* * *
I REALLY NEED THAT REPORT ASAP. Hamilton Payne, acting CEO at Mayall Lumber, sank into the wingback chair opposite Conners desk. At first glance, Hamilton gave the impression of a doddering grandfather, but Conner knew he wielded a keen mind and as director of sales had cultivated a healthy client base and a steady stream of new business for twenty years or more. He was running things while Stan was incarcerated, but he was on the verge of retirement and didnt relish his new leadership role.
Im working on it. Conner shuffled through the papers on his desk as if he could actually accomplish something.
Maybe your new secretary could help. Ham was obviously trying to keep a straight face, but Conner could tell he was about to burst out laughing.
Conner pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. You met her?
Joyce trotted her around and introduced her. I dont know why she thinks I want to meet every damn secretary she hires.
She does it for themso theyll feel important.
The new girl was hot, that was for sure. The moment shed walked into his office, Conners brain had short-circuited and he hadnt heard a word Joyce said. Hed been too busy cataloging those mile-long legs, which her short skirt and stiletto heels showed off to perfection.
The rest of her was just as stunning, from her nipped-in waist, her long, elegant neck to her huge, innocent blue eyes.
Innocent, right. A woman built like her was made for sin. She was a distraction he didnt need. Good thing she wouldnt be around long. For some reason, they never were.
Ill make the report a priority, he said to Ham. Ive just been a little distracted. With Greg gone, Im shuffling people around, trying to cover all the bases.
Ham lowered his voice. Have you learned anything new? About who might have killed him? You and I both know it couldnt have been Stan.
Conners throat tightened every time he thought about Stan Mayall toughing it out in a jail cell. Stan wasnt just a boss to him. Hed been a mentor, a sounding board and a good friend. For three years Stan had also been Conners grandfather-in-law, as dear to him as any blood relative could have been. Theyd remained close even after Conners divorce from Chandra.
Of course he didnt do it. Theres no way a jury would convict him. But the case might not even get to a jury, if Stans health continued to decline. Hed been diagnosed with cancer just a week before his arrest. Its not right. He should be at home, where Chandra can take care of him.
I know. Ham shook his head sadly. I wish there was something we could do.
Conner was doing something. He was peering into every nook and cranny of this company, searching for a motive for murder. Hed even found his way into Gregs email account. So far, hed turned up nothing concrete. But Gregs personal life was a minefield of broken relationships and family feuds. Maybe his mysterious girlfriend, Mariposa, was involved. Conner knew of her only through the sexy emails she and Greg had sent back and forth. Maybe Greg had dumped her, and shed hired a killer and told him to make it look like the murder was work-related.
It was a theory, anyway.
Keep me in the loop. Ham pushed himself to his feet. Im supposed to retire in less than a month. I cant put it off any longermy doctor and my wife have ganged up on me. But I dont want to leave Stan, or the company, in the lurch.
I swear, Ham, well figure it out. The most important thing we can do is to keep the company afloat. So when Stan is exoneratedand I know he will behell have a job to return to.
And Conner could finally get his own life back. He would gladly walk away from this corner office and burn every one of his silk ties.
* * *
JILLIAN COULDNT RESIST announcing her good news as soon as she bounced into the bull pen at Project Justice late that afternoon. Im in! Mayall Lumber hired me!
The only other investigator there was Griffin Benedict, who was on the phone. He looked up with mild irritation, and she realized she could have been overheard by whoever Griffin was talking to. One of the first rules of working for the foundation was discretion.
She slapped a hand over her mouth, then whispered a quick Sorry. The only other people in the room were two interns, college students with whom she had worked until her recent promotion into fieldwork.
They both looked up at her. Bernie, the nicer one, gave her a tepid thumbs-up, but Kendall, whod never gone out of her way to say anything nice to Jillian, rolled her eyes.
Come to lord it over us? Kendall said. Its not like you were really promoted. Its just that you have secretarial experience. She said the word secretarial as if it were nasty. Soon as this job is finished, youll be back in the intern ghetto, licking envelopes and making coffee.
Probably. Jillian tried not to let Kendalls attitude bother her. But at least I get to work in the field for a while.
