Read Online Idyll Threats by Stephanie Gayle - Free Book Online

she's not good at it.”
    â€œAnd Cecilia was?” I asked.
    â€œCecilia liked people. I think Patricia thought Cecilia usurped her role.”
    â€œIs Patricia in today?”
    Jenna's brows descended. “Ever since we learned about Cecilia, she's been offering to help us if we're grieving. As if I'd go to her.” Her eyes welled. “Sorry.” She honked into a tissue. “Why would anyone shoot Cecilia?”
    I gave her my card. “It's our job to figure that out. Where does Patricia sit?”
    A small smile appeared. “I'll take you to her.” With her smile, she was quite pretty. I almost said so, but I knew she wouldn't believe me. Not with that calorie counter taped above her candy bowl.
    While we stood outside Patricia's office, Finnegan nudged me. “You don't think Cecilia was shot because she became the nicest one in the office do you?”
    â€œNo. But it'll be helpful to talk to someone who didn't like her.”
    â€œWhat about O'Donnell?”
    So he'd noticed. “I'm hoping this one is chattier.”
    â€œRight then,” he said as the door opened. Patricia Jameson wore a flower-print dress and granny glasses and had the reddest hair I'd ever seen. And I'm fourth-generation-from-the-boats Irish. She gave me a dead-fish handshake. Then she suggested we come inside. Her office contained nothing personal. Even I had an unwanted plant.
    â€œYou're here about Cecilia North.” She sat. All her office items were aligned at right angles. “It's such a tragedy.” Tragedy is a word outsiders use to describe terrible events.
    â€œYou were close?” Ah, Finnegan. He was winning me over today.
    â€œShe often came to me for advice.” She rubbed her hands together. If she were playing poker, I'd call that movement a tell.
    â€œI thought Jenna Dash was assigned to help Cecilia?”
    Scorn pulled her lips back. “Jenna is in charge of surveys and studies. She hardly communicates with others outside of her data collection.”
    â€œHow was Cecilia, once she got settled?” I asked.
    She set her hands flat on the desk. Her veins were ropy and very blue. “She tried hard. But she wasn't always punctual, and time is money. She took two sick days when she only had one. And she spent too much time answering basic questions.”
    â€œWas she reprimanded?”
    â€œMs. O'Donnell spoke to her, but nothing was added to her record.” How would she know? She saw me look at Finnegan and said, “Cecilia told me.” She'd left the lie too late.
    â€œDid she seem troubled lately? Worried?” I asked. She shrugged. “You've said you were close. I'd hoped you might know if something was bothering her.”
    â€œThings have been busy with the new crop of hires. We didn't have a lot of time to be chatting.” I said nothing. She bit her lower lip andadded, “Lately, she seemed distracted. I asked what was wrong, but she said she hadn't gotten enough sleep.”
    â€œIs there anyone you can think of who might have wanted to harm her?”
    She adjusted her stapler. “No, but you might ask Gary Clark. He spent enough time in her office.” There he was again. Gary Clark.
    â€œIs there anything else you can think of about her last days?” Finnegan asked.
    â€œShe borrowed three dollars from me Friday to get a sandwich. She was going to pay me back, but—” She read our faces and said, “Of course, I don't care about the money. It's just so hard to believe she won't be here again.” The crocodile tears came. I would've left her to sniffle, but Finnegan handed her a tissue. I gave her my card. Then I threw three singles on her desk. “I'm sure Cecilia would have wanted you to have them,” I said. She looked as though I'd slapped her. Good.
    Ms. O'Donnell gave us Cecilia's office key after she warned us not to review any files in there, which were confidential. She said she