put up with them.
“That’s settled, then,” she said, albeit with a touch of caution. “I won’t feel really safe until Jerry’s got his underground workshop in full production mode in Dumpsville, but things are looking better.”
“Much better,” Tammy said. She preened. “I even suggested that we expand vintage, and he agreed.” She tapped one impeccable scarlet nail against her perfect cupid’s bow mouth, and her blue eyes glinted. “It was somewhere around the end of the Preppers Special and the last bottle of craft beer, when he was feeling generous. Well, actually, he was barely conscious. I may have taken unfair advantage there.”
“Marry him immediately,” ordered Georgie, “before he realizes he’s met his match.”
“That’s the plan,” Tammy said complacently. “Just as soon as he thinks it’s his idea.”
Scott cleared his throat. “I’m feeling somewhat vulnerable here. Is it like this every time you girls get together?”
They all said at once, “Yes,” and grinned at him.
“Next order of business,” Georgie said, knowing they were all curious, “the West family problem. By the way, Tammy, we haven’t told you. We’ve formed a new investigation team, and you’re on it.”
“CBI,” Layla added. “Crystal Ball Investigations. Dontcha love it?”
Tammy squirmed with enjoyment. “This is turning out to be the best trip ever. What do I do?”
Layla drained her glass and set it down with a sigh. “You don’t do anything, really, you’re just part of the think tank. Same as Scott and me.”
“Oh.” Tammy looked faintly disappointed. “I thought I’d get to dress up and seduce people to find out information.”
“That may come, but not yet,” Georgie assured her. “I mainly need help in putting together clues. And looking at a dozen different scenarios.” As she had for the others, she filled in Tammy on progress so far, and Sarah’s final phone call. “So really,” she ended, “I haven’t got far at all.”
The others looked at each other and apparently saw the same reaction on each other’s faces, but it was Scott who spoke.
“I’d say you’ve done very well. You’re down to three, you say. Damian and Cory, the two directors, and Rachel.” He looked around at everyone. “Shall I summarize?”
At their nods, he went on. “Damian is unlikely because he is one of the owners and stands to lose a lot because this other company came out with the same product early, right?”
“Right. Not the same product, but almost identical,” Georgie agreed.
“So he’d hardly pass on company secrets. Cory is also unlikely because he has invested just as much in the company… but he’s jealous of the closer relationship between James and Damian, so that could be a motive.”
“Except that he loses out financially as well.”
“But,” said Tammy, “if either of them has a hidden motive—like cooking the books or having a secret debt—then everything changes.”
Scott nodded. “Which leaves us with Rachel. Neither Sarah nor James thinks it’s her, because they’ve been friends forever and their daughters are friends, and Rachel is upsetting the staff because she’s helping the police with their investigations.”
“That’s about it,” agreed Georgie. “The trouble is I can’t point the finger at one of them for sure, but I do think it’s one of them. Or maybe it’s just that one of them knows something. They’ll lead me to something else…?”
Tammy ran a finger around the drying bubbles of milk around the edge of her glass, and said thoughtfully, “We have to look at motive. WHY would someone do this? Money is one reason, but why else? They can hardly spend it, because the police will be looking at their accounts and spending habits. They can’t get a kickback from the rival company, because that will be obvious too. So take away money… and what do you have? Blackmail? Does someone have secret
“That’s settled, then,” she said, albeit with a touch of caution. “I won’t feel really safe until Jerry’s got his underground workshop in full production mode in Dumpsville, but things are looking better.”
“Much better,” Tammy said. She preened. “I even suggested that we expand vintage, and he agreed.” She tapped one impeccable scarlet nail against her perfect cupid’s bow mouth, and her blue eyes glinted. “It was somewhere around the end of the Preppers Special and the last bottle of craft beer, when he was feeling generous. Well, actually, he was barely conscious. I may have taken unfair advantage there.”
“Marry him immediately,” ordered Georgie, “before he realizes he’s met his match.”
“That’s the plan,” Tammy said complacently. “Just as soon as he thinks it’s his idea.”
Scott cleared his throat. “I’m feeling somewhat vulnerable here. Is it like this every time you girls get together?”
They all said at once, “Yes,” and grinned at him.
“Next order of business,” Georgie said, knowing they were all curious, “the West family problem. By the way, Tammy, we haven’t told you. We’ve formed a new investigation team, and you’re on it.”
“CBI,” Layla added. “Crystal Ball Investigations. Dontcha love it?”
Tammy squirmed with enjoyment. “This is turning out to be the best trip ever. What do I do?”
Layla drained her glass and set it down with a sigh. “You don’t do anything, really, you’re just part of the think tank. Same as Scott and me.”
“Oh.” Tammy looked faintly disappointed. “I thought I’d get to dress up and seduce people to find out information.”
“That may come, but not yet,” Georgie assured her. “I mainly need help in putting together clues. And looking at a dozen different scenarios.” As she had for the others, she filled in Tammy on progress so far, and Sarah’s final phone call. “So really,” she ended, “I haven’t got far at all.”
The others looked at each other and apparently saw the same reaction on each other’s faces, but it was Scott who spoke.
“I’d say you’ve done very well. You’re down to three, you say. Damian and Cory, the two directors, and Rachel.” He looked around at everyone. “Shall I summarize?”
At their nods, he went on. “Damian is unlikely because he is one of the owners and stands to lose a lot because this other company came out with the same product early, right?”
“Right. Not the same product, but almost identical,” Georgie agreed.
“So he’d hardly pass on company secrets. Cory is also unlikely because he has invested just as much in the company… but he’s jealous of the closer relationship between James and Damian, so that could be a motive.”
“Except that he loses out financially as well.”
“But,” said Tammy, “if either of them has a hidden motive—like cooking the books or having a secret debt—then everything changes.”
Scott nodded. “Which leaves us with Rachel. Neither Sarah nor James thinks it’s her, because they’ve been friends forever and their daughters are friends, and Rachel is upsetting the staff because she’s helping the police with their investigations.”
“That’s about it,” agreed Georgie. “The trouble is I can’t point the finger at one of them for sure, but I do think it’s one of them. Or maybe it’s just that one of them knows something. They’ll lead me to something else…?”
Tammy ran a finger around the drying bubbles of milk around the edge of her glass, and said thoughtfully, “We have to look at motive. WHY would someone do this? Money is one reason, but why else? They can hardly spend it, because the police will be looking at their accounts and spending habits. They can’t get a kickback from the rival company, because that will be obvious too. So take away money… and what do you have? Blackmail? Does someone have secret
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