LITMIR.BIZ

       FOUR

      Bailey crossed her legs right over left and a few seconds later moved them back to left over right. Her left hand nervously drummed a tune. Her dress slacks and shirt were the only formal clothes she owned, and she wore them so infrequently that they made her incredibly uncomfortable. She was a jeans-and-T-shirt kind of girl. But she would dress the part if needed to find out who murdered her father. She anxiously glanced around the room. How much longer would she have to wait? That was another thing she wasn’t good at—waiting.

      Thankfulness, she told herself. She needed to remember and focus on the good, not the bad. She was thankful that she had the appropriate clothing for this meeting and thankful that she had gotten a meeting with the VP of Gates Industries in the first place. There were always blessings all around her. All she had to do was take the time to look and notice them.

      She looked around the posh waiting room and noticed a dark-haired man in black clothes sitting across from her, thumbing through a magazine. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something about him made her uncomfortable. He glanced at her and she gave him a smile, but he frowned and returned to his magazine, and the dislike she’d seen in his eyes made her skin start to crawl. She stood and paced a bit, avoiding the man and trying to release some of her nervous energy.

      The police department still hadn’t returned her father’s computer, and since the paper files were missing, she was now following the only lead she had. Her father’s coffee cup on his desk had been a fancy new mug emblazoned with the Gates Industries design. She had never seen that cup before, so she was hoping her father had gotten it when he’d taken on Gates as a new client. The lead was really weak, but it was all she had.

      Bailey knew a bit about Gates—they were a large pharmaceutical company in both the American and the international markets. What her father could have been doing for them was anybody’s guess, but she was hoping that there was a connection, however thin, that would give her some insight into that terrible night of her father’s death. Gates’s vice president had agreed to see her, but his last meeting was running late. She gave up the pacing and sat back down again and checked her watch.

      “Sure is a surprise meeting you here.”

      She jumped at the voice and dread filled her. Franklin Kennedy sat down in the seat beside her, and she warily glanced his way.

      “What are you doing here?”

      He pursed his lips and then spoke. “I think the real question is, what are you doing here?”

      She bristled. “I’m here investigating my father’s death, just like I told you I would.”

      Kennedy’s eyes narrowed. “And I told you to stay away from this. Do I have to arrest you to keep you out of the way?”

      “Yeah, I guess you’d better because there’s no way I’m sitting at home while you track down whoever caused his death. I need answers.”

      She saw his eyes grow cold at her defiance, but she meant what she’d said. She wasn’t going to sit by and let others chase down his murderer when she was perfectly capable of investigating the crime.

      She watched Kennedy carefully, ready to jump and run if she needed to. His eyes showed that he was considering his options and she watched his hands as well, waiting to see if he started to reach for his handcuffs. When he shifted, she jumped to her feet, and the tension in the room seemed palpable. She swallowed hard.

      “Well?” she challenged.

      “You haven’t told me what you’re doing here yet.” He gave her a smile, but his demeanor was anything but friendly. Still, he stayed seated and didn’t look like he was about to arrest her for obstruction. “Care to share?”

      She considered this. She knew Franklin Kennedy was a good cop. It still irked her, however, that he expected her to share when he wasn’t willing to let her help with the investigation. Hiding clues from him was foolhardy, though, especially when they were after the same thing—justice. “I saw a new mug from Gates on my father’s desk. I’m guessing they hired him, and I’m here to find out why. It’s not much of a lead, but it’s all I’ve got since the files are missing and I can’t access my father’s computer.”

      Kennedy studied her for a few moments and his scrutiny made her even more nervous. Finally, he seemed to come to a decision and leaned back in the chair.

      “Smart deduction. Gates is one of his newest accounts, and it was the last file that was open on his computer before his death. We think he was about to update his notes when he was interrupted, so we wanted to check it out, as well. In this case, your instincts are pretty good.”

      She breathed a sigh of relief at his words. “So I can stay?”

      Kennedy’s pause made her nervousness return, but he finally nodded at her. “For now.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to join you for your appointment. But let me ask the questions, okay? Do you think you can do that?”

      Could she? Keeping her mouth shut was not her forte, but if the choices were staying silent during the interview or occupying a jail cell, she’d definitely choose the former. She nodded and took her seat again, just as a secretary came to announce that the VP was ready to see her. Kennedy stood, introduced himself and explained that they needed to see the VP together. After seeing his badge, the secretary accepted his request and led them both past reception into the hallway. Bailey turned and looked over her shoulder one last time at the dark-haired man. Now he was watching her, and his eyes seemed to bore right through her as she walked. She didn’t know the man, but his expression was so intense that she was glad to get away from him. If looks could kill, she’d be lying dead on the floor right now.

      * * *

      The secretary led them to Mr. Johnson’s office, where a tall, graying man was seated behind a desk, working on a laptop. He closed the computer as they entered and rose before motioning

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