Private Affair(67)

He was back in bodyguard mode as he said, “Let me go first.”

Stepping into the hall, he looked around, then motioned for her to follow. He walked in front of her as they headed for the back elevator, then the side door.

She kept her head down, and nobody paid them any attention as they slipped outside and got into his SUV.

As he drove to the office building where Brian Cannon’s office was located, they polished off the buns. After she was finished eating, she pulled down the visor mirror and began to wipe off her mouth.

When he gave her a questioning look, she said, “If I’m not my best, people criticize.”

“I’d hate that.”

“Not my fave.” She shook her head. “And maybe the media are camped out at Brian’s.”

“Let’s hope not.”

They found a space near the office building door, and again she was relieved that no reporters were staking out the place.

“I guess they haven’t gotten to him yet,” she said.

On the second floor, Max hurried down the hall to the office they’d visited the day before, and Olivia lengthened her strides to keep up.

As they stepped into the reception room, Ms. Holiday gave them a wide-eyed look.

“What are you doing here?” Ms. Holiday asked.

“We have some unfinished business with Mr. Cannon,” Max answered.

“He’s not in,” she said too quickly.

“Is that what he told you to say if you saw us?” Max asked. “Or the press?”

She didn’t answer, but Olivia caught the apologetic expression. Stepping closer to the desk, she said, “You may know that we had a pretty bad experience last night. A woman was murdered at my house, and the man tried to kill me too.”

The receptionist gasped. “It was on the news, but I didn’t know the part about his coming after you.”

“She was in our high school class. I mean mine and Brian’s, and I think nobody in the class is safe until we figure out who the killer is.”

“What does that have to do with Mr. Cannon?”

“In the first place, he’s just as much at risk as anyone else. And in the second place, he may have some information that can help us.”

As Olivia kept the woman’s attention, Max slipped past them and headed down the hall.

But Ms. Holiday saw him striding toward Brian’s office. “Wait a minute. You can’t go back there,” she shouted after him.

Olivia put a hand on her arm. “It’s okay. He’s going to feel better after helping us.”

“But he told me to keep you away from him. He was very clear about that.”

Just then the sounds of a scuffle interrupted the conversation.





Chapter 21


Ms. Holiday leaped up from behind her desk and charged down the corridor. Olivia was right behind her.

She heard cursing and the sound of knuckles landing on flesh and bone.

They arrived in time to see Max holding a wide-eyed Brian against the wall.

The real estate agent’s gaze swung to Olivia, and he looked like he was expecting salvation. “Tell your goon to leave me alone. He’s not really your fiancé, is he?”

“He’s a PI, and he’s investigating the murders. I’m sorry it’s come to this, Brian, but we need your help,” she said in a soft voice. “Just give us a few minutes, then we’ll leave you alone.”

He swallowed hard, and she knew he could still order them to get out of his office. Or tell Ms. Holiday to call the cops. It probably depended on whether or not he was the killer.

She chose not to assume the worst. “You could save a life—and it might be yours.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“I think you can guess. If Max lets you go, will you talk to us?”

When he answered with a tight nod, Max relaxed his grip, then turned to Ms. Holiday. “Don’t go down the hall and do something stupid—like calling the police.”

She looked from him to Brian.

Her boss said, “It’s all right. Don’t call anyone. Give us a few minutes.”

The three of them went into his office and closed the door.

Brian rounded his desk and sat down, looking relieved to have the barrier between them as he rubbed his jaw.

“Sorry,” Max apologized as they sat across from him.

“What the hell do you think I can do for you?” he asked.

“Did the cops question you?” Max asked.

“Yes,” Brian bit out.

“Did they tell you who was murdered at Olivia’s house last night?”

“No.”

“It was Claire Lowden.”

Brian’s face paled. “Oh my God.”

“Have you seen her recently?” Max asked.

Brian’s gaze shot to him. “Why are you asking? I mean, do you think I killed her?”