she said. “So really sick people can get care.”
“You saw Vita improvise. Meaning you sat near her.”
“Right next to her. If I was smart, I’d have kept my darn mouth shut. But it bothered me, doing her own thing, so I said something to her.”
“What’d you say?”
“ ‘You know, Vita, you really shouldn’t leave the script.’ ” She winced.
I said, “She didn’t take that well.”
“Actually, she ignored me, like I wasn’t even there—talk to the hand. But a few days later she looked real mad so she must’ve found out.”
“Found out what?”
Pelleter looked to the side. “I was stupid. Because I cared.”
“You talked to someone else.”
“Not a supervisor, just one of the other consultants and they must’ve snitched because Vita got called in to a supervisor and when she got back to her cubicle she had a crazy look in her eyes, boiling mad. Nothing happened until after the first break but then all of a sudden she’s all over me, claiming I’m—a bunch of us—are bullies, we’ve never treated her like a human being, are out to persecute her.”
“How’d you react to that?”
“I didn’t do anything, I was so freaked out. But no, I can’t talk about it. Please. No more questions.”
Milo leaned in close. “Samantha, I promise you nothing you say will get back to the lawyers.”
“How can I be sure? I never really snitched on Vita but she thought I did and that’s what started the whole thing.”
He edged within an inch of her knees. “We know how to keep a secret, Samantha.”
“Whatever … so what kind of con did she try this time?”
“I know you didn’t harass her, Samantha, but did she have any particular problems with another consultant?”
“No one likes her, what goes around comes around.”
“Any special bad karma with someone else at work?”
“Everyone avoided her,” she said. “But no one bullied her. No one. What’d she do that you’re so interested?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? You said she was in trouble.”
“She is, Samantha. The worst kind of trouble.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She’s dead, Samantha.”
“Huh? What? How?”
“Someone killed her.”
“What’re you saying ? That’s crazy!”
Milo didn’t reply.
She made a run for the kitchenette, stared at the fridge, returned, wringing her hands. “Killed? Oh my God oh my God oh my God. Killed? Really? Someone killed her? Who? When?”
“Who we don’t know. When was the night before last, Samantha.”
“So then why are you—oh, no, no, God no, not that, you can’t believe I’d ever—no, it wasn’t like that. I mean I don’t—didn’t like her but that? No no no no no. No uh-uh. No .”
“We’re talking to everyone in Vita’s past.”
“I’m not in her past! Please. I can’t stand this!”
“Sorry to upset you, Samantha—”
“I am upset. I’m totally upset. That you would think that? That you would—”
“Please sit back down, Samantha, so we can clear this up quickly and be out of your way.”
He motioned toward the chair she’d vacated. She stared, sank down. “I really can’t take any more stress. I’m like at the end of my—my freakin’ husband cheated on me with who was supposed to be my freakin’ friend. Then he left me with a pile of debt I didn’t even know about that lost me my house and screwed up my credit. Do you know what I used to have? A three-bedroom house in Tujunga, I used to have a horse I rode out in Shadow Hills. I used to have a Jeep Wagoneer. Now you’re coming here and thinking terrible things about me and if you go to the company and say those things I won’t even have my job !”
Milo said, “No one suspects you, Samantha, this is routine. Which is why I need to ask you—even though it’s a crazy question—where were you the night before last?”
“Where was I? I was here. I don’t go anywhere, it takes money to go anywhere. I watched TV. I used to have a fifty-inch flat-screen. Now I
“You saw Vita improvise. Meaning you sat near her.”
“Right next to her. If I was smart, I’d have kept my darn mouth shut. But it bothered me, doing her own thing, so I said something to her.”
“What’d you say?”
“ ‘You know, Vita, you really shouldn’t leave the script.’ ” She winced.
I said, “She didn’t take that well.”
“Actually, she ignored me, like I wasn’t even there—talk to the hand. But a few days later she looked real mad so she must’ve found out.”
“Found out what?”
Pelleter looked to the side. “I was stupid. Because I cared.”
“You talked to someone else.”
“Not a supervisor, just one of the other consultants and they must’ve snitched because Vita got called in to a supervisor and when she got back to her cubicle she had a crazy look in her eyes, boiling mad. Nothing happened until after the first break but then all of a sudden she’s all over me, claiming I’m—a bunch of us—are bullies, we’ve never treated her like a human being, are out to persecute her.”
“How’d you react to that?”
“I didn’t do anything, I was so freaked out. But no, I can’t talk about it. Please. No more questions.”
Milo leaned in close. “Samantha, I promise you nothing you say will get back to the lawyers.”
“How can I be sure? I never really snitched on Vita but she thought I did and that’s what started the whole thing.”
He edged within an inch of her knees. “We know how to keep a secret, Samantha.”
“Whatever … so what kind of con did she try this time?”
“I know you didn’t harass her, Samantha, but did she have any particular problems with another consultant?”
“No one likes her, what goes around comes around.”
“Any special bad karma with someone else at work?”
“Everyone avoided her,” she said. “But no one bullied her. No one. What’d she do that you’re so interested?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? You said she was in trouble.”
“She is, Samantha. The worst kind of trouble.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She’s dead, Samantha.”
“Huh? What? How?”
“Someone killed her.”
“What’re you saying ? That’s crazy!”
Milo didn’t reply.
She made a run for the kitchenette, stared at the fridge, returned, wringing her hands. “Killed? Oh my God oh my God oh my God. Killed? Really? Someone killed her? Who? When?”
“Who we don’t know. When was the night before last, Samantha.”
“So then why are you—oh, no, no, God no, not that, you can’t believe I’d ever—no, it wasn’t like that. I mean I don’t—didn’t like her but that? No no no no no. No uh-uh. No .”
“We’re talking to everyone in Vita’s past.”
“I’m not in her past! Please. I can’t stand this!”
“Sorry to upset you, Samantha—”
“I am upset. I’m totally upset. That you would think that? That you would—”
“Please sit back down, Samantha, so we can clear this up quickly and be out of your way.”
He motioned toward the chair she’d vacated. She stared, sank down. “I really can’t take any more stress. I’m like at the end of my—my freakin’ husband cheated on me with who was supposed to be my freakin’ friend. Then he left me with a pile of debt I didn’t even know about that lost me my house and screwed up my credit. Do you know what I used to have? A three-bedroom house in Tujunga, I used to have a horse I rode out in Shadow Hills. I used to have a Jeep Wagoneer. Now you’re coming here and thinking terrible things about me and if you go to the company and say those things I won’t even have my job !”
Milo said, “No one suspects you, Samantha, this is routine. Which is why I need to ask you—even though it’s a crazy question—where were you the night before last?”
“Where was I? I was here. I don’t go anywhere, it takes money to go anywhere. I watched TV. I used to have a fifty-inch flat-screen. Now I
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