Tea or Consequences

by KC Burn

  He sucked in a breath as the memory of the disarray in Gabrielle’s office returned, unexpected and vivid.

  “Hey. It’s okay.” Tad’s voice was low and soothing. “Drink some tea, take your time. I know finding Gabrielle like that was a shock.”

  Riley obeyed, thankful Tad didn’t appear impatient with him. “Sorry. It was the mess on her desk that was my first clue that something was really wrong.”

  Tad nodded. “Sure, sure. I can see that.” He made a notation in his book.

  “Anyway, the files were messy, but not like… Friday night. So I straightened them up, but, well, I could tell the files were old. I know I shouldn’t have, but I flipped through them.” The heat returned to his cheeks.

  Instead of reprimanding him, Tad gave him another noncop grin. “Snooping, eh? Why am I not surprised?”

  Riley gasped. Why would Tad assume such a thing, even if it was true, and one of Riley’s vices?

  “Kidding, kidding. I swear. Files on your boss’s desk, not locked away, when you, as her assistant, are accustomed to entering her office while she’s not there? No expectation of privacy. Confidentiality, yes, but you didn’t mention this to anyone else, did you?”

  Riley let out a relieved breath. “No. Of course not.” The realization that a cop had more or less given him tacit permission to snoop was slightly heady.

  “I assume there was something in those files that you think is relevant.”

  “It was her will. Signed around ten years ago. After I saw it, I assumed that maybe Mr. Hanover was her personal lawyer and she’d been reviewing it with him. I don’t know if she was planning to change it, though.”

  “I’ll follow up with Mr. Hanover, thank you. Her previous will would have been invalidated by her marriage. If she did manage to get a new will drafted, any changes might give us a direction to follow.”

  “So this wasn’t a waste of time? Don’t most murders need to be solved within like forty-eight hours or something?” Riley didn’t think his tiny bit of information would help put Gabrielle’s murderer behind bars.

  Tad laughed, but the sound was devoid of true mirth. “Sure, that’s the theory. But it’s not a hard and fast rule, as much as we’d like it if every investigation could be tied up in two days. Unfortunately, there’s a backlog at the coroner’s and a backlog at the lab.” He wagged a finger at Riley, voice filled with mock recrimination. “Don’t believe what you see on television. It’s not all instantaneous results with trace evidence that can narrow down a suspect to a left-handed assailant with a preference for Italian food and a hothouse full of rare orchids.”

  Riley rolled his eyes. “I know, I know. I mean… I don’t know, but I assumed that to be the case. It might surprise you to know I’ve never met a homicide detective before.”

  “Anyway, we’re still waiting on the autopsy report. I’m working off the prelim data we got Friday night at the scene.”

  Okay, now they seemed to be truly venturing into collaboration territory—unless providing all this information was some elaborate trap to get Riley to act or admit to his guilt. Good thing he wasn’t guilty of anything but overdeveloped curiosity.

  “And if anything else strikes you as odd—are you going to be working there, or will you be sent on a new assignment?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t heard from my agency, so if nothing else, I’ll go in Monday. Since I’m still under contract, I intend to go in, help things continue as best they can until François and Floriana—or whoever would end up in charge—takes over.”

  “Good, good. Keep your eyes open, and if you remember anything odd or if anyone does anything unusual, give me a call. Please.”

  A buzzing sound emanated from the vicinity of Tad’s inner pocket. He pulled out his phone and frowned at it. “Sorry, I gotta get going. Work.”

  Riley dug in his pocket for his wallet, but Tad had already dropped a couple of twenties on the table.

  “That’s too much for your breakfast.”

  Tad stood up and winked. “I got this. You can get it next time. By the way, you can get into Gabrielle’s office now, if you need to.”

  And then he was gone, leaving behind a trace of spicy cologne and a flabbergasted Riley, who had absolutely no idea how to fit that wink and the assumption they’d be eating together again with the straight cop who’d questioned him so impersonally Friday night.

