Page 42 of Over Her Dead Body

Owen appears at the edge of my desk with a folder tucked under one arm and a pastry in his hand. He looks irritatingly rested.

“One of the Todds, this early?” he asks. “What are we up to now—twenty-five? Twenty-eight?”

“Pilates Todd,” I say. “He’s back on the roster. Emotionally persistent. Physically flexible.”

“That sounds exhausting.”

“You have no idea.”

“I have some idea.”

“No, you have opinions. They are different.”

Owen looks back at the phone, then at me. “Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

He lifts both hands, pastry and all. “Fine.”

Celeste comes through the hall in cream silk and gold earrings. She stops outside my office and gives me one polished look.

“You’re here,” she says.

“I work here.”

“Today, that counts as a pleasant surprise.”

“Good morning to you too.”

Celeste does not return the greeting.

“About Vienna,” I say. “I’m sorry. When I got to the airport⁠—”

“There isn’t time.”

I stop. Apparently, even my apology needs an appointment.

“Genevieve is early,” she says.

I straighten. Her collector. An introduction, a collection, something I can put in front of the partners that isn’t an explanation of my whereabouts.

“She brought the referral?”

“She’s alone.”

I had already started rehearsing the introduction.

“When is he coming?”

“Genevieve will explain.”

This cannot be happening. I need something to put in front of the partners, and I am running out of things that aren’t apologies.

“Then why is she early?”

Celeste gives me a look that suggests I have forgotten who we’re discussing.

Right. Genevieve Loring does not arrive early because she respects anyone’s schedule. She arrives early because time is something she assumes belongs to her.