Never again was I drinking bourbon.

I understood why the police wanted to talk to me. I would be considered a “person of interest” in the case, since I’d had contact with the victim in the days right before his murder. I’d written his will. I had no problem being questioned. But in my current state, I wasn’t about to answer anything without an attorney present. In fact, I’d be talking to Dane as soon as he was available to make sure he could attend any further meetings I had with Detective Morgan.

I made my way back to my desk and buzzed Charlie. I didn’t usually ask her to do personal stuff for me, but today I needed it. “I need a spa day,” I said. “Book me for the afternoon anywhere that’s available.”

27

Rock

After getting Reid’s call while I was still at Lacey’s, I ran back to my hotel for a shower and barely made it to an impromptu meeting with marketing.

After that, I had an appointment with Dieter in my office. One suit was ready—money definitely talked—so that would be my uniform until the rest of my clothes were complete.

Oddly, there was a full-length mirror in my father’s—my—office. Derek Wolfe must have spent a lot of time looking at his own reflection. Narcissus himself. The man was so busy being in love with himself that he couldn’t see that the rest of the world hated him. I didn’t envy Detective Morgan. Figuring out who might have offed my father wouldn’t be like looking for a needle in a haystack. More like a needle in a landfill.

I stared at myself in my new and custom-tailored gray pinstripe.

It was no leather vest and chaps, but I didn’t look half bad.

I walked toward my desk when my door opened abruptly.

I rolled my eyes when I saw who it was. “Hello, Mother.”

“We need to talk, Rock.”

“How did you get past Carla and Jarrod?”

“I ignored them, as I always have.”

“From now on, you won’t ignore them. This is my office.”

“Only because your father insisted you be in charge. I have no idea why.”

“Neither does anyone else, but you’ll give me the same respect he commanded. You’ll go through Carla or Jarrod the next time, or I’ll have you banned from the building.”

My mother smiled, and saccharine oozed from her lips. “I’m your mother. You won’t ban me.”

“My mother? In a biological sense only, Connie. You stopped being my mother the day I found out you were letting Derek Wolfe molest your only daughter. Your baby daughter.”

“I never knew anything about that. Rock, whatever you think you saw—”

“What I know I saw,” I said icily. What I also overheard. Apparently she wasn’t aware of the latter.