I took another sip of my latte, watching him over the rim. “Yes,” I said. “I would like to know. Can you tell me anything?”
He chuckled. “Nope. Can’t you depose me or something?”
I lifted a brow. “You want to be deposed?”
“Yeah. I think it’d be totally fun to be part of a deposition.” He patted his leg. “What do you say?”
I took another sip, dragging it out just to make him wait. “As great as that would be, since you’re working for the other side, pretty much everything would be work product, so I probably couldn’t depose you.” I set my cup down. “But I do need to get some interrogatories sent off to Zippy. I’m not going to roll over on this.”
Henry sighed. “He’s not going to roll over, either.”
Probably true. I eyed Henry. “Can you tell me anything about the case?”
“Just that everyone thinks your grandma did it.”
“Nobody thinks that,” I retorted.
Henry pressed his lips together and looked from side to side like he knew something I didn’t.
“Come on,” I said. “What is it?”
He shrugged. “Let’s just say she really likes winning that pie contest, and this has given her some notoriety.”
I stared at him. “Notoriety? For what, baking?”
“I mean,” he said, grinning, “using her own lotion. People in the valley like spunk. I bet her opening day on Saturday is going to be amazing.”
I swallowed hard. It would’ve been amazing anyway, but now it was going to be even bigger.
Henry stood, buttoning his ill-fitting jacket. “So how about we go out, just for one dinner, and I help you with this case? I’ll tell you everything I have.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s how it works. It’s still extortion, and it’ll get you fired. You like your job, don’t you?”
“I do.” He reared back a little. “I don’t want to get fired.”
“Then you probably shouldn’t offer to tell the other side anything,” I said, “even if it’s somebody you want to date.”
He rubbed his smoothly shaven jaw, obviously thinking it over. “That’s a good point.” Then his eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward like he was settling into gossip. “I know your sister Tessa’s engaged to one of the Basanellis. What about Donna? I always thought she was seriously hot. I bugged her in high school a lot. Is she single?”
I kept my tone casual. “Nope,” I lied easily. “Not even close.”
He looked disappointed but recovered fast. “What about Lacey? You remember your cousin Lacey?”
“Yeah, I remember my cousin Lacey,” I said, trying not to smile. “She’s living in Detroit, working as a cop.”
Henry perked up, clearly entertained by the mental image. “Ooh, that’s hot.”
“She’s practically married,” I added, even though that wasn’t true at all.
“Darn it.” He sighed, straightening his too small jacket. “All right, well, if you change your mind, give me a call.”
I stood too, matching his polite smile. “I’ll definitely do that.” Not in a million years.
Henry took the hint, turned, and walked out.
When the door shut behind him, I sat and exhaled before pulling the complaint toward me. It was a standard slander filing. Gloria wanted money.
“This is getting absolutely ridiculous,” I muttered.
