Page 26 of Deadly Designs

“Sara Lea,” Aja Blue prompted.

“What . . . oh, sorry. Everyone is okay, but someonevandalized the outside of the office.”

Aja Blue had been so worried about her employees thatshe hadn’t noticed her building. She took off to see the damage.Homophobic slurs mixed with death threats were spray-painted on theglass and stone façade. The two pots of ferns flanking the doorwere overturned and broken, with dirt and fronds scatteredeverywhere. Sara Lea’s lovingly hung wind chimes lay in a brokenheap.

Aja Blue turned to say something to Christian, but hewasn’t there. Panic had her spinning around to find him. He’dbecome her loadstone. Relief washed over her when she saw himtalking to one of the uniformed officers.

“Who is he?”

She’d forgotten Sara Lea was there. “An old friend.He came for a visit.”

“He is one mighty fine specimen.”

That he was.

“He’s welcome to stay at my place if you don’t haveenough room.”

The stab of jealousy was totally unexpected.Christian wasn’t hers. They weren’t even dating. But the thought ofhim with anyone else had her seeing red. “That won’t be aproblem.”

“Aja Blue, I was kidding.”

She glanced at Sara Lea and registered the humor onher face. “I know.” Crap, she had it bad. “Have you been inside tosee if there’s any damage?”

Sara Lea quickly schooled her features. “No. I pulledup at the same time as the police. Dr. Mulgrew from next doorcalled them.”

“Aja Blue! Sara Lea! What the heck happened?”

She turned to see Darwin and Marla rushing over. SaraLea filled them in while Aja Blue watched Christian take charge.Even the cops seemed to defer to him. He was a powerful presence,so commanding and sure. Wow.

“It has to be the same weirdo who sent that creepypackage last week,” Darwin concluded, shaking Aja Blue from herChristian-induced trance. And the person who had trashed Aja Blueand Jay’s homes. She didn’t tell the others about the destruction.They had enough to worry about.

“Aja Blue, have you talked to Jay?”

She turned to Sara Lea. “No. You?”

Sara Lea shook her head.

“I bet he’s in Tahiti or somewhere equally exotic,sucking on a Pina Colada and soaking up the sun,” decidedMarla.

Aja Blue wished that was the case. If Jay werelounging on a tropical beach, he’d check in. He was too responsibleto go incommunicado this long.

Christian came over with Detective Herbert. Aja Bluehadn’t noticed her arrive.

“Ms. LaLonde, I’d like you to accompany me inside theoffice to see if anything is missing.”

“Okay.” She turned to her employees. “I’ll beback.”

Aja Blue and Christian followed the detective as theywove through the cops standing around her shop. She took out herkey, opened the door, and flipped the lights on.

Everything looked the same as when she’d left lastweek. Sara Lea kept the place spotless, which Aja Blue appreciated.It wasn’t in her job description, but Sara Lea had taken it uponherself to make the office warm and homey. She cleaned, dusted, andemptied the trash. She placed fragrance machines around thatsmelled like lavender and vanilla. Plants grew happily in thesun-dappled windows, and when they were working, soft music waftedfrom the speakers placed strategically around the room. Aja Bluehad planned it to be an open area where ideas could flow and beshared. She didn’t have an office, instead opting for a desk withthe others to be more productive. There was a conference room wheresomeone could go if they needed privacy. Otherwise, they shared thecommon spaces.

“Nothing has been touched,” she told thedetective.

They checked the back door to make sure the lockheld—it had. None of the windows had been tampered with. Thevandalism only extended to the front wall.

Once Detective Herbert and the cops left, Aja Bluemotioned for her employees to enter. Then she formally introducedthem to Christian.

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