Free Bargain Hunting by Rhonda Pollero Page A

the partners. I said hello to the ones I knew as I turned left and went to my office.
    I still had the messages in my hand but it wasn’t until I sat down at my desk that I bothered to read them. They were all from Jane, and all were urgent. Something was weird. Why hadn’t she called my cell? Or my house? Why leave messages at the office instead of on my voice mail?
    It was only a few minutes before eight, so I knew she’d be at the gym. I’d return her call on my drive to the PBSO since her workouts ended promptly at eight forty-five. I checked my voice mail while my computer booted. Nothing of consequenceexcept for an angry message from Sleepy Bollan telling me he was going to hire “a legal aide” to fight the eviction. “Great,” I sighed, wondering how long this problem would drag out. Maybe talking to his own attorney would convince him to take the deal. I could only hope.
    My e-mail was about as disinteresting. A new estate assigned by Victor Dane, along with an edict to contact the client so I could begin the process. I dashed off a quick e-mail to Ellen, letting her know Sleepy’s intentions.
    The last item was an e-mail from Izzy with a photo attached. She’d looked online and found what she thought were the perfect shoes to go with her outfit. I was impressed. The Gliteree skinny-heeled platform pump was darling; I just wondered how Tony would feel about the shoes. They were a tad high for a fourteen-year-old. Just to be on the safe side, I e-mailed Izzy, agreeing that the shoes were cute, but suggested we not limit our choices until we had scoured the mall to see all the options. I’d make a point of taking her to the Betsey Johnson shop last. Hopefully she’d fall in love with another, more appropriate pair. I was already on Tony’s crap list. I didn’t relish the idea of throwing gas on that fire.
    I lingered over a cup of coffee while I scanned eBay for any new listings. I hit pay dirt. A seller was offering four band links with no reserve. My kind of auction. I immediately placed a bid and was almost giddy when I was the high bidder. Now if it only stayed that way for the next six hours.

    Riviera Beach was a small town just north of West Palm. I had to MapQuest and GPS the directions since the sheriff’s office wasn’t on my radar. Suspenders and a belt—sometimes my GPS takes the long way around. Luckily I was going against the traffic, so I arrived at the station and didn’t see Tony’s BMW or the small compact I’d rented for Liam. I stayed in my car. I’d already had one interaction with detectives and I wasn’t relishing a second round of questioning. Instead I tried Jane’s number. It frustratingly went directly to voice mail. I pleaded with her to call me ASAP, then placed my phone on vibrate only.
    I checked my lipstick in the mirror just as Tony and Liam pulled into the lot. They were together, so I wondered briefly what had happened to the rental. After all, it was being billed to my already-stressed VISA.
    Liam looked pissed more than anxious and Tony was all business. We met up at the flagpole near the entrance to the single-story stucco building. The emblem of the PBSO was on the double glass doors leading into the station. As we entered, I smelled cleaning supplies mingling with coffee. There was a lone uniformed officer standing behind the counter.
    He looked up and I saw recognition immediately register in his washed-out brown eyes.
    Tony passed him a business card while I stood just behind the two of them with a death grip on my briefcase. “I’m Mr. McGarrity’s counsel and he’s come in voluntarily to speak to whoever is in charge of the Lopez shooting.”
    The officer seemed at a loss for a second before he grabbed a phone and called for Detective Wells.
    I stepped forward. “He was at my house this morning,” I whispered to Tony.
    “Anything I should know?”
    I shook my head. I hadn’t technically lied, more like a version of truth avoidance.
    A buzz