Free Otter Under Fire by Dakota Rose Royce Page B

he should have had it all along.” Otter lifted the box onto her chair and started to look through the contents.
    “Looks like mainly plans and blueprints.” She said, “Nothing unusual.”
    “Keep digging to the bottom,” he suggested.
    She pulled more papers out of the box. “So why would his appointment book be here?” She asked. “Why wasn’t it with him?”
    “Clark told me once that he left it at work if he was leaving town, that way he wouldn’t lose it,” Greg said.
    “Odd that it would be in this box,” Otter said, looking Greg in the eyes. You would think it would go to Michael or Mitch,”
    “Nope, I made sure and I asked,” Greg said. “They both said that you were to get everything.”
    “And why would that be important?”
    “Because you might find a clue, make absolutely sure we’re talking suicide and not murder.”
    “You do know that I know nothing about solving a murder, right? If I had any interest in doing such a thing, I would be a detective. I am not, I am an engineer.”
    “Well you’re the best person to have this information. You’ll do the right thing.” Greg said.
    “Well if he was murdered, it wasn’t one of the four that stormed Michael’s office for his computer, then.”
    “How would you know that?”
    “Because everyone knew he was old fashioned and used this book. He didn’t like using his computer for his meetings and appointments. Whoever wanted his records would have demanded his appointment book.”
    “Well not everyone would know he didn’t have it. He did put copies of his stuff on his computer as back up. In case he did lose the book.”
    “I didn’t know that.”
    “I’ll bet somebody did. I’d take that home if I were you. Make sure it’s safe until you have time to look at it.”
    “Stop it Greg, you’re starting to creep me out.”
    Greg shrugged again. “Just saying.”
    After he left, Otter put the book in her lunch bag and locked the lunch bag in her file cabinet. Just to be safe, she kept her office door locked the rest of the day. It was a pain in the ass to keep the keys with her at all times and have to mess with the door every time she came and went. She was used to just breezing in and out. And so what if she did find something in his book? What if there was something in there that clearly said he was murdered? What the hell was she supposed to do then?
    Brad sidled up to Otter while she was alone in the lab. “You should probably stop telling people that Clark didn’t kill himself. You’re starting to look stupid.”
    “That’s not what I said.” Otter said thinking that Brad would certainly know about looking stupid. “I said I can’t believe he killed himself, it’s not like something he’d do.”
    “You think you’re pretty smart,” Brad continued, “Smarter than the police and the coroner and even Clark’s wife, who all say he killed himself.”
    “I don’t see what difference that could possibly make to you,” Otter said looking through her paperwork.
    “You’re upsetting his wife. She doesn’t like this kind of talk.”
    “Who would be telling her ‘this kind of talk’ if it wasn’t you Brad?”
    “I dunno, people I guess. I just know she’s not real happy.”
    “Her husband is dead; it would be weird if she was happy.”
    “But you are such a know it all. Are you going to march into the police station and tell them they made a mistake?”
    “What the hell are you talking about?”
    “You know, start looking for clues and prove he didn’t kill himself.”
    “I have no intention of doing any such thing.” Otter looked up at Brad. He was one of the welders. She never thought of him as being overly bright and he was most definitely a follower. His favorite occupation was to eavesdrop on conversations and pretend he was the man in the know.
    Brad was starting to look excited. The one lonely thought in his head was probably thrilled to have a playmate.
    “Who have you been talking to Brad? Who