Page 65 of Over the Edge

Not the most friendly person he’d ever encountered—but she’d just lost her husband, and people manifested grief differently.

If he didn’t get her talking, however, he’d only be able to offer impressions, not information. Insufficient for a man like Nolan.

“I, uh, hope the police find answers for you quickly.” An awkward segue, but it was the best he could come up with on the fly.

“They haven’t found anything yet.” The creases on her brow deepened. “Our chef was in the kitchen, but the only detail she’s remembered hasn’t been helpful.”

What detail was that?

Did it have anything to do with the conversation between Nolan and Robertson?

If there was a diplomatic way to ask that question, it eluded him.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Well, I suppose she could remember more.” She jiggled her keys. “Your name came up in the meeting this morning, in reference to a strip mall my husband was interested in acquiring. I believe you’ve been doing the due diligence on it, correct?”

“Yes.”

“I’d like to go over the financial analysis with you Thursday. I’ll be here part of the day. It seems to be an attractive opportunity. The balance sheet is impressive, and the income stream has been steady.”

His pulse skittered.

That news wouldn’t please Nolan.

Nor would he be happy to hear that Heidi Robertson appeared to have a decent mind for business.

“It does look solid on paper, but there are a few liabilities that don’t show up in the numbers.”

“Let’s talk about them on Thursday. Have a nice evening.” She continued down the hall.

He remained where he was until the door closed behind her, debating next moves.

Should he text Nolan?

Sweat broke out above his upper lip, and he swiped it away.

Why not wait until after he met with their new CEO? A quick conversation in the hall didn’t provide much basis for evaluation. It was possible she wasn’t as savvy about business matters as their brief exchange suggested.

Yet as he returned to his office to get his coat, Eric faced the truth.

Heidi Robertson wasn’t an airhead trophy wife, as the office staff had joked when James married her eight years ago after his spouse of thirty-four years died of cancer.

She was smart—and from all indications more than capable of stepping into her husband’s shoes. Perhaps all along, despite the low profile she’d kept, she’d been his trusted partner on the business front too. In fact, she might be as ruthless as he’d been. Potentially worse, since James had become more hard-hitting and less lenient about mistakes after his marriage.

None of which boded well for Nolan’s plans to get the strip mall. Nor did it provide an incentive for him to pay off the insider who was supposed to smooth the path for a deal of a lifetime that seemed less and less likely to happen.

Meaning Nolan could resort to more drastic measures to beef up his odds.

Eric exhaled a shaky breath.

All he could do was hope that come Thursday, whatever case he built would convince Heidi to write off the strip mall and finally get him out of the corner he’d painted himself into.

Fourteen

DARA WAS A MESS.

As Lindsey circulated among the students during the final minutes of her Tuesday Cooking on a Budget class, she kept tabs on the younger woman.

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