Chapter 11

 

 

My office door opened. Unfortunately, the person who entered wasn’t someone I wanted to see. Abby stepped into the office as if I had actually invited her in. Blonde hair so shiny in looked like silk fell to her shoulders and framed the delicate sculpture of her high cheek bones. With a powerful grace like that of a panther, she closed the distance between us within seconds. She filled the room with the scent of Gardenias. Which were now officially my least favorite flower. Less was more. Hadn’t she heard that? I might suggest a few less sprays of perfume.

Without me asking her to have a seat, she ever so gracefully eased down onto the leather chair in front of my desk. I had recently been able to upgrade the chair for my customers. I was still sitting in the metal one that made my butt fall asleep. The furniture and everything that went into the private investigator business had been included when I inherited the place, as outdated as it was, including the old Rolodex and metal filing cabinets that my uncle had used up until he died. I’d urged my uncle to move forward and get with the times, but he’d said there was no point when what he was doing worked.

“May I help you?” I asked, staring straight at Abby.

I had a feeling she was trying to intimidate me, but that wasn’t going to happen. Who did she think she was anyway? I didn’t care if she was Jake’s partner. I wasn’t going to let her scare me. She stared at me for a moment, as if that would make me shake in my flip-flops.

“I just stopped by to ask you a few questions.” She folded her hands in her lap.

Did these questions have something to do with the murderer or Jake?

“I honestly have no idea why you’re here because I know nothing about the murder beyond my location after it was committed. You’re way off base if you came in here thinking that you’re going to solve the crime and I’m the guilty party. So perhaps you should tell me why you’re really here.”

She glared at me and I knew that I had made her angry, but I didn’t care. She’d brought up the subject first, not me. Sure, that sounded like an argument between two six-year-olds, but at least I hadn’t said it out loud.

Now she had made me angry. I felt Dorothy shift in her seat. Without even looking over there I knew she was upset too. She probably wanted to jump up and give this woman a piece of her mind. Perhaps I should let Dorothy do that. This woman would probably run screaming from the office and never return after getting a tongue-lashing from Dorothy. Dorothy might be petite and an older woman, but she was a little scary, to be honest. Dorothy could cut some looks that would make even the scariest person shake in their boots.

I supposed now Abby realized that I wouldn’t give her answers. “So what you’re saying is you have no idea why Henry Archer had your name.”

“No, what I said was he was coming to me to help him find who killed Skye Clark. That’s why he had my name. What part of that do you not understand?”

I thought she wanted me to be the killer. Perhaps to get me out of the picture so she could have Jake all to herself.

She got up from the chair and walked over to the door. I was relieved to see her go. I’d been so tense the whole time she was here that I’d almost forgotten to breathe. I released a deep breath. Though she wasn’t gone yet. Until she was out of here I wouldn’t be able to relax.

She paused with her hand on the door knob. Oh, no. And to think I’d thought this nightmare was over. She turned to face me. Please don’t let her come back over.

She turned and walked out the door without another word. Thank goodness Abby was gone. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could bite my tongue. I was afraid I was going to get arrested.

As soon as the door shut Dorothy jumped up. “I don’t know how you put up with her, Maggie.”

“I suppose I want Jake to think that I’m okay with his partner.”

“He has to know that she’s not nice.” Dorothy rushed to the window to take a look outside.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I just want to make sure she’s really out of here. You never know, she could be sneaking around somewhere, trying to listen to what we say.”

“Well, all she would hear is about how much we don’t like her.”

“I think that’s probably pretty evident.”

“It is hard to pretend, right?” I said.

“I still think you should talk to Jake about her.”

“And what would I say? It’s not like he can get rid of her and ask for a different partner. Is she still out there?” I asked, walking over to the window.

Dorothy and I had our faces smashed against the glass.

“Thank goodness. I think she’s gone.”