Page 116 of Stabby Little

I turn my face up. "I think I'm falling asleep."

"Do you wish to go home?"

I shake my head. "I'd like to rest here, if that's okay. I feel safer than I have in a long time."

Grant plants a soft, chaste kiss on my head. "I'll start the story again from the top."

36

GRANT

Thursday, June 18th

"Here."

I throw the beige envelope on Michael's desk. It smacks against the mahogany with a resounding thud, the contents spilling out. Screenshots from the prosthetics shop surveillance footage fan out in front of him.

Michael picks up a photograph. "Did you finally do your fucking job?"

"Yes." I motion for Cadbury to leave as I recline in the leather seat across from my boss. "It took the entire day. But I found Kobe Bailey."

"It doesn't matter if it took a fucking week. This is what I'm paying you to do."

“I know, sir."

"Did you interview Crystal?"

"Yes.”

“Why didn't you visit me last week to report about your meeting?”

“I needed to verify the information she gave me. That's why it took so long."

"Bullshit." Michael's eyes turn to slits. "I didn't ask you to verify shit. I needed to know what she told you ASAP."

"She had every reason to lie. I didn't want to waste your time on false information."

"Why the fuck would my own cousin lie to her family?"

"She brought a boy she didn't vet to her cousin's wedding. That's a punishable offense as far as her father's concerned."

Michael takes a sip of his drink. "Tell me what you found out."

"Crystal gave me a prosthetic nose that fell out of her date's pocket. I visited the shop where he purchased it and combed through their surveillance footage."

"He wore a fake nose?"

"Yes." Pulling a box out of my briefcase, I set it on Michael's desk. "Here's the nose.”

"This shit looks real." Michael studies it in his palm.

"It's the same prosthetic material bank robbers use during heists. It's realistic enough to fool the NYPD."

"I want a receipt of his purchase."

"The shop doesn't keep receipts."

Michael slams his fist on the table. "I find that hard to believe."

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