Elsie frowned. “Are you all right?”
Ashley blew out a sharp breath. “Just tired. Tired of working in a place where the boss is nowhere to be found. Tired of being the only responsible one around here, forced to clean up messes I didn’t make. And now I’m getting woken up in the middle of the night because apparently people were trying to get into the bar last night and there was no one else to call.” She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry. That was unprofessional and uncalled for. I shouldn’t have unleashed all that on you. I’m just overwhelmed.”
A twinge of intuition heightened Dean’s awareness. “No apology necessary. That sucks you were getting calls in the middle of the night. What in the world was that all about?”
She shrugged. “Who knows. I guess a few guys were lingering by the front door and a friend of mine happened to be out and was concerned they were attempting to break in. Don’t know why they didn’t call the police. That’s what I did, and when they got here, no one was around. I called Malcom to fill him in but haven’t heard from the world’s best boss since yesterday.” Sarcasm dripped from her mouth like honey.
Dean tucked that bit of information into the back of his mind. “Ashley, have you heard any news about Malcom?”
“No,” she said. “Did something happen?”
Dean glanced across the table and found Elsie’s grimace before staring up at Ashley. The long-time server of Town Tavern would learn the truth soon enough. Might as well fill her in and hopefully her shock would loosen her lips. “He was killed last night.”
Ashley’s eyes flew wide. “Seriously? Was he in an accident? I can’t believe this. I swear this place is cursed.”
“Not an accident.” Dean didn’t elaborate. At this point in the investigation, the sheriff’s department wouldn’t want him spreading the details of Malcom’s murder. But there was no reason to pretend his death was anything other than what it was.
“Oh my God,” Ashley said, swaying slightly.
Elsie shot to her feet and wrapped an arm around Ashley’s waist, guiding her to an empty seat. “I’m sorry. I know this is a lot to take in, especially after everything that’s happened around here lately.”
Sinking into the chair, Ashley’s skin drained of color. “I didn’t really know him that well, but he was pleasant enough. What should I do? Should we close? Keep working like nothing happened? Dammit, I need this job.” Tears glimmered in her eyes and she sniffled.
Dean pulled a napkin from the silver dispenser on the table and pressed it into her hand. “Stay open until you’re toldotherwise. No one will fault you for wanting to make a paycheck. And if you want to help uncover what happened to Malcom, you can tell us anything you think we should know.”
Frowning, her brows dipped low. “Like what? I told you everything I know. I swear. He kept to himself. Didn’t work shifts or make friends with anyone here. Hell, he didn’t even spend much time in his apartment upstairs.”
“Could we poke around a bit?” Elsie asked.
Ashley shifted in her chair. “I don’t think it’s my place to authorize that. I’m sure his apartment is locked. Won’t the police be by to look at all his things?”
“They will, yes,” Dean said. “But right now, they are busy elsewhere and time is limited.”
Ashley bounced her gaze between them. “I don’t understand. How can time be limited? I get wanting to find a criminal if someone killed Malcom, but he’s already dead. Moving quickly won’t change that.”
Elsie slid her hand across the table and rested it on top of Ashley’s, gaining her attention. “My roommate has been missing for days and we think whoever hurt Malcom might be connected to her disappearance. Each minute that passes lessens our chances of finding her alive, and she has a little boy waiting at home for his mom. Dean and I are doing everything we can to help law enforcement.”
“Well, maybe you can look at his office. The staff use it more than he does, but he’d go in there from time to time.”
“Thank you,” Elsie said. “Can you show us where it is?”
Standing, Ashley nodded and wiped her eyes. “Sure. Come with me.”
Dean followed the two women to a small room down a short hallway. A dim light shone from the single overhead globe. A desk sat in the middle of the space, with a metal filing cabinet to one side. “It’s pretty tidy in here.”
A small smile tugged at a corner of Ashley’s mouth. “Thanks. I try to get things as organized as possible.”
“Do you handle the books?” Elsie asked.
“Mostly.” Ashley rounded the end of the desk and typed on the keyboard of the desktop computer. “Here’s everything I have access to for the business. Not sure how it can help, but feel free to look. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do, but I need to get back to work.”
“Thank you,” Elsie said. “You can’t know how much this means. How much it might help.”
Ashley let out a shaky breath. “Do I tell the rest of the staff about Malcom?”
“That’s up to you,” Dean said. “They’ll find out soon. If it’s too much, you don’t need to take on the responsibly of giving that news.”
She flashed a tight smile then disappeared down the hall.