Page 65 of Courting Gossip (Courting)
They dished up an assortment of way too much food and sat down together.
‘How are things at the office?’ Genieve asked. ‘Are they quieting down?’
Rielle and Darien shared a look.
‘Um…no,’ her friend finally responded. ‘There were reporters staked out outside the building today.’
Brody went still. ‘Looking for Jenny?’
She nodded.
He’d known they’d be digging for more information. ‘How far did they get?’
‘The address,’ Darien said dryly. He took a drink of the iced tea Genieve had brought to the table. ‘The building is secure. They can’t get in, and nobody is talking to them.’
‘But they’re digging into Luxxor?’ Genieve asked.
‘Nina is dealing with it,’ Rielle said, patting her arm. ‘I think what they really want are pictures of you.’
‘You mean pictures of me crying,’ Genieve said with a roll of her eyes.
Brody’s jaw set. Those photographers were going to be waiting a long time. He wasn’t above much when it came to spinning a story his way, but he wouldn’t make her do that.
‘What about Luxxor’s computer systems?’ he asked. She’d been working on database information all afternoon.
‘Secure,’ Darien said.
There was no hint of doubt there. Brody looked at the man for a long moment, then decided to take him at his word.
Rielle patted her mouth with a napkin. ‘Nina was called down to the police station for questioning, but I think she nipped the investigation into Luxxor in the bud.’
‘Morgan?’ Brody and Genieve asked at the same time.
‘Cleared her.’ Darien and Rielle echoed each other, too. ‘And Luxxor.’
Concern still lined Rielle’s forehead. ‘But Nina needs to step carefully. That’s why she sent me over here.’
‘We weren’t followed,’ Darien said.
Genieve slumped back in her chair. ‘I thought things might be getting back to normal.’
Normal. Brody swirled his fork in his lo mein. He was going to have to change her definition of that. Life at Luxxor was not normal, even at the best of times.
He levelled a look on Darien. He had a sense that maybe he had access to information he himself hadn’t been able to get. ‘Has there been any progress on finding out who put in the anonymous tip to TMI?’
‘Morgan is working on it. He’s like a bulldog. He won’t give up until he knows who did it – and why.’
Rielle shrugged. ‘Well, it does involve Nina.’
Yes, but it also involved Genieve, and Brody didn’t want the detective finding out about her line of work. That solution wasn’t a solution for them at all.
‘Gunderson seems to be coming out of it smelling like a rose,’ Darien said. He lifted an eyebrow. ‘How does that work?’
Not well, and it was getting clunkier all the time. Brody pushed his food around his plate. He worked for Gunderson, but he wanted to protect Genieve. The two goals didn’t always converge.
‘It’s my job,’ he said flatly. He dropped his fork and sat back. Genieve looked at him worriedly, but he patted his full stomach. He wasn’t going to ruin her evening for her. ‘That hit the spot. Thank you.’
‘Mmm, so good,’ Genieve agreed as she snagged another egg roll.
