Free Murder.com by David Deutsch Page A

I was closer to my office, and Imogen
and I would be able to float around the upper crust of New York
nightlife. We would also be able to keep our ears a little closer
to the ground. After all, Baxter, Miller & Clarke was located
in the city.
    Despite a break-in and having my ass almost flung in
jail, I had been focused on work for the past few days trying to
get POP ready to, well, pop. Everything was now set, and we spent
the day making calls and meeting with various venture capital firms
in an effort to let them know that we were now ready to accept term
sheets for this round of funding.
    Imogen was sitting in on most of
the meetings at the office. Since we were in the city, and it was
becoming very easy for her to come to work with me. One of the
endearing qualities that Imogen possessed was her desire not to
fall into the trap of simply being a lady that lunched. She wasn't
interested in shopping, lunching, and then getting a mani/pedi with
the girls whilst sipping a glass of wine, waiting for me to arrive
home after a hard day's work. She was smart as a whip, driven, and
a classic beauty. I was happy to have her by my side on a
professional and a personal level. Although, as I had recently
discovered, keeping her on a personal level meant taking some
steps—some would say nothing short of a leap—forward. I was working
on that.
    After a string of meetings, we found ourselves back
in my office alone.
    "I've forgotten how much I enjoy
work," she said.
    "You've certainly got a knack for
it, my dear." I was thinking that I could possibly lure her back
into the working world.
    "Well, Dutch, you do realize that
I did have a life before I met you."
    "Dutch again?"
    "Get used to it. I'm going to be
using it."
    "Fantastic."
    "As, I was saying, Dutch, I did
have a life once upon a time."
    "You don't say. I just thought you
materialized in that house of yours when I moved into the
neighborhood."
    "Ha. Ha."
    "So, can I convince you now to
come work with me full-time?"
    "I didn't say I liked work that much ."
    As we continued, engaged in our ridiculous
conversation, my office phone rang. I motioned to Imogen to give me
one moment and then picked up the receiver. Imogen lounged back in
her Aeron chair across the desk from me, prepared to eavesdrop on
my conversation.
    "I was waiting for your call," the
voice on the line said.
    "I was just about to ring you," I
replied, although I'd had no intention of calling him.
    I mouthed to Imogen that it was Mike Miller on the
line inquiring about the POP deal. He asked if we could meet over
dinner to discuss it. I agreed, and we decided that we would
rendezvous at Gramercy Tavern around 8:00 p.m.
    "And bring your colleague, what
was her—"
    "Imogen?"
    "Yes, that's the one. Bring
Imogen."
    "Can you bring Clarke?" I
asked.
    Mike paused and thought for a
moment. "He's indisposed this evening. But I'll let him know that
you were asking for him."
    Always indisposed. I was getting
the feeling that he didn't want to see me.
    I told Mike that we would see him later tonight, and
then I hung up. I looked directly at Imogen.
    "What?"
    Maybe I was staring a little too intently at
her.
    "Looks like we've got him." I
said.
    " Hamo,
linea et sinker ," Ginny
responded.
    "Huh?"
    "Hook, line, and sinker…in my best
Latin."
    "Showoff."

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
     
    Gramercy Tavern was located right
around the corner from Union Square on Park Avenue South. The bar
at the restaurant was quite extensive and quite appealing to look
at while you were sitting enjoying a drink. It was constructed of
what appeared to be mahogany, with typical mirrors serving as the
backdrop to each shelf. The actual bar itself was also made from
some sort of dark wood, with miniature table lights and place
settings in front of each barstool about two feet apart. You could
walk in, sit at the bar, and enjoy a drink and something to eat off
the Tavern menu. Or, as Mike, Ginny, and I were going to do, dine
in the actual restaurant at 8 p.m.