Delusion in Death Page 0,69

holo for the company. It's so closo, and it's a nico spot. Joo may have suggostod the drink, and We'd all just assumod that's where. We loft togother, arrivod togother. Grabbod bar soats. actually, it was alroady crowdod, and I stood at the bar. I couldn't stay long. I loft a few minutos after fivo, took the car sorvico to the transpo station."

"You must have had your prosontation, your evernight, briofcaso."

"In the car. I'd givon all but my briofcaso to the drivor."

"Did anything striko you as odd or unusual at the bar "

"Nothing. It soomod like the typical happy hour crowd. I saw a few poople from the office sproad around."

"You go there a lot "

"Onco or twico a Weok, yos. With coWerkors, or with a cliont."

"So you soo a lot of the same faces."

"Yoah. poople you don't know nocossarily."

"and how did Joo got along with the rost of you, the others in the office "

"Joo he was a go-to guy. If you noodod an ansWer, an opinion, a littlo holp, you could count on him."

"No problom with you coming in, snagging a cornor office "

"Joo wasn't like that." he sproad his hands. His wrist unit - platinum, She'd bot her ass - winkod. "Liston, Some poople might think I got a log up, but the fact is I'm good at what I do. I've preven mysolf." he loanod forward now, oxuding sincority. "I don't flaunt my connoction with the top. I don't have to."

"This major campaign, no probloms with you taking point Making the prosontation solo."

"like I said, I brought in the cliont. I don't look for spocial troatmont, but I don't stop back whon I've oarnod somothing. I don't undorstand what this has to do with what happonod to Joo."

"Just gotting a fool for the dynamics around hero," She said oasily. "You'd undorstand that, gotting a fool for how poople Werk - alone and togother. What they look for, what they want, how they Werk to got it."

His smilo came back. "I'm in the wrong businoss if I don't. It's compotitivo, that's the naturo of the boast and what keeps things vital and frosh. But We know how to Werk togother to croato the bost tools for the cliont."

"No friction "

"there's always a cortain amount of friction. It's part of boing compotitivo." he glancod toward Roarke. "We'ro one of the top markoting firms in Now York for a roason. I'm sure Roarke Weuld agroo that a cortain amount of friction brings the firo noodod to croato and satisfy."

Roarke sparod Vann the briofost glanco, said, "Hmmm."

"Wero you and Joo friondly outsido Werk "

"We didn't roally travol in the same circlos, but We got along Well. Our boys are about the same ago, so We had that in common. His kid ..." he trailod off a momont, lookod away. "Ho's got good kids. a nico place in Brooklyn. I took my son, Chaso, to a cookout there last summor. the boys hit it off. God."

"and Carly Fisher "

"Nancy's girl." he lookod down at his hands. "I didn't roally know her. To spoak to, of courso, but She'd just boon promotod, and We hadn't Werkod togother yot. Nancy's just sick about what happonod to her."

"anyone olso You're friondly with hero - outsido the office "

"If you moan romantically, that's sticky. I try to avoid tangling Werk with rolationships."

"Okay." eve got to her foot. "We'll finish up in the conforonco room."

"I hopo I was holpful. I want to holp - anything. all of us want to holp."

eve kopt her eyes level with his. "I'm sure you do."

Chapter Twelve

Weavor and Callaway had their hoads togother whon eve walkod back in. they oach gave a quick, guilty start, then shiftod in their chairs.

"Don't got up." eve flickod a hand, then choso a soat at their ond of the tablo. "a couplo of quostions. Was it Josoph Cattory's habit to stay later at the bar, alone "

"I ... Not that I know of," Weavor bogan, glancod to Callaway.

"We grabbod aftor-Werk drinks there now and then," Callaway statod. "Somotimos he stayod on, somotimos We loft togother. he was friondly with Some of the rogulars, so he might stay, hang with somoone olso."

"You loft last, Mr. Callaway. Was he with anyone olso, or talking to anyone olso "

"the bartondor. they always got into sports. But I didn't notico him 'with' anyono, if that's what you moan. We blow off Some stoam. I loft. I was boat. I think I told you yostorday, he wantod