Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 73339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
I nodded. “Thank you for everything, Moira.”
“You’re most welcome. Perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow, if you’re in the office.”
I smiled. “I’d like that.”
She returned my smile and left her office, leaving the door open just a crack. I stood and stretched my legs. I felt good, oddly. Nice what sleep could do for a body.
I walked to Moira’s desk and gave it a cursory glance. She was a lawyer. Was she working on the Wolfes’ defense? I slid my fingers over a few folders on her desk. Nothing that looked important. I sat down in her comfortable leather desk chair and absently opened the top drawer of her desk. Paperclips and some lip balm. A safety pin. A measuring tape. And a short stack of business cards. Lacey Ward, and the name of a law firm. Lacey’s old firm, probably. Why would Moira have those? One, maybe, but a stack of ten or so?
I shoved the door closed and sighed. Nothing to see here.
I stood quickly. If Lacey showed up and saw me sitting in Moira’s chair, it wouldn’t look good. I stretched my arms over my head and walked out from behind the desk.
Something on top of Moira’s file cabinet caught my eye. A pink handkerchief. Did anyone use handkerchiefs anymore? I could easily see Moira using one. She was an older woman, a mother. Seemed like the handkerchief type. I picked it up and smoothed my fingers over the soft cotton.
Then my eyes popped.
The handkerchief was monogrammed.
LW.
Those weren’t Moira’s initials.
“Knock, knock.” Lacey’s voice slid through my thoughts. “Hey, Zee. What do you have there?”
I held out the hanky for her to see.
Her forehead wrinkled. “Is that…” She grabbed it out of my hand. “That’s one of my monogrammed handkerchiefs. Where did you find it?”
“On top of the file cabinet.” I gestured.
“Seriously?” Lacey fled quickly to the file cabinet. “Right here? On top? Out in the open?”
“Yeah.”
“Where did Moira get it?”
“I don’t know. She was already gone when I found it.”
“Strange. I didn’t even know it was missing.” She bit her lower lip. “This isn’t good.”
“I’m sure Moira just found it somewhere and was keeping it for you.”
“Probably. Except I haven’t used these in ages. The set of four was a gift from my godmother years ago. They’re lovely, but handkerchiefs are kind of old-fashioned.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that someone took this from my place.”
“You don’t think Moira—”
“No, but someone did, and it ended up here.” She wrinkled her forehead. “Someone wanted me to think Moira took it. I need to talk to Rock.”
“But I—”
“I’ll see you get back to Reid’s, Zee. Don’t worry. But we need to make a detour to my husband’s office.”
I sat, quiet, in Rock’s office, the door closed and locked, as Lacey told him about the hanky.
“Where do you keep them?” Rock asked.
“In the bottom of my top dresser drawer,” Lacey said. “I haven’t packed that drawer yet. I don’t keep anything in there that I need, so I figured, until the penthouse was ready—”
“I don’t like this. Not one fucking bit.” Rock glanced at me. “Sorry, Zee.”
“About what?”
“The profanity.”
I burst into a sarcastic laugh. “Please. I’ve heard more of that than anyone in the showgirl business. It doesn’t bother me.”
“All right. Good, I guess.” He turned back to Lacey. “Have you noticed anything else missing? Lately? Or before now?”
“No, not really.”
“What about that business card in the rose garden?”
I had no idea what they were talking about, but I listened closely anyway.
“I threw out all my old business cards.”
“How many did you have?”
“Well, honestly, quite a few. I’d just ordered a new batch right before…” Her face went white.
“Right before what, Lace?”
“Right before Derek’s murder.”
“Fuck.” Rock swept his fingers through his hair. “We need to go to your apartment. Now.”
“Excuse me…” I began.
“Right,” Lacey said. “I have to get Zee to Reid’s.”
“We’ll take her with us. She’s trustworthy. Right, Zee?”
“Of course. The only reason I’m here is to help all of you. But I—”
“Surely we have time to take her to Reid’s,” Lacey said.
“We don’t, Lace. We need to get to your apartment and take inventory. I don’t want to waste one second.”
“Can I please finish my sentence!” I hadn’t meant to yell, but I was frustrated. Scared, and freaked, and frustrated.
“I’m sorry,” Lacey said. “I’m anxious about all this. What do you need?”
“I don’t need anything.” I drew in a breath. “Moira has some of your old business cards too.”
“What?” Lacey’s eyebrows nearly flew off her forehead.
I nodded. “In her top desk drawer. I didn’t mean to look. I just… She left, and I was waiting for you, and…”
“It’s okay, Zee. Thank you for telling us. I’ll take care of that right now.” Rock raced out of his office.
Lacey slumped into a chair.
“Moira seems so nice,” I said.
“She is.” Lacey shook her head, rubbing her forehead. “And she’s also not stupid. If she were trying to frame me, she wouldn’t leave a handkerchief out in plain sight.”