wrong person the wrong question at
the wrong time."
Noreen turned her anger on him. "I'm not a killer, and I resent what you just said. I sat next to you the whole sale. When
would I have had the chance to kill Marge Norwalk? Even if
I'd wanted to, which I didn't. Divorce is less messy."
Dutch jabbed a long finger my way. "I didn't say you did.
She's the one acting like Nancy Drew."
When her glare bounced back at me, I dropped into Noreen's bad graces again. Not that I'd ever left. 'Are you so
desperate that you'll accuse anyone you think of?" she said.
"If that's the case, then you probably did kill Marge."
"Give me a break! Would I care about the redesign of the Gerrity if I'd killed Marge? If I had, I'd be pretty happy to keep the
place shut down for good. Besides, asking tough questions isn't
the best way to land a job. If I'd wanted money or whatever, I
wouldn't need to work for you anymore now, would I?"
Ooh ... that didn't come out right.
Dutch groaned again. "Okay. This meeting's over." He
took my elbow and dragged me toward the door. "We'll get
together another time, Noreen. Sometime after Haley takes
her meds."
"Hey! I only take vitamins." I pulled out of his clutches.
"And I haven't asked all my questions yet."
"Oh, yes you have." He came up and wrapped his arm
around my waist. "At least for today."
I darted to the side. "Noreen hasn't answered. I wonder
why. What's she hiding?"
When Noreen gasped, I went in for the kill. "Did Marge
catch you and Steve ... umm ... together?"
"No!" Noreen cried. "Are you happy now?"
Dutch clapped his big hands on my shoulders and pushed
me to the door. "Now you have your answer. Let's get out of
here before she calls security."
I yanked away. "Don't manhandle me!"
"Don't mess up my life any more than you already
have."
"I haven't."
"You have."
Noreen darted between us. She opened the door. "Goodbye!"
We walked out. On the slate step outside, I turned. "I have
another question-"
She slammed the door.
"How rude." I headed for the car but came to a screeching
halt partway there. "I left my stuff. She can't keep my bag
and my samples. I need them for work."
Dutch rolled his eyes. "I'll get them. I don't think she wants
to see you again any time soon."
Whether I liked it or not, I had to agree. I'd bungled that. And
unless he managed to sweet-talk Noreen into forking over my
things, I'd be in a heap of trouble. To begin with, my driver's
license was in my bag. Oh, and the Honda keys too.
I stood in the driveway and looked at my little car and then
at the European models in driveways up and down the street.
I'd learned another lesson, one that didn't surprise me.
Wealth did nothing for me; it didn't impress or daunt me.
So much for the momentary intimidation I'd felt when I'd
walked into Noreen's place.
But this wasn't the time to ruminate on my condition.
Dutch came out, my backpack purse over one vast shoulder,
my portfolio clutched to his chest. A scrap of fuchsia silk clung
to the hint of stubble already visible on his shaven chin.
The absurdity of the moment didn't escape my notice. I
laughed.
He frowned. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," I said between chuckles. "Everything ...
you!"
"Oh, that's clear."
He had no clue how funny he looked, and I figured I'd be
better off if it stayed that way. "Here. I'll take my things and
head on home."
"Chalk this one up as another failure, will ya?"
"Oh, I don't know. There's something to be said for starting
your day off with a laugh."
He gave me a grimace on steroids. "I didn't hear that," he
muttered. "I didn't hear a thing."
"Good-bye, Dutch." I threw my stuff in the backseat of my
car and slid behind the wheel. "Look at the bright side."
His green eyes opened wider. "There's a bright side?"
"Sure."
"And that would be ... ?"
"Noreen didn't fire us."
He groaned. "Yet."
I gave him a valiant chuckle and drove away. He was right.
Noreen hadn't fired us yet. But
the wrong time."
Noreen turned her anger on him. "I'm not a killer, and I resent what you just said. I sat next to you the whole sale. When
would I have had the chance to kill Marge Norwalk? Even if
I'd wanted to, which I didn't. Divorce is less messy."
Dutch jabbed a long finger my way. "I didn't say you did.
She's the one acting like Nancy Drew."
When her glare bounced back at me, I dropped into Noreen's bad graces again. Not that I'd ever left. 'Are you so
desperate that you'll accuse anyone you think of?" she said.
"If that's the case, then you probably did kill Marge."
"Give me a break! Would I care about the redesign of the Gerrity if I'd killed Marge? If I had, I'd be pretty happy to keep the
place shut down for good. Besides, asking tough questions isn't
the best way to land a job. If I'd wanted money or whatever, I
wouldn't need to work for you anymore now, would I?"
Ooh ... that didn't come out right.
Dutch groaned again. "Okay. This meeting's over." He
took my elbow and dragged me toward the door. "We'll get
together another time, Noreen. Sometime after Haley takes
her meds."
"Hey! I only take vitamins." I pulled out of his clutches.
"And I haven't asked all my questions yet."
"Oh, yes you have." He came up and wrapped his arm
around my waist. "At least for today."
I darted to the side. "Noreen hasn't answered. I wonder
why. What's she hiding?"
When Noreen gasped, I went in for the kill. "Did Marge
catch you and Steve ... umm ... together?"
"No!" Noreen cried. "Are you happy now?"
Dutch clapped his big hands on my shoulders and pushed
me to the door. "Now you have your answer. Let's get out of
here before she calls security."
I yanked away. "Don't manhandle me!"
"Don't mess up my life any more than you already
have."
"I haven't."
"You have."
Noreen darted between us. She opened the door. "Goodbye!"
We walked out. On the slate step outside, I turned. "I have
another question-"
She slammed the door.
"How rude." I headed for the car but came to a screeching
halt partway there. "I left my stuff. She can't keep my bag
and my samples. I need them for work."
Dutch rolled his eyes. "I'll get them. I don't think she wants
to see you again any time soon."
Whether I liked it or not, I had to agree. I'd bungled that. And
unless he managed to sweet-talk Noreen into forking over my
things, I'd be in a heap of trouble. To begin with, my driver's
license was in my bag. Oh, and the Honda keys too.
I stood in the driveway and looked at my little car and then
at the European models in driveways up and down the street.
I'd learned another lesson, one that didn't surprise me.
Wealth did nothing for me; it didn't impress or daunt me.
So much for the momentary intimidation I'd felt when I'd
walked into Noreen's place.
But this wasn't the time to ruminate on my condition.
Dutch came out, my backpack purse over one vast shoulder,
my portfolio clutched to his chest. A scrap of fuchsia silk clung
to the hint of stubble already visible on his shaven chin.
The absurdity of the moment didn't escape my notice. I
laughed.
He frowned. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," I said between chuckles. "Everything ...
you!"
"Oh, that's clear."
He had no clue how funny he looked, and I figured I'd be
better off if it stayed that way. "Here. I'll take my things and
head on home."
"Chalk this one up as another failure, will ya?"
"Oh, I don't know. There's something to be said for starting
your day off with a laugh."
He gave me a grimace on steroids. "I didn't hear that," he
muttered. "I didn't hear a thing."
"Good-bye, Dutch." I threw my stuff in the backseat of my
car and slid behind the wheel. "Look at the bright side."
His green eyes opened wider. "There's a bright side?"
"Sure."
"And that would be ... ?"
"Noreen didn't fire us."
He groaned. "Yet."
I gave him a valiant chuckle and drove away. He was right.
Noreen hadn't fired us yet. But
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