  He really, really hoped Tad wasn’t trying a version of a honey trap on him. Nevertheless, he’d definitely be keeping his eyes peeled. It was almost like Tad had told him he had to snoop. Or at least implied he’d appreciate Riley’s help. And if his curiosity could help Tad arrest the person responsible for Gabrielle’s death, his curiosity would have a purpose besides his own satisfaction.

  Most times, people found him charming and harmless. It was time to take advantage of that. The opportunity to keep in contact with Tad, at least for the duration of the investigation, had nothing to do with his newfound eagerness to get back to Gautier Cosmetics.

  Chapter FOUR

  MONDAY MORNING hadn’t come soon enough. Riley had been so anxious—good and bad—about his first day back after Gabrielle’s death, he ended up waking before his alarm. He was undecided whether he should just go in early, even if that meant getting in before anyone else, or if he should linger at home until the last minute. He certainly wasn’t going to waste time eating breakfast—his uncertainty about the day and the possibility he’d been mistaken about his contract continuing had his stomach in a snarl. Once he knew better what was going on, he’d dash out for a snack.

  In the end, he decided to split the difference and show up about thirty minutes early. He did take the time to stop at a Second Cup for a tea. He didn’t think coffee would sit well on his anxious belly, and he didn’t think he could bring himself to use any of Gabrielle’s teas. Not today, at least, although he suspected they’d all end up in the garbage. Most people, including her children, drank tea with Gabrielle because she insisted rather than as a result of any true preference.

  Despite his early arrival, Alisha was already at the reception desk.

  “You asshole! How could you not text me this weekend, let me know how you’re doing?” Despite her harsh words—Riley had never heard her swear at her desk—Alisha bounded toward him and enveloped him in a hug.

  Riley sighed and let himself be hugged. It had been a fucking long time since someone had hugged him like this. Shaun was more of a cheek kisser than a hugger, and his brother certainly had never engaged in any sort of hugging behavior. Most of Riley’s human contact had been in the form of well-meaning but ultimately incompatible boyfriends.

  Eventually Alisha let him go. “Seriously, though, how are you doing?”

  “I’m holding up okay.”

  “I cannot believe how long you were stuck here on Friday night. And it’s all over the office that they suspect Gabrielle was murdered. Do they know who did it?”

  Riley blinked. “What do you mean it’s all over the office? Hardly anybody’s here this early on a Monday.”

  A derisive snort escaped Alisha’s glossy plum lips. “Puh-lease. They might be upset she’s dead and concerned about what this means for the company and their jobs, but nobody wanted to miss out on a scrap of gossip or any developments. You’re practically the last one here.”

  That did not bode well. He hadn’t really wanted to be alone next to Gabrielle’s empty office, but he should have listened to his first instinct and come in early.

  “Well, I’d better get in there. I imagine there will be a lot of messages and emails to deal with.” Gabrielle’s death had made the evening news on Sunday—including the information that it was being investigated as suspicious—and he expected a deluge of emailed requests for information. Thanks to Tad, Riley knew more than the news reporters.

  He assumed at least one of those emails would be from Gautier’s legal team, complete with a scripted response that he should use when responding to messages or reschedul
ing or canceling Gabrielle’s meetings. Alisha would be fending off the majority, but plenty of people had Gabrielle’s direct phone line or email address. They were both going to have a busy day.

  Without an actual board of directors, Riley didn’t know if there was a clear line of succession. With or without it, the entire company was going to be in disarray, possibly for months.

  Before he could head in, Alisha grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes. “Listen, if you need anything, even just a break or a shoulder or anything, you call me. Understand? I will put those phones to voicemail and we will find a bottle of Scotch or something.”

  That surprised a laugh out of Riley. “I got it. Thanks for having my back.”

  “Hey, us cool kids have to stick together.”

  Riley walked past the reception desk, slightly more buoyant than he’d been a few minutes prior.

