“It feels so creepy coming back here,” Lucy confessed. “I didn’t want to come.”

“The sooner you get back to work the better. Come on, hang up your coat,” said Bev in a no-nonsense, motherly tone of voice.

Lucy obeyed, and followed Bev to her desk, where she found a bouquet of supermarket flowers waiting for her.

“Oh, you guys are so nice,” she exclaimed.

“We knew it would be hard to come back,” said Ruthie. “It’s been hard for everyone. We’re all scared.”

“Lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice,” Bev said, settling down at her computer station.

“It does if there’s a maniac loose out there,” grumbled Ruthie. “What did the police ask you, Lucy?”

“Just what I saw, which wasn’t much.” Lucy put on her headphone and logged onto the computer. “What did they ask you?”

“They haven’t bothered with me,” Ruthie complained. “But I heard they were in and out of the office all day. They spent a lot of time with Tom Miller and George Higham.”

“I suppose they would,” said Lucy, taking a call. She was soon busy taking orders, some from as far away as Alaska and California, and talking to the customers made her forget her anxiety. The lines were busy and she didn’t even get to take a breather until ten-thirty. She was just coming out of the rest room and heading for the machines in the break room when she met George Higham, the customer service manager, in the hallway.

“Hi, George,” she said, and then, plucking up her courage, she asked, “Have the police made any progress?”

“Not as far as I know. Of course, as the memo requested we’re asking everyone to cooperate,” replied the little bearded man. He was wearing his usual navy blazer, button-down shirt, gray flannels, and tasseled loafers. Lucy noticed that all his clothes were from the catalog.

“I can’t help feeling nervous,” admitted Lucy. “You don’t think Sam’s death had anything to do with the company, do you?”

“Of course not,” he snapped, bridling at the suggestion. “Now, isn’t it time you got back to work?”

“Well, I’m actually on my dinner break right now. I worked right through my coffee break. I’m supposed to get a half hour for dinner, and a fifteen-minute coffee break.”

“You don’t need to lecture me about the state labor laws, Lucy,” said Higham, his face flushing. Then he caught himself, probably remembering some seminar on employee motivation, and stretched his mouth into something resembling a smile. “I see you’re quite close to earning an incentive bonus, Lucy. Keep up the good work.”

Lucy watched him as he walked down the corridor to the executive offices; then she went into the break room. She bought a package of cheese crackers and a diet soda from the machines and sat down at the table opposite Bev.