Page 75 of Over Her Dead Body

She adjusts her screen and then returns to the Lisbon inquiry.

“Now an estate in the same city is asking for you by name. Were you cultivating a client without the house’s knowledge?”

“No.”

Celeste studies me. “Were you planning to take the business elsewhere?”

“No.”

She leans back. “Then what were you doing in Lisbon?”

Following my dead husband would be the truth.

Sleeping with a potential client would be the version that gets me fired faster.

“Like I said, it was personal.”

Her expression hardens. “You understand why that is not reassuring.”

From Celeste’s side of the desk, the story is simple. I used house money to chase a private client, failed to disclose it, and am now pretending to be alarmed because the client came through the front door.

I would not believe me either.

Celeste arranges the charge and the inquiry side by side on her screen.

“You missed Bauer. You charged an unauthorized international trip to the house. This morning, an intern heard you make a joke about a client’s dead guest.”

“I understand what⁠—”

“Do you?” Celeste looks up. “Any one of those would justify firing you. Together, they make me question your judgment.”

I say nothing.

“Judgment is the job, Emma. If I can’t trust yours, I can’t justify keeping you in it.”

Celeste looks back at the Lisbon inquiry. “At the moment, partnership is the least of your concerns. I’m going to suggest delaying the vote.”

That answers the partnership question.

“The house has accepted the preliminary engagement,” Celeste says. “The family is expecting you.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea. I mean, right now.”

Celeste waits for an explanation. I would like to point out that flying across the Atlantic to inspect a collection I invented seems like a questionable use of company money. But someone has turned my excuse into an assignment, and explaining why that worries me would require admitting it was an excuse in the first place.

Celeste has just finished listing the reasons she could fire me. I would prefer not to contribute.

“You have until noon to decide.”

Celeste holds my gaze.

“There are a hundred girls waiting for your job. Any one of them would already be packing.”

She turns back to her computer.

“Unfortunately for me, this client has requested you specifically. I trust you understand the position you’re putting me in.”

CHAPTER 29