She made a note.
“So, who would you say was on her bad side?”
My stomach rolled. I knew this question was coming. Loyalty only went so far when I knew I might be spending hours a day with a potential murderer.The thought of them finding out I was the one who was telling the detectives about their fight with Cheryl made a little knot of dread pull tight in my chest.
“I overheard an argument the night before she died.”
Detective Boyle’s eyebrow inched up her forehead as I recounted the fight I heard between Cheryl, Warren, and Derek that night. Montoya’s lips tugged into a frown while he jotted down note after note.
I had hoped Detectives Montoya and Boyle were just being thorough, but their line of questioning had stirred up unease in me. I couldn’t help but try to piece together what exactly had happened.Part of my morbid curiosity, I suppose.
Ed told us they’d found walnuts in her salad dressing. It stood to reason that Cheryl’s chef hadn’t owned up to making a mistake since we were all being questioned again. And if it hadn’t been the chef, then it had to be someone else that had access to her salad.
My stomach twisted. The more I thought about it, the more sure I was that it hadn’t been an accident. And where did that leave the show?
The hairs stood up on the back of my neck as I left the investigation room, wondering if there was a murderer in my midst.
Conjuring Ghosts
Myhandsshookwithresidual nerves from the interview with the detectives. I’d planned for this possibility, so when it was my turn to be questioned, I spun my own story, sticking as close to the truth of what happened that day as I could. Only skipping over the part where I’d snuck into the breakroom, replacing her salad dressing with mine.
“It’s awful. It seemed like a terrible accident,” I’d said.
They’d listened intently and had taken their notes. And when it was all said and done, they’d given me a grim smile, shook my hand, and let me walk out of there without any trouble at all.
But as I’d turned to walk out of the room where Cheryl had met her untimely demise, the sickeningly sweet scent of perfume wafting through the air caused my stomach to twist and turn in on itself.
That wasn’t just any perfume. It was Cheryl’s signature scent. The smell sent a chill straight to my bones and caused apprehension to prickle down my spine.
One second, the fragrant stench was there and the next, it was gone. I didn’t know what to make of it.
Had I only imagined it?
That must be it.
Being in that room again had caused my brain to stir up residual memories.
I straightened my shoulders as I continued my walk home. I needed to keep it together. Conjuring up ghosts would do me no good.
Penetrating Her With Your Little Meat Stick Isn't A Good Hint
Ben
Noraslippedintomyoffice, closing the door behind her. I spun my chair towards her, thankful for the distraction. I’d been in my head all morning. After spending the entire night with Eve, she’d gone glacial again and wasn’t answering my calls.
She’d messaged me saying work was crazy and there was an investigation happening that was taking up normal rehearsal hours. I was contemplating driving over to her place after work and calling her out on the bullshit, but I had talked myself out of it multiple times.
She’d call when she had time. Or she wouldn’t. Pushing that woman into anything she wasn’t ready for wouldn’t work. She was much too stubborn for that.
“What’s up?” I asked, noting the flush in her cheeks.
“I just got out of a meeting with Ian, Jack, and some new clients. Ian’s assistant was out for a doctor’s appointment, so he asked me to sit in and take notes for him. I thought I’d stop by and say hi on the way back to my desk.”
I smirked. “Taking over for the boss’s secretary. Sounds like something straight out of one of those smutty novels you read.”
“Oh hush. How would you know what’s in those smutty novels?”
“I might have had a peek at some of the romance novels my nanny used to read.”
