I ask what your thoughts are about what happened to Ashley?” Lieb asks.
“We can’t say just yet,” I admit.
“Can’t? Or won’t.”
“To be honest, both. We can’t discuss the particulars of an ongoing investigation. I’m sorry.”
He nods. “I understand. If there is anything I can do—anything at all—please do not hesitate to reach out. My company and all the resources I have are at your disposal, Agents.”
“Thank you, Lieb. We may have some follow-up questions for you.”
He pulls a business card out of one of his pants pockets and hands it to me. “This is my personal cell. It is on twenty-four hours a day.”
“Thank you,” I say. “We’ll be in touch.”
“We appreciate your time,” Astra says.
We leave the observation room, letting him get back to work, and find our way back out to the parking lot. We came for some answers, and I believe we got them. Lieb isn’t our guy. As we climb into the SUV, Astra turns to me with a grin on her face.