  The buoyancy didn’t last when he made it to the other end of the floor. A small knot of people were crowded around his desk, but they weren’t waiting for him. They were discussing whether they could open the door, since the crime scene tape hung limply from the doorframe.

  Riley clapped his hands sharply, making them jump and spin like a pack of startled meerkats. “If you all don’t go back to work, I’ll call both HR and the police and you can discuss this with them.”

  That sent them scurrying on their way. Vultures, the lot of them. Glancing around to be sure he was alone—only his desk and the kitchenette had a direct sight line—he opened Gabrielle’s door.

  What a fucking mess. Gabrielle would have been horrified at the state the police and crime scene technicians had left her office. Hell, Riley was horrified, and he wasn’t nearly as tidy and precise as Gabrielle had been.

  It would be hours of work before the office was even ready for her successors to sift through documentation, never mind how long it would be before someone else could work in it. Another thing that Riley would have to take care of, assuming his contract continued.

  He quickly backed out and shut the door before he fired up his computer. As expected, his inbox—and Gabrielle’s—were inundated.

  It didn’t take long to find the expected official email from Legal with a carefully crafted response employees could use to answer questions about Gabrielle and the fate of Gautier Cosmetics. First thing he did was clear all Gabrielle’s meetings for the week, canceling until further notice. Once that was done, he prepared to tackle the mountains of messages. Then someone moved into his peripheral vision and stood there expectantly.

  Riley looked up and found the attractive yet haggard visage of Cody Rosenberg. There may have been more than twenty years between him and Gabrielle—he still looked younger than Riley, although maybe not by as much as Riley had thought Friday night—but he looked like a man in the throes of grief. Behind him stood the head of HR, Mattie Tran. It wasn’t clear if Cody and Mattie were together or if Mattie was merely waiting her turn. If the latter, odds were good Riley would be clearing out before the end of the day.

  “Mr. Rosenberg.” Riley stood and held out his hand. “I should have said something Friday. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  Cody shook his hand. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  “Is there something I can do for you?” Riley glanced over Cody’s shoulder at Mattie, still trying to determine if they were a united front.

  Mattie stepped closer. “Riley, if you don’t mind, we’d like to have a chat with you. Is the executive conference room available?”

  Riley nodded. “Sure.” He grabbed the key from inside his desk. Gabrielle never wanted anyone else to use the small conference room without her express permission because she never wanted to search for a meeting room if she needed it, and therefore it was locked when not in use. He had no fucking clue what was going on, but Cody’s presence with Mattie meant he wasn’t getting fired today.

  At least not yet.

  “Can I make some coffee for us?”

  Cody nodded. “Yes, thank you. I could use a cup. Decaf, please.” Riley handed Mattie the key to the conference room, earning a tiny but genuine smile.

  “Thank you, Riley. I’d love some too.”

  “I’ll be in there in a few minutes.”

  TEN MINUTES later the three of them sat around the conference table, steaming mugs in front of them. Riley still wasn’t sure he could handle the acidity of coffee, but he’d found a package of hot chocolate. Riley hadn’t felt warm through since Friday, so maybe the hot chocolate would help.

  Cody and Mattie looked at each other before Cody turned his gaze on Riley. The man still looked more like a model than any man in real life had a right to, but Riley’s assessment of Cody’s looks was impartial and objective, not like the warm, squirmy feeling he got when confronted with the sexy Tadeo Martin.

  “Gabrielle was going to make two announcements on Friday. The first one was about our marriage, which took place in Vegas last week.”

  There was an uncomfortable pause while Cody visibly pulled himself together. If Riley’s spouse had died, he’d still be at home hiding under the covers with a bottle of booze and box of tissues. The fact that Cody was suited and more or less functioning despite his grief was awe-inspiring. Riley was certain other people would take it as evidence Cody didn’t love Gabrielle, but Riley didn’t think he was misreading Cody’s grief.

  Under normal circumstances, he’d have been offering congratulations, but now Riley didn’t know what to say, so he kept silent.

