to believe that?” She puckered her lips and her eyebrows lowered. “Wait a minute. You’re that private detective who came snooping around after Constance died.”
I forced myself to smile like a politician and stuck out my hand. “You’re right. Glad to see you again, Tara.”
She ignored my hand. “Did Ed let you in? He should be fired. I’d call security on you, but today, that’s Ed. Maybe I should call the cops on both of you.”
Oh, crap on a crepe. I held up my hand. “No! Wait. First hear me out. It wasn’t Ed’s fault. I, I practically threatened him with my mace.” I pulled out the tiny can to demonstrate. “Maybe nobody told you, but Mallorie was murdered on my doorstep. Do you have any idea how scary and upsetting that is? Sleeping is impossible. If I don’t figure this out soon, it’ll make me crazy.” I held my breath. If she didn’t accept this, next up was my natural defense, sobbing and begging.
At least now it didn’t look like she planned to stab me with her letter opener. “But why are you looking in Sean’s office? You can’t possibly think he’s involved in murder. That man is practically a saint with what he puts up with. And he never complains.” She glanced toward his desk. “Although…”
I tried to sound casual. “Although?”
She waved her hand as if batting an annoying fly. “Nothing. Just that Sean did look awfully nervous yesterday. We had a meeting late in the afternoon, and he couldn’t keep his mind on it. Kept looking at the clock and checking his phone messages.”
She stopped abruptly and went back to looking at me as if deciding whether or not to have me guillotined. “Never mind. Okay. It may not be the smartest thing to do, but I’m letting you go. Mallorie wasn’t my favorite person. Still, whoever killed her should be caught.” Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t come back.”
“Never again. Ever. Thank you so much.” I stepped out of Sean’s office. “Just one thing.” I bit my lower lip. “Mind if I use the bathroom?”
She huffed, but led me to the closest one and followed me in like a high school monitor. I made up a rule Gino probably didn’t think of. Never drink tea before snooping .
Tara made sure Triton’s outside door would lock behind me. When it did, Ed came out of the shadows.
My upper lip curled. “Thanks for nothing. She was going to turn me over to the police.”
He waved off my concern. “I was coming back for you. Didn’t count on you giving yourself away so soon. I wanted to wait until Tara went to the break room for coffee.” He chuckled, “She steals a pack of it about once a week. Thinks no one notices.” He continued, “Anyway, I didn’t find zilch. But then, Tara interrupted me.”
I told him about finding the business card. “According to Tara, Sean was antsy yesterday afternoon. Maybe because of that 6:00 meeting with this guy, Workosky.”
Ed scratched his head. “Could be. Let’s go check it out.”
“No need for you to come, Ed.” It was great having his help, but it wasn’t fair to him. Besides getting into trouble with the police, he could lose his job over this. He could also be in as much danger as me. And, to tell the truth, I wasn’t even sure there’d be any money to pay him.
Ed wasn’t about to be deterred. “No way, Jose. This is getting good. Hell, I’m not even counting on the money you owe me. I’m in. No argument.”
My wholehearted trust in Ed was still forming, but there was little doubt in my mind his muscle could come in handy.Of course, I’d probably need to take a second job at Aunt Lena’s to pay him. That assumed we both survived this case.
We drove back to the Owl to get my car. “My theory is Eagleton and Sean are jumping ship and met with this Workosky guy last night. If that’s the case, though, neither of them could be Mallorie’s killer.”
Ed drummed his steering wheel and thought out loud. “That would explain them leaving early, but one of them
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