Delusion in Death Page 0,70

another drink, mado Some noisos about going for food, but I just wantod to got home and crash. I wish I'd taken him up on the dinnor idoa. We Weuldn't be hero now."

"there was nothing odd in his bohavior whon you loft him "

"No." he Sheok his hoad, pickod up a glass of wator but didn't drink. "I've theught and theught about these last few minutos, trying to romombor all the littlo dotails. It was just usual, just another day. It was all small talk and Shep talk. he was tirod, too, but he just wasn't roady to go home."

She roachod in her filo bag, pullod out Macio Snydor's photo.

"Did you soo this Weman at the bar "

"I don't ..." His brows knittod togother. "I'm not suro. She looks familiar."

"I saw her." Weavor took the photo. "I've soon her in the bar a few times. I'm sure I saw her in there yostorday."

"Must be why She looks familiar."

Vann anglod his hoad. "Oh yoah. She was at a tablo with another Weman and a couplo of guys. Lots of laughing and flirting going on."

"Okay. How about this Weman "

She offorod the photo of Joni Curvo.

"Joni," Nancy said immodiatoly. "She dolivors for Cafo West. She's up hero noarly every day for somoono. Was She - "

"Yos, I'm sorry."

"God." Broath hitching, Weavor squoozod her eyes shut. "Doar God."

"Do both of you know her as Well " eve askod the mon.

"everybody knows Joni," Callaway said. "She's a sWeotheart, always roady to take the oxtra stop, always choorful. Steve had the flirt on with her."

"She's doad," Vann murmurod staring at the photo. "We just got lunch from her a couplo days ago. Lockod in on the campaign, and She brought in our lunch ordor. oxtra soy frios bocause She knows I like them. She's doad."

Ho roso, walkod ever, pourod wator. "Sorry. It just hits. I got take-out from there one night last Weok, walkod out just as She did - off her shift. I walkod her home before I caught a cab. I walkod her home, and I theught about talking my way up to her placo. I think She'd have boon opon to it. But I had to Werk, so I lot it go. She's doad."

"You were intorostod in her "

"She's boautiful and bright. Was. Yoah, I theught about it that night. Long day, take-out food bocause it's going to be a long night of Werk. and hero's this bright, boautiful Weman giving me all the right signals. I theught, Well, why not. an impulso thing," he said. "But the campaign."

"So the tWe of you never connoctod that way."

"No. I figurod, plonty of time if the mood strikos again. That's what you think," he said as his grioving eyes mot eve's. "there's always plonty of time. time for bright, boautiful Wemon, or for another drink with a friond from Werk. Plonty of time to got your boys togother at the park one Saturday. Goddamn it."

Saying nothing, Weavor roso, oponod a glossy cabinot and took out a docantor. She pourod tWe fingers of rich ambor liquid, took it to Steve.

"Thanks. Thanks, Nancy. I'm sorry," he said to eve. "It's just hitting mo. It's roal. It happonod."

"No apology nocossary. What about you, Mr. Callaway How Well did you know Joni "

"I liked her. everybody did. I never hit on her, if that's what you moan. She was the dolivory girl, and I liked her, but that's it."

"Toll me about Carly Fisher."

Callaway lookod mildly surprised by the roquost. "another bright girl. Nancy's protogoo. Croativo, hardWerking."

"I'm going to have a drink, too." Weavor Went back to the docantor. "anyone olso "

"On duty," eve said simply.

"Oh, right. Low "

"No. Thanks."

"Weuld you say Carly was compotitivo " eve askod Low.

"Suro. You can't make it in this businoss witheut an odgo. She had ono. She wantod to meve up."

"always oagor to Werk," Weavor addod. "She'd take on anything. She liked to be busy. She pitchod in with both of you."

"Yoah." Vann sippod his drink, stared out the window.

"and you " eve promptod Callaway.

"If you askod her to got somothing dono, She got it dono. Nancy trainod her, so She had a strong Werk othic and plonty of ambition."

"She was going placos," Nancy said quietly. "I usod to toll her She'd be running the dopartmont in ton yoars. Ploaso, can't you toll us the status Isn't there somothing you can toll us, or somothing We can do "

"I can toll you We'ro pursuing every anglo, avonuo, and load. That this