“It looks like you were trying to sneak in via that window. You know we have a front door, right? No criminal activity or acrobatics necessary.”

“It’s a long story.” My voice lilts. “What are you doing here? Ew, you don’t smoke, do you?”

“Not cigarettes, if that’s what you mean. I got roped into trash duty. I could make a joke about sneaky journalists here, but it would summon my mom instantly, and then she’d probably hire you. She loves tenacity.”

“You think I’m rooting around for a story?”

“You’re not? I’ve already had to wrangle someone from the Mendocino paper. I expect the Bay Area reporters next. Dead rich girl is a big story, and everyone and their mother is circling the psycho-fan angle. Figured you’d joined the school paper.”

Disappointment streaks through me. And here I thought I was a genius for calling the copycat angle.

“No, it’s…weirder than that. I discovered the body, and you know who I’m related to. I have questions for some of the people at the con.”

Gabriel eyes me shrewdly. “I’ll let you in if you promise not to do anything illegal. I need this job.”

“Thank you!” I follow him to the door like a duckling, finding myself in a generic-looking hallway, not half as historically wood-paneled and wallpapered as the spaces I was in earlier. This corridor is for employees only, and Hotel Seaview gave up on keeping it pretty decades ago. Ancient paisley paper swells on waterlogged walls. The smell is a mixture of mold and phantom trash, which makes Gabriel’s woodsy smell pop out. I almost ask him if it’s natural or Axe, but I refrain. TMI.

He walks me back to the public domain, halting outside a staff break room a few yards from the doorway that leads into the basement conference area. I catch his eyes flicking down at my chest. We both jump into the embarrassment shuffle, clearing our throats, looking at the walls. But then he surprises me. Points dead center.

“You don’t have a badge.”

And now I’m mortified all over again, for assuming he was checking me out.

“Hence my windowsill acrobatics, yes,” I cover by way of sarcasm.

“You’ll need help getting into con spaces without one.” Gabriel is serious without fail. “What exactly is your plan?”

“I figured I’d bat my eyelashes and mention I’m Maura’s granddaughter.”

“Or I can take you in the service tunnels. There are corridors that run behind the con spaces. Makes it easier to avoid Sheriff Morrow.”

My eyes widen. “Word gets around, huh?”

“Deputy Shields is chatty.”

“Is the sheriff really that bad? He has some pretty aggressive dad energy.”