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If so, finding him was all the more worthwhile. An inner voice told her something was wrong—terribly wrong—or she would have seen some sign of him in the past two days.
“Back to square one,” she muttered as she approached the side door of Sanderson at five-thirty on Friday.
She’d parked a block away, watching as the office personnel drove out of the main gate at five o’clock. Only Jane’s red Subaru remained in the front lot, while the second-shift factory crew’s vehicles were parked behind the building.
Sara waited another ten minutes, then drove in and parked her SUV between a couple of dusty pickups.
The windows of the office building were dark. The front doors would be locked, of course, but from her position up on the hill she’d often seen a cleaning crew use a side door.
She walked casually up to the door, tried the handle, and felt it turn easily in her hand. Gratefully, she slipped inside.
To the right, a double set of steel doors flanked by glass display cases led into the plant. To the left, gleaming terrazzo flooring stretched down the main hallway of the office area.
After waiting in silence for several minutes, listening for footsteps, Sara turned right and tried the door handles. Locked.
She started down the hallway, quietly testing doorknobs and cataloging the layout and distances.
The bathrooms—unlocked.
The employee lounge—unlocked.
Individual offices—locked.
She peered through the pebbled-glass door to the accounting department. This would definitely be a place to visit, she thought dryly, making out the blurry forms of numerous desks and computer monitors. To one side of the room, the frame of another door was visible—perhaps the office of Robert Hanson.
Since she’d started her surveillance, there’d been some surreptitious-looking late-night activity around the place, enough to convince her that the tip on drug shipments coming through hadn’t been far wrong.
Finding out just what the operation was and who was involved would prove interesting.
Perhaps there was a ring of cohorts out in the plant, but logic dictated that in a small company like this one, at least some of the top brass would have to know what was going on.
Ahead, a dim wash of light spilled into the hallway outside the human resources office. Sara moved to the door and surveyed the room through a window. Bathed in the glow of her computer monitor, Jane sat behind her desk, her head cradled in one hand and a sheaf of papers scattered in front of her.
Sara rapped lightly on the glass pane. “Jane? Are you in there?”
Jane sat up with a start. “Sara?”
“I thought I’d stop by and see if you wanted to meet for supper,” Sara said, still speaking through the door.
Jane glanced up at a wall clock as she rose from her desk, then crossed the room to unlock her door with a broad grin. “I didn’t realize how late it was. This is such a nice surprise—but how did you get in?”
“I meant to get here sooner, but I saw your car was still in the lot. The side door was open.” Sara gave the desk a look of amazement. “Sheesh. Your work must never end!”
Jane gave a little shrug. “I’m just thankful for the job, believe me.” Her smile dimmed. “I’m really sorry I haven’t been able to call you about any openings. Ian and Robert have been pretty upbeat lately, though. Maybe soon.”
“Don’t worry about it. How much do you have left to do here?”
Retracing her steps, Jane stood by her chair and closed the program on her computer, then shut the system down and grabbed a ring of keys from the top drawer of the desk. “I just need to slip some reports into Mr. Flynn’s mailbox in the business office, and then I can leave.”
Sara closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. “This place always smells so good—what is it?”
“A whole lot different than when we were growing up, isn’t it? Back then the place just made cleaning compounds and there was a perpetual stench of ammonia. Now it depends on what product they’re working on.”
“It sure must be nice to have a job here.”
Jane headed out the door toward the business office and Sara followed. “There’s always the light scent of beeswax, but the herbs and florals vary. My favorite is when they’re working on Aunt Maisie Ellen’s Original Hand Lotion. Lily of the Valley with a hint of lilac. It’s wonderful!”
Sara watched as Jane sorted through the keys. “I guess all the products must sell like wildfire.”
