Page 69 of The Inmate
Yes, unpaid flex time while he’s investigating me for embezzlement.
She frowns. “Is the race still on?”
“Of course it is,” I snap at her. “I’ve spent the last three months organizing it. Do you think I’m going to just cancel it on one day’s notice?”
“Yes, but—”
“You’re coming tomorrow, aren’t you?” It occurs to me suddenly that with everything going on, people might not show up for the 5K. In terms of the charity, it doesn’t matter. I already have the donations. But I’ve got a local news crew coming, and it will look horrible if I’m the only one who shows up. “You’re going to be there, right?”
“Um…” Kim chews on her thumbnail. “I’m just not sure if it’s a good idea right now. With everything going on…”
I close my fingers around her arm. “Kim, you’ve got to come. I need people to show up to this. You can’t leave me hanging.”
“Nat…” She squirms. “You’re hurting my arm.”
I release my grip, my cheeks burning. “Please. You need to come.”
I don’t mention those pictures from her bachelorette party. She knows I’ve got them.
She finally nods. “Okay, I’ll be there. You can count on me.”
My shoulders relax slightly. Kim will be there, and also Caleb will show up. So that’s at least three of us. And I’m sure at least a handful of other people from the office will come. Greg Lowsky will surely make an appearance, even if he can’t finish the race.
“And maybe they’ll find Dawn’s killer by then?” Kim says.
I don’t know a lot of things for sure, but I know they’re not going to find Dawn’s killer by tomorrow morning.
ChapterForty-One
Ordinarily,I would love having an unexpected day off. I might go for a run, or go to my favorite massage place in Quincy. Or maybe get a manicure. Something about getting a manicure always lifts my spirits.
I don’t feel much in the mood for a manicure right now. Detective Santoro would probably use it against me.She’s able to afford a manicure. She’s obviously embezzling money.
God, haven’t they ever heard ofGroupon?
So instead, after taking care of a few quick errands, I spend the entire day on my couch, listlessly flipping between the channels. I mostly end up watching reruns of old sitcoms I’ve already seen a dozen times before. I’m just killing time before Caleb comes by after work. He’ll make me feel better.
In the late afternoon, my phone rings. My first thought is that it’s Caleb, maybe on his way over early. But then when I look down, “Mom” is flashing on the screen. Great.
But I don’t have anything better to do, so I snatch up the phone. “Hello?”
“Natalie!” Again, she’s shouting into the phone at the top of her lungs. I only hope she’s not in public. “I heard they found that girl from your company! That she’s dead!”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “I know…”
“Do you know what the newspapers are saying?” she says. I’m not sure I want to know, but she’s definitely going to tell me. “They’re saying people at your companybulliedher. Did you bully her, Natalie?”
“No! My God, Mom…”
“You should be kind to people who aren’t as popular as you are, Natalie.” Even though I’m thirty, my mother still loves to lecture me. “Even though she’s not as pretty as you are or as well-liked, you could still be nice to her.”
“I was nice to her!”
“Obviously not.”
What is the world coming to when even my own mother thinks I’m a big old bully? “I wouldn’t bully someone, Mom.”
“Well, obviously you would.” She sniffs. “Youhave. Remember how you and that friend of yours, Tara, used to… you know…”
