“I took a pay cut to scrub urinals, sort mail, and monitor the Book Face and small blue bird accounts. Now you want me to guess what’s inside every package that gets delivered?” Armand was rightfully outraged.
“He means Twitter,” Chris added helpfully.
“Mr. Papadakis, if anyone at the station receives a prank package, we need to know about it,” Kellen said, sliding a business card across the table.
Armand glared at the card. “I’ll add it to my list of responsibilities. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have urinal cakes to replace.”
“Who’s next?” Kellen asked.
“Hi!” a breathy voice chirped.
“Kill me now,” Riley muttered under her breath as Bella minced into the room on five-inch stilettos that probably cost more than two months’ worth of Armand’s salary.
“Bella, have a seat. These nice people have a few questions for you,” Chris said as though he were addressing a preschooler.
Instead of sitting, Bella pranced around the table and hugged Kellen. “I rememberyoufrom the seance last night. You lookedsobroody!” She booped him on the nose, and Riley choked on her cold brew.
She turned to Riley and held out her arms. “Hi! I’m Bella.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Chris muttered, covering his eyes.
“Ms. Goodshine, I believe you’ve already met Riley Thorn,” Kellen said.
“A few times,” Riley muttered.
“Ms. Thorn, why don’t you go follow up on that thing,” Kellen said, nodding pointedly toward the door. “Away from here.”
Message received.“Yeah. Sure. I can do that.” She avoided Bella’s huggy arms and hurried from the room.
She made it all the way to the ladies’ restroom before she let out the screech of frustration that had been building in her throat. She landed a kick to the trash can under the sink. It was already dented, and it made her wonder how many employees came in here just to kick out their own frustrations.
Her phone rang. It was Jasmine.
“Tell me we’re day drinking today,” her best friend demanded with no preamble.
“I thought I was supposed to be the psychic, but you just read my mind,” Riley said.
“Look at you making psychic jokes.”
Riley eyed the abused trash can. “Yeah. Good for me. Why doyouneed pre-noon alcohol?”
“I just eviscerated adisgusting excuse for a grandsonin court.”
Based on the way she shouted part of the sentence, Riley guessed her friend was leaving the courthouse at the same time as the opposing party.
“Nice. Maybe consider not smashing up his car, okay?” When Griffin had won his civil suit against Riley for breaking his nose with their wedding photo upon walking in on him and a naked Bella Goodshine, Jasmine had left the courthouse and driven right into Griffin’s car, which was parked in a handicap space.
“That’s why we’re day drinking. So you can prevent me from smashing up hisstupid face! When can you get to my place? I’ll start the margaritas.”
“I’m at Channel 50 right now.”
There was a beat of ominous silence. “Why in the name of tequila are you there? Wait! Is Griffin dead?”
“No. At least, not yet. I’m here on official police business.”
“Well, wrap it up and get your ass over here. We’re having a Rasmine Day Drinking Extravaganza so we can forget about people beingselfish, tiny-dicked assholes!”