  “Sorry.” Cody took a deep breath. “The second announcement was going to be the creation of an in-house marketing department, headed up by myself as vice president. Technically, I’m supposed to be starting today.”

  “You’re kidding.” Riley clapped a hand to his mouth. “I’m sorry, that was terribly rude, but you took me by surprise.”

  Cody chuckled weakly. “It was supposed to be a surprise, so I guess that worked. Treyhorn Associates didn’t want to publicize that I was leaving, and Gabby didn’t want to fight with her kids about it.”

  “But don’t they have some say? How could she possibly start a new department without involving François? Because that all takes money.”

  Mattie spoke this time. “I counseled her against doing it this way, but you’ve been here long enough to know Gabrielle had her own way of doing things. She and François worked together to ensure funds were available for the new department, but she kept Cody’s employment a secret. She doesn’t actually need consensus for hiring whoever she wants for positions that report to her.”

  Huh. That was fucked-up. Floriana and François would be furious. “Wait, does her death mean that these plans won’t go forward?”

  “No. The contract, although initiated by Gabrielle, is a company contract. It’s still valid, even without her. Cody might be in for a bit of a fight once everything shakes out, but François and Floriana will have a hard time ousting him without just cause.”

  Cody cleared his throat. “I was hoping you’d work with me while I transition.”

  “Um. I’m sorry, what does that mean?”

  “You’re contracted with the company to cover another admin’s long-term medical leave. While we could absolutely use some help tidying up Gabrielle’s office, Cody and I think you might be able to take on the role of his assistant, at least until we’ve figured out where we’re going from here. We’re happy having you work for us,” Mattie said.

  “Gabby said a number of times she’d like to hire you on permanently. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no better recommendation than that.” Cody’s expression was pleading, and that alone would probably have convinced Riley if he hadn’t had other reasons for wanting to stay.

  Nevertheless, it could become uncomfortable. Floriana hated him, and François might start if he reported to Cody.

  “I’d half thought you’d tell me my contract was up now.”

  Mattie shook her head. “As Cody said, Gabrielle wanted you on board. I have a contract template set up on her o
rder, in case you ever took her up on her offer.”

  He knew he’d get bored if he stuck around one place too long, but Gabrielle’s near-instant belief that she wanted Riley to stay gave him the warm fuzzies.

  Thinking of Tad and his tacit permission to snoop gave Riley the best reason to accept Cody’s offer. Riley wasn’t an idiot. Cody needed someone in his corner who wouldn’t be caught in the upcoming civil war between him and his stepchildren, both of whom were older than he was. Cody needed someone who could put his interests first without worrying Floriana would retaliate by getting him fired. If things didn’t end well at Gautier, it would be upsetting, as Riley had never left any position with less than glowing references, but either way, his agency would have a new posting for him within a week.

  “Thank you. I’d be happy to accept.”

  Cody’s shoulders dropped in relief. “Thank you, Riley. I appreciate it.”

  “You’re not seriously thinking about working today, are you?” It wasn’t hard to make the mental switch to being Cody’s assistant, and that included looking out for his interests in all areas.

  Cody’s jaw firmed up. “I must. If I’m to protect Gabby’s legacy, I need to make myself every bit as visible as she would have wished.”

  “Where are you planning to work?” Riley shook his head. “Never mind. I think I know. The empty office on the other side of the conference room?”

  Mattie nodded, a pleased smile hovering on her lips. “You guessed right. It was originally supposed to have been François’s office, but he wanted one closer to the rest of his department, and Floriana spends so much of her time in the lab she never needed a big office on this floor. When Gabrielle suggested adding another vice president, the empty office sitting there waiting was almost serendipity.”

  Serendipity. Doubtful. He hadn’t known Gabrielle long, but he didn’t think many of her moves relied on anything so specious as serendipity.

  He wasn’t sure how he was going to wind up Gabrielle’s outstanding work affairs and provide a buffer between Cody and the Gautiers, but he’d do his best. Somewhere in there, he’d poke around, see if he could figure out who might have had it in for Gabrielle.