whatever you can.”
She hugged me, and as she broke away from me, one of her staff was suddenly at her elbow. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have a mass exodus at the checkout desk, and Haley is being overwhelmed. I was in the business center on my break, and then all of sudden it was like there was an explosion of people.”
“Thanks for letting me know. Go back to your station, and I’ll take care of it myself,” Gina said, and I saw her wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. She squeezed my hand briefly, and then headed toward the front. I was glad I’d been able to give her at least a modicum of comfort. I just hoped that Maddy and I would be able to get her results.
Bob and David approached me quickly the moment Gina left, and I readied myself for their questions.
“Did Maddy actually go into that interview with Hurley without me?” Bob asked. “What was she thinking? For that matter, what were you doing? I should have been in there to represent both of you.”
“Take it easy, Counselor,” I said. Lowering my voice, I added, “Kevin asked us for our help, and I agreed, but you have to promise to keep it quiet.”
Bob and David both looked visibly relieved when they heard that Kevin Hurley had enlisted our assistance. I hated to take that feeling of comfort from them, but I had to do it. “That doesn’t mean that we’re off his suspect list, though. He wants us to, in his words, ‘keep our eyes and ears open’ and tell him if we learn anything new.”
“He’s got a lot of nerve asking you both to do that,” David said.
“It’s okay. After all, it’s not like we weren’t going to do it, anyway.”
“You’re actually thinking about helping him?” Bob asked. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be for the two of you?”
“We’ll be careful, and besides, it’s not like we haven’t done this before.”
“I still don’t like it,” Bob said.
I shrugged, and then turned to David. “Do you have anything you want to add?”
He held up his hands in instant surrender. “I’m not foolish enough to believe that I have any right to tell you what you can and cannot do. I just hope you’ll be careful, and if there’s anything I can do to help, you’ll ask.”
I kissed him, and then added one to Bob’s cheek as well.
David protested, “Hey, I supported you and he didn’t. Why did he get a kiss, too?”
“We know that you both care about us,” I said, “and we appreciate it.”
“But you’re going to do what you want to anyway, right?” Bob asked a little wryly.
“Absolutely,” I replied with a smile.
“Hey, did I just see you kissing my fiancé?” Maddy asked with a grin as she approached us.
“You did,” I admitted.
She turned and kissed David’s cheek, and then said, “Well then, turnabout’s fair play.”
“I’m not complaining,” David said with a grin, and Bob found a smile deep within himself. “I give up. You two are impossible; you know that, don’t you?”
“We do our best,” Maddy said. She looked at me, and then added, “Kevin brought me up to speed. Should we get started snooping right now?”
“You’re going to start digging into this immediately?” Bob asked.
“There’s no time like the present,” I said, “and besides, the quicker we figure out who killed Luigi, the faster we can get back to the contest.”
“Do you honestly think they’re still going to continue it after what happened this afternoon?” David asked me.
“It’s a done deal,” Maddy said. “The chief got a call when I was in there being interrogated. Jack Acre is taking over as CEO of the company, and he’s decided to dedicate the rest of the competition to his boss’s memory. We’re still on.”
“So let me get this straight. You’re going to try to solve a murder and win the grand prize?” David asked.
“I don’t see any reason why we can’t do both,” I said.
He just shook his head. “All I can say is good luck.” As he
She hugged me, and as she broke away from me, one of her staff was suddenly at her elbow. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have a mass exodus at the checkout desk, and Haley is being overwhelmed. I was in the business center on my break, and then all of sudden it was like there was an explosion of people.”
“Thanks for letting me know. Go back to your station, and I’ll take care of it myself,” Gina said, and I saw her wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. She squeezed my hand briefly, and then headed toward the front. I was glad I’d been able to give her at least a modicum of comfort. I just hoped that Maddy and I would be able to get her results.
Bob and David approached me quickly the moment Gina left, and I readied myself for their questions.
“Did Maddy actually go into that interview with Hurley without me?” Bob asked. “What was she thinking? For that matter, what were you doing? I should have been in there to represent both of you.”
“Take it easy, Counselor,” I said. Lowering my voice, I added, “Kevin asked us for our help, and I agreed, but you have to promise to keep it quiet.”
Bob and David both looked visibly relieved when they heard that Kevin Hurley had enlisted our assistance. I hated to take that feeling of comfort from them, but I had to do it. “That doesn’t mean that we’re off his suspect list, though. He wants us to, in his words, ‘keep our eyes and ears open’ and tell him if we learn anything new.”
“He’s got a lot of nerve asking you both to do that,” David said.
“It’s okay. After all, it’s not like we weren’t going to do it, anyway.”
“You’re actually thinking about helping him?” Bob asked. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be for the two of you?”
“We’ll be careful, and besides, it’s not like we haven’t done this before.”
“I still don’t like it,” Bob said.
I shrugged, and then turned to David. “Do you have anything you want to add?”
He held up his hands in instant surrender. “I’m not foolish enough to believe that I have any right to tell you what you can and cannot do. I just hope you’ll be careful, and if there’s anything I can do to help, you’ll ask.”
I kissed him, and then added one to Bob’s cheek as well.
David protested, “Hey, I supported you and he didn’t. Why did he get a kiss, too?”
“We know that you both care about us,” I said, “and we appreciate it.”
“But you’re going to do what you want to anyway, right?” Bob asked a little wryly.
“Absolutely,” I replied with a smile.
“Hey, did I just see you kissing my fiancé?” Maddy asked with a grin as she approached us.
“You did,” I admitted.
She turned and kissed David’s cheek, and then said, “Well then, turnabout’s fair play.”
“I’m not complaining,” David said with a grin, and Bob found a smile deep within himself. “I give up. You two are impossible; you know that, don’t you?”
“We do our best,” Maddy said. She looked at me, and then added, “Kevin brought me up to speed. Should we get started snooping right now?”
“You’re going to start digging into this immediately?” Bob asked.
“There’s no time like the present,” I said, “and besides, the quicker we figure out who killed Luigi, the faster we can get back to the contest.”
“Do you honestly think they’re still going to continue it after what happened this afternoon?” David asked me.
“It’s a done deal,” Maddy said. “The chief got a call when I was in there being interrogated. Jack Acre is taking over as CEO of the company, and he’s decided to dedicate the rest of the competition to his boss’s memory. We’re still on.”
“So let me get this straight. You’re going to try to solve a murder and win the grand prize?” David asked.
“I don’t see any reason why we can’t do both,” I said.
He just shook his head. “All I can say is good luck.” As he
Similar Books
