next move,” said Dominic. He pulled a card out of his pocket and pushed it across the table towards me. “My understanding is that you are continuing to work at the club. I would be very appreciative if you were to contact me if any further information should come your way.” I reluctantly picked up his card and looked at it carefully. I knew I was being paranoid but a part of me was concerned that there could be a tracking device embedded in it. Based on what I knew about Dominic Caldwell, I wouldn’t be surprised. Turning over the card I looked up at him. “Why me?” I asked. “There are so many ways that you can find out the information that you want. Why did you come to me?” Dominic smiled. “It is true that I am following other lines of inquiry. Getting this land is important to me. Still, I find I value your insights into these matters. You have a refreshing way of looking at life. If you were available I would be interested in offering you a position on my staff.” For a moment I forgot to breathe. I was being head hunted by a man who, depending on which rumor you listened to, may or may not perform that activity literally. “ Thank you,” I said, remembering to breathe again, although I did find that my voice was pitched a little high. “At this time I don’t think that I am looking for another position. I’m quite happy where I am.” Dominic stood up, picked up my hand and brushed a gentle kiss across the back of my knuckles. “Until we meet again,” he said. I started breathing again when he walked out of the door of the diner.
Chapter Eight Closing the door to my apartment, I leaned back against it and closed my eyes. Here I felt safe. “Did you want to tell me what you’ve been doing?” My eyes flew open and I stopped a scream when I saw it was Griffin. “What are you doing here?” I was smiling. I couldn’t help it. Griffin had come back. We were going to discuss our issues like adults and sort them out. Our relationship would survive and we would come out of this stronger. Griffin would realize how much he loved me and everything would be perfect. “ You were having lunch with Dominic Caldwell,” Griffin accused. I raised my eyes to the heavens. I could not catch a break. “How on Earth did you know that? I only left him about twenty minutes ago.” “ Take your pick,” said Griffin. “There is more than one law enforcement agency keeping an eye on the guy and when he sits down to lunch with my girlfriend I start getting phone calls.” At least that was one question for the day answered, Griffin still considered that I was his girlfriend. “I was sitting in a diner having lunch when he came up to speak to me. It seems that Hammy owed him some money, because that is the way my life goes. He wondered if I had any ideas who could have possibly killed Hammy.” “And he was asking you because...” “Because for some reason the man values my opinion.” Griffin looked at me skeptically. I was with him. Dominic Caldwell’s unswerving confidence in my powers of observation and deduction caused me to question the man’s grasp on reality. “Are there any other men that I should be worried about you keeping company with?” asked Griffin. “I mean in twenty four hours I find you spending time in a strip club with Cooper and then having a friendly lunch with Dominic Caldwell.” Just like that my dreams of a mature discussion and loving reconciliation went out of the window. “ It wasn’t my fault,” I said, wondering if I was overusing that phrase. “Dominic came and spoke to me about Hammy’s death. He was in the middle of buying the land that the club is on in repayment for some debts Hammy had with him. According to Dominic, the death happened at an unfortunate time during the negotiations.” I grimaced a bit. That sounded a little bit too much like something Dominic would say. I was beginning to sound like him. I was going to have to nip that in the