left a copy of the Montgomery Gazette on my desk. The headline read GREAT HAIRBALLS OF FIRE.
"Jeez," I muttered, tossing it to one side as I imagined the Chics reading the article over breakfast at their new apartment. "News travels fast."
"Heard you had a hot date last night," sniggered Fletcher as he walked by, a thick brown file in his hand. I stuck my tongue out at him. Okay, sticking my tongue out wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it gave me a brief surge of satisfaction. So I did it again when he passed by me again, this time fileless . He ignored me as he knocked on Solomon's door and stuck his head into the small office. I didn't catch what he said, but a moment later, Fletcher was out the door, grabbing his jacket and camera from where it lay atop his desk. "Later, hot stuff," he said, clicking his fingers at me.
Pulling my laptop from my shoulder bag, I leaned back onto one of the leather desk chairs Solomon finally furnished the office with. I began powering the machine up so I could write my report of last night's events. Before I could even enter my password, Solomon called my name. This may or may not have been a good thing, because so far the only thing I decided to write was "Oops."
"How you doing?" asked Solomon as I entered. He signaled for me to close the door behind me. I didn't think I was about to get fired for… well, setting someone on fire, given that Solomon usually liked the door closed during private meetings. He didn't mind whether the lights were on or off though. Wink-wink.
"David Markham was discharged from the hospital this morning," he told me. "Minor burns, but nothing too serious. He won't need surgery."
I let out the breath I was holding in. "That's good news."
Solomon gave me a skeptical look and I sucked the breath back in, waiting for whatever else he had to tell me. "That's the good news," he confirmed. "The bad news is David Markham's not our guy."
"I guess it was too much to hope we would be looking for a bald, angry thief in the near future." Solomon clearly struggled not to give me an eye roll, so I blustered on, latching onto the key point he just revealed. "Hey, how do you know he's not our guy?"
"There was a theft last night while Markham was getting treatment at the hospital. A big jewelry haul. I haven't seen the itemized list or photographs yet, but Maddox said it amounted to around a hundred thousand dollars."
"Wow."
"There's more bad news. We checked on the victim's recent dates and they included each of the three remaining suspects. There're a few others, but these are the only ones she has in common with all the other victims, so I'd say we're on the right track."
I brightened. I wouldn't have to date David again. My fertility was safe. Phew! "That sounds like good news!"
"It gets worse."
"It would, wouldn't it?" I sighed. I leaned against the doorjamb and waited for whatever bad news Solomon was going to unleash. Couldn't he just give me a list to peruse in my own time? Like over cocktails.
"Markham could press charges for assault."
I gasped. "Who assaulted him?"
Solomon gave me a pointed look. His nostrils flared and he nipped the corner of his bottom lip. Mmmm. "You."
Wait. What? "Oh yeah. No. Wait. I did not! If anything, he should sue the manufacturers of his hair product. Nothing so flammable should be allowed near an open flame. What a doofus ! Is he really going to press charges? I'm so not going on a second date with him now! It's over. Um, can you tell him that? Please."
"You won't have to since he's in the clear now. Don't worry about the charges. I doubt they'll stick. Between MPD, Million Matches, and me, we'll make them go away."
"Thank you." I slumped in my
"Jeez," I muttered, tossing it to one side as I imagined the Chics reading the article over breakfast at their new apartment. "News travels fast."
"Heard you had a hot date last night," sniggered Fletcher as he walked by, a thick brown file in his hand. I stuck my tongue out at him. Okay, sticking my tongue out wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it gave me a brief surge of satisfaction. So I did it again when he passed by me again, this time fileless . He ignored me as he knocked on Solomon's door and stuck his head into the small office. I didn't catch what he said, but a moment later, Fletcher was out the door, grabbing his jacket and camera from where it lay atop his desk. "Later, hot stuff," he said, clicking his fingers at me.
Pulling my laptop from my shoulder bag, I leaned back onto one of the leather desk chairs Solomon finally furnished the office with. I began powering the machine up so I could write my report of last night's events. Before I could even enter my password, Solomon called my name. This may or may not have been a good thing, because so far the only thing I decided to write was "Oops."
"How you doing?" asked Solomon as I entered. He signaled for me to close the door behind me. I didn't think I was about to get fired for… well, setting someone on fire, given that Solomon usually liked the door closed during private meetings. He didn't mind whether the lights were on or off though. Wink-wink.
"David Markham was discharged from the hospital this morning," he told me. "Minor burns, but nothing too serious. He won't need surgery."
I let out the breath I was holding in. "That's good news."
Solomon gave me a skeptical look and I sucked the breath back in, waiting for whatever else he had to tell me. "That's the good news," he confirmed. "The bad news is David Markham's not our guy."
"I guess it was too much to hope we would be looking for a bald, angry thief in the near future." Solomon clearly struggled not to give me an eye roll, so I blustered on, latching onto the key point he just revealed. "Hey, how do you know he's not our guy?"
"There was a theft last night while Markham was getting treatment at the hospital. A big jewelry haul. I haven't seen the itemized list or photographs yet, but Maddox said it amounted to around a hundred thousand dollars."
"Wow."
"There's more bad news. We checked on the victim's recent dates and they included each of the three remaining suspects. There're a few others, but these are the only ones she has in common with all the other victims, so I'd say we're on the right track."
I brightened. I wouldn't have to date David again. My fertility was safe. Phew! "That sounds like good news!"
"It gets worse."
"It would, wouldn't it?" I sighed. I leaned against the doorjamb and waited for whatever bad news Solomon was going to unleash. Couldn't he just give me a list to peruse in my own time? Like over cocktails.
"Markham could press charges for assault."
I gasped. "Who assaulted him?"
Solomon gave me a pointed look. His nostrils flared and he nipped the corner of his bottom lip. Mmmm. "You."
Wait. What? "Oh yeah. No. Wait. I did not! If anything, he should sue the manufacturers of his hair product. Nothing so flammable should be allowed near an open flame. What a doofus ! Is he really going to press charges? I'm so not going on a second date with him now! It's over. Um, can you tell him that? Please."
"You won't have to since he's in the clear now. Don't worry about the charges. I doubt they'll stick. Between MPD, Million Matches, and me, we'll make them go away."
"Thank you." I slumped in my
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