marveling at the candidates’ qualifications. Even for such a minor, entry-level position, the competition was cutthroat.
For the first time, she began to appreciate how skillfully Mabel had sifted through her potential victims. She must have surveyed hundreds of intern applications to find individuals with just the right combination of personality and social circumstance so that his or her later disappearance might be easily explained away.
—
BEYOND THE GRUESOME precedent of the murdered interns, there was another factor that might have deterred applicants from applying for the new position. The niece was surprised that so many intelligent and apparently well-respected people were putting themselves forward to work for Interim Mayor Carmichael.
Monty’s, ahem, eccentricities were known far and wide. He had been criticized in the local newspapers and on television news shows. Entire websites were devoted to Monty-related satire and mimicry. The Internet was littered with embarrassing photos and video clips.
No one—except the interim mayor himself—gave Monty any chance of success in the next election.
The niece puzzled over the résumé pile.
Surely, all of these applicants could find better things to do than spending the next couple of months working for Monty.
The niece grimaced at this last thought.
She certainly could.
—
“I DON’T KNOW, Isabella,” the niece said as she plowed through the stack. She looked up at the filing cabinet. “We don’t even have a job description. What am I supposed to do with this intern once we hire him or her?”
Isabella had draped her body over the cabinet’s top edge so that she could peer down at the papers. In response to the niece’s question, she sat upright and looked pointedly toward the America’s Cup poster on the reception wall.
“Yeah, okay,” the niece replied, pondering the suggestion. “You might have something there.”
Isabella emitted a disgruntled warble at the implication that her idea might be anything less than extremely useful.
Issuing a series of sharp clicking sounds, Isabella hopped down to the desk to assist directly in the résumé review. She pawed through the papers, her pink nose sniffing the smells associated with each sheet as she spread them across the desk.
The niece threw her hands up, capitulating.
“Okay, I guess this is one way we could handle the selection process.”
After a lengthy sorting guided by Isabella’s expert analysis, the pile was narrowed down to three candidates who would be brought in for interviews.
The niece picked up the phone and began to dial the first number on the short list.
“Well, here goes nothing.”
Chapter 26
THE LOTTERY WINNER
THE FIRST INTERN candidate was camped outside the mayor’s office suite when the niece and the cats arrived the next morning—even though her interview wasn’t scheduled until later that afternoon.
The excited young woman raced up to the niece as soon as she exited the elevator. She had light brown skin, full lips, and thick black hair wound into a heavy braid that fell midway down her back. Her floor-length sari swished with each hurried step.
The niece wondered how she’d been recognized as the mayor’s administrative assistant—until she realized that she was likely the only person walking through City Hall pushing a cat-filled stroller.
Regardless, she was unprepared for the encounter.
“Well, hello,” the niece managed to get out before the eager woman began her pitch.
“Hi, my name’s Alberta. Alberta Conway—I’ve applied for the intern position. I’m a big fan of Mayor Carmichael. I’ve been following his career for years, all the way back to his life coaching days. He’s a wise man, a wise man indeed.”
The niece looked down at the stroller. She almost laughed out loud at the expression on Isabella’s face.
“Ah, hmm, yes, I suppose he is.”
Alberta didn’t seem to pick up on the sarcasm in the niece’s voice.
“I
For the first time, she began to appreciate how skillfully Mabel had sifted through her potential victims. She must have surveyed hundreds of intern applications to find individuals with just the right combination of personality and social circumstance so that his or her later disappearance might be easily explained away.
—
BEYOND THE GRUESOME precedent of the murdered interns, there was another factor that might have deterred applicants from applying for the new position. The niece was surprised that so many intelligent and apparently well-respected people were putting themselves forward to work for Interim Mayor Carmichael.
Monty’s, ahem, eccentricities were known far and wide. He had been criticized in the local newspapers and on television news shows. Entire websites were devoted to Monty-related satire and mimicry. The Internet was littered with embarrassing photos and video clips.
No one—except the interim mayor himself—gave Monty any chance of success in the next election.
The niece puzzled over the résumé pile.
Surely, all of these applicants could find better things to do than spending the next couple of months working for Monty.
The niece grimaced at this last thought.
She certainly could.
—
“I DON’T KNOW, Isabella,” the niece said as she plowed through the stack. She looked up at the filing cabinet. “We don’t even have a job description. What am I supposed to do with this intern once we hire him or her?”
Isabella had draped her body over the cabinet’s top edge so that she could peer down at the papers. In response to the niece’s question, she sat upright and looked pointedly toward the America’s Cup poster on the reception wall.
“Yeah, okay,” the niece replied, pondering the suggestion. “You might have something there.”
Isabella emitted a disgruntled warble at the implication that her idea might be anything less than extremely useful.
Issuing a series of sharp clicking sounds, Isabella hopped down to the desk to assist directly in the résumé review. She pawed through the papers, her pink nose sniffing the smells associated with each sheet as she spread them across the desk.
The niece threw her hands up, capitulating.
“Okay, I guess this is one way we could handle the selection process.”
After a lengthy sorting guided by Isabella’s expert analysis, the pile was narrowed down to three candidates who would be brought in for interviews.
The niece picked up the phone and began to dial the first number on the short list.
“Well, here goes nothing.”
Chapter 26
THE LOTTERY WINNER
THE FIRST INTERN candidate was camped outside the mayor’s office suite when the niece and the cats arrived the next morning—even though her interview wasn’t scheduled until later that afternoon.
The excited young woman raced up to the niece as soon as she exited the elevator. She had light brown skin, full lips, and thick black hair wound into a heavy braid that fell midway down her back. Her floor-length sari swished with each hurried step.
The niece wondered how she’d been recognized as the mayor’s administrative assistant—until she realized that she was likely the only person walking through City Hall pushing a cat-filled stroller.
Regardless, she was unprepared for the encounter.
“Well, hello,” the niece managed to get out before the eager woman began her pitch.
“Hi, my name’s Alberta. Alberta Conway—I’ve applied for the intern position. I’m a big fan of Mayor Carmichael. I’ve been following his career for years, all the way back to his life coaching days. He’s a wise man, a wise man indeed.”
The niece looked down at the stroller. She almost laughed out loud at the expression on Isabella’s face.
“Ah, hmm, yes, I suppose he is.”
Alberta didn’t seem to pick up on the sarcasm in the niece’s voice.
“I
Similar Books
