and would be in touch when she had the opportunity.
For a moment Kit wondered if she should give her parents a heads up. Though they could hardly be categorized as Internet surfers, they did go online at times, and there was a chance they would stumble on the story. But she decided to chance it and not breathe a word. In the years since her father’s bankruptcy, their protectiveness of her had mushroomed, and if she shared the story with them, they’d be totally wigged out. They’d probably plead with her to flee the city with a U-Haul.
Next she tried to focus on work, particularly on fleshing out a plan for Barry. She felt hopelessly stalled, unable to conjure up a viable concept for his place. Baby’s suggestion came to mind. She decided that she would have Dara spend part of the day at the D&D building, gathering as many fabric samples as possible. Maybe seeing a ton of swatches would get her creative juices flowing.
Dara arrived shortly afterward and sat at the table with her, agreeably taking notes for the fabric-scouting mission and asking a few follow-up questions. But Kit could sense how fraught she was inside, still shaken from yesterday and surely wondering why Kit wouldn’t be doing any of the legwork for Barry. It seemed like the right moment to come clean with her.
“Dara,” Kit said, leaning forward, elbows on the table. “I need to be more honest with you than I have been. I know you’ve sensed lately that there’s been more going on than meets the eye, and you’re right. Since I got back from my first trip to Florida, it appears that someone has been under the impression—totally false—that I have information that could possibly send them to prison. I’m pretty sure that’s why the office and my apartment were broken into. And it may be why Avery ended up dead. Someone apparently pushed her.”
Dara looked strickened. “But—what kind of information? What could anyone possibly think you know?”
“I’ll tell you at some point, but right now I just need you to be aware of what the stakes are. There’s a decent chance these people will be apprehended soon, and yet there’s no guarantee of that. There’s even the possibility of more trouble.”
“Okay,” Dara said, bobbing her head a little, as if keeping time with her thoughts. “And thank you for telling me. You know how loyal I am to you and Baby, but I probably should give this some thought. Scott is worried about me, and so are my parents.”
“Totally understood,” Kit said, but she was even more disconcerted now. Was Dara thinking of quitting?
“In fact, do you mind if I leave a little early today?” Dara asked. “My parents want to meet with me after work.”
As Kit nodded in consent, Dara’s request triggered a memory: her six-thirty meeting with Sasha. She’d arranged it to see if she could gather as many crumbs as possible on Kelman, but seeing the evidence last night had ratcheted up her fear about leaving the apartment. It seemed too risky to venture out just for crumbs. She decided to call and cancel, promising to rearrange the appointment at a later time. That way it would still be an option for the future if necessary.
Sasha picked up her cell phone on the second ring.
“I’ve been planning to get in touch,” Sasha said, “but it’s been crazy here. . . . really crazy.”
Crazy how? Kit wondered. She wanted to know, but if she were going to troll for information, she would have to proceed cautiously.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I bet you’re always under a lot of pressure there.”
“It’s not the pressure that’s bothering me,” Sasha said, her voice hushed. “I’m used to that. It’s the mood. The gloom here is so thick you could cut it with a knife.”
“Is it because of Matt Healy?” Kit asked, trying to keep her tone casual. “I’m sure people are still upset about his death.”
“Partly. You knew him, of course. I assume this hasn’t been easy for you either.”
How many times did she have to explain to the woman that she hadn’t known Healy? Was Sasha just toying with her to elicit information herself?
“I’d actually met him only once, but still, it was disturbing to hear about his death. . . . You said ‘partly.’”
“Excuse me.”
“You said all the craziness was only partly due to Matt’s death.”
“What I meant was that it’s not just that he died but how he died. Being murdered.”