You say work in the field like youre a secret agent or something. Kendall didnt try to hide her sneer. Daniel isnt, like, letting you carry a gun or anything, is he?
No, of course not. Not yet. But shed taken a firearms training course and had applied for her license to carry concealed. That was a long way from Daniel letting her do any such thing, but it was a step in the right direction. Im gathering intelligence.
Kendalls eyes lit up. About what?
Though Jillian wanted to dish, she knew she shouldnt. Discretion, discretion. I cant really talk about it.
Again, Kendall rolled her eyes.
By the time this assignment is over, you guys will be back at school. So, this is goodbye.
Well miss you. Bernie clearly didnt mean it.
Kendall said nothing.
They were both probably glad to see her go. Shed already been working here several months when theyd arrived for their summer internships, so shed shown them the ropes and tried to bond with them. But neither had warmed up to her. She was only five or six years older than them, but it was enough to cause a small generation gap.
Shed never been very good at making friends. In high school, at the exclusive Shelby Academy, shed been shy and withdrawn, preferring books and her active fantasy life to interaction with real people. Swim team had been her only extracurricular activity, and shed never distinguished herself in the sport, though she still loved the water, and all those laps shed swum had at least slimmed her down.
In college, shed fared better. With her new nose, bright, even teeth and long, blond hair, she garnered lots of attention from young men, none of whom impressed her because by then, shed fallen hard for Daniel Logan. Their fathers had worked together, and all through college shed spent summers at the Logan estate helping out Daniels mother.
While the guys flocked around her, other women, even her sorority sisters, had held her at arms length. Shed earned a reputation as snooty when really, shed just been shy. She still didnt relate well to other women. Some were put off by her trust fund, others by her attractivenessshe was honest enough to admit shed turned out rather well in that department, given her shaky start. They didnt want her around their husbands and boyfriends.
Well, see you around. She left the bull pen and went to find the one person she felt pretty sure would be happy for heraside from Daniel, who sincerely wanted her to find a place in the world where she belonged.
Well, see you around. She left the bull pen and went to find the one person she felt pretty sure would be happy for heraside from Daniel, who sincerely wanted her to find a place in the world where she belonged.
Celeste Boggs, the office manager, was just shutting things down for the day at her station in the lobbyturning off her computer, packing up the magazines and books she liked to read during lulls in activity.
Celeste was somewhere in her seventies. Shed been the first woman patrol officer hired by the Houston Police Department, and despite decades of service had never been promoted to detective. Now she seemed to be rebelling against years in a uniform. Every day she showed up for work in an outfit more outlandish and age-inappropriate than the day before. Today it was a red polka-dot chiffon blouse with a big bow at the neck coupled with a red miniskirt and rhinestone gladiator sandals. Her long, acrylic nails bore decals of neon flowers, and her unruly gray hair was drawn up into a ponytail atop her head, resulting in a cascade of curls. Huge red dangle earrings completed the ensemble.
Hey, Celeste. Jillian leaned her elbows on the semicircular granite desk, designed to impress visitors. What happened to the go-go dancer you mugged to get those earrings?
Buried in a shallow grave, Celeste said in a stage whisper. You like? She gave her head a little shake. Bought em on eBay.
Very retro cool. They look great on you. Jillian actually admired Celestes fearless sense of style. The older woman didnt care what anyone thought of her and dressed solely to please herself, and in the process had achieved a sort of thrift-store chic.
So, spill it, Celeste said. Did you get the job?
I did.
Good for you. Celeste took her through her complicated high/low-five sequence. This is your chance to shine. You do realize, dont you, that youre the first female investigator at Project Justice?
Jillian frowned. What about Raleigh? Raleigh Benedict, Griffins wife, was head of Legal but also managed her own cases. She was one of the most senior staff members.
Raleigh runs things from a legal perspective, Celeste said. When it comes to fieldwork, she gets one of the guys to help her.
Well, Im not an investigator yet. This is an important caseDaniel himself is coordinating the investigation. Im just doing a small part.
Yeah, but youre working undercover. If you do a good job, you have the chance to move into the vacancy Billy left.
