Aaron got the message from Jessica just as he was walking into Warner Gas that morning around ten. He put his phone in his pocket. He hadn’t been back to Warner Gas in weeks. He’d been too busy with his real job, but it just so happened he had a client meeting in San Diego that afternoon, so he’d driven down early, having decided to spend the morning at Warner Gas getting to the bottom of the Rose Pally/Robin Platt mystery.
He clutched a little bag with a chocolate-stuffed croissant that he hoped would work its magic on Nola, even though he hadn’t seen her in weeks.
“Hey, Aaron,” Nola said, beaming at him as he walked in. “Long time no see!”
“I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop in,” Aaron said. “I brought your favorite.” He set the white bakery bag on her desk.
“You’re a godsend. I’m starved!”
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
Aaron glanced at Nola’s computer screen. It looked like she was sorting through a company photo album. He saw a girl in one photo who looked a tad bit like Robin Platt but clearly wasn’t, and that gave him an idea.
“Hey, that’s not Rose Pally, is it?” Aaron asked, pointing to the picture on her screen.
“What?” Nola looked at her computer. “Oh, no. That’s not Rose. That’s Beth Kinsella. Wait—do you know Rose?”
“I used to know her, years ago,” Aaron said. “She lived in my neighborhood. Haven’t seen or spoken to her in a long while, but I really liked her. But wait a minute. You know Rose Pally?”
“You’re not going to believe this: She works here.”
“Come on. Can’t be the same one.”
“I’ll bet it is.”
“No way. You got a picture of her?”
“I don’t think so, but I can do you one better. You could go see her. She works on the second floor.”
“Wait, she’s here now?” Aaron could’ve sworn according to the records she was out on leave. She had to be out on leave. That was the only way she could be Robin Platt.
“She was gone for a while, on maternity leave or something, but she’s back now. Just take the elevator to two. She works in Accounting.”