just want to see what I can dig up about Matt Healy. I’ve started to wonder if he and X were connected, maybe working together. The more I learn, the better.”
“Where do you start? The Miami police are hardly going to let you in on their investigation. You had to call them just to find out his death was ruled a homicide.”
“I know. And those guys at Ithaka aren’t going to blab either. That place looks like an impenetrable fortress. I—”
She paused and lifted her eyes.
As she’d uttered the words, she sensed an idea beginning to push toward the surface of her mind, as if it had been slowly gnawing its way through the tangle of thoughts. She suddenly realized who might spill at least a little of what she needed to know.
chapter 10
“Wait, what are you thinking?” Baby asked.
“Umm, nothing, just letting my mind wander,” Kit decided not to spill, knowing she’d only make Baby fret more. She took a last bite from her pizza slice, which she barely tasted.
“Just be careful, Kit. I don’t want to think of you running around playing private detective.”
Kit smiled. “Well that would be tough for me to do considering the only rod I generally pack is one you hang drapes from. But look, I’ve already taken up enough of your Saturday, Baby. Why—”
A buzzer sounded suddenly, making them both jerk. It had come from the office. Someone was ringing up from the lobby.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Baby asked warily.
“No,” Kit said. She wondered if the cops were back, following up from last night. She hurried into the office, with Baby behind her, and answered the intercom.
“Hi, it’s Keith Holt,” a male voice said. “I’m here for our appointment.”
“Oh, right,” Kit stammered. She had completely and utterly forgotten. She buzzed him in, spun around, and blurted out the situation to Baby.
“My brain’s so fried from this whole experience that I forgot that he was coming by today,” Kit added. “I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid about a client.”
She also felt like a grungy mess from the cleanup.
“You’ll pull it together,” Baby reassured her.
“Would you mind staying one more minute? Meeting you could help seal the deal.”
“Of course. But if I don’t get the chance to tell you while he’s here, promise me you’ll consider coming back to my place later.”
In the time it took the elevator to transport the doctor to the fifth floor, Kit threw on a new top, doused herself with fragrance, and undid her hair from the braid she’d fastened earlier. She also lit two fig-scented candles in her living room. None of it did anything for her state of mind, however, and as the doorbell to the office rang, she told herself she was going to have to suck it up and manage to be mentally present.
Holt was dressed down today compared to their first appointment, wearing dark brown pants and a hip-length navy jacket, and yet he still managed to exude that almost palpable aura of self-assurance she’d beheld at their first meeting.
Baby gave him a taste of her charms and then, after a few minutes, announced that she needed to head back uptown.
“Why don’t we go over to my apartment,” Kit said after Baby had left. “It’ll be more comfortable there.” Besides, she knew it could be a bonus for him to see it.
After they entered her living space, Kit gestured toward the dining table.
“Please have a seat,” she said. “And, uh, let me take your jacket.”
She realized she felt oddly disoriented, like an actor who’d just dropped a line in a play and was scrambling for what to say next. The break-in was still clearly weighing on her.
“Your place is terrific,” Holt said as he slipped out of his jacket. “I really like what you’ve done with it.”
“Thank you. It’s not a huge space, but that made the challenge even more fun. Can I get you something? An espresso? Or cappuccino. I have sparkling water, too, if you’d like.”
“An espresso would be terrific.”
“Um, sure, just give me a minute to get the machine going.”
Kit detected a flicker of puzzlement in Holt’s eyes.
“Is this still a good time?” he asked.
“I’m sorry if I seem a bit flustered,” Kit said, realizing she was doing a lousy job of disguising her lingering distress. “I was robbed last night and I still feel slightly rattled from the experience.”
“That’s terrible,” Holt said. “Were you injured?”
“No, no. I guess I should have said burglarized, not robbed. It happened when I was