Billy Cantu had recently left Project Justice to return to the work he was truly meant to do, as a police detective. Only in her dreams could Jillian fill his shoes.
She voiced the question shed been wondering about ever since Kendalls put-down. Do you think Daniel asked me to do this because of my experience as an admin? I cant envision Griffin or Ford fetching coffee and making copies for some guy in a suit. Maybe I was the only one he could talk into it.
It doesnt matter how you got the assignment, Celeste said. The important thing is what you do with it.
True. But it still rankled.
Daniels instructions were pretty clear. Im not supposed to do anything except keep my eyes and ears open and report to him. He told me not to actively investigate.
Celeste made a face. Good thing youve got a mind of your own. She shouldered her red patent-leather purse, too large to be legal as an airline carry-on, and made her way to the front door with her enormous ring of keys. You listen to me, and youll come out of this operation smelling like a rose. The first thing you have to do is make friends with the other support staffadmins, legal assistants. Theyll gossip about their bosses, I guarantee it.
Thats a wonderful ideain theory. But I suck at making new friends. Oddly, though, Celeste seemed to like Jillian. The elderly woman was fierce and gruff with most everyone else, but she treated Jillian like her baby chick.
Celeste dropped her keys into her purse, then paused to look Jillian up and down. Youre too perfect, she said bluntly. You intimidate other women. They despise you even as they want to be just like you.
Leave it to Celeste to speak the unvarnished truth.
Dont worry, Celeste soothed. Its nothing to do with your personality.
Jillian wasnt so sure about that. Last year, when Daniels eventual wife, Jamie, got sick, some people actually suspected Jillian of poisoning her.
But you might try looking moreordinary.
Ordinary. Jillian wasnt sure what Celeste meant. She felt she was ordinary.
Like you dont have a trust fund, girlfriend.
Oh.
Celeste shut off the lights and set the security alarm. Phil, the night watchman, would arrive shortly. Celeste had left him a Snickers bar, Jillian noticed. She licked her lips, wondering if Phil would mind
Now, Celeste said, snapping Jillians attention away from the chocolate temptation, aside from the other secretaries, you need to get to know the janitors, or anybody who cleans or makes repairs. Those people are essentially invisible, but they see and hear much more than you think. Imagine what they could find out just by looking through the trash.
Thats the key? Getting to know people at work?
Its the cornerstone of all undercover work, all police work, really. People have to get to know you before theyll trust you. And they have to trust you before theyll tell you their secrets.
Thanks, Celeste. It sounded like good advice to her, and she could do it without disobeying Daniels orders to refrain from actively investigating, something he deemed too risky because she didnt have police training.
Oh, one more thing. Celeste reached into her voluminous bag and drew out a small, black disk about the size of a quarter. Its a listening bug. Plant it in the office of someone you want to spy on, hide the digital recorder within a hundred feet. Its voice-activated. The recorder has a memory card. You pop it into your computer and listen to the audiofiles. Elevates eavesdropping to a whole new level. Go on, take it.
Jillian hesitated. What if I get caught eavesdropping? Id get fired and my cover would be blown.
Celeste lowered her voice. Daniel said to listen, right? This is listening. You gotta take some chances sometimes. I worked undercover in Vice playing a prostitute. Had to deal with some pretty shady characters. My life depended on keeping my identity and my true purpose a secret. You just have to be smart about it.
Jillian took the bug and the small recorder with murmured thanks and hurriedly tucked it into her own purse. Despite Celestes confidence, she wouldnt use itshe couldnt take the risk of getting caught. Not only would Mayall Lumber fire her, but so would Daniel.
CHAPTER TWO
JILLIAN ROLLED INTO THE Mayall Lumber parking garage at 6:45 a.m., bleary-eyed but pleased to have missed the worst of the rush hour traffic. That was one benefit of showing up to work at the butt-crack of dawn.
She couldnt think of any others.
No matter how hard she tried, shed never been a morning person. Years of 6:00-a.m. swim practice, early college classes and working for Danielwho also had expected her to rise earlyhadnt cured her of the tendency to sleep until noon if nothing woke